Friday, September 4, 2020

Regression Analysis Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Relapse Analysis Questions - Assignment Example The logical variable is the scale whereupon the ward or the reaction variable changes, for example time. The consistent speak to the unfaltering incentive in the relapse condition, for example, fixed expenses. A case of a numerous relapse would be = mX + nZ, which is a condition to ascertain benefit for an organization. The variable Y would be revenue driven edge, X for fixed expenses and Z for variable expenses. The estimations of m and n are the coefficients of X and Z individually. The estimation of m would recount the pace of progress in incline inferable from X while n would show the pace of progress of slant owing to Z. By accepting that the effects of the other two parts, which make 20% of the complete deals are irrelevant, the mistake esteem increments altogether. What's more, since things B and C structure some portion of the mistake, and will change with differing estimations of A, the model with be heteroscedastic, subsequently increasingly hard to use for the basic pattern in the information. Thus, a straight model would make a helpless fit for the information. Consequently, this utilization of relapse investigation would be

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Jazz and Poetry free essay sample

There are a wide range of sorts of music on the planet, and every one Is deferent on account of specific attributes that help to make that type stand separated from all the others. One of these sorts Is Jazz. Jazz Is a sort of music that was made chiefly by dark Americans during the mid twentieth century, and is a blend of American and African inborn music.There are a wide range of attributes that set Jazz apart from each other sort of music, yet there are three fundamental differentiations; the first is its specific mix of beat, song and amicability, second is the butte contrasts that make each Jazz player in a flash unmistakable lastly Is the way that Jazz players Interact and respond with their environmental factors, they don't just play an assigned arrangement of notes. The tease trademark that assists with making Jazz so not the same as different types of music is the mood, song and concordance. We will compose a custom article test on Jazz and Poetry or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Not exclusively do these apply to the music of the Jazz period however, these equivalent rhythms can be found in a portion of the verse of that time. One of the sonnets that exhibits a specific rhyme Is T. S. Elites The Love Song of J. Alfred Froufrou. In this Eliot doesn't adhere to a typical rhyme conspire Like a portion of the more straightforward sonnets. He utilizes end-rhyme, yet It doesn't exchange for each line, now and again there are a few lines that have no rhyme between two lines that do. It is a result of this irregular rhyme conspire that his sonnet identifies with the apparently arbitrary rhythms of Jazz music. Another sonnet that shows amicability like that of Jazz is The Tropics in New York by Claude McKay. In this he utilizes a basic end-rhyme plan, and exchanges with each line. Be that as it may, the manner in which he has composed the sonnet It appears to stream interminably, not making the brain float or to get befuddled. These are just two out of the a huge number of sonnets that show the principal normal for Jazz music. The following property of Jazz music is the unpretentious contrasts that artists would place in that would make every player discernable from the following. One artist who showed this quality enormously was Longs Hughes.Hughes was one of the most productive and effective African-American writers of the 1 asss. In every single one of his sonnets e would show his incredible pride for his legacy, just as his dismay with the mistreatment he saw. One of his sonnets that enormously outlines this quality is Refugee in America. In this sonnet he discusses sweet and brilliant words like Freedom, and how he contemplates it consistently. He proceeds to state that there are words like Liberty that almost make him cry. This shows his incredible disdain of the persecution of his race.Another one of his sonnets that shows his solid pride for his legacy Is The Negro Speaks of Rivers. In this sonnet Hughes Illustrates how his race has been around for a great many years and has known waterways the whole way across the globe. By this he is expressing that his race has been all over and will keep on enduring, similarly as the waterways of the world. Yet, that isn't the last characteristic that ranges across both the music and writing of that period. The way that the artists would stream haphazardly all through the music, responding to the crowd, just as their band mates, and not just playing a solitary, assigned arrangement of notes.One of the primary models that strikes a chord is William Carols Williams The Great Figure. This sonnet appears to have neither rhyme nor reason, and have no explanation behind being composed. It is the basic story of a fire engine experiencing the city on a stormy day. There were not very numerous styles of music, or writing, which delivered sonnets as apparently arbitrary, yet important as the Jazz time. Another case of this is by the writer Hilled Doolittle, who is really supposed to be the maker of the Images style of verse. In Doolittle sonnet Heat she discusses a breeze that is emulating through to chill off the warmth.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

History of the Quiché Maya - Popol Vuh

History of the Quichã © Maya - Popol Vuh The Popol Vuh (Council Book or Council Papers) is the most significant hallowed book of the Quichã ©; (or Kiche) Maya of the Guatemalan Highlands. The Popol Vuh is a significant book for seeing Late Postclassic and Early Colonial Maya religion, legend, and history, yet in addition since it likewise offers intriguing looks into Classic Period convictions. History of the Text The enduring content of the Popol Vuh was not written in Mayan hieroglyphics, but instead is a transliteration into European content composed between 1554-1556 by somebody said to have been a Quichã © aristocrat. Between 1701-1703, the Spanish minister Francisco Ximenez found that variant where he was positioned in Chichicastenango, replicated it and made an interpretation of the record into Spanish. Ximenez interpretation is as of now put away in the Newberry Library of Chicago. There are various forms of the Popol Vuh in interpretations in different dialects: the most popular in English is that of Mayanist Dennis Tedlock, initially distributed in 1985; Low et al. (1992) analyzed the different English adaptations accessible in 1992 and commented that Tedlock submerged himself in the Mayan perspective as much as could be expected under the circumstances, yet by and to a great extent picked writing instead of the verse of the first. The Content of the Popol Vuh Presently it despite everything swells, presently it despite everything mumbles, swells, it despite everything moans, despite everything murmurs and is vacant under the sky (from Tedlocks third version, 1996, depicting the early stage world before creation) The Popol Vuh is a story of the cosmogony, history, and conventions of the Kiche Maya before the Spanish triumph in 1541. That account is introduced in three sections. The initial segment discusses the making of the world and its first occupants; the second, likely the most acclaimed, portrays the account of the Hero Twins, two or three semi-divine beings; and the third part is the narrative of the Quichã © respectable family administrations. Creation Myth As per the Popol Vuh legend, toward the start of the world, there were just the two maker divine beings: Gucumatz and Tepeu. These divine beings chose to make earth out of the early stage ocean. When the earth was made, the divine beings populated it with creatures, however they before long understood that creatures couldn't talk and along these lines couldn't love them. Therefore, the divine beings made people and had the creatures job consigned to nourishment for people. This age of people was made out of mud, as were feeble and were before long decimated. As a third endeavor, the divine beings made men from wood and ladies from reeds. These individuals populated the world and reproduced, yet they before long overlooked their divine beings and were rebuffed with a flood. The rare sorts of people who endure were changed into monkeys. At long last, the divine beings chose to form humankind from maize. This age, which incorporates the current human race, can venerate and support the divine beings. In the portrayal of the Popol Vuh, the formation of the individuals of corn is gone before by the account of the Hero Twins. The Hero Twins Story The Hero Twins, Hunahpu, and Xbalanque were the children of Hun Hunahpu and a black market goddess named Xquic. As indicated by the legend, Hun Hunahpu and his twin sibling Vucub Hunahpu were persuaded by the rulers of the black market to play a ball game with them. They were crushed and yielded, and the head of Hun Hunahpu was put on a gourd tree. Xquic got away from the black market and was impregnated by the blood trickling from Hun Hunahpu’s head and brought forth the second era of saint twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Hunahpu and Xbalanque lived on the earth with their grandma, the mother of the primary Hero Twins, and became incredible ballplayers. At some point, as had happened to their dad, they were welcome to play a ball game with the Lords of Xibalba, the black market, however not at all like their dad, they were not vanquished and stood all the tests and deceives posted by the black market divine beings. With a last stunt, they figured out how to execute the Xibalba masters and to resuscitate their dad and uncle. Hunahpu and Xbalanque at that point arrived at the sky where they turned into the sun and moon, while Hun Hunahpu turned into the divine force of corn, who rises each yearâ from the earth to offer life to the individuals. The Origins of the Quichã © Dynasties The last piece of the Popol Vuh portrays the tale of the main individuals made from corn by the tribal couple, Gucumatz and Tepeu. Among these were the organizers of the Quichã © honorable administrations. They had the option to applaud the divine beings and meandered the world until they arrived at a legendary spot where they could get the divine beings into consecrated packages and take them home. The book closes with the rundown of the Quichã © genealogies up until the sixteenth century. How Old is the Popol Vuh? Albeit early researchers accepted that the living Maya had no memory of the Popol Vuh, a few gatherings hold impressive information on the narratives, and new information have driven most Mayanists to acknowledge that some type of the Popol Vuh has been key to the Maya religion at any rate since the Maya Late Classic Period. A few researchers, for example, Prudence Rice have contended for an a lot more seasoned date. Components of the account in the Popol Vuh contends Rice, seem to originate before the late Archaic detachment of language families and schedules. Further, the story of the one-legged ophidian powerful who is related with downpour, lightning, life, and creation is related with Maya rulers and dynastic authenticity since their commencement. Refreshed by K. Kris Hirst Sources Word reference of Archaeology.Carlsen RS, and Prechtel M. 1991. The Flowering of the Dead: An Interpretation of Highland Maya Culture. Man 26(1):23-42.Knapp BL. 1997. The Popol Vuh: Primordial Mother Participates in the Creation. Confluencia 12(2):31-48.Low D, Morley S, Goetz D, Recinos A, xe, Edmonson M, and Tedlock D. 1992. A Comparison of English interpretations of a Mayan message, the Popol Vuh. Studies in American Indian Literatures 4(2/3):12-34.Miller ME, and Taube K. 1997. An Illustrated Dictionary of The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson.Paulinyi Z. 2014. The butterfly feathered creature god and his legend at Teotihuacan. Ancient Mesoamerica 25(01):29-48.Rice PM. 2012. Coherencies in Maya political talk: Kawiils, katuns, and kennings. Ancient Mesoamerica 23(01):103-114.Sharer RJ. 2006. The Ancient Maya. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.Tedlock D. 1982. Perusing the Popol Vuh over the shoulder of a soothsayer and disc overing whats so interesting. Conjunctions 3:176-185. Tedlock D. 1996. The Popol Vuh: Definitive Edition of the Maya Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. New York: Touchstone.Woodruff JM. 2011. Ma(r)king Popol Vuh. Romance Notes 51(1):97-106.

