Mexico, The Mexican Drug Cartel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mexico, The Mexican Drug Cartel - Research Paper Example The official language of the country is Spanish and it is marked as the â€Å"most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.† Christianity is the religion that is practiced by most of the people in the country. The rate of poverty is very high in the country and it was estimated that 44 percent of the people living in the country earned below the poverty line (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs 2011). Most of the people in the country live in the urban areas and people leave the rural areas and move to the developed ones in search of better opportunities. Furthermore, many people leave the country and move to the United States for better earning opportunities. The country earns much of its income by sending oil to other countries as it is an oil producing country. Criminal activities are a reason of many problems in the country. The abduction rates in Mexico are marked to be very high in comparison to other countries across the globe. Strong drug trafficking organizati ons function in the country and they are responsible for the drug trading between South America and the United States. Felipe Calderon was declared as the President of the country in the year 2006. He took strong steps for overcoming the issue of drug trafficking and his measures have resulted in the death of 35000 people in the country since the initiation of his campaign against drugs (BBC 2012). Mexico is marked to be a country with a leading role in the making of drugs as well serving as a route for the transportation of drugs. The major movement of drugs which include marijuana and methamphetamine in the United States is from Mexico. Ninety percent of the cocaine that reaches to the United States is through its movement via Mexico. ... The drug trafficking organizations are not only involved in the movement of drugs but at the same time, they are involved in kidnappings as well as murders. The drug cartels have gained a strong hold in the country during the last decade of the twentieth century. This mainly followed the deaths of Cali and Medellin cartels belonging to Colombia. The National Drug Intelligence Center has put forward that the drug trade in the United States is now mainly dominated by the Mexican drug mafia. The Mexican drug cartels have a strong stand and many government officials particularly those from the law enforcement agencies work in collaboration with them. This is owing to the bribes provided by the drug trafficking organizations. A campaign was initiated in the year 2006 by the President of Mexico against the drug cartels in nine states out of the total thirty two states in Mexico (Cook et al 2007). The Mexican government has put forward the fact that there are seven drug cartels working in t he country. Gulf, Sinaloa and Juarez are the major drug trafficking groups and their presence is dominant in most parts of the country. Many dominant drug trafficking organizations have started working together in Mexico. This has led to the formation of two major groups in the world of drug trafficking in Mexico. It has been indicated that this unity has mainly resulted due to the arrest of many leaders in these groups. Mexican cartels have also started to have a strong hold in the United States. They have done so via cultivating drugs on the land of the United States and by forming alliances with criminal groups in the United States. The purpose of this alliance is to make the

Laser beam welding

Laser beam welding Introduction: Laser Beam Welding â€Å"LBW† is a contemporary welding process that is a high energy beam that continues to expand into new industries and new applications because of its advantages like deep welding and reduced heat inputs. Profound Manufacturers sought to automate the welding process caused the expansion of the laser beam welding process to include computers and more sophisticated technology to increase the product quality and more accurate control of the welding process. From More than 20 years ago, when laser welding was in its early life was used primarily for bizarre applications where no other welding process would be suitable. Nowadays, laser welding is an imperative part of the metal toil industry. How It Works: The Focal point is aimed on the work piece surface that will be welded. At the surface the large concentration of light energy is converted into thermal energy. The surface of the work piece starts melting and steps forward through it by surface conductance. For welding process, the beam energy is maintained below the vaporization temperature of the material. In Fig. 1 the laser beam is directed on the work piece. â€Å"To the point that the laser beam contacts the work piece, all the components that direct it are transparent, refractive or reflective, absorbing only small amounts of energy from the ultraviolet light.† The laser power supply is capable of delivering a pulse of light that has accurate and repeatable energy and duration. When the pulse of laser energy is focused into a small spot at the surface of the work piece, the energy density becomes enormous. The light is engrossed by the work piece, causing a keyhole effect as the focused beam drills into, vaporizes and melts some of the metal. As described in fig. 2. As the pulse ends, the liquefied metal around the keyhole flows back in, solidifying and creating a small spot weld, moving the work piece or the laser emitter along the surface of the work piece creates a series or spot weld that is called a â€Å"seam†. Similarities And Differences To Other Welding Processes When compared to other welding processes, laser welding has some similar as well as some unique characteristics Like GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding), laser welding is a fusion process performed under inert cover gas, where filler material is most times not added. Like electron beam welding, Laser welding is a high energy density beam process, where energy is targeted directly on the workpiece. Laser differs from both GTAW and EB (electron beam) welding in that it does not require that the workpiece complete an electrical circuit. And since electron beam welding must be performed inside a vacuum chamber, laser welding can almost always offer a cost advantage over EB in both tooling and production pricing. Advantages Of Laser Welding One of the largest advantages that pulsed laser welding offers is the minimal amount of heat that is added during processing. The repeated pulsing of the beam allows for cooling between each spot weld, resulting in a very small heat affected zone. This makes laser welding ideal for thin sections or products that require welding near electronics or glass-to-metal seals. Low heat input, combined with an optical (not electrical) process, also means greater flexibility in tooling design and materials. Industries Served: 1- Aerospace. 2- Defense/military. 3- Electronics. 4- Research development. 5- Medical. 6- Sensors instrumentation. 7- Petrochemical refining. 8- Communications energy. Laser Safety â€Å"Lasers emit a very concentrated beam that can be visible or invisible. In general, most lasers used for welding are invisible. This beam of infrared light could focus onto the skin or eye unless safety precautions are observed. Industrial laser systems are fully interlocked to prevent any danger to operators. Most are equipped with National Center for Devices and Radiological Health covers that contain the actual laser operation, permitting people working nearby to perform normally.† With proper design and careful precautions, laser systems are no more dangerous than other welding systems or similar machine tools.

The Great Gatsby - Chapter 3 :: English Literature

The Great Gatsby - Chapter 3 ============================= In chapter three Nick tells us about the first party he attends at Gatsby’s one friday night. He sees himself as the only guest who was actually been invited by Gatsby’s chauffeur earlier in the morning. He describes all preparation on fridays before the party and on mondays after the party, e.g. gardeners cleaning Gatsby’s property (p.37-39) Arriving at the party Nick doesn’t know anyone he could talk to and can’t even find the host, so decides to stop at the bar, where, a little later, he welcomes Jordan Baker. They end up in a conversation with three men and two girls talking about rumors about Gatsby (p.40/41). After a short time they leave the group to look for Gatsby, since they haven’t met him yet. They don’t find Gatsby, but the library, where Jordan and Nick meet a drunk man talking about the realism of the books. Leaving the house and sitting down on a table, Nick meets Gatsby, not knowing it is him (p.44). Gatsby, an elegant, young man with tanned skin and short hair, invites him to a short trip with his new hydroplane in the next morning. Gatsby leaves and after Nick has learned Jordan’s rumors about him, they see him standing all alone on the steps of his backyard. When his butler delivers Gatsby’s message to Jordan, that he wants to talk to her, Nick, alone, goes back into the house to observe young ladies and old men (p.47) When he decides to leave the party he meets Jordan and Gatsby coming out of one room together. Jordan tells him to call him, and Nick leaves. Outside he meets the drunk man he had met earlier in the

