Who Is The Best Thing - 1977 Words

If happiness is activity in accordance with virtue, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest virtue; and this will be that of the best thing in us.† (Aristotle, 633) Aristotle focuses on happiness, not just any kind of happiness but everlasting happiness, the true gold mean. Being in the golden mean means you want to do the right thing and your always doing your best at everything. Once you truly find everlasting happiness, the golden mean helps you become a better person, you’re always striving to be happy and you make others become better by being around them. â€Å"Virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean relative to us, this being determined by rational principle.† (Aristotle,†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"But not every action nor every passion admits of a mean; for some have names that already imply badness, e.g., spite, shamelessness, envy and in the case of actions adultery, theft and murde r.† (Aristotle, 629) In the case of adultery, there is always one person that is in the wrong which would then not make you the perfect person. â€Å"Nor does goodness or badness with regard to such things depend on committing adultery with the right woman, at the right time, and in the right way, but simply to do any of them is to go wrong.† (Aristotle, 629) When trying the reach the golden means/virtue, which motivates you to become great; you try and become the perfect person. When trying to become the perfect person, you focus on making every aspect of yourself great. You’re always doing the right thing, you’re helping others on the way of becoming perfect and you get the chance of achieving everlasting happiness. Genuine happiness lies in action that leads to virtue, since this alone provides true value and not just amusement. In order to become the perfect person, you must allow yourself to be open with many different ideas. One way on the step to becoming the perfect person is having a strong friendship. The rule of relationships with other humans is a vital element in the key of having a good life. â€Å"For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.† (Aristotle) Aristotle talks about three different

The Divine Command Theory Free Essays

A. Statement- or claim is an assertion that something is or is not the case; it is either true or B. Argument- an argument is a group of statements, one of which is supposed to be supported by the rest. We will write a custom essay sample on The Divine Command Theory or any similar topic only for you Order Now In an argument the supporting statements are known as premises; the statement being supported is known as a conclusion. C. Indicator Words- are terms that often appear in arguments and signal that a premise or conclusion may be nearby. Arguments Good and Bad 1. Deductive arguments- are supposed to give logically conclusive support to their conclusions. 2. Inductive arguments- are supposed to offer only probable support for their conclusions. 3. Valid arguments- a deductive argument that does in fact provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion. 4. Invalid argument- a deductive argument that does not offer logically conclusive support for the conclusion. 5. Strong argument- an inductive argument that manages to actually give probable support to the conclusion. 6. Weak argument- an inductive argument that does not give probable support to the conclusion. 7. Sound argument- valid argument with true premises.  8. Cogent argument- strong argent with true premises. Moral Statements and Arguments A. Moral Statement- is a statement affirming that an action is right or wrong or that a person is good or bad. B. Nonmoral Statements- is a statement that does not affirm that an action is right or wrong or that a person is good or bad. Avoiding Bad Arguments 1. Begging the question- is the fallacy of arguing in a circle that is trying to use a statement as both a premise in an argument and the conclusion of that argument. 2. Equivocation- assigns two different meanings to the same term in an argument. 3. Appeal to authority- the fallacy of relying on the opinion of someone thought to be an expert who is not. 4. Slippery slope- the fallacy of using dubious premises to argue that doing a particular action will inevitably lead to other actions that will result in disaster, so you should not do that first action. 5. Faulty analogy- is arguing by an analogy that is weak. 6. Appeals to ignorance- fallacy consists of arguing that the absence of evidence entitles us to believe a claim. 7. Straw man- misrepresenting someone’s claim or argument so it can be more easily refuted. 8. Appeal to the person- is arguing that a claim should be rejected solely because of the characteristics of the person who makes it. 9. Hasty generalization