The New Deal was not a complete success Free Essays

Because of the Wall Street Crash in 1933 the New Deal was presented. The New Deal helped the joblessness issue however didn't comprehend it. The New Deal prevented things from deteriorating for the time being, anyway in the drawn out just World War two explained the joblessness emergency. We will compose a custom exposition test on The New Deal was not a total achievement or then again any comparable subject just for you Request Now A few history specialists accept that the New Deal was mostly a triumph and incompletely a disappointment. In the feeling I believe that the New Deal was a triumph. The New Deal had planned to give alleviation through the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA), this expected to give direct money to the penniless. $500 million has been given to states to support the destitute and vagrants. The cash was likewise utilized for work plans, nursing schools (so guardians could go out during the day to get a new line of work), soup kitchens, and covers. The FERA was up to some point a triumph, for this point numerous things must be given, if the administration had quit giving cash this point wouldn’t be a triumph. The New Deal intended to re-assemble the economy by presenting the Emergency Banking Act, which planned to illuminate the money related emergency after the Wall Street Crash. Each bank was shut for a four-day ‘bank holiday’ and just genuine, very much run saves money with enough money were permitted to re-open. The Securities Act constrained organizations giving out new offers to give full data about the organization to general society. The New Deal never tackled the fundamental financial issues and the US economy took more time to recoup than most European nations. Certainty stayed low. All through the 1930s Americans just spent and contributed about 75% of what they had before 1929. At the point when Roosevelt cut the New Deal financial plan in 1937, the nation had returned into downturn. The Civil Works Administration (CWA) likewise helped alleviation. This point gave transitory work to 4,000,000 men, school, air terminal, streets and even 150000 open toilets. The Public Works Administration (PWA) was given assets of $3300 million. It was utilized to purchase materials and utilize a large number of talented specialists to assemble schools, lodging, emergency clinics, extensions, courts and dams. The PWA likewise fabricated ten boats and 50 air terminals. Be that as it may, this arrangement was just present moment. The New Deal laws plainly managed the issue of neediness among dark individuals and the least fortunate division. The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) gave the administration capacity to control the costs. They paid ranchers to deliver less and devastate a portion of the food they had just created. They trusted that food costs would rise in light of the fact that there were short supplies. The thought worked-somewhere in the range of 1933 and 1939, farmers’ livelihoods multiplied. Be that as it may, the legislature was vigorously condemned for this thought, the administration was annihilating food and driving up costs to help ranchers when millions in the city were starving. The New Deal did a great deal to support agribusiness, anyway had some difficult it helped huge firms the most and the issues of ‘dustbowl’ proceeded. Activities, for example, the Tennessee valley authority (TVA) brought work and had improved people groups way of life to denied portions of the city. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was made to guarantee that all jobless 18 to multi year olds were given food and safe house in the open country. They got paid 1 dollar seven days they accomplished protection work-planted trees, burrowed trenches, cleared trails and fortified riverbanks against flooding. The Civilian Conservation Corps gave employments to 2.5 million men. Be that as it may, the New Deal was accused for giving occupations out for it, in 1941 6 million individuals were still left jobless. Just when the USA entered the war the joblessness issue was comprehended. The New Deal intended to make a more pleasant society by utilizing the National Recovery Administration (NRA), The NRA expected to improve working conditions in the business and reinforced the situation of worker's organizations against mechanical mammoths. The Wagner demonstration constrained all businesses to permit worker's organizations to work in their organizations. The New Deal saw ladies accomplishing unmistakable positions. Eleanor Roosevelt turned into a significant campaigner. The Supreme Court believed that the New Deal did excessively. They needed to decide whether the New Deal was in accordance with the conditions of the US Constitution. The adjudicators in the court were preservationist and didn't care for the manner in which the New Deal permitted the administration to turn out to be so engaged with the economy. The appointed authorities found the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) unlawful. Roosevelt didn't need the appointed authorities to destroy the entirely different Deal. A After he was reappointed in 1936 he attempted to change the adjudicators so the court was professional New Deal. This didn't work, yet the court acknowledged they couldn't change the New Deal. All in all I believe that The New Deal was a triumph as the Federal Government got included just because. Just as this demonstrations, for example, the WPA and the CWA gave help to the economy. The Banking Act and the Securities Act tackled money related issues and the AAA helped farming. The NRA improved working conditions in industry and ladies turned out to be high achievers. Anyway there were a few disappointments the issue of ‘dustbowl’ proceeded, joblessness didn't leave, most New Deal laws were intended to help ladies instead of men and the New Deal had a great deal of restriction. It was the war that at last tackled the issue of joblessness. Step by step instructions to refer to The New Deal was not a total achievement, Papers The New Deal was not a total Success Free Essays string(116) and white jobless individuals clearly needed to help the New Deal since they would succeed from the policies. In the resulting pages I will clarify the disappointments and accomplishments of the New Deal. I will show how measurements don't show the genuine achievement of the New Deal. I will take a gander at the reactions Roosevelt confronted and how he had come to control when America was on her last leg. We will compose a custom exposition test on The New Deal was not a total Success or then again any comparative point just for you Request Now At the point when Franklin D. Roosevelt came to control in March 1933 he had America astonished by his attractive character and dazzling moxy. He grasped America and held it near his heart. He cherished it and could see that Herbert Hoover’s rule over America had obliterated her. His New Deal was a new and energizing method of fixing the once extraordinary America. His prominence was verifiable and demonstrated the help he was getting for the New Deal among the Americans. He gave affirmation and would like to the individuals who lived in ‘Hoovervilles’ to the individuals who lined up for ‘Hoover Stew’. These monikers were given to the food presents and shanty towns to show what Hoover had done to them. Roosevelt’s points were basic and handled such wasn't right with America; Get the jobless back to work, secure their reserve funds and property, give help to the wiped out, old and jobless, recover the business and horticulture to it’s standard lastly reestablish trust in the banks. He set up numerous Alphabet Agencies and passed numerous Acts to attempt to overcome the abhorrent that was Hoover’s mayhem. Most importantly I will clarify the victories. Roosevelt halted the downturn deteriorating. At the point when he came to control in 1933 America had an a lot more prominent trust in her economy. His own balance helped improvement in Wall Street. The GDP expanded by 60% somewhere in the range of 1933 and 1939, in six years private interest in industry expanded by multiple times and shopper items purchased expanded by 40%. Individuals lining up for food a was simply one more picture of the past. A large number of individuals got help, food, garments and sanctuary, and it was this crisis alleviation that kept them from starving. Numerous standard individuals were assisted with government standardized savings and government assistance plans. This wasn’t only for crisis it is possible that, it proceeded later on. The most influenced by the downturn were ranchers and Roosevelt ensured they were taken care of in the New Deal. By the mid 1930s farmer’s wages were rising, particularly those with bigger homesteads. Ranchers unquestionably profited. The New Deal helped with giving ranchers and property holders to remain access their homes. The HOLC was set up and low intrigue credits were given to property holders. This helped them to adapt to contract reimbursements, that were beforehand crazy, when out of business. For ranchers they were given assistance through the Farm Credit Administration. For the old, wiped out and jobless they had no security, monetarily or socially. In 1935 the Social Security Act set up an arrangement of national protection. The older were given mature age annuities, the jobless had benefits and the crippled had budgetary help. The administration, managers and laborers paid commitments that supported it. The jobless were a need so the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) offered awards to state and neighborhood governments to balance out the jobless. The tasks the New Deal gave assisted with building the establishments for future opulence. The schools, streets, dams and a lot more structures revived America. The Public Works Administration (PWA) developed numerous open structures of the USA, for example, emergency clinics and city corridors. The ‘Dustbowl’ locales were truly influenced by the downturn and over-cultivating had prompted the destruction of the land and genuine absence of enthusiasm from business. However, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reestablished the valley in seven states. It constructed a few significant dams to create modest power for those ninety eight percent who hadn’t got it. It likewise offered recreation exercises on as of late constructed lakes. The Tennessee stream formed into being safe and brought incredible business enthusiasm to the valley. The land was poor so the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) finished helpful sch