Parenting Styles and Culture

Given the diverse cultures that can shape parenting behavior, some basic assumptions regarding the links between parenting styles and developmental outcomes may not be universal. Much research has been conducted on the different parenting styles across cultures. There are also many myths about which parenting style is the best or the most beneficial to the social development of children. Reviewing past literature on this subject matter reveals that the authoritarian parenting style produced more overt aggression and many more social interaction difficulties among young children. Recent research point to the theory that the best parenting style is dictated by the culture in which it is practiced. A study by Whaley (2000) states that although a positive correlation between the use of physical discipline (i. e. , spanking) and disruptive disorders in children is found in studies of European American families, research on African American families has found a negative association or none at all. Moreover, a review of the literature indicates that the positive association between spanking and child behavior problems is bidirectional for White families, whereas it is the product of reverse causation (i. . , negative child behaviors result in spanking) in Black families. The implications of these sociocultural differences for parent training programs and the family study of disruptive behaviors are discussed. This study establishes that the positive correlation between the use of physical discipline and disruptive disorders in children found in research on European American families does not appear to be generalizable to African American families. Black parents' use of spanking is more a consequence than a cause of problem behaviors in children. Moreover, parents in the African American community, especially in low-income urban areas, may use authoritarian methods in attempts to protect their children from noxious social environments. Awareness of sociocultural differences in the relationship between parenting practices and developmental outcomes would put Black parents' behavior in proper perspective, as well as encourage interventions and policies that address community-level problems to ensure healthy child development in high-risk environments. On the one hand, these controlling methods of parenting may be effective in reducing undesirable or high-risk behaviors of Black children and adolescents. On the other hand, they may place African American children at risk for other problems, such as academic failure and child abuse. Thus an appreciation of sociocultural differences in parenting styles and related outcomes should not lead to unconditional acceptance of punitive behaviors because of their cultural significance. Alternative strategies that are culturally compatible, such as response cost, may be useful if the motivation is child oriented and not parent oriented. Sensitivity to differences in parenting styles across cultures simply means that the functional significance of spanking should be explored, and the ecological context in which families live should be taken into consideration in theory, research, and practice devoted to understanding environmental influences on child development. Research conducted by Hart and colleagues (1998) shows that maternal and paternal parenting styles and marital interactions are linked to childhood aggressive behavior. This study included an ethnic Russian sample of 207 families of nursery-school-age children. Results corroborated and extended findings from Western samples. Maternal and paternal coercion, lack of responsiveness, and psychological control (for mothers only) were significantly correlated with children's overt aggression with peers. Less responsiveness (for mothers and fathers) and maternal coercion positively correlated with relational aggression. Some of these associations differed for boys versus girls. Marital conflict was also linked to more overt and relational aggression for boys. When entered into the same statistical model, more marital conflict (for boys only), more maternal coercion, and less paternal responsiveness were found to be the most important contributors to overt and relational aggression in younger Russian children. Similar to Western findings, the results of this research supports the idea that the absence of positive parenting is as important in the development of childhood behavior problems directed toward peers as is the presence of negative parenting. In terms of the development of aggression, lack of Russian paternal responsiveness and more maternal coercion remained significant contributors to overt and relational aggression, regardless of which other parenting style or marital hostility variables that they were pitted against in the regressions. Although this supports prior work concerning relationships between maternal coercion and aggression, it highlights the importance of paternal responsiveness that involves positive, playful, and engaging interactions in children's social development. It is interesting that only maternal (and not paternal) psychological control was found to significantly correlate with Russian preschoolers’ overt aggression. However, when pitted against the effects of other predictors in the regression model, its contribution was reduced to a marginal trend. Although these findings appear to suggest that psychological control may not be as powerfully related to aggressive outcomes in young Russian children, firm conclusions should be reserved for future researchers using a variety of methodological approaches. A study conducted by Chen and colleagues (2000) included a sample of children, initially 12 years old, in the People's Republic of China who participated in a 2-year longitudinal study. Data on parental warmth, control, and indulgence were collected from children's self-reports. Information concerning social, academic, and psychological adjustment was obtained from multiple sources. The results indicated that parenting styles might be a function of child gender and change with age. Regression analyses revealed that parenting styles of fathers and mothers predicted different outcomes. Whereas maternal warmth had significant contributions to the prediction of emotional adjustment, paternal warmth significantly predicted later social and school achievement. It was also found that paternal, but not maternal, indulgence significantly predicted children's adjustment difficulties. The contributions of the parenting variables might be moderated by the child's initial conditions. Since the implementation of the one-child-per-family policy, maintaining the balance between expressing love and affection and imposing requirements and limits on the child has been a significant challenge to Chinese parents. Many parents in China are concerned about whether their child is indulged or spoiled because they may give too much attention and privilege to the child. Does parental indulgence predict children's problems? An examination of this issue would not only help us understand the meaning and significance of the parenting dimension, but would also have practical implications for childrearing in China. The results of this study indicated that paternal indulgence had significant and negative contributions to the prediction of later leadership, social competence, and academic achievement. Furthermore, paternal indulgence significantly and positively predicted later aggressive-disruptive behaviors. Thus, children who had indulgent fathers tended to be less competent and more maladjusted in both social and academic areas than other children. Maternal indulgence, in general, was not significantly associated with children's adjustment outcomes. Two possible explanations may be offered. First, because parental indulgence is likely to result in a lack of social assertiveness and poor skills in self-control and self-regulation, which are important for social interactions and school performance, the effect of indulgence may be more salient on social and school adjustment than on psychological well-being. Fathers may focus mainly on children's social functioning and school achievement, whereas mothers may be more sensitive to the children's emotional adjustment. The review of literature on the different parenting styles and child development in different cultures support the current theory which states there is no particular parenting that is best over all others. There are, however, parenting styles that are more suitable to different cultures. Furthermore, it is becoming more clear and evident that not only culture determines which parenting style is best for children. Many other factors, such as social and economic circumstances play a significant role in this matter as well. References Chen X. , Li D. , Liu M. (2000). Parental warmth, control and indulgence and their relations to adjustment in Chinese children: a longitudinal study. Journal of Family Psychology 14(3) pp. 401-419 Hart C. , McNeilly-Choque M. K. , Nelson D. A. , Olsen S. F. , Robinson C. C. (1998). Overt and relational aggression in Russian nursery-school-age children: parental style and marital linkages. Developmental Psychology 34(4) pp. 687-697 Whaley A. L. (2000). Sociocultural differences in the developmental consequences of the use of physical discipline during childhood for African-Americans. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 6(1) pp. 5-12

Nursing Informatics Essay

Nursing informatics can best be described â€Å"as the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients and clinicians in decisions across roles and settings, using information structures, process, and technology† (Knight & Shea, p. 93). Nursing informatics has evolved over the last half decade from a system with only a few abilities to a worldwide technological system used in many hospital settings and physician offices in order to unify healthcare, eliminate error, and allow clinicians to spend less time charting and more time fulfilling job duties. In the 1960s, technology entered the nursing profession and the very first computer systems were integrated into hospitals. The early computer systems were implemented in order to process orders promptly and keep an accurate record of charges incurred by patients during their hospital stay (Murphy, 2010). Over the next few years, technology improved and started to revolutionize the nursing profession, documentat ion and communication throughout the hospital went from pen and paper to online databases filled with electronic patient information (Murphy, 2010). The introduction of NI has â€Å"prompted significant transformation in healthcare, along with increased attention to patient safety and outcome† (HIMSS Nursing Informatics Awareness Task Force, 2007, p. 38). Nursing informatics (NI) was finally recognized as a specialty in the mid-1990s (Murphy, 2010) Nursing informatics continued to evolve and the clinical setting began using electronic health records in patient care areas. Electronic health records (EHR) is like the nursing process, in which computer charting uses a hands on approach where the clinician is responsible for physically inputting the data attained into the Electronic Health Record. (McFadden, 2012). EHR was a huge push by President Bush in 2004, he mandated that the electronic health record be worldwide in the United States within ten years and created the Office of the National Coordinator for Health information Technology (HIMSS Nursing Informatics Awareness Task Force, 2007). The concept behind the electronic health record was to redesign the way patient care was delivered so that documentation and data gathering was integrated and automatically uploaded eliminating the room for errors and or misinformation (McFadden, 2012). Today nursing informatics uses technology to improve its clinical nursing  practice as well as to enhance the quality of patient care (Saba, 2001). As patients change, technology in the hospital setting must change and adapt as well. In order to make sure that the Electronic Health Record is as user friendly as possible for the majority of the clinicians using the system, TIGER was formed. â€Å"TIGER which stands for Technology Informatics Guiding Specialties which is a national collaborative of nurses from various specialties† (â€Å"TIGER,† 2010, p. 11). Nurses who are on the front line taking care of patients first hand bring knowledge of how information can be supported and improved upon in the clinical process and decision-making, which ultimately improves quality and patient outcome (â€Å"TIGER,† 2010). TIGER has improved nursing informatics by intertwining technology into the nursing practice, therefore making health information technology the stethosc ope for the 21st century (â€Å"TIGER,† 2010). Along with the continuing development of technology CPOE (Computerized Provider Order Entry) was developed freeing nurses from having to transcribe physicians hand writing and eliminating the need for order clarification made via phone calls improving quality control and patient outcomes. (Thede, 2012). Lab results are readily available through Point Of Care seconds after a test is completed in order for nurses and physicians to have information to review and determine further course of treatment the moment the results become available (Thede, 2012). Nursing informatics has a direct impact on nurses. Nurses spend roughly 50% of their time documenting and as little as 15% at the patient bedside (HIMSS Nursing Informatics Awareness Task Force, 2007). Our role as a nurse is being redefined by computers allowing more time to actually nurse patients to health and less time documenting our measures used to return them to health. As stated by HIMSS Nursing Informatics Task Force (2007) â€Å"this movement toward evidence based clinical practice is designed by a clinical information system which serves as the integrator that supports clinical judgment and client values† (p. 31). Nursing informatics will continue to improve and will become able to process data more quickly than it doe s now (Saba, 2001). In the 21st century, nursing informatics is part of our everyday professional activity. The majority of healthcare professionals are computer literate as utilizing a computer and accessing patient records has become a part of our everyday duties as nurses. (Saba, 2001). As we continue to move toward a more IT world, nursing informaticists will continue to work  with nurses to ensure that our practice is further enhanced by new technology (HIMSS Nursing Informatics Awareness Task Force, 2007). As clinicians is our duty to be prepared and properly trained with the most recent technological advances so we can spend less time finding where to document information or inputting information and more time fulfilling other nursing duties. In summary, according to Murphy (2010) â€Å"nursing informatics has evolved to an integral part of health care delivery and a differentiating factor in the selection, implementation, and evaluation of health IT that supports safe, high-quality, patient-centric care† (p. 207). It is time for nurses to leave the past ways of paper charting and embrace what the future has for us in the ever evolving technological world. Our profession is being transformed to meet the needs of patients and allowing clinicians to keep accurate records but doing so in a timely and safe manner. Nursing informatics is a tool which is in place to make it easier to keep accurate records, spend more time interacting and caring for patients, and have one place to look for information regarding patient care. References HIMSS Nursing Informatics Awareness Task Force. (2007, March). Informatics. Nursing Management, 38, 38-42. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000262926.85304.a6 Knight, E. P., & Shea, K. (2014). A Patient-Focused Framework Integrating Self-Management and Informatics. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46, 91-97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12059 McFadden, R. (2012, December). Nursing informatics: A specialty on the rise. , 16, 16-17. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2012223758&site=nrc-live Murphy, J. (2010, May-Jun). Nursing informatics: the intersection of nursing, computer, and information sciences. Nursing Economic$, 28, 204-207. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010699607&site=nrc-live Saba, V. K. (2001, September). Nursing informatics: yesterday, today and tomorrow. International Nursing Review, 48, 177-187. Retrieved fr om http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/nup/detail/detail?sid=976b7ae2- 0db7-4ca2-83ce-c7fded8dd419%40sessionmgr112&vid=10&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9bnVwLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2001106151 Staggers, N., & Thompson, C. B. (2002). The evolution of definitions for nursing informatics: A critical analysis and revised definition. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. The voice of nursing informatics and the future of nursing Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) (2010). ANIA-CARING Newsletter, 25(4), 11-20. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/nup/detail/detail?sid=2b530457-f316-4cab-99a1-51bdce7a9464%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9bnVwLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2010939703 Thede, L. (2008, Aug 18). The Electronic health Record: Will Nursing Be on Board When the Ship Leaves? OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol13No03InfoCol01 Thede, L. (2012, Janurary 23). â€Å"Informatics: Where is it?†. OJIN: The Online Jour nal of Issues in Nursing, 17(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol17No1InfoCol01