Friday, August 21, 2020

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Essay All ordinary criminologist stories share highlights for all intents and purpose. They all contain a criminologist, additionally the tales contain a wrongdoing and a lawbreaker, likewise in run of the mill analyst stories the criminal for the most part has a rationale. Another detail in a homicide story is: the analyst consistently starts an examination and this prompts the revelation of the criminal. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes were set and written in Victorian England by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Hound of the Baskervilles is about a major dark horrible dog that is frequenting the Baskerville Family and after the puzzling passing of Sir Charles Baskerville; the legend of the dog was restored. A man goes to tell Holmes and Watson. Holmes and Watson take up the case. The Speckled Band is about a lady who discloses to Holmes that her sister has kicked the bucket. The lady thinks its her stepfather, Dr Roylott. She accepts that he has executed her for her inheritance The Man With The Twisted Lip is about a lady who sees her better half in a window of an opium sanctum and goes in to see him yet he isnt there. She asks Holmes to investigate. Sherlock Holmes stories are uncommon in that they are not composed from the investigators perspective. It is composed from Dr Watsons perspective. This implies the peruser knows the occasions as they are going on and doesnt recognize what the investigator will do straightaway. This upgrades the homicide secret quality on the grounds that the peruser needs to realize what occurs straightaway and it fabricates anticipation with the peruser Run of the mill Sherlock Holmes wrongdoing settings are typically dim, moist and bleak spots. These are typically places, for example, dull back streets and boulevards. Additionally huge impressive homes made to look like ghostly spooky spots. Some other setting is out on the fields in Hound of the Baskervilles, the fields are foggy and it is normally raining. The Manor House settings utilized in the Hound of the Baskervilles and The Speckled Band contain enormous pictures on the dividers of huge old rooms. They likewise contain old wooden entryways that squeak as they open and the entryways lead into enormous open ways. An enormous divider encompasses the entire house and at the passage were two huge iron doors. This improves pressure since it causes the peruser to feel the strain that the characters are feeling and it puts an image of the setting in their brain. The fields around the home in Hound of the Baskervilles are foggy and baffling, they are infertile and unfriendly. They appear to be surrendered and forlorn. The fields contain risky sand trap. This makes pressure, by the peruser knowing, that something creepy or hazardous is going to occur. The opium cave in The Man with the Twisted Lip is dim, wet and smoky. There are bodies spread everywhere throughout the floor in various positions. The untypical story is the Hound of the Baskervilles in light of the fact that its set out of London, on a field while the entirety of his different stories are set in homes or London. The lawbreakers in Sherlock Holmes are not run of the mill since they have cloud methods of getting things done. We realize that Dr Roylott has a criminal nature since he is forceful and shows his quality when he comes to see Holmes. This statement shows Dr Roylott when he twists the poker in Holmes loft He bowed it into a bend with his immense earthy colored hands. This shows his quality and forceful nature. Another statement that shows how everybody got terrified of him, since at whatever point he went out he either got into fights or squabbled with local people. He turned into the fear of the village We question Hugh Boone as a criminal since he doesnt truly carry out a wrongdoing, he was a man in heaps of obligation so he fled and camouflaged himself as a homeless person and began life once more. Which proposes he is a pleased man yet not a crook

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Smoking Can Make Hangovers More Intense

Smoking Can Make Hangovers More Intense Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Print How Smoking Can Make Hangovers More Intense By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 04, 2015 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on December 08, 2019 MAURO FERMARIELLO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Children of Alcoholics Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery If you drink and smoke cigarettes and you have severe hangover symptoms, you might want to cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke on the days you drink heavily. The nicotine may be contributing to the intensity of your hangover symptoms. Alcohol drinkers who smoke heavily on the same day they drink heavily are more likely to experience a hangover the next day than those who do not smoke. Those hangover symptoms are likely to be more intense depending on how much you smoked during the day, researchers have found. At the same number of drinks, drinkers who smoked more were likely to have more severe hangovers. A Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University study of 113 college students over an eight-week period examined the effect smoking had on hangover symptoms. The study participants were controlled for other factors, such as past-year drug use. More Severe Hangover Symptoms Even when the participants were controlled for age first smoked regularly, the frequency of drug use, type of drug involvement, gender, or smoking status, the results of the study was the same: heavy smoking caused more severe hangover symptoms. For the sake of the study, heavy drinking was defined as having five or six beers over the course of an hour, which would result in the students having an estimate blood-alcohol concentration of 0.11. The Health Risks of Heavy Drinking Unsure of Nicotines Role The researchers found that the most intense hangover symptoms were not caused simply because the students smoked more when they drank more. Those who consumed the same number of alcoholic beverages had a more intense hangover if they smoked more. The researchers are not sure why the combination of nicotine and alcohol causes more intense symptoms, but they suspect it is related to how both drugs release dopamine in the brain. Other studies have shown that smoking and drinking at the same time actually boosts the release of dopamine in the brain, so nicotine and alcohol are somehow connected in how they affect the brain, researchers said. Hangovers Can Be a Safety Hazard Researcher Damaris J. Rohsenow, Ph.D. said the danger in more severe hangovers lies with how a hangover can affect your attention and reaction time. He suggested that those with a bad hangover might not want to drive or work in safety-sensitive occupations while experiencing hangover symptoms. Previous studies have found that smoking can increase the negative effects on the brain caused by long-term heavy alcohol consumption. There are already plenty of reasons to avoid both smoking and heavy drinking, Rohsenow said in a news release, These findings suggest that if smokers are going to indulge in heavy alcohol use, it would be wise to at least cut down on cigarettes. How to Prevent and Lessen Severity of Hangovers

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

The Key to Selecting the Right Answer on the SAT ACT Part 1

I’m sold. Where do I start? Here I bring you a two-part series about methods for the English/Writing and Language sections of the ACT and SAT. Many students approach the English sections of the ACT and SAT with the mindset that they will go with whatever answer sounds right. Everyone who is taking college entrance exams already has a high aptitude in English. Isn’t this enough? Yes and no. Going by ear will allow you to solve many English questions. But your ear cannot tell you the answer to every question. Some questions have nothing to do with your ear. You will also run into questions where ALL the answers sound right. And finally, you’ll see questions where NONE of the answers sound right. What can be done? We can study, of course! The English portion is no different from the other sections. There are certain questions and tricks that come up again and again. Let’s break down what the test is really asking and get into the methods and strategies that can earn you top points. I’m sold. Where do I start? Let’s break tricky questions into two parts. First, we’ll deal with questions that cannot be answered by ear. Here, we’ll look into questions on punctuation, style, and editing. In a later post, we’ll consider options when your ear doesn’t immediately tell you what the right answer is—when more than one answer sounds right or when no answers sound right. My Ear Is Not an Option You know that classic like from Apollo 13, â€Å"Failure is not an option†? Well, here our ear is not an option. This especially applies to questions about punctuation, editing, or style. If you see a question where you cannot go with what sounds right, first take a quick glance at the answers. Ask yourself what is going on in the sentence. We usually have three choices. 1. See if it is a punctuation question. In this instance, the wording will be mostly the same, and there will be three or four punctuation changes. Remember the following: Full sentences (with main subjects and verbs) need to be linked with one of three choices: a period plus a capital letter, a comma plus and/or/but, or a semicolon. I reluctantly agreed to ride the rollercoaster. It was just as terrifying as I had expected. I reluctantly agreed to ride the rollercoaster, and it was just as terrifying as I had expected. I reluctantly agreed to ride the rollercoaster; it was just as terrifying as I had expected. Commas often are listed as choices. Remember: Pairs of commas go around appositives, or phrases that describe another word in the sentence. If there is a lonely comma hanging out somewhere nearby, you might need to provide the other to make a pair. Susan B. Anthony, an early campaigner for women’s rights, was born in Massachusetts. Commas come after introductory phrases and clauses. On Thursday nights, I like to take the subway into the city and see whatever new film is playing at the cinema. Commas link items in a list. My mom was displeased when I told her that I had forgotten my backpack, clarinet, and lunchbox. Hyphens add an extra boost of emphasis. Renaissance painters—like their ancient predecessors—depicted figures that embodied their ideal of beauty. Colons introduce a list or give a conclusion to something that the sentence was leading up to. I packed everything for the trip to the beach: a swimsuit, flip flops, and sunscreen. I went to my favorite city in the world: Chicago. Check out my punctuation guide for more discussion of punctuation you might encounter. 2. If there are choices about how to reorder the paragraph or change material, you are looking at an editing question. Remember: Some questions ask you where sentences should be moved within a paragraph. Think about what the paragraph order needs to be, not just whether it made sense when you first quickly read the passage. There is some order that makes optimal sense, and it’s your job to find it. You could ask yourself questions like the following ones if you get stuck. Is there an order to the action? Did something happen first, middle, last? If so, follow the chronology. Is there a cause and effect? If so, put the cause first and the effect after. Is there an introduction, explanation, and conclusion? Again, follow the logical order. Did the author introduce or define the meaning of a particular word, phrase, or event that the rest of the paragraph relies on? If so, we need to put this first. Other questions in the editing category ask you to add, keep, or delete material. Think about whether you want to keep the material, and look at those answer choices first. Don’t get too attached to your yes or no answer, though. Sometimes the explanations in those answer choices are clearly wrong. If none of the explanations seem correct, switch from yes to no and see if any of the other explanations make more sense. 3. If it’s neither punctuation nor editing, then you are probably looking at a style question. These ask about the meaning of words or the substitution of words. Make sure that you understand the question being asked. Often, these questions contain words like MOST/LEAST/NOT or ask for specific changes, such as the most vivid description, the most relevant information, etc. Pick the answer that most closely matches the information they are asking you to provide. When you take your practice tests and in-person exam, think about what the test is asking for and what it wants you to do by thinking through check-lists like the one above. More questions? Check out my other blog posts, and get in touch with Cambridge Coaching for private tutoring! ; Are you interested in reading more on the topic? How do I use Punctuation on the ACT and SAT Exams? What's the Difference Between the Old SAT and New SAT? 5 Major Changes on the Reading Section Reading or Math? How to Decode Word Problems on the New SAT

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Analyze the implications of globalization and technology on negotiation Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Furthermore, we cannot neglect the importance of rapid technological change as it will increase the international competition between the largest and most developed economies. This will enhance the need for more knowledge-based but skilled workforce to compete at international level for the survival of such economies in years to come. Some people see globalization and technological advancement as a threat for developing and under-developing countries due to their lack of resources and shattered economies. IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY ON NEGOTIATIONS: Now the question that rises over here is; how globalization and technology have their impact on negotiations and what changes are brought about by both of them? It is worth mentioning that globalization has given rise to tough international competition and in today’s world of advancement it has become a game of the survival for many growing economies and more specifically economies of the third-world countries are alrea dy considered as under-threat by such tough competition with technology as a second most important element collaborating directly in this game of survival (Stroper, 1992). The implication of globalization and technology on negotiations can be explained by a very simple example that due to globalization and advancement in technology majority of the well-known companies have shifted their manufacturing plants to China due to cheap labor and security. We will write a custom essay sample on Analyze the implications of globalization and technology on negotiation or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now This major shift will effect greatly on the negotiations if any company wants to merge or acquire another one who already has its plants functioning in China. It is important to have a basic understanding of the term â€Å"negotiation† with context to international business. Business negotiations are the roots of developing a strong but successful international business relations with other entities through mutual dialogue and framing a set of policies to be followed mutually by both the parties agreeing on the terms and conditions defined. The nature of such business negotiations can be between the companies, between a company and a government, it could be only be some interpersonal interactions regarding any business affair such as mergers, joint-ventures, acquisitions or licensing (Weiss, 1993). Globalization and technology have grown rapidly due to these mergers, acquisitions and rise of multi-national corporations which have added not on ly a definite meaning to economical growth, created employment opportunities, enhanced competition and increased knowledge-based skill workers but they have also given a new direction for unlimited business opportunities particularly in third world countries where labor is cheap but resources are limited and economic growth is at zero.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Using the Spanish Preposition Durante