Chrysalids 3 essays

Chrysalids 3 essays A society is an organized group of individuals. In the novel, The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham the Sealand society and Waknuk society are both similar and different in the way they live. The Sealand and Waknuk societies are both egocentric and ignorant, but the Sealand society accepts changes, where the Waknuk society does not accept change and would rather stay the same. Both the Sealand and Waknuk societies experience egocentricism. The Sealand society believes that Waknuk and other societies are uncivilized. An example of this is when the Sealand woman suggests that Waknuk is primitive and David and the thought-shape group are close to being primitive too. The Sealand society also shows eocentricism when they come for Petra, David and Rosalind because they kill everybody who is unable to send thought-shapes. The Waknuk society is egocentric because they banish people who are different to the Fringes or destroy and kill crops and animals because they are offences. Another example that shows Waknuk is egocentric is that they believe they are the  ¡true image ¡ and all other societies are primitive and the work of the devil. Not only do these two societies show egocentricism, they are also ignorant. These two societies are ignorant because they do not know a lot about the world. The Sealand society was unaware of how huge the world really was when they came for David, Rosalind and Petra. They think that the  ¡true image ¡ should be able to send thought-shapes. The Waknuk society was unaware of what the world really looked like. They were afraid of what was beyond the Badlands, so therefore they did not know much about the rest of the world. The people of Waknuk did not know that the people of the Fringes believed in God. An example of this is when David is talking to a Fringes man,  ¡God ¡s little game of patience I reckon it is, but He certainly takes His time over it. ¡ 'God? ¡ I said doubtfully. 'They ¡ve alwa...

Shall we Dance essays

Shall we Dance essays Shall we Dansu, directed and written by Masayuki Suo, has a subtle artistic appeal to any viewer. The film hints at an even greater dilemma in life that relates to the audience. When we have it all, the car, the house, 2.5 children will it be enough? Mr. Sugiyama is a forty-something who goes to sit at a desk and work in an office building and then goes home to his wife and daughter. As he commutes home the train stops at a station and when he looks up, Sugiyama sees a lovely young woman looking out the window of a dance school. Every time the train stops at that station, there she is. So one day he gets off the train and goes up to the dance studio where he signs up for lessons. In this movie the visual symbols convey more or just as much as the actual conversations held between characters. The lighting and the body language are the two most effective visual symbols used to bring the viewer into the plot. At the start of the movie everything is dull and dark nothing is bright with the exception of the street signs. This cold gray overcast lets it be known that Mr. Sugiyama is depressed and unhappy with his life. Almost every scene before he starts his dance lessons contain very calming colors such as whites, blacks, blues, grays. You feel the unhappiness and despair. Then on the train he looks up and sees this dance studio glowing with warm light. This is the answer to his depression. Once he starts the lessons every time he is at the studio warm colors are present. The colors help to communicate emotion. Hot or warm colors express excitement, intensity, urgency, passion, heat, love, excitement, and strength. All of which Mr. Sugiyama feels when he dances. Cool colors express dignity, power, melancholy, heaviness, trust, reliability, sophistication, death, rebellion, and emptiness. All of which he feels before he starts dance lessons. Mia Kishikawa is the object of his affection, but we soon learn that she has her own proble...

Graduate School Personal Statements

Graduate School Personal Statements One of the most important aspects of the graduate school personal statement is its presentation. While the content of any admissions essay is easily the most important factor, how the student chooses to presents his or her composition is also significant. If you are currently working on a graduate school personal statement, I strongly suggest that you take a moment to decide how you plan to present your submission. Creativity in Graduate School Personal Statements One of the biggest mistakes that many students make when submitting their admissions application packet is not putting any creative thought into their presentations. Most students, in fact, do nothing more than fill out the written application form, enclose their typed graduate school personal statements, and then toss it in the mail. That is why application packets that are uniquely designed and/or that showcase an applicants desire to go the extra mile typically receive further attention. There are many ways you can creatively present your graduate school personal statements. One way is to personally design the cover page. You can do this with a creative piece of artwork or the attachment of a personal photo. No matter what your design ideas, putting any creative effort into your cover page is an excellent way to get any readers attention. Whether you enclose your admissions packet in a uniquely designed folder, or present your admissions essay complete with photos and/or hand drawn illustrations, any additional effort you put fourth toward the overall presentation of your personal statement is certain to win you some extra points. If you would like more tips on enhancing graduate school personal statements, please dont hesitate to contact me.

Preparing the marketing audit for market entry Essay - 1

Preparing the marketing audit for market entry - Essay Example Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 6 Main Findings 6 Product 7 Price 8 Place 8 Promotion 8 People 9 Processes 9 Physical evidence 9 McKinsey 7S of Sony Corporation 10 Strategy 10 Structure 10 Systems 11 Style 11 Staff 12 Skill 12 Shared Values 12 Value Chain Analysis of Sony Corporation 12 Firm Infrastructure 13 Human Resource 14 Technological Development 14 Procurement 14 Inbound Logistics 14 Operations 14 Outbound Logistics 15 Marketing and Sales 15 Service 15 SWOT analysis of Sony Corporation 15 Strengths 15 Weakness 15 Opportunities 16 Threats 16 CIM Model of Sony Corporation 16 Political Forces 16 Economic Forces 17 Social Forces 17 Technological Forces 17 Legal Forces 18 Conclusions 18 Recommendations 18 Reference List 19 Introduction Sony Corporation or Sony as it is known commonly is a Japanese multinational conglomerate which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company primarily focuses on electronic products in the consumer and professional markets. Sony has enough experience in launching new products in the overseas market. As the firm gains experience, it understands the global strategy more clearly. Early in his tenure Akio Morita, the founder of Sony developed business skills which allowed Sony Corporation to enter into foreign markets successfully. Initially he didn’t have such global strategy in his mind. ... In this paper we will look at Sony’s Strategy in entering into Indian market with new Refrigerator. The name of the refrigerator is ZKool. Main Findings In my opinion Sony should sue segmentation approach to target the Indian market. Through mass marketing they can create the largest potential market, which will lower their cost and hence their margins will improve. Hence it is better that Sony use Segmentation approach which will create a product which can be more fine-tuned according to the target segment. Also this strategy will enable them to choose the best distribution and communication channels. Figure 1: 7Ps of Sony Corporation Product Sony’s product strategy is to deliver the best quality product with the latest technology. Hence it will support features like Frost Free, Refigerent-134a, 2 door bottom freezer, Triple Ice tray, Twin Bio attacker, Premium look and design, Quiet and more reliable compressor etc. Sony has to spend money on their R&D department who are mainly responsible for their innovation. Sony’s multimedia features in other characteristics which have to meet the needs of the customers. Sony refrigerators will be designed such that they work on five power levels, compared to one power level of common refrigerators. It will enable it to run the refrigerator on low power during the nights or times when it is used less (Luh, 2003, p. 128). There will also be an automatic system which will adjust the power according to the usage. It will have e a combination of temperature sensor, inverter compressor, microprocessor technology etc. It will give best cooling sensation at minimum power usage. Price Sony will offer best of technology with plenty of new features which will make its price more expensive as compared to its

Mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mangment - Essay Example Weaknesses come in terms of addressing customer complaints. As indicated in Customer Service Ratings, the organization’s diverse customers were reported to relay poor customer service because of incidences of late deliveries, high prices and difficulty to access corporate personnel to address their inquiries and complains (Customer Service Ratings, 2011). In examining the external environment, there are opportunities to improve service through intensifying security measures during transport deliveries of packages through state-of-the art technologies (DHL: High Value, par. 9). Finally, threats faced by DHL come in terms of increased competition from FedEx, UPS and other global express transport and logistics organizations. a) Statement describing one of the business’s current strategies DHL’s current strategies focus on enhancing the competitive advantage of the corporation through providing incentives to personnel and by employing â€Å"cross-functional teams a round the world to plan, design, and manage facilities† (FAI, par. 4). b) Goal for the business to achieve in 2 years Consistent with the mission of the organization to the be leader in the logistics the world over, the goal is to strategically position its growth in emerging markets to sustain in market leadership.

Relection on Total knee replacement surgery Research Paper

Relection on Total knee replacement surgery - Research Paper Example After the knee is open, a four-step procedure is undertaken to have the knee completely replaced with metallic components, some plastic spacers and button, to enhance the normal functionality of the knee joints. The first step of the knee replacement surgery entails the removal of the damaged knee components, where the damaged knee cartilage on the surface of both tibia and fibula are removed, together with some reasonable amount of the underlying bone (Scuderi & Tria, 2002). This marks the preparation of the knee, for a total replacement, since the already damaged components are removed and the knee is now ready to take a replacement. This step is followed by positioning the metal implants. Here, the components of the knee; the cartilage and the bone surface, are now replaced with some metal components that recreate the surface of the joint (Bellemans, Ries & Victor, 2005). During this replacement, the metal components, which have been prepared to suit the natural knee components, a re either cemented or pressed to fit into the remaining bone component. The next step that follows the positioning of the metal implants is the resurfacing of the patella (the knee cap), which requires the knee cup to be cut and then resurfaced with a plastic button, which will not collide with the metallic implants that have been implanted on the knee (Scuderi & Tria, 2002). However, as explained by the surgeon, depending on the case and extent of the knee damage, the knee cap might not be resurfaced. The final step of the Total knee replacement surgery is to place the spacers. This step entails putting some medical-grade plastic spacers between the metal components that have been implanted on the knee, to create a smooth gliding surface (Bellemans, Ries & Victor, 2005). My feeling during the procedure was that the patient may fail to function fully after the knee is replaced, because the operation was being undertaken for a 70 year old woman. I also felt that the Total knee replac ement surgery was not a very complex sort of operation, although it required a high degree of concentration and precision, lest the metal implantations done on the knee fails to fit accurately and thus lead to more knee problems. The lesson that I learnt from the Total knee replacement surgery procedure is that; it is a surgical procedure that is compatible with all ages. Additionally I learnt that the Total knee replacement surgery is not uniformly done to all people, and that some aspects of the procedure depends on the patient, their situation, and the extent to which their knee is damaged either through injury or arthritis. While the Total knee replacement surgery basically follows a four-step procedure, I realized that the final step of the surgical procedure, referred to as spacer insertion, is not a mandatory or universal step in the Total knee replacement surgery, since it can be omitted for some patients. Another invaluable lesson that I learn regarding the Total knee repla cement surgery is that; the medical history of the patient is fundamental in determining their qualification for the procedure. This is because, the medical history helps the surgeon to assess the strength of the patient

Redemption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Redemption - Research Paper Example In the article, Narrative Antecedents of Pedro Paramo, Paramo exhibits a significant influence on different characters making them to cling into fragile illusions of redemption. Both Susana and Fulgor Sedano are major characters in the novel who have a major influence in plot development. This essay will therefore explore the memory of each character through their relationship with Pedro. The essay will also explore the fragile illusion exhibited by the different characters through their relationship with Pedro. Susan is a major character in the novel and the author uses her influence and relationship with Pedro in theme and plot development. Susan and Pedro grew up together and therefore their relationship is based on their childhood memories. The most significant aspect of their relationship is their endless love. Although Pedro was influential, his love affairs with Susana are based on love and mutual understanding. On the other hand, Susana is attached to Pedro through his past m emories of a loveless life. Although Susan ended up being married to another man, her love for Pedro did not end. Romantic love is therefore, the first relationship between the two characters. The existence of love between the two characters is the basis of other relationships that are exhibited by the two characters throughout the novel. ... Her secrete admiration for Pedro is based on her relationship with her past husband. Although she was married, she never loved him as he loved Pedro. This made her to have endless fantasies about Pedro particularly his body was among her dreams. Susan could not divorce her husband for Pedro and therefore she considered Pedro as her virtual husband. Fulgor is another influential charter that the writer of the book uses for theme and plot development. The author uses his relationship with Pedro to achieve these objectives. Although Pedro has an influential personality, he considers Fulgor been significant for his success. The two characters therefore have equal influence on each other. Firstly, Fulgor is an influential administrator who uses his positions to increase his holdings or wealth. (Rulfo 82) Although Fulgor has authoritative positions, he was unable to achieve his ambitions due to lack of effective people skills. Pedro assumes the position of Fulgor’s personal advisor. Although the relationship is beneficial for both characters, Pedro achieves more gains from the relationship than Fulgor. Fulgor’s ambitions to achieve wealth hindered him from perceiving the gains that Pedro was making from their relationship. In addition, his poor people skills prevented him from looking for an alternative advisor. It is evident that Pedro had excellent people skills that he achieved through manipulation of different people in order to achieve his personal goals. Both Fulgor and Pedro depended on these aspects for their existence. Although Pedro acted as Fulgor’s personal advisor, he required him for his personal success and survival. The administrative position that Fulgor held was an essential requirement for Pedro’s

Participative budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Participative budgeting - Essay Example In the case where Costa Rica, Chile and Mauritius were selected to investigate the performance of pro-poor outcomes, evidence showed that the project was indispensable not only to strengthen democracy in the countries but also to ensure that the most pressing needs of the population were reflected in the government spending (Liao and Zhang, 2012). Methods like public meeting, focus groups, simulation, committee and surveys have been used so that the citizens can participate in the budget adoption (Jason et al, 2009). However, public meetings are not very good at giving citizens direct influence but they can be used as forums for preliminary information sharing (OToole and Marshall, 1988). Citizen participation in budgeting, brings out potential goals like informing decision-making, educating participants on the budget, gaining support for budget proposals, influencing decision making and enhancing trust and creating a sense of community. In Brazil, the state and civil society have always been much more intertwined that the liberal conceptualization. Capitalism was implemented in Brazil by the Portuguese patrimonial state with loyal court as the center for the power (Novy and Leubolt, 2005). In Porto Alegre as all over Brazil, neighborhood movements emerged in the 1970s. Residents mainly of irregular, poorer districts rebelled against the government lack of interest in acting for their benefits. Participatory budgeting involves direct and indirect democracy since there is sharing of power with the people and thus it will satisfy the basic needs like in Brazil where improvement in education was seen (Mirko, 2014). Participatory budgeting was an attempt to elaborate an alternative model of governance. The strategy showed legitimacy in strengthening civil society in the local forms of socialism. Social innovation and an open

There can be no love without justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

There can be no love without justice - Essay Example Love is good will, benevolence, affection, concern and high esteem for the well-being of an individual. Love is not being envious, boastful, rude or arrogant. Additionally, love rejoices in the truth and not in wrongdoings. Finally love believes in all things, endures all things and hopes all things. Love is kind and love never ends. Justice does not exist where there is no love. However, acting in love is not something that is done without any sense of responsibility towards others, it requires proper thought and care. Therefore, by acting responsibly, justice and love are distributed hence Love and justice are linked (Christoyannopoulos & Milne, 2007). God is just and through this he does everything due to the love he has for mankind. Mankind is treated equally when there is justice. Additionally, mistreatment and oppression are neither available. When justice presence people are shown love and care. Thus, justness symbolizes the presence of love. In absence of justness, people end up being treated in a bad way and also subjected to suffering. Also, unjustness leads to unequal consideration of peoples demands, therefore love does not prevail where there is no justice. Christoyannopoulos, A. J. M. E., & Milne, J. (2007). Love, justice, and social eschatology. Heythrop Journal - Quarterly Review of Philosophy and Theology, 48, 972–991.

Participative budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Participative budgeting - Essay Example In the case where Costa Rica, Chile and Mauritius were selected to investigate the performance of pro-poor outcomes, evidence showed that the project was indispensable not only to strengthen democracy in the countries but also to ensure that the most pressing needs of the population were reflected in the government spending (Liao and Zhang, 2012). Methods like public meeting, focus groups, simulation, committee and surveys have been used so that the citizens can participate in the budget adoption (Jason et al, 2009). However, public meetings are not very good at giving citizens direct influence but they can be used as forums for preliminary information sharing (OToole and Marshall, 1988). Citizen participation in budgeting, brings out potential goals like informing decision-making, educating participants on the budget, gaining support for budget proposals, influencing decision making and enhancing trust and creating a sense of community. In Brazil, the state and civil society have always been much more intertwined that the liberal conceptualization. Capitalism was implemented in Brazil by the Portuguese patrimonial state with loyal court as the center for the power (Novy and Leubolt, 2005). In Porto Alegre as all over Brazil, neighborhood movements emerged in the 1970s. Residents mainly of irregular, poorer districts rebelled against the government lack of interest in acting for their benefits. Participatory budgeting involves direct and indirect democracy since there is sharing of power with the people and thus it will satisfy the basic needs like in Brazil where improvement in education was seen (Mirko, 2014). Participatory budgeting was an attempt to elaborate an alternative model of governance. The strategy showed legitimacy in strengthening civil society in the local forms of socialism. Social innovation and an open

Judges, independence and the Power of Common Law Essay

Judges, independence and the Power of Common Law - Essay Example flict since this can be used by officials as a mechanism for imposing their own perspective and making it a matter of judicial policy (Ferejohn, 1999). The common conception of judiciary officials being independent refers to their ability to take action and make judicial rulings with impunity, but judges are, in fact, institutionally dependent on Congress and the president for jurisdictional rulings and carrying out of judicial orders (Ferejohn, 1999). In essence, the dependence of judicial accord on the outer machinations of the greater body of governance implements a system of checks and balances into the legislative form intended to disallow abuse of power; however, the positive functioning of JI is powered by the public belief in the efficacy of the system and its ability to mete out justice accordingly. Economic Effect of JI The strength of JI is based on the public opinions of the citizens served by the official legislative body. In this respect, JI refers to the state’s ability to protect the rights and property of the people from others, including the government (Feld & Voigt, 2003). In this respect, the relevancies of de iure and de facto JI must be examined to evaluate their impact on the economic structure and overall stability of the country (Feld & Voigt, 2003). Essentially, de iure represents the letter of the law while de facto deals with how the judge has affected the law during his/her tenure and the actual collective experiences of the country (Feld & Voigt, 2003). Where de iure has been determined to have no impact on a country’s actual financial functionality, as determined through measure of the GDP growth, de facto JI positively influences the financial aspects of a country’s growth (Feld & Voigt, 2003). Summarily, the independence exhibited... This essay focuses on interconnection between judges and the concepts of the Judicial Independence and the power of Common Law. In the upholding of public laws and statutes, each nation has sovereignty, endorsed by the United Nations, which allows judiciary officials to preside over legal matters in the interest of maintaining peace and order. Such judicial independence (JI) has bearings on numerous aspects that affect the functionality of a country, such as their economic structure, conflict resolution, and allocation of correctional measures when laws have been broken. Although some judicial tribunals are dependently selected to preside over certain matters and others are independently selected to serve for a specified amount of time, both mechanisms essentially serve the same purpose, which is to arbitrate and pass binding judgments to punish criminal activity and resolve disputes, which in some cases may create precedents that translate into new legislation. To this effect, JI is intended to provide judges the freedom to make decisions without pressure or inducements from affected parties to resolve matte rs in their favor or be forced to later defend the decisions they make and requires a solid system of checks and balances to ensure that legislative officials are not being unduly manipulated. The paper concludes that, in order to be effective, judges must have impunity in handing down their edicts and these decisions are strengthened by the constitutional and legislative support received.