The Spanish preposition durante has roughly the same meaning as the English during and is thus used in indicating what happens in durations of time. However, it is not used in exactly the same way as its English equivalent, and it is often better translated by the preposition for rather than by during. Durante is used most similarly to during when it takes a singular object: Durante febrero, las condiciones de sequà ­a empeoraron. During February, drought conditions got worse.El nivel del mar ha subido entre 10 y 20 cm durante el siglo XX. The sea level rose between 10 and 20 centimeters during the 20th century.Se recomienda la utilizacià ³n de gafas del sol durante el tiempo del tratamiento. The use of sunglasses is recommended during the time of treatment. Unlike the English word, durante is freely used with plural periods of time: Durante aà ±os ha ocupado la atencià ³n de nuestros medios de noticias. For years it has had the attention of our news media.Mantenerse en esta posicià ³n durante cuatro segundos. Stay in this position for four seconds.Durante muchos siglos los antisemitas odiaban la religià ³n de los judà ­os. For many centuries, anti-Semites hated the Jewish religion. When speaking of past events, the preterite progressive verb form (the progressive form using the preterite of estar) is used to indicate that something happened during the entire period of time. Thus Estuve estudiando durante los tres meses would be used to say, I studied for the full three months. But Estudià © durante los tres meses would mean only that I studied at some point during the three months.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Revision Process Allows Me - 855 Words

The objective of this course is to teach students how to produce and write a not only concise, but compelling essays through one main idea. Throughout the semester, this course has taught me to use outlines and drafts that require further revisions to help interpret each essay and establish the structure in a better order. Specifically, the revision process allows me to take a second look back at my essay and see how I could have ultimately created a more exceptional essay. To start, the revision process allows me to review my thesis and create a better one so that I can have a more defined aspect and get the main point across. Also, the concept of revising an essay can lead to a more easily understood paper with more specific details which would lead to a more structured and evidence based argument. The revision process helps to improve papers to become more effective by creating a better overall thesis which could lead to a more conclusive essay that gets directly to the main point of the desired analysis. Most people would assume that the thesis is considered to be the most critical part of the essay. It investigates what the main idea of the paper will encompass. Usually, the first draft of the thesis for most people is never the thesis that will stay throughout the paper. As one starts to write, they realize how it could be changed to be a more precise and easily understood perception. As I was working on the revision, I realized that the first thesis that I wrote inShow MoreRelatedNarrative Writing : High School917 Words   |  4 Pagesability as my high school featured a grueling English department and having received high grades on my history and sociology essays in first semester classes, I presumed that I wouldn’t learn anything in FWS. Though I struggled with the drafting process, as my preferred method of essay writing involved writing the entire piece to perfection in one sitting and then turning it in, I figured that since I received good grades on papers, my writing did not need and would not undergo any improvements.Read MoreThe Importance Of A Successful Writers On The Writing Process Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pagessteps in the writing process that enable individuals to become successful writers. The steps addressed throughout the writing process are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing (p. 365). Individuals use these steps to help create, manage, and bring to life their piece of work. However, research suggests that these steps are demonstrated in a particular order during the writing process; many writers tend to â€Å"move across and back and forth† during the writing process (p. 365). The firstRead MoreThe Five Paragraph Essay and My Own Writing Style826 Words   |  4 PagesThe five paragraph essay is tremendously valuable to me as a student. I have realized throughout my research that this format is seldom used by professionals; it is mostly used by students like me. I believe I now understand why that is; it seems to be a very clear way of composing a paper. It has a great deal of structure to it, and allows for more consistency and a better flow. Without having such structure, it is easy to go off on tangents, and at the same time, confuse the reader. The five-paragraphRead MoreI Am A Better Writer998 Words   |  4 Pagesmy ACT score was the reason that I was in ENG 100E last semester I am really thankful that I had to take that class, because it actually helped me this semester with ENG 101. This semester I was more involved and actually participated versus last year where I rarely opened up to answer any questions in class. I as well feel as if taki ng 100E has helped me this semester to become a better writer with adding more description to my essays to make the reader actually visualize what they are reading orRead MoreMy Style Of Writing, One Needs For First Think About A Lab Dissection886 Words   |  4 Pageshow I got progressively more particular with my writing. Theses documents are good evidence of how my writing grew to become more in-depth and challenging. I tend to take a literary work that I have either read or watched. I focus my writing on the process of scrutinizing the main character. More specifically, I center on their importance to the author and his ability to effectively represent his message. The first step in a dissection is to examine the species. This is where one gets familiar withRead MoreDr. Jenny Crisp s English 98 Class920 Words   |  4 PagesDr. Crisp guided the class in a discussion on the topic of revision in regards to the first paper that the class had submitted. The stages of revision were discussed and the students were shown where additional help could be found within the book. Dr. Crisp told the students that the reason that their grades on the essays were significantly lower was because the essays were lacking in detail and had Type One errors. She stated that revision is important and that could help bring up the grades on theRead MoreMetaphors And Material, Tying And Training Texts : Metaphors For Revision, By Barbara Tomlinson1210 Words   |  5 Pagesused to compare and analyze numerous things like expressions, objects, activities, and how we think. In the book, Tuning, Tying and Training Texts: Metaphors for Revision, Barbara Tomlinson, the auth or, discusses her viewpoints on metaphors and how they relate to the process of revision. She talks about how we come to adopt our writing process which is through, â€Å"†¦metacognitive expressions and culturally shared information† (Tomlinson 59). Metacognitive expressions are thought to be moments in life whenRead MorePersonal Narrative : A Challenging Course885 Words   |  4 Pagesinfluential to my growth as a critical reader or college student. Rather, it was my own analysis of the texts that allowed me to consider other perspectives on technology use in the classroom and the importance of revision when it comes to school work. Writing an essay on the impossibility of multitasking and the learning setbacks caused by technology use in the classroom caused me to reduce my technology use while doing homework. Deak says, â€Å"If you are listening to Mozart while you are going mathsRead MoreLanguage And Literature Courses And Ap U.s. History1281 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature and write analytically about it. In this course I’ve grown to change my reading process completely. I had a tendency to read in search of a universal theme while ignoring the physical details. However, the explication process is more meticulous as you analyze the poem’s features including stanza lengths, indentions, and end stops. My poetry explication included in this portfolio, displays my process of close reading as I interpreted William Stafford’s â€Å"Traveling through the Dark†. For exampleRead MoreA Writers Reflection Essay1100 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish is a hard language to learn, for there are numerous elements of effective usage and writing. Many people, including me, struggle in writing because of a lack of knowledge. Since middle school, English was not a strong suit of mine. I struggled with the simplest of tasks often taking a considerably longer time to complete a task than the other students. Unmotivated teachers and a lack of interest resulted in remedial writing skills. To put it simply, I had little confidence in my writing and

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Mayan Culture and Mathematics - 526 Words