Is Canada A Peacekeeping Country History Essay

Is Canada A Peacekeeping Country History Essay Canada is viewed as a nation that always attempts to keep and build peace. Humanity has seen Canada virtually invent the terms peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Peacekeeping is a vital component of Canadas foreign policy, and consists of a reputation that has been established from fifty years of experience. Canadian involvement has ranged from, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦providing emergency shelter, patrolling, mine clearance, and the maintenance of critical distribution routes for delivery of vital humanitarian aid shipments.  [1]   Over 120,000 men and women have served in close to 50 different United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, but with a price of 108 Canadian casualties.  [2]  There are two perspectives for Canadas participation in peacekeeping. One side says that Canada was distant from the majority of the disputes, and therefore there was no reason for involvement. These individuals speculate on Canadas sacrifice, but do not realize the reward. However, these people are incor rect, and the necessity of Canadian involvement in peacekeeping was specifically seen in the Suez Crisis (1957), Congo (1960), and Cyprus (1964). It is commonly said that, Canada has saved the world from the brink of war.  [3]   The opportunity for Canada to develop a reputation of peacekeeping began in the Suez Crisis. The crisis began when the British and French decided not to finance Egypts construction of a dam, because of Egypts growing ties with communist Czechoslovakia and the  Soviet Union.  [4]  The Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, reacted by taking control of the canal; gaining a strategic waterway, and the power to cut-off British and French shipments.  [5]  The British and French prepared a military force to seize the canal and found a ready ally in Israel. Eventually, fighting erupted with Egypt on one side, and Britain, France, and Israel on the other. As news spread about this dispute, The world braced for another deadly meeting of the worlds military powers.  [6]   This was when the Canadian external affairs minister, Lester B. Pearson, proposed to establish a UN peacekeeping force. His intentions were to create a multi-national force that could lower tensions, which woul d separate the combatants, and eventually bring lasting peace with negotiations.  [7]  The plan called for the British and French to withdraw, but a UN force would remain in the area, stabilizing the situation by patrolling the Egypt-Israel border.  [8]  The United Nations General Assembly accepted this proposal, and the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was created. Canada sent the first peacekeepers to Egypt on November 24, 1956 and soon the canal was fully reopened to shipping.  [9]  Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force and he was now considered the father of peacekeeping. Therefore, if Canadas future prime minister did not propose his solution, the United Nations Emergency Force would never have been created, and war would have been a likely possibility. Furthermore, Canadians were needed in another UN peacekeeping mission in Congo. The problems in Congo began when they gained independence from Belgium, and this resulted in the native army and police revolting against its white officers. Belgium moved in troops to restore order and asked the UN to provide support. When the UN headquarters requested French-speaking bilingual Canadian forces, Canada was hesitant because French-speaking members in the Canadian Army were not common.  [10]  Some say that the reason the UN requested French-speaking bilingual forces was because the troops needed to be able to communicate with the Belgian forces, as well as the Congolese soldiers. A reason behind Canadas acceptance of this request was commonly seen due to people saying that Canada, the creator of peacekeeping, cannot decline a UN request. Although some say Canada accepted this mission to keep their reputation, Canadian involvement was much needed because it would have been very difficult to find French-speaking bilingual peacekeepers. Although the Canadian government was relieved when their peacekeepers eventually returned home, Canadian involvement was vital because the demand of the UN was very specific. Canada, being a multicultural country, was one of the only countries that had French-speaking bilingual forces at their disposal, and this was the key to the success of this mission. Lastly, Canada strengthened their already developed peacekeeping reputation on the island of Cyprus. This tedious mission was one of the longest, lasting 29 years. The conflict, leading to violence, began during the time of the islands independence. The island had been Greek in culture and population for a long time, but there was also a population of Turkish people. The thought of joining Greece had long been favoured by the Greek people; however, the Turkish people were concerned about this possibility. This was the origin of friction between the ethnic groups, and eventually led to violence in 1963.  [11]  In 1964, Cyprus asked the UN to establish a peacekeeping force. Once peacekeepers arrived, they discovered that the groups of people were mixed together. Small populations of Turkish groups lived among larger Greek populations and this made peacekeeping a great challenge.  [12]  Canadian soldiers used their skills of managing conflicts and disagreements, as well as tradi tional skills of soldiering. A unique remark erupted from Canadian actions that said, Peacekeeping is not a soldiers job, but only a soldier can do it.  [13]   Although all UN efforts were made to keep violence away from the island, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus in 1974. As fighting erupted, peacekeepers were in the middle of a war zone, but after several weeks, an armistice was negotiated. The UN created a cease-fire line, and this separated the island between the Greeks and Turks.  [14]  Canadian peacekeepers continued to patrol this line until 1993, and this shows Canadas commitment and motivation, which has come from years of experience. The world would have been completely different if Lester B. Pearson, the father of peacekeeping, did not propose his solution. His proposal gave insight that created the fundamental goal of the UN. If the United Nations Emergency Force had not been established in the Suez Crisis, there would have been a large number of disputes and battles, and there would be no one attempting to solve them. Canada helped the world solve disputes with negotiations instead of war, and this reward is enough to claim the necessity of Canadian involvement. In the Suez, Canada created peacekeeping; in Congo, Canada provided bilingual peacekeepers; in Cyprus, Canadians showed commitment by patrolling the cease-fire line for 29 years. As a result, many soldiers have been saved by peacekeepers. Therefore, Lester B. Pearsons proposal has the world in his debt. Today, his reward can simply be the knowledge of saving the world from war, and giving Canada a reputation that can only be Canadian. Canada has built their reputation on the fact that they are a peacekeeping nation, and they have dealt with a large number of disputes, sometimes even preventing war. Canada will always be the creator of peacekeeping and they will always be needed to keep and build peace.

INFLUENZA Essay -- essays research papers

INFLUENZA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A virus called an Orthomyxovirus causes influenza. Often called flu, sometimes-even grippe. It is a very contagious disease, and it infects many parts of our bodies. This also includes are lungs. A person can get influenza if someone coughs, sneezes, or even talks around you while they are infected. Influenza is sometimes considered serious in some cases but can be prevented and treated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When you get the â€Å"flu† in the lungs, the lining of the respiratory tract is damaged by becoming swollen and inflamed. But the damage is not always permanent, and tissue heals within a couple of weeks. It is a respiratory disease, even though it infects the whole body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The victims’ symptoms usually are fever, chills, weakness, loss of appetite and body, head, back, arm, and leg ache. If you have the disease you may also suffer sore throat, a dry cough, nausea, and burning red eyes. Usually the victim will have nasal congestion and mucus discharge. The fever can reach to about 104*F but it only lasts about 2-3 days then it recedes. Occasionally in more severe cases there will also be gastrointestinal upset. In short, after all these horrible symptoms the patient still feels exhausted a series of days after the flu is gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Healthy people have nothing to worry about really when it comes to influenza. It is a moderately severe illness and people are usually back on...

The Orgins Of Atomic Theory :: essays research papers fc

The Orgins of Atomic Theory There is an eternal human compulsion to unlock the mysteries of our lives and our world. This search for knowledge has guided us to many beneficial new understandings. It has lead us into this new age where information is its own reward, an age where enlightenment is an end, not simply a means to an end. Enlightenment has been the aim of many great people. It has inspired many scientists and artists to construct articles of infinite beauty and value. At times this quest for understanding has been embraced by entire civilizations, and when an entire society commits to one noble cause only good can come from it. In Ancient Greece there was such a civilization, and even today we use their theories to initiate our scientific and artistic endeavors. All western thought can find its roots in the philosophy and science of the Greeks, even the way we see the world is influenced by the ideologies of Ancient Greece. The Greeks were the first to seek a greater understanding of the world, to know "why" we are not just "what" we are. The Greeks invented science and explored it in its truest form, philosophy. Through the years we have developed tools that we hope can prove or disprove various hypothesizes, to further our understanding of any number of things. We divide science into categories and then sub-divide it even farther, until we can hide the connections and pretend that they really are separate. The difference between psychology and physics is not as extreme as one would believe if they were to read their definitions. Though the means are different the goal is the same for all science: to increase our understanding of our earthly domain, and to improve ourselves. The Greeks created this guiding principle more than two thousand years ago. Greek atomic theory was not the work of a single person, in fact it was a product of many great minds. There were many fundamental ideas that formed the basis for their theory on the make up of the universe. One-hundred and forty years before Socrates there was a lesser-known scholar named Thales, and he was the Father of Philosophy. Thales was from a part of Greece called Miletus, and it was for his skill as an engineer, not as a philosopher, that he was recognized during his life. Before his time, the Greeks had no clear concept of matter, and did not use science to broaden their understanding of the universe. Because of the focus on the practical that was prevalent during that time, it was not until years later that