Mayan Base 20, is an example in which most cultures should have followed but decided not to, in many cases, based on the mathematics that were used in the Mayan culture they were far more advanced than any other culture seen. Their functions and ability to create a calendar that is far more accurate than the one we currently use today, are often looked upon. Based on recorded data, the Roman Numeral Arithmetic might be hard to use for addition, division, subtraction and multiplication; but it is not a positional system. They have very few subtractive rules, adding and multiplying is possible, and division includes only with remainders. There is no symbol to represent zero. It was used in Europe until the 18th century, but up to that point, people still used it even till this day, a bar over the symbol indicated that the number was â€Å"1000† times greater. The Romans There are basic principles for reading and writing Roman Numerals, but when compared to the Mayan principle, the symbols are easier to comprehend and understand rather than those of the Romans. Roman’s simplicity was only used to represent years, days or even to keep count. It wasn’t meant for extensive addition or mathematics. Conversions from/to Roman Numerals from/to ordinary numbers are simple, but they take a while to convert, mostly because of th e way the symbols are lined up to be. Mayan numerals on the other hand differ from those of the Romans, simply because unlike no other numerical system, they used upShow MoreRelatedEssay The Maya Civilization904 Words   |  4 Pagesawe-inspiring temples and pyramids, highly accurate calendars, mathematics and hieroglyphics, and a complex social and political order (Collapse... 1). Urban centers were important to the Maya during the Classic period; they offered the Mayans a central place to practice religion. The Mayan culture can be traced back to 1500 BC, entering the Classic period about 300 AD and flourishing between 600 and 900 AD. The basis of the culture was farming. They cultivated food crops such as maize (corn)Read MoreThe History of Zero: Indian and Mayan Cultures726 Words   |  3 PagesZero is usually recognized today as being originated in two geographically separated cultures: the Maya and Indian. If zero was a place-holder symbol, then such a zero was present in the Babylonian positional number system before the first recorded occurrence of the Indian zero. If zero was represented by an empty space within a well-defined positional number system, such a zero was present in Chinese mathematics a few centuries before the beginning of the Common Era. The absence of a symbol for zeroRead MoreThe History of Zero1561 Words   |  6 Pagesthat has aroused the imagination of great minds across the globe† (Downey 1, The history of zero). Understanding zero and what it is today, we have to look back at the history of zeros origins and how it traveled through time. In ancient Egyptian mathematics, it was used to measure time, counting money, calculating areas of land even cooking. The ancient Egyptians used math in mythology to figure out the numbers of days in their calendar. The Egyptian calendar was a twelve months with each month containingRead MoreThe Mayan Civilization1023 Words   |  5 PagesThe Preclassic Maya The founding years of the Mayan civilisation are known as the Preclassic era, stretching from 2000 B.C.E to roughly 250 C.E lasting about 2250 years. The Preclassic era is subdivided into three subperiods, each focused on one or two necessities required for the empire s growth. The Early period consisted of mainly refining agricultural methods and building foundations, the middle period was a time of rapid population growth as well as the later period, a time for social and religiousRead MoreRoom 1 - The Magnificent Mayans1213 Words   |  5 PagesMagnificent Mayans Culture Artifact 1: Ceramic Bowl Picture/Source: Ceramic Bowl (Britannica 1) Description/Source: This artifact shows a ceramic bowl that was used by the Mayans in everyday life for pottery making and used in everyday art. Artifact 2: Ruins from a Mayan Temple Picture/Source: Ruins from a Mayan Temple (Britannica 1) Description/Source: The ruins from the temple show religion in Mayan culture because this is where the Mayans went as a place of worship. Artifact 3: Mayan SculptureRead MoreThe Rise And Fall Of The Mayan Civilization1018 Words   |  5 PagesMany decades ago, northern Central America and southern Mexico cultures developed complex political and social ranks. Researchers today know this region as Mesoamerica, known for its rich soil, abundant amount of rainfall, and agriculture. (Judge Langdon, 2012) The Mesoamericans, Aztec and Mayan tribes, developed into complex civilizations for multiple reasons. These societies were advanced and complex for their time in areas, such as architecture, agriculture, militarism, and education. Each hadRead MoreSimilarities Between Civilizations And Civilizations958 Words   |  4 Pagesfact that these cultures were not only hundreds of miles apart but also were separated by hundreds of years. The ancient Egyptian civilization located in northern Africa around 3,100 B.C. is considered to be one of the cradles of civilization and also a major contributor to the technology we have today . They exceeded in not only innovative technological advances, but also in mathematics, architecture, and in astronomy. Like the Egyptians, the Mesoamerican civilization of the Mayans originating inRead MoreThe Origins Of The Ancient Civilization1308 Words   |  6 PagesStates just disappearing? That is what happened to the Mayans. In a time span of only one hundred years, the whole Maya population was wiped out. There are several theories about the cause of their decline. Due to their disappearance the great Mayan inventions were lost in time until modern day anthropologists discovered that they made their own calendar and language along with many other things. What anthropologists do know for sure is that the Mayans were an ancient Mesoamerican civilization dating backRead MoreAnalysis Of Laura Gilpin s Life1617 Words   |  7 PagesHer photographs depicted this period in American history in a compelling light, and later gave rise to a series of photo-books on the landscape and lifestyle of the Native Americans. Gilpin understood how important it was to describe a disappearing culture, followed by adaptations to modern life of the American Indians. Although her next project, developing a literary photo-book was originally intended to be quick due to the already gathered images, it ended up spanning eighteen years. Her time frameRead MoreMayan, Aztec, Incan Dbq768 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations brought major accomplishments to the world today. These accomplishments established them as advanced societies during their time without the influence of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Some of these accomplishmen ts ranged from agriculture to architecture and on to writing and trade. Such as, the Mayans with their agriculture system of chinampas and there monumental temple/pyramids, the Aztecs with their trading in the city of Tenochtitlan, and the Incas

Comparator Free Essays

COMPARATOR a device which compares two  voltages  or  currents  and switches its output to indicate which is larger. COMPARATOR WITH HYSTERESIS Hysteresis is achieved by positive feedback and makes the comparator less sensitive to noise on the input. [pic] VHYS = V2 – V’2 V2 = R2 R2 + R1 V2 = R2 R2 + R1 Jonathan Archer captain of the first starship Enterprise The most difficult task facing any captain, any crew, is the loss of a shipmate. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparator or any similar topic only for you Order Now We’ve come here to honor one of our own. In the time we knew him, he showed us just how much one life can truly matter. We will never forget what he did for us, and for the ship he loved so much. We will go forward with renewed determination to complete this mission, so that his sacrifice won’t just have been for the people on this ship, but for all the citizens of Earth. Samuel J. Palmisano Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer IBM Corporation There are, however, certain kinds of aspirations that can’t be achieved through organizational capabilities, global reach or technology—or by applying the lessons of the past. To capture the biggest economic opportunities or to tackle society’s most daunting problems—to imagine what the world might be, and actually to build it—people have sought something more fundamental: a unique ability to conceptualize opportunities, to analyze developments, to tackle and overcome grand challenges. SHINICHI SASAKI EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIO Fully aware that support from customers is essential to its continued success, Toyota is striving to provide its customers with the highest-quality products and services under its â€Å"Customer First† policy. Based on the â€Å"kaizen (continuous improvement)† philosophy at the heart of its manufacturing activities, Toyota is working hard to continuously improve customer satisfaction through initiatives in all areas of its business activities, including development, purchasing, production, sales and after-sales services, throughout the entire Toyota Group. How to cite Comparator, Papers

System Analysis PG for Healthcare Industry - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theSystem Analysis PG for Healthcare Industry. Answer: Introduction In general, the healthcare industry has rapidly moved towards the digital platform over the past few years due to the amount of data it collects. In most cases, this data stems from patients records which include extended descriptions of the diagnostics and treatment procedures. Now, most of this data must be analyzed to yield conclusive results which necessitate the need for cloud storage facilities which collect, process and distribute meaningful information. Moreover, the same facilities enable the healthcare institutions to store their extensive records which are then readily accessed from any location and using any digital platform. Similarly, the Headspace project aims to promote the functionalities cloud computing into its existing IT infrastructure by linking its proposed information system to a cloud service provider(Reddy Reddy, 2013). This report analyses the different system design parameters that will facilitate this collaboration including the non-functional requiremen ts of the system itself. Moreover, the attributes of cloud solutions are given and so are the development methods. The non-functional requirements These are attributes or characteristics and that define the system design thus constrain it from different functionalities across a wide range of operating platforms. Now, this definition is different as compared to that of functional requirements which outline the functionalities and operations of the system(Hassan, 2010). Therefore, these requirements define the systems interaction with the end user which promotes the usability outcomes. System qualities These elements facilitate and maintain the efficiency of the system thus ensuring that the overall user structure is satisfied. Furthermore, if they are not met, the system may fail to meet certain regulatory measures or standards set by the governing authority(Losavio Chirinos, 2003). Now, they are: Performance the overall utilization of the system which is measured using the response time, static volumetric and throughput among many other factors. Reliability and recoverability consistency in operations and functionalities despite the changes in operation platform or occurrence of hardships. Security the property, more so the data must be protected against illegal access or exposure. Usability the most critical component that determines the overall systems satisfaction levels. It is the systems ability to facilitate operations through different practical functionalities(Microsoft, 2017). System interface and user interface (UI) These elements represent the overall structure that interacts with the end user i.e. the outline that delivers the results and allows users to give the system input. Its design generally dictates the systems performance as the users appeal will determine its usability. Therefore, the developer must balance the technical prowess of the background structures with the overall system interface i.e. items such as colour, icons and images(E-cartouche, 2017). To this end, the following attributes are necessary: Maintainability the interface should live up to the time through update features i.e. patches that constantly engage the users. Interoperability especially with all platforms i.e. operating systems and deployment languages. Accessibility and availability despite the multiple functionalities, the interfaces must be size convenient for fast access regardless of the internet connection(Rahman, Safadi, Basaula, 2015). System constraints First, the major constraints, in this case, are the non-functional requirements themselves as they will restrict the development of the system itself. Furthermore, they will limit the deployment platforms which will include programming languages and operating systems. Moreover, they will affect the overall budget and time provision which will limit the systems functionalities. Cloud-based solutions These are services that are offered to customers (subscribers) through internet connections or any other forms of public networks. Now, these services usually include IT resources such as networks, processing power and storage facilities among many others. A service providers (better known as CSP) will host these resources in foreign environments and lease them to willing subscribers. In the end, the subscriber will use a pay-as-you-use model to host their resources online under the CSP infrastructure(Council, 2017). Similarly, if adopted by the Headspace project, the proposed system will be hosted online, an outcome that will boost its availability and accessibility. Furthermore, due to its attributes, the cloud resources will have the following benefits and weaknesses. Strengths of cloud computing Cost saving a crucial component of any organization as it determines the overall expenditures and income returns. In this case, cloud computing eliminates the implementation and maintenance cost of IT resources. Resource availability and accessibility healthcare stakeholders would be able to access all resources hosted online so long as they have an internet connection. Flexibility and redundancy adaptability CSPs will host the same resource in multiple locations which improve the backup options available(Viswanathan, 2017). Weaknesses Security and privacy the CSP will operate in public platforms which raises the concerns of resource security and privacy. Moreover, since the resource occurs in an international platform (internet) the local Australian laws may not govern it. Therefore, the solution, in this case, will fall on the security measures implemented including data encryption and authentication where verification of the users will be done. Loss of system control cloud solutions lack the physical control of resources experienced by users when using the on-premise equipment. Furthermore, the end users (subscribers) cannot track or tag their resources as they are ferried online(Ward, 2017). System development life cycle (SDLC) SDLC is a process that facilitates users to transform systems theoretical ideas into practical operational systems. In essence, SDLC will involve an array of procedures and stages that will implement a software solution using methodological stages. Furthermore, since different systems have varying functionalities and characteristics, the process will change from time to time which outlines the different approaches associated with SDLC(Isaias Issa, 2010). In all, some approaches will emphasize on some requirements and functionalities as compared to others. Therefore, the SDLC approach will generally determine the final solution depending on the deployment procedure used. Predictive SDLC To understand this methodology, we highlight the approach using a common example of the predictive SDLC method i.e. the waterfall model. Now, the waterfall model falls a sequential procedure during its implementation of system projects. The same model is followed by the overall predictive approach where design stages of system development are critically outlined before implementation and are then followed sequentially without any deviation(MIS, 2015). Therefore, the first step is always to identify the stages of development including their specific requirements and assumptions. From this step, the stages themselves are highlighted and documented for instance; requirements capture, system design, construction, requirement integration, testing and deployment. This outline follows a logical flow with each subsequent stage occurring after the successful completion of the previous one. Pros of this method A very simple process the developers will always have the logical steps to follow having identified the requirements and stages of system development. Cost effective its simple design facilitates a short implementation procedure that requires minimal resources. Accountability and good documentation because the process is predictable, the users can account for each step and the resources having established a development plan. Cons Time intensive predictive SDLC does not allow the simultaneous execution of the development stages which increases the overall time of system implementation. Inflexible approach any changes experienced cannot be accommodated into the system design. Adaptive approach Again, following the same definition procedure, a common example of the approach is the Scrum model where agility and performance flexibility are usually met. Now, unlike the predictive approach, the adaptive approach will have a greater emphasis on user interactions as compared to system processes or tools. Moreover, the approach will also easily respond to changes which increase its adaptability functions(MIS, 2015). Nevertheless, the approach will also start by defining the systems requirements and processes which are then split into logical implementation stages. These stages are then executed simultaneously which yields many initial and subsidiary solutions. From here, these subsidiary solutions are integrated to form the final solution using iterative techniques that maximize the system performance. Pros of the approach Time efficient the approach maximizes the time available for performing all its role at the same time without a sequential flow of events. Flexible and adaptable any changes to the systems performance or requirements are incorporated into the system design. Enhanced system qualities the adaptive approach is user centred which improves the attributes of the final system(Warner, 2017). Cons Expertise - a lot of expertise is needed to implement the overall system as it split into different logical stages. Resource intensive finally, the approach uses a lot of resources due to its specialization requirements. Recommendation The adaptive approach seems to hold many benefits that the predictive approach cannot match. For one, the adaptive approach can adapt to changes which are inevitable in any modern system due to the advancements of technology. Secondly, the adaptive approach will optimize the resources including time, unlike the predictive approach which will require long timeline to implement the final solution(Isaias Issa, 2010). Finally, the integration with cloud resources requires an agile method that will match any variations imposed by the technology, a functionality that can only be met by an agile approach. Conclusion Cloud computing is without a doubt the best solution for the problems facing the Headspace project which requires endless storage facilities to support its medical services. Moreover, with cloud-based solutions, the availability and accessibility of the projects resources will be increased which will enhance the overall systems performance. However, at the same time, the project must consider the security concerns of cloud computing where the control of the data is not guaranteed. For this concern, the project must implement proper security measures including data encryption and authentication. References Council, C. S. (2017). Impact of Cloud Computing on Healthcare. Version 2.0, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://www.cloud-council.org/deliverables/CSCC-Impact-of-Cloud-Computing-on-Healthcare.pdf. E-cartouche. (2017). Types of User Interfaces. Cartography for Swiss Higher Education, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://www.e-cartouche.ch/content_reg/cartouche/ui_access/en/html/UnitGUI_UI.html. Hassan, A. (2010). Software Architecture. CISC 322, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://research.cs.queensu.ca/~ahmed/home/teaching/CISC322/F09/slides/CISC322_02_Requirements.pdf. Isaias, P., Issa, T. (2010). Information System Development Life Cycle Models. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9781461492535-c2.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1479416-p175478101. Losavio, F., Chirinos, L. (2003). Quality Characteristics for Software Architecture. JOURNAL OF OBJECT TECHNOLOGY, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://www.jot.fm/issues/issue_2003_03/article2.pdf. Microsoft. (2017). Chapter 16: Quality Attributes. Design Fundamentals, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee658094.aspx. MIS. (2015). The System Development Life Cycle. Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1166782/files/38198507/download. Rahman, R., Safadi, W., Basaula, A. (2015). Functional And Non-Functional Requirements. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://ami-2015.github.io/MyGuide/d2-final.pdf. Reddy, G., Reddy, U. (2013). Study of Cloud Computing in HealthCare Industry. International Journal of Scientific Engineering Research, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.404.1483rep=rep1type=pdf. Viswanathan, P. (2017). Cloud Computing and Is it Really All That Beneficial? Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://www.lifewire.com/cloud-computing-explained-2373125. Ward, S. (2017). 5 Disadvantages of Cloud Computing. The balance, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://www.thebalance.com/disadvantages-of-cloud-computing-4067218. Warner, E. (2017). Adaptive vs. Predictive: Is the end clear? Idea, Retrieved 02 October, 2017, from: https://www.idea.org/blog/2005/12/02/adaptive-vs-predictive-is-the-end-clear/.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Good Practice in Questionnaire Design