Drug and Alcohol Culture

Language Analysis – Alcohol and drug culture in Australia Following the death of Leigh Clark after the circumstances which occurred after he was supplied alcohol by another parent, writer Bruce Guthrie argues in an opinion piece that the law requiring parental approval to supply alcohol could save lives. The second article which supports Guthrie’s contention is a cartoon by Mark Knight, published in the Herald Sun which highlights the public outcry against the call to legalise drugs, where both articles are in favour of changing the law to alter the alcohol and drug culture in Australia.Guthrie employs an anecdote to begin the article which evokes compassion in the reader who responds emotionally to the plight of Bruce Clark who lost his son to an alcohol related event after a party where he was supplied drinks without his parent’s permission. The phrase ‘fatal binge drinking episode’ effectively positions the reader to respond negatively to the even t as the terms have negative associations and are intended to evoke a strong emotional response in the reader.Guthrie personalises the issue for the reader when he places the matter into his own experience, ‘as a parent of two teenagers, one of drinking age’ which persuades the reader as it suggests that the contention comes from a personal involvement in the issue, rather than merely from readings. The successful rebuttal of the shadow minister for consumer protection further persuades the reader, â€Å"Nothing could be simpler†, as it is stated in an assertive fashion and appears conclusive.The image which accompanies the article effectively supports the contention by providing visuals that reinforce the notion of irresponsibility, which Guthrie has concluded in the article. The idea is shown graphically in the image through the positioning of the parents lying drunk underneath a table and their child who uses a parent for leverage to reach a bottle of alcohol on the table. The focus of the image is on the bottle, and the child is shown straining to get alcohol, which evokes concern in the reader.The confronting nature of the image is intended to raise alarm and effectively supports the point of view that Guthrie supplies in the article. The alarmist tone of the image predisposes the reader to accept Guthrie’s contention, as the reader’s attention is likely to be drawn to the image before they read Guthrie’s article. On the other hand, Knight’s cartoon expresses concern about the drug culture that is the subject of much media debate. The caption which accompanies the cartoon, ‘The public outcry against the call to legalise drugs’ effectively conveys Knight’s contention that legislation should be introduced to legalise drugs.The term ‘outcry’ is effective as it suggests that the opposing point of view is based on emotion and hysteria. Knight employs the stereotype of the bikie ga ng to raise alarm in the reader who is likely to recall from the exaggerated figures in the foreground. The figures are intentionally confronting and the caption ‘Outlaw Motorcycle Gang’ on the back of the jacket of one figure encourages the reader to draw associations between the figures and the violence which has recently been widely reported in the media.The figure holding the placard is distanced to suggest that his voice is marginalised. The reader is lead to infer that those who are in favour of legalising drugs are shouted down by the violent majority like the unattractive figures in the foreground of the cartoon. The fact that these figures are shady and obviously involved in illegal activities is intended to position the reader to side with the cartoonist and therefore those who support legalisation.The caption ‘A lot of people would be harmed by the look of things’ is sarcastic and is intended to lead the reader to the point of view through reveal ing that these shady characters would be the ultimate victims of legislation. The reader is likely to feel vindicated by the idea that such unseemly characters will be removed as a threat to common decency is drugs were legalised. Both articles effectively persuade the reader that there is some urgency in the issue of our increasing tendency to embrace a drug and alcohol culture.Concluding with an assertion ‘maybe it will for someone else’, Guthrie leaves the reader feeling that there is a solution to the issue which needs to be embraced. Knight’s cartoon uses visual language to effectively raise alarm in the reader, leaving them feeling that, given the unsavoury nature of the characters who benefit from the drug trade, not enough is being done to convince the public of the urgent need to immediately legalise drugs, which he has so effectively positioned his readers to believe.

Successful Development Of Technology At Microsoft

The success of Microsoft can be viewed from a number of perspectives. This ranges from its managerial and organizational position to the development and processing of its products and services for its customers. This implies looking at how Microsoft invents new products with substantial utility to the customers, strategies implemented by the company to make different groups and divisions to work together in harmony to achieve mega success.Having the best brains in the organization is not just enough to bring out the best software and the best products for the market. There must be effective managerial skills; these would harness the potentials the best brains in technology improvement, retain their autonomy just like any other highly qualified person would do, yet still work together to give the company the best. This paper evaluates the secrets of Microsoft’s success in developing superb technology and remaining on top of the market.Since it is very difficult to maintain the best brains within an organization without having them move out to practice their skills on the private basis, the paper tries to evaluate how the company maintains these best software developers and their work in harmony to bring out the best for the company. Microsoft currently is the world’s largest manufacturer of PC software, and having annual revenue of $8. 7 billion.It is probably the only PC Company that has handled more PC software projects than any other company in the world. This task is Herculean as there is a lot of complexity involved in the process, for example the development of Windows 95 that has more than 11 million lines of code and required an expansion team of more than 200 programmers as well as testers. This is one of the greatest challenge that most of the rivals to Microsoft are unable to do and thus the difficult in competing [Reimer, 2008]Their philosophy on product development and improvement for the last few years has been to develop its roots as a highly flexible, entrepreneurial company that does not to take up too many of the structured software-engineering practices that are commonly practiced and promoted by organizations such as the International Standards Organization and Software Engineering Institute. Microsoft strategy is developing a loosely structured small-team that some people might refer to as hacker style of product development.Their objective is to get many small as well as parallel teams that are composed of three to eight developers each, or individual programmers who eventually work together as one team in order to build large pile of products relatively fast while still allowing individual programmers and the team members their freedom to evolve their designs and even operate nearly autonomously [Hardmeier, 2008]. The small parallel teams develop features and whole products freely while at the same time frequently introducing new technologies concepts.However, since the developers are free to innovate w hile working with Microsoft, they are required to synchronize their changes frequently so that the product components work in harmony. In this regard, there are several lessons to be learned from how Microsoft develops its software products; some apply to other organizations, and some may not. Software developers as well as their managers from other organizations can discover useful ideas after careful consideration of such factors as their company’s goals, strategies, marketing resource constraints, and development culture and software reliability requirements [Reimer, 2008].They can also learn to frequently synchronize and carry out periodic stabilizations of their products. Without this approach implemented by Microsoft, it would probably never have been able to design, develop, and ship the products it offers now and is planning to offer in the future [Reimer, 2008]. Teams of programmers at Microsoft and testers usually synchronize and periodically stabilize the changes t hey make to their products in progress, thus yielding products such as Publisher, Excel, Office, Windows 95, Word, Works, and Windows NT etc.Since the mid-1980s, Microsoft as well as other PC software companies has recognized that they build software products in response to quality. Many of them have also found it important to have larger teams in order to come up with PC software products that consist of hundreds of thousands or even millions of lines of source code hence requiring hundreds of people to build and then test them over a certain period [Hardmeier, 2008]. The technology development approach must have a mechanism that allows developers to test their product with their customers and also refine their designs during the development process.In most industries, many of the companies are now using prototyping and multiple cycles of concurrent design, build, and testing activities aimed at controlling interactions and also make fundamental changes in their product development . In the software industry, researchers and their managers have talked about â€Å"interactive enhancement,† a â€Å"spiral model† for iteration in the phases of the project development, and the â€Å"concurrent development† of multiple phases and the activities for the past 20 years.Unfortunately most companies are reluctant to formally adopt these recommendations. Since users’ needs for most software are very difficult to understand and the changes in hardware and software technologies are very frequent, it is not wise to design a software system completely in advance [Lemo, 2008]. Microsoft teams start the process of product development at the point of creating a â€Å"vision statement†, and then define the goals for the new product and the user activities that need to be supported by the new product features.Then, the product managers or the marketing specialists take charge while the consulting program managers who specialize in writing functi onal specifications of the product are also incorporated. In consultation with developers, program managers, then write a functional specification that outlines the product features with organized schedules and the staffing allocations; the initial specification document rarely covers all the details of each feature. During product development, team members revise the features set and details, and learn about the new product.Experience at Microsoft has shown that the feature set in a specification document may sometime change by 30% or even more. Project managers are obliged to divide the product and the entire project into different parts; they also divide the project schedule into three or four milestone junctures called sequential sub projects meant to represent the completion points for major portions of the new product in each of the milestone subproject, all the feature teams are expected to go through a complete cycle of development, feature integration, testing, as well as f ixing problems.Throughout an entire project, they (feature teams) are required to synchronize their work in the process of building the product as well as finding and fixing errors on a daily, weekly basis. The program developer is expected to fix detectable errors at the end of a milestone subproject. These error correction is a way of stabilizing the product and thus enable the product developing team to have a clear understanding of the parts of the product that have been successfully completed. After this achievement, the development team usually proceeds to the next milestone, [Hardmeier, 2008].One of the most important things in high-tech companies is employing creative people, but directing their creativity is supreme. This is the task of the managers. Microsoft has a strategy for tackling this problem; it structures projects into subprojects that contain priority-ordered features; and the buffer time that is within each subproject gives the developers adequate time to respon d to the changes, unexpected delays and difficulties. Microsoft projects usually use the vision statements as well as outline specifications rather than a detailed design and the complete product specifications before coding.This is done because the teams have realized that they cannot determine, in advance, what the developers need to build a good product. This approach gives the developers and program managers enough room to adapt to change, the unforeseen competitive opportunities and even threats. This is particularly related to the applications products, since development teams try in many instances to devise features that copy directly to the activities that typical customers perform. Thus the teams need to have continual observation and testing with the users during development [Lemos, 2008].Most of the product designs have modular architectures that allow team members to add or combine features in a predictable straightforward manner. In addition, the presence of managers al lows team members to have their own schedules, but this is only after the developers have critically analyzed tasks in detail. Managers are then mandated to â€Å"fix† project resources by limiting the number of experts they allocate to each of the project; they also limit the time spent on projects, especially for the applications like Office and multimedia products, so that team members can delete features if they are far from reaching deadlines.But it should be noted that cutting features in order to save schedule, time has not always been possible with the operating systems projects. In these kinds of projects, reliability is of more importance than the features. Most of the features in the operating system are closely coupled and thus cannot be easily deleted individually. The daily building of processes at Microsoft has several steps. First, to develop a feature for a product, developers check out private copies of source code files which are located at a centralized ma ster version of the source code.They then implement their individual features by making necessary changes to their private copies of the source code files. The developers are then mandated to create a private build of the product that contains the new features and test it. Changes from the developers’ private copies are then checked from the source code files to the main master version of the source code. This check-in process has an automated regression test to ensure that changes to the source code files do not create errors in other parts of the product.This check-in by the developers back to the master copy is done at least twice a week but in some instances they may check it daily [Lemos, 2008]. Irrespective of the way the individual developers check in their changes to the main source code, a designated developer, often called the project build master, generates a complete build of the product on a daily basis by using the master version of the source code. Product team s at Microsoft also test features as they continuously build them from various perspectives. This may include bringing in customers from the street to try prototype in a Microsoft usability lab.Also most of the Microsoft teams work from a single physical site with common development languages (primarily C and C++), standardized common coding styles and development tools. This common language and common site and tools help team members, debate, communicate, resolve problems face to face and design ideas. A small set of quantitative metrics is used in the project teams to help guide decisions in order to complete a project and also when to ship a new or upgraded product to market [Lemos, 2008]. Conclusion There are important lessons to be learnt from Microsoft especially for organizations and managers in various industries.The synch-and-stabilize approach that is used at Microsoft is particularly suited to fast-evolving markets that have complex systems products, competition around fa st-evolving product features as well as defacto high technical standards and the short life cycles. Of particular interest and important lesson is how Microsoft coordinates the work of a large team of professionals thus successfully building many interdependent parts although continually changing and requiring a constant high level of communication, coordination is still maintained.Indeed, one should appreciate that it is difficult to ensure such communication and the effective coordination there, and at the same time still allow engineers, designers and marketing people enjoy the freedom to be creative. Achieving this sought of balance is inevitably the central dilemma that the managers of product development usually face—in PC software and in many other industries. REFERENCE: Jeremy Reimer. Microsoft set to launch new marketing campaign. Ars Technica. Retrieved on 28th March 2008. Sandi Hardmeier. Microsoft – The History of Internet Explorer. Microsoft. Retrieved on 28th March 2008 Robert Lemos. Trust or treachery? Security technologies could backfire against consumers. CNet news.com. Retrieved on 28th March 2008   

A Report Evaluating ICT and its Implementation for Distance Learners Essay

a) Evaluate how to maintain effective communication with your tutor. As this is a self-study course, the answer to this question is a little complex. Although there is an actual physical tutor to mark assignments and give feedback, a vital part of gaining a good grade on my assignments is to demonstrate my independent work ability with minimal guidance from my tutor1. Lessons are delivered via the online website, so in a sense the most important skill set necessary is to read, re-read, search the internet to understand any terms which aren’t clear, and then re-read again. There are two tutors on my course. I sent a note of introduction, stating who I am and giving a brief synopsis of why I am studying this course. Although I am sure that I will have study related questions to ask later, and possibly requests for more information regarding assignment feedback, I think that at the moment our communication falls within the bounds of regular courtesy. As the course progresses I think checking my messages regularly, respecting and listening to my t utors feedback, sending a note of acknowledgement on receipt of any messages, and perhaps if appropriate sending a note if I think there will be an unusual amount of delay in finishing the modules, are about as far as the bounds of the course allows for communication. b) Evaluate how technological tools will help you study. The first thing to establish here is what technological tools are both available and relevant to me as a distance learner. Essentially the only tools I will be using are my computer and the internet. My computer will be for collating information in my ePortfolio, writing essays, and accessing the internet. I have divided my ePorfolio into four sections: coursework, reflective notes, research, and self-assessment activities. The necessary ICT skills here are: word processing, scanning and printing, drawing charts and diagrams. I completed a course in word processing and data analysis so I am relatively competent at this. However I have also been refreshing my knowledge via the Microsoft Office ‘Help, Training and Tutorials’ page2, particularly for drawing diagrams, an area I haven’t had much use for recently. Remembering to organise and file relevant information and tasks into the appropriate folders, and ensuring that at the end of each unit I  have created a co mprehensive review of my study methods and what I have learnt are the most essential components here. In completing this course the internet is my greatest tool, and can be broken down into many sub-categories. Below is a basic system diagram of how I am accessing the internet to complete my course assignments: To help me research and study, I can go online and use: electronic books, journals, articles, videos, podcasts, and publications from governments and respected counselling organisations. I will go into greater detail later, on exactly which websites I am utilising. However as a brief example: Exploring counselling skills with an emphasis on ICT. I did a basic search for â€Å"counselling resources† online. I discovered a website run by a qualified, practicing, experienced, counsellor in the UK.3 This website provided me with general information, a PDF ebook on training to be a counsellor,4 and links videos providing online lessons on counselling skills and concepts.5 I returned to my original search and followed a link to resources offered by a UK university for its students doing a comparable course.6 This gave me a list of books and journals that undergraduates would be using to explore counselling skills.7 I looked at the recommended books on amazon and ordered sample content of those available as ebooks . I then did web searches on the various authors, and contributors to chapters, to both check their credentials and see if they offered any resources on their practice / university / personal website. I went back to the recommended reading list and looked at the recommended journals and found links to them, eg. British Journal of Psychology.8 I returned to my original search and started investigating counselling organisations and their publications including: UKCP,9 BPS,10 the BACP,11 and the CPCAB12 I went to the UN,13 and EU,14 websites to check their publications regarding counselling. Finally I checked the PubMed15 website to find more links to relevant journals. I noted all of these links for use when researching other more specific aspects of counselling. c) Evaluate how performing a SWOT analysis can help you study. I was unfamiliar with the idea of SWOT analysis before beginning this unit so initially I did some background research on the concept16 and looked at a summary of Authur  Humphrey’s, the inventor of SWOT, main principles and conclusions.17 I then searched the internet for ideas on exactly how to identify my own particular strengths and weaknesses. I found mindtools18 particularly helpful because it gave me ideas to consider as I looked at each section. I also performed a personality test19, to see the strengths and weaknesses of my particular personality type. This was less useful, because it was more to do with me personally than with my ability to study, although it gave me several things to consider. I created this chart: At first glance I actually found it quite demoralising – the weaknesses and threats seemed to be considerably more extensive than the strengths and opportunities. However as I analysed it more closely, I quickly realised this was unfounded. I think although I certainly need to consider the threats and weaknesses, they have a lot less weight in comparison to the strengths and opportunities section. So far as I can see my weaknesses are things I can compensate for and take into account as I study. These are my thoughts and solutions for each of them: 1) Limited prior experience of the subject being studied: This is only a temporary problem. I am doing a great deal of background research for this assignment’s part two, and looking into books which might supplement my knowledge. I think I will feel caught up in the near future. 2) Sometimes overly perfectionist (i.e. I can struggle to remember that â€Å"done† is better than â€Å"perfect†): I am setting myself time limits on how long I can edit and re-edit my work. I am consciously writing things that I know may well be deleted or completely revised later, simply to make sure I have a base to work from. 3) Can become over-involved in studying to the point that other areas of my life suffer: I have compiled a detailed schedule for myself, to ensure that I can maintain a balance in my life. I have made sure to keep time free, in particular the weekends when my children are not in school, and to allow time to keep up with my domestic responsibilities. 4) Not having a classroom of other students to bounce idea around with may limit potential: I have been investigating groups of other trainee counsellors and mature students. I have also made sure to check-in on the Oxford College forum20 so I have the potential of meeting other  people. I also found the process of self-assessment useful in countering this weakness, I give more detailed thoughts on that later in this report. 5) Sudden loss of enthusiasm – if I overload myself with unrealistic goals I tend to want to quit: In part this is covered by my solution for weakness 6), however I have also been carefully breaking down each unit and each assignment so it is in bite size, manageable chunks. If I can focus on simply completing each section within each unit, without getting overwhelmed by the whole, and in particular with the word count, I can complete everything without any panic. The threats I identified are largely out of my control. I am estimating that it will take me four to six weeks to complete each unit to the best of my ability. This leaves me with a minimum of six weeks free at the end of the two year time limit. I think that this should be enough to compensate for any slowing down in my pace due to unforeseen circumstances. Listing my strengths and investigating my opportunities was a very positive experience for me. Knowing that I am good at research, experienced in distance study, and that I also have access to a university library has made me feel a lot more confident of my abilities. However acknowledging my weaknesses and proactively coming up with plans to counter them has been the most helpful part of the exercise. d) Evaluate the practice of Reflective Writing. Reflective Writing is the process used to: Consider what you originally thought and what you have learnt. Analyse its implications and outcomes.  Consider what you could do differently, what more you could learn, how what you have learnt will affect you. It is a vital skill for learners at any level, and considered a necessary practise for health professionals at all levels. When you write reflectively you use a unique mixture of both academic analytical skills and apply them to your own personal situation. It was a concept I was previously unfamiliar with. I looked at the general theory behind it on several university websites, I found the Exeter University guide particularly helpful21, and then more specifically at the  Faculty of Public Health website and how it is used by health professionals.22 Throughout this course it is a good way to look at the learning outcomes of each unit. To assess what you originally believed, what you have learnt, and how you can put things into practice. It is also a useful way to keep track of things you think deserve further consideration. So for instance when I was researching SWOT, I came across an interesting theory by Athur Humphrey saying that that the level of people’s work and the effort they put into it is strongly related to reward23. Later on as I was researching what makes effective learners, I came across a scientific study by behaviour economist Dan Ariely that proved this same theory24. Although this information seems interesting, I decided it was not actually directly relevant to what I was being asked to evaluate. It was however something to note and consider in my reflective writing as something that might possibly be relevant later on and something I could learn from. e) Evaluate the practice of Self-Assessment Self assessment, is one of the most important and vital skills in this course. One aspect of it is reflective writing, (detailed previously) but there are several other components. When I do the self-assessment activities in the units I am provided with a baseline of my current knowledge. When I look up the answers at the end of the text this gives me feedback on how much I know, and also helps me to identify what I should be researching to improve my current knowledge level. This is a basic diagram of how I am using the self assessment activities: Essentially, once I know the level of my own knowledge, I can see what I need to work on. A large part of self-assessment seems to be organisation and understanding. The Black Box Report25 on self assessment in British schools noted that the main barrier to student self assessment, is being unsure of exactly what you should be achieving. If you can establish that you have a platform from which to work. Through my SWOT assessment, I established my own personal areas I need