Question: Describe about good practice in questionnaire design? Answer: What is a questionnaire? A questionnaire is an instrument for conducting research. The instrument contains a set of questions which prompts a person to collect information from the respondents. The questionnaire is designed for the purpose of generating a statistical analysis of the responses. The questionnaire though can be used to generate other data also (Alexander, Entwisle Dauber, 2003). It was emphasised by Brace (2004) that the importance of the questions is successful for the communication process particularly in conducting a marketing research. The questionnaire should be in tune with the respondents who different in terms of language, age, gender and education. The questions must be so designed such that the there is no negative responses or non-responses from the respondents (Full-Length Donor History Questionnaire, 2015). It should be seen that the respondents do not misinterpret or lie while answering the questions. A good practise method of the questionnaire improves the quality of the questionnaire to a great extent and it helps to avoid the pitfalls. This paper will try to explain the good practices of that can be used to design the questionnaire in a sequential manner (Mymarketresearchmethods.com, 2014). It is to be kept in mind that if the questions are not carefully designed then the best method to gather, and analyse the data later in the research will not be able to compensate the bad design. This can lead to the questions not being useful for the purpose of the survey (Yuen). Question length According to a research undertaken by Holbrook et al (2006) indicated that the questions should be kept as short as possible. This should be done so that the respondents comprehension increases. It was said by Brislin (1986) that the maximum number of words in the question should be 16 while another work by Oppenheim (1992) recommends that the number of words should be 20 per sentence and the question can contain more than one sentence (Jurges, 2015). According to a report by Jabien (1987) it was said that longer questions can generate more accurate report as they try to convey the notion that the task has some importance and that it deserves some serious effort. Grammar The grammatical complexities of the questionnaire should be kept to a minimum so that the respondents are able to answer to the questions appropriately. The questions should be framed in the active voice rather than the passive voice. There are certain guidelines like the use of pronouns should be less and nouns should be used as much as possible. These guidelines should be followed so that the mental capacity of the respondents is freed and they can think about the answers. Simplicity and specificity The cognitive load on the respondents can be reduced by using specific terms instead of general terms. The more complex questions should be broken down into simpler questions illustrates a certain behavioural illustrations. The use of vague words such as maybe, perhaps, probably should be avoided. A study by Foddy (1993) and Belson (1981) says that the use of hypothetical questions in the questionnaire should be avoided. Since it tries to find the complex behaviours of the respondents the researcher should not give any hypothetical questions (Research Consultation Guidelines -Questionnaires, 2015). It is recommended that alternative scenario and vignettes should be used to generate the responses which are external to the realm of the present or the past. Double barrelled question A double barrelled question is that the statements or the questions contain two types of verbs or two different types of concepts. It was said by Brislin (1986) that it is detrimental to obtain a accurate response if the researcher uses a double barrelled questions which uses the use of two concepts in the same question. Examples of double barrelled question do you find time to go through the newspaper every day? here it is seen that the question have two separate statements such as does the person have the time and the second question is that does the person goes through the newspaper everyday (Survey Research, 2015). In this case it is seen that the statement has two separate ideas put in one statement. It can be seen that the researcher is not sure about which area he wants to gather the information on. The researcher may not be aware of the fact that the question is a double barrelled question (Formulating Survey Questions, 2015). Social desirability It should be kept in mind that the questions should not be poorly worded and it poses a threat on the respondents; as said by Foddy (1993). He also adds that by using too many difficult words in the questions or in the instructions can make the respondents feel that they are either uneducated or stupid. This can often lead to respondent not answering to the question. Often it is seen that the respondents feel a social barrier in responding to certain type of questions such as whether they smoke or drink. The respondents often choose to answer the question which is favourable to the society. Foddy (1993) also states that there are certain issues like medical diagnosis related to the mental or genital diagnosis often leads the respondents in giving a false answer (Kaminska, 2015). It is done so as to avoid any embarrassing situation or to avoid being recognised in the society. According to Brace (2004), the researcher should use indirect ways to generate the information from the respondents so that they feel free to answer sensitive issues such as crime, drug use or adultery. A question can be asked like what do you believe other people might think about the use of drugs? in this type of questions, it is assumed that the respondents answer their own views by putting it others mouth (Leitz, 2015). Brace (2004) also points that the respondents propensity to give more desirable answers is by asking them question that will familiarize him with the situation. This can be done by using an introductory question like are you aware of the....? Negatively worded questions The use of the negative words in the questionnaire should be avoided since those type of questions take a longer time to process. The use of negative words often increases the chances of making mistakes for the respondents. Foddy (1993) said that the use of the words like no/not often leads to the confusion for the respondents (Colosi, 2015). For example a question like- what do you think that the conservationist must not be uncooperative with the government? this type of questions should be avoided. In place of such questions it should be given that should the conservationist be more cooperative with the government? this will reduce the chances of the respondents to spend more time assessing the answers of the questions. It was often seen that the respondents have the tendency to indicate to a no option rather than indicating to a yes. Order of the question The order of the question is an important thing in a questionnaire. The cause problems and often threatens the truthfulness of the results. The pattern or the order of the question may affect the whole layout of the questionnaire or may often affect the part of the questionnaire. The relevant questions should be put together or serially one after the other. There are a set of general questions and a set of specific questions (Leung, 2001). It is seen that the general question is more suitably placed before the specific question. It is such because the specific question is aimed at finding out the more detailed aspect of the study being undertaken. For example questions like the degree of happiness in general life and the degree of happiness in the marriage. Here the previous question is the general question and the second part of the question is the specific question which is aimed at finding out the specific range of happiness in being married (Leitz, 2015). It must be noted that the demographic questions like the name, age, education qualification, marital status and the income level of the respondents should be given at the end of the questionnaire. According to Gaskell et al. (1994) this should not be given at the beginning of the questionnaire so that the respondents do not feel negative about the disclosure of the personal information which in turn can impact the answering behaviour of the respondents (Colosi, 2015). Responses The responses are the second most important area to be considered. The responses include the answer given by the respondents. The responses generated are based on the various categories or the scales that are being used as part of the research. It is also the work of the researcher to encode the answers given by the respondents (Leitz, 2015). The option of dont know It is the part of the researcher to find out whether the respondents will be able to answer all the questions; or the respondents who have little knowledge should be scanned out and they are not asked the same questions. The problem arises when the interviewer asks the respondents questions in a face to face interview or over a telephonic interview. The interviewer often finds it difficult whether they should include a dont know option in the questionnaire (Ro.uow.edu.au, 2015). In a study conducted by Schumann and Pressser (1996), it was seen that the dont know option has increased from 22% to 25% when the questions were asked explicitly. The questions with which the respondents were less familiar were more prone to answer the dont know option and vice versa. When the questions were not explicitly answered the answers shifted from the dont know to either agree or disagree (McColl, Thomas Jacoby, 2015). Opinion filtering questions Some of the responses of the questions should try to achieve the opinion of the respondents. In questions like what is your opinion about the new policy? would generate a specific opinion of the individual respondent. It can also be seen from these questions that whether the respondent is ignorant about the responses (Krosnick Presser, 2015). Scale options in the questionnaire It was stated by a number of authors that a 5-point or a 7-point scale is used to generate the responses and are most commonly used. It was said by Dawes (2008) that by using those scales it is easier to find the responses as the scales can be rescaled and it facilitates comparison. The 7- point scale is more frequently used than the 5-point scale, as it offers more differentiation of the responses and is more reliable. It was also seen that with the usage of a more scaled responses, the degree of getting a satisfactory answer also increases. It is also used when an abstract response is to be generated from the respondents. Even or odd number of responses in the scale option The researcher has to decide whether he should include an even set of options or an odd set of options while setting the questionnaire. Giving an odd number or responses gives the researcher an option to indicate to the neutral option which lies in the middle of the answer set. The neutral option lets the respondent not to indicate or commit to a favourable option (Wording for rating scales, 2015). Researchers have shown that the middle option attracts 6-23% of the respondents when they are given the chance. It was also seen that the responses shifted to the dont know when the middle option was removed. It was also seen that the options such as somewhat liberal or somewhat conservative drew more attention even though the middle neutral option was not provided (Instructional Assessment Resources, 2015). Options of the response scale labelling The problem that most of the researcher faces is that, whether they should use a unipolar scale or to use a bipolar scale. The unipolar scale uses scale marking from 0 to 10 and the bipolar scale uses +5 to -5 options in the scale. There are other scales such as the verbal scales which includes options like, strongly disagree, disagree, neither disagree nor agree, strongly agree, and agree (Menold Kaczmirek, 2015). It was seen in a research study that the respondents have the tendency of choosing scale of more than 5 in the unipolar scale whereas a positive rating in the bipolar scale. The direction and the order of the responses Foddy (1993) has shown in a study that a number of response options effects arise in the questionnaires responses. Those effects can be recency or primary effects. There are other effects like the effect of the shifting frame of references of the individuals. The primary effects are the assumptions that the individuals will select the earlier options in the questionnaire while the recency effect is that the respondents will select the later responses of the options being provided (Booth, Colomb Williams, 2008). The shifting frame of references refers to the psychology of the individual and depends on whether he has indicated to an option earlier or not (Pasmore, Woodman Shani, 2010). Conclusion Researchers who are responsible for making the questionnaire will find the above considerations to be useful. At first the objectives of the study must be laid out. The questionnaire will need to review the previous researches made in the past (Stone). After the grammar, language, simplicity of the questionnaire is maintained, the task of the researcher is to hold the research process and measure the success of the questionnaire as well as the research. References Alexander, K., Entwisle, D., Dauber, S. (2003).On the success of failure. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Booth, W., Colomb, G., Williams, J. (2008).The craft of research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Colosi, L. (2015).Designing an Effective Questionnaire(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.human.cornell.edu/pam/outreach/parenting/research/upload/Designing-20an-20Effective-20Questionnaire.pdf Colosi, R. (2015).Negatively Worded Questions Cause Respondent Confusion(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.amstat.org/sections/SRMS/Proceedings/y2005/Files/JSM2005-000508.pdf Formulating Survey Questions. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.crsllc.org/assets/resource-3-formulating-survey-questions.pdf Full-Length Donor History Questionnaire. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/BloodBloodProducts/ApprovedProducts/LicensedProductsBLAs/BloodDonorScreening/UCM213552.pdf Instructional Assessment Resources. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.utexas.edu/academic/ctl/assessment/iar/teaching/plan/method/survey/responseScale.pdf Jurges, H. (2015).Interview, Module and Question Length(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.share-project.org/uploads/tx_sharepublications/Methodology_Ch8.pdf Kaminska, O. (2015).Understanding Sources of Social Desirability Bias in Different Modes:(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/publications/working-papers/iser/2013-04.pdf Krosnick, J., Presser, S. (2015).Question and Questionnaire Design(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://pprg.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010-Handbook-of-Survey-Research.pdf Leitz, P. (2015).Research into Questionnaire Design(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.cse.edu/dotAsset/134306.pdf Leung, W. (2001).How to design a questionnaire(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.dpcdsb.org/NR/rdonlyres/138975AC-B110-4D1E-902F-81C8E69BF9A0/107060/How_to_design_a_questionnaire.pdf McColl, E., Thomas, L., Jacoby, A. (2015).Design and use of questionnaires: a review of best practice applicable to surveys(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/64833/FullReport-hta5310.pdf Menold, N., Kaczmirek, L. (2015).A literature review on constructing answer formats(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Contribution258.pdf Mymarketresearchmethods.com,. (2014).Survey Design Best Practices. Retrieved 7 March 2015, from https://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/survey-design-best-practices/ Pasmore, W., Woodman, R., Shani, A. (2010).Research in organizational change and development. Bingley, UK: Emerald. Research Consultation Guidelines -Questionnaires. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/yoursay/Questionnaires.pdf Ro.uow.edu.au,. (2015).Questionnaire design and systematic literature reviews. Retrieved 7 March 2015, from https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1124context=ahsri Stone, D H. 'Design A Questionnaire.'.BMJ307.6914 (1993): 1264-1266. Web. Survey Research. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.sagepub.in/upm-data/54137_Chapter_8.pdf Wording for rating scales. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/evaluation/documents/Wordingforratingscales.pdf Yuen, Raymond Wai Pong. 'Question Design Tips For Questionnaire'.SSRN Journaln. pag. Web.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Do You Really Need Fiske Guide to Colleges Expert Review