to work on. Through the subject specific learning objectives, and self-assessment activities I can establish what I know and what I need to learn. As knowledge is cumulative, organisation is key here – writing up my reflections, with particular reference to the learning  objectives of each unit, and collating them in my ePortfolio to provide a body of reference specific to my needs and learning preferences. f) Consider the Principles of an ePortfolio. ePortfolios are widely used, and an integral component of many online courses. The promotion of ePortfolios is also an EU policy26 as a way of â€Å"valuing and celebrating the achievements of the individual.27† From under graduate to doctoral study28 in counselling ePortfolios are now prevalent. The Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research29 says they are a way for students to both generate and document learning. â€Å"It’s important†¦ to think of an ePortfolio as both a product -a digital collection of artefacts- and as a process – of reflecting on those artefacts and what they represent.30† There are three main goals when creating an ePortfolio. Firstly, mapping my progress as a student, to clearly set out my research, plans, essays, and self reflection. Doing this allows me to not only clearly see my progress, but to critically assess and reflect on what I have learnt. Secondly, my ePortfolio allows me to document my own personal growth, goals, and achievements; to be able to look at what I have done, how I have viewed challenges and worked through them, and perhaps use those methods again in the future. One of the most important pre-requisites to being a counsellor is empathy; having a clear view of myself, the challenges I have gone through, and my reactions as I went through them is a relevant way of helping me remember and being able to relate. Thirdly my ePortfolio provides a body of information that I can use to help me format a CV – both by showing what learning goals I have achieved and how I have achieved then, and by providing evidence of continuous learning. At a later date it can also provide me with the basis for constructing a professional website. Task 2. Collate Web Resources Relevant to Counselling Studies, and Reflect on What Has Been Learnt. As detailed in section b) I have evaluated counselling resources based on their credibility, i.e whether they are peer reviewed, produced by a national or worldwide organisation, and the qualifications of the author. I have only included resources that meet these guidelines fully or in part. I concentrated my web searches on these websites (in alphabetical order): Bielefeld Academic Search Engine – BASE.31 BASE is a  search engine for academic related articles, and journals. A lot of resources related to counselling studies can be found there. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – BACP.32 The BACP is a professional organisation for counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. It sets guidelines for good practice and has various resources and information booklets for counsellors and psychotherapists. It has recently become the first government accredited register for counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. CogPrints33 – is an online archive of journals and articles with a large psychology section. It is run by Southampton University UK. Columbia University Academic Commons34 gives access to a large number of articles and research papers including many related to counselling psychology. Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body – CPCAB.35 The CPCAB provides standards for counsellors and psychotherapists. It also has a large amount of reference information, including videos on counselling practice. European Union – EU.36 The EU sets standards and makes laws for the whole of Europe. They have a database with a large number of reports, many concerning counselling and it’s implementation. Falmouth University Library*3738 – has a large selection of articles and journals related to counselling and psychology. FreeMedicalJournals39 – a website providing access to journals and their articles that have passed their embargo period. Google Scholar40 – a search engine for scholarly articles and journals. PubMed41 – is a website run by The United States National Library of Medicine. It gives access to journals, articles, and reports concerning health. RELATE42 – is the UK based organisation specifically set up to provide counselling for couples. It has a wide range of publications relating to this. This website will be particularly useful when studying the ‘Relationship Counselling’ unit. Science Direct (the replacement for the now retired SCIRUS)43 Science Direct is a website that allows you to search for science related articles and journals. The Directory of Open Access Journals – DOAJ.44 The DOAJ is a search engine for journals and articles, many related to counselling and psychology and it’s worldwide implementation. UK Council for Psychotherapy – UKCP45 The UKCP brings together counselling psychotherapists with a broad range of specialisations throughout the UK. It is nationally recognised and accredited. It has a range of free publications for counsellors. UN university46 – has a large collection of research, articles and publications  including many regarding mental health. United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF.47 UNICEF deals with the rights of children and mothers throughout the world. They have a large databa se of reports concerning the physical and mental wellbeing of children and young people. This website will be particularly useful when studying the ‘Child Counselling’ unit. United Nations –UN.48 The UN sets world standards for human rights and health care. They have a large database of articles and reports making recommendations for international well being, including a significant number regarding psychological health. This is a fairly extensive list of resources, and many of the websites listed gives access to reports and articles which number in the tens of thousands. I have listed only those website which have a very good search procedure – this means that when I look for information I can cut down on as many generalisations as possible and find articles that specifically deal with the topics in each unit. My preference is to first search for articles in well regarded journals, and then to move onto lesser known or new reports and findings. So for example to find information on Counselling Studies I went to the Falmouth Library Database and checked for the three main journals related to counselling in Europe: The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, Counselling Psychology Review, and Counselling Psychology Quarterly. I then searched within these publications for articles on Counselling Studies and Therapeutic Person Centred Counselling in particular. I read the BACP and UKCP guidelines and policy for counsellors and for their training. I made notes and considered what I had learnt. Before I began my research I made some brief notes on what I thought Counselling Studies consists of: A practical study of people and their needs in times of crisis, and how a counsellor can best help them; combined with a minimal but still significant grasp of counselling theory and philosophy. Having conducted independent research on this I think my ideas were accurate though necessarily very basic. Counselling Studies is such a huge subject it is difficult to sum up briefly all the necessary qualities a counsellor needs – the prerequisite role of empathy and the difference between empathy and sympathy, the need for acceptance rather than advice, could fill up several pages alone. However I think that I have a basic idea of who a counsellor should be and very much look forward to learning in greater detail how to be that person. Bibliography. BACP (2014) British Association for Counselling Psychotherapy,Available at: http://www.bacp.co.uk/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Black, Paul; Dylan Wiliam (2001) Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. , Available at:http://weaeducation.typepad.co.uk/files/blackbox-1.pdf (Accessed: 25th February 2014). BPS (2014) The British Psychological Society, Available at:http://www.bps.org.uk/publications (Accessed: 25th February 2014). British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (2010) BACP Publications and Journals, Available at:http://www.bacp.co.uk/publications/JOURNALS/index.php(Accessed: 25th February 2014). BSM Consulting Inc. (2014) Portrait of an ISFP, Available at:https://www.personalitypage.com/ISFP.html (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Columbia University (2014) Academic Commons, Available at:http://academiccommons.columbia.edu/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). CPCAB (2014) Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body, Available at: http://www.cpcab.co.uk/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). DOAJ (2014) DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals, Available at:http://doaj.org/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). ElfEL (2014) Memorandum of Understanding: ePortfolio for all, Available at:http://www.eife-l.org/activities/campaigns/epmou (Accessed: 31st March 2014). Elsevier (2014) Science Direct, Available at:http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Europa (2014) European Union: Index, Available at:http://europa.eu/index_en.htm (Accessed: 25th February 2014). European Union (Europa) (2014) Official Documents of the European Union, Available at: http://europa.eu/publications/official-documents/index_en.htm (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Fair, Boyd ed. Albert S. Humphrey (2005) SRI International December 2005 Newsletter, History Corner p7, Available at:http://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/brochures/dec-05.pdf(Accessed: 25th February 2014). 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United Nations (2014) United Nations Publications and Reports, Available at: http://unbisnet.un.org:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=bib&menu=search#focus (Accessed: 25th February 2014). United Nations Children’s Fund (2014) UNICEF, Available at:http://www.unicef.org/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Universitat Bielefeld (2014) BASE: Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Available at: http://www.base-search.net/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). University of Waterloo: Centre for Teaching Excellence (2012) ePortfolios: What, Why, and How, Available at: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/resources/integrative-learning/eportfolios-what-why-and-how (Accessed: 31st March 2014). University Southampton (2014) CogPrints: Cognitive Sciences Eprints Archive, Available at: http://cogprints.org/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). UNU Office of Communications (2014) United Nations University, Available at: http://unu.edu/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Walker, Victoria; Mark, Rehfuss, Agatha, Parks-Savage (2012) Journal of Technology in Counseling, Volume 5 Issue 1: Using ePorfoliols in a Counseling Distance Learning Program, Available at: http://jtc.columbusstate.edu/Vol5_1/Walker.htm (Accessed: 31st March 2014).