Do You Really Need Fiske Guide to Colleges Expert Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Deciding which guidebooks will be most useful to you in the college research process can be pretty tricky. The Fiske Guide to Colleges is a commonly used resource for prospective college students, and it does contain a lot of useful information. However, it also has some major drawbacks and may not be very helpful in making a final decision on where to apply. In this review, I'll tell you all about the exclusive content of the guide, its overall pros and cons, and whether you should actually buy it and use it in your college search. Overview The Fiske Guide to Colleges has been around for over 30 years, but this review will focus on the 2015 edition of the guide.The Fiske Guide contains information about over 300 four-year colleges that its writers consider to be the â€Å"best and most interesting institutions in the nation†. In other words, it contains the schools that are the most relevant to the highest number of prospective students.The book is edited by Edward Fiske, the former education editor of the New York Times (hence its title). The Fiske Guide includes 175 of the most selective schools in the nation.In addition to schools with extremely high academic standards, it includes colleges that lend geographic diversity to the list and create an equal balance of private and public schools.The guide also incorporates specialty schools that may be based around engineering, a particular religious denomination, or a devotion to environmental conservation. Finally, it includes schools that the writers simply found interesting based on their unique curriculum. The Fiske Guide's reviews of colleges include lots of student testimony.Each college was provided with a questionnaire for students to fill out that asked about their experiences at the school with regards to accessibility of professors, quality of housing, nightlife, and campus dining.Administrators also were allowed to weigh in about their school and send information to the writers of the guide to aid in their understanding of the school’s goals and inner workings.Each school in the guide is accompanied by a 1,000 to 2,500-word descriptive essay incorporating student feedback and other information accumulated through published resources and visits to these colleges. What's your least favorite aspect of your college? It doesn't have enough money to buy a desk so I can fill out this questionnaire like a normal human being. What Specific Information and Resources Does the Guide Give You? Now that you have a basic idea of what the Fiske Guide to Colleges is, let's take a look at what information it can actually give you. The guide contains statistics and ratings for each school, lists of colleges broken down by category, and a survey to help determine your college preferences. Statistics Every college page is equipped with a sidebar of quick facts that gives you an overview of some essential statistics about the school. This offers a succinct look at the school's positive and negative qualities if you don't have time to read the full essay. College Cost The Fiske Guide gives you the percentage of students receiving financial aid at each school.You’ll also see a rating for how expensive the school is, ranging from one dollar symbol to four.This comes along with an indication of whether the college is public or private. A school that has the most expensive rating ($$$$) as a private college will be far more expensive than a public college with the same rating. You can find a guide to these ratings at the beginning of the book. For public schools, one $ indicates a price of less than $8,000, and for private schools it indicates a price of less than $37,000.Specific numbers are not provided because tuition prices can change from year to year, so these would become out of date very quickly.You’ll see statistics for the percentage of students who take out loans as well, along with the average debt for students at each school. Test Scores The Fiske Guide provides SAT and ACT score ranges for each school.The ranges reflect the middle 50% of admitted students, meaning the low end represents the 25th percentile of scores, and the high end represents the 75th percentile. Admissions and Enrollment Admissions statistics include the number of applicants, acceptance rate, and percentage of students enrolled out of the pool of accepted candidates.The guide also provides eachschool’s graduation rate after six years and the percentage of returning freshman. The total enrollment at the school along with the number of undergraduate students and the male/female ratio are included as well. I won't tell anyone you didn't actually graduate if you tell prospective students that we're installing giant waterslides on the green next year. Ratings These ratings are unique to the Fiske Guide, and they can be a helpful overview of how well-balanced a school is when considering both its academic offerings and social scene. Each is recorded on a scale of one to five. Academic Rating This rating is based on the school's reputation in the academic world, the quality of the faculty, the level of teaching and research, the academic ability and seriousness of students, and the quality of the academic facilities. Social Life Rating This measures the level of recreational student interaction on campus and how much time students devote to socializing in general. Quality of Life Rating The Fiske Guide has this rating category because sometimes schools with good academics and a healthy amount of socializing still don't have a particularly happy student body. In these rare cases the college's atmosphere might not be supportive or the location might be very isolated, leading to a decline in general quality of life. This rating measures overall student satisfaction. Low quality of life. Lists and Other Resources The Fiske Guide contains consolidated lists of schools that will help you find exactly what you're looking for based on price and curriculum focus. It also includes a college survey for those of you who still aren't sure of exactly what you want in a college. Best Buy Colleges and List of Schools by Price The guide's list of â€Å"Best Buy† colleges represents the schools that give you â€Å"outstanding academics with relatively modest prices†.The Fiske Guide for 2015 lists 44 Best Buy schools divided equally between public and private institutions.Essentially, they represent an intersection of four or five star academic ratings and one or two dollar signs price ratings(inexpensive to moderately expensive).Fiske also catalogs schools by price and public or private status at the beginning of the book so you can target your search towards the ones with the cheapest price tags. Lists of Schools by Type There are a couple of lists at the beginning of the guide that may help you narrow your search if you have a concentrated academic focus.One list, entitled â€Å"A Guide for Preprofessionals†, lists schools that are strongest in nine different preprofessional areas including architecture, art/design, business, communications/journalism, engineering, film/television, dance, drama, and music.This list also includes schools that are strong in environmental studies and international studies, two increasingly popular interdisciplinary majors.There are two other lists as well: schools that offer strong support for students with learning disabilities and schools that are test optional (they don't require SAT or ACT scores). College Search Survey Within its introduction, the Fiske Guide contains a mini-guide to your college search process.This includes a â€Å"sizing-yourself-up† survey that asks some basic questions about your likes, dislikes, and preferences for size, location, and academic/extracurricular offerings.The survey will give you a basic idea of what you want out of college, although it may be difficult to apply the results to your search within the book itself (more on this later). You seem like you have a lot of negative energy - you should probably buy the Fiske Guide 2015 2.0. It costs $2,000, but it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. (Making fun of Scientology will never get old.) Pros and Cons: What Makes this Guide More or Less Useful for You? Now you know what's in the guide, but will it actually help you find your dream college? I'll go over the pros and cons of the guide so you can decide whether or not to buy one for yourself. Pros of the Fiske Guide If you already have some schools in mind, this guide can give you great insight into the perspectives of real studentsthrough its descriptive essays. You may not be able to find such a concise yet comprehensive overview of what campus life is like anywhere else. The Fiske Guide has reliable connections to students and administrators at the best schools in the country, and many of the essays provide more relevant student feedback than college review sites. The essays cover information in roughly the same order for each college.This makes it simple to look at a couple of essays about different schools and compare two topic descriptions (for example, descriptions of the academic climate at a school are always at the beginning of each essay). The statistics are easy to digest and not too overwhelming. With the pricing scales and symbolic representations of ratings, it’s easy to tell whether a school is a good fit without sorting through a bunch of confusing numbers. Specialized lists give you the means to conduct your search more logically. If you’re interested in a specific preprofessional area of study or are looking for schools that don’t require test scores, the lists in the Fiske Guide will quickly reveal your options. The introduction and college search survey go into detail about how to conduct your searchso it doesn’t feel as confusing. Cool, sounds good! Cons of the Fiske Guide Although this guide might be more fun to read than some other resources, it makes it difficult to filter out schools.The essays paint most schools in a pretty good light. For example, a school in the middle to lower end of the pack in the guide (3-star ratings and a 70% admissions rate) is heralded as an "undiscovered gem". There are also many statements like "humanities programs are very strong, but science majors are also enormously popular" and "students get the best of several worlds: excellence in engineering and the liberal arts, abundant research opportunities, and a healthy social life". While this may get you more excited for college and can be encouraging, it makes it tough to narrow down your list of schools.Every school seems to have so much going for it that it's nearly impossibly to pick favorites. The statistics are easy to understand, but they’re not particularly detailed. If you want more specific information about the costs of schools including in-state vs. out of state tuition and room and board, you will have to look elsewhere. It's true that tuition changes frequently, so the guide would be inaccurate very quickly if it gave specific numbers, but there are still some exact figures you should know before deciding on a college. Subjectivity, as outlined by the authors in the introduction, is a key feature of the Fiske Guide. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that you can’t take all the ratings as indisputable fact.It is easy to get caught up in the fact that one school has a four-star quality of life rating and another school has a three-star rating while ignoring the fact that the three-star school might be a better fit for you in other ways.For the Fiske Guide to be helpful, you have to be on your guard about which statistics are real and which are loosely based on reality but not true for every single student. Academic ratings, in particular, can be difficult to sort out.The guide only recommends comparing these ratings directly from one school to another if both schools are of a similar â€Å"type† - that is, two large public colleges or two small private colleges.A small private college with a five-star academic rating may have a very different academic climate than a large public college with the same rating. This makes differentiating between schools challenging if you don’t already have many of your preferences for size, location, and resources in mind. My wheat is w[h]eeping from these cons. Should You Use the Fiske Guide to Colleges? The Fiske Guide is a nice accessory for your college search, but it can sometimes lead to more doubts and confusion. It contains so many seemingly great options that it becomes very difficult to sort through them. My advice is to only usethe Fiske Guide if you’re (a) in the earliest stages of looking at colleges or (b) already have a strong idea of your preferences that won't be influenced too strongly by the guide's more subjective ratings. Underclassmen If you’re a freshman or sophomore and are just starting to investigate colleges, the Fiske Guide is a good way to start investigating what life is like at different schools without the pressure of having to make major decisions.It presents the college experience as an exciting and rewarding time in your life, and might help to motivate you to work towards ambitious academic goals early in high school. If this is your situation, a smart way use the book is to read descriptions of schools that vary significantly across different dimensions. For example, read the entry for a very small college and a very large college, and see which one appeals to you more. By doing this, you'll begin to see what your preferences are without having to zero in on a specific school. At this early stage, you could also just skim the book straight through and read more closely for schools that are of particular interest. There's no need to force yourself into any commitments. Juniors and Seniors The Fiske Guide also works well when you already have concrete preferences in mind and want to compare specific schools or types of schools that interest you.If you already have a narrower scope in mind for your search, the Fiske Guide can be a useful tool for evaluating the student experience at the types of schools that interest you.You’ll be able to make more logical and useful comparisons based on ratings if the schools you’re looking at already have many traits in common. For example, if you know cost is important to you, you can look at the school index by price and just read the descriptions of schools that are within your price range. If you're planning on going into a specific professional field, you can focus solely on schools listed as having top programs in that area. If you know where in the country you want to go to school, you can look only at schools that fit those location preferences. The College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon, one of the private colleges listed in the Fiske Guide as having an excellent architecture program. If you aren’t sure where to begin with your college search and are already a junior or older, you may want to consult other resources before turning to the Fiske Guide.While the guide does contain a â€Å"sizing-yourself-up survey† to help you figure out what your preferences are for college, it may be difficult to apply your answers to your search within the book. Instead, trystarting with online resources that allow you to search by college type and provide more in-depth statistics on schools. Sites like Cappex (a college matchmaking site that includes suggestions for schools you might like based on your academic performance and other preferences), College Navigator (a site that allows you to search for schools by location, program type, and other factors), and FastWeb (for scholarships and other information about paying for college) are good places to narrow down your search and determine what you want out of college.When you have a better idea of what your preferences are, you can use the Fiske Guide to get a more colorful picture of student life that you might not see onthese sites. Overall, the Fiske Guide is fun to use, but it's not overly helpful in narrowing down your college choices if you’re unsure of what you want in the first place.It should be used in addition to, not as a substitute for, a great deal of introspection about what you want out of your higher educational experience. What's Next? If you're looking for tips on how to get started in your college search, read my article onhow to choose a college. Before you look at any guidebooks or websites, it can be helpful to narrow down your college preferences in terms of size and location. Learn more about the characteristics of large and small colleges and about whether you're better suited to a school that's close to home. Another good way to whittle down your choices is to decide if you might be interested in an in-state school. Take a look at this article to get a better idea of whether an in-state school might be a good choice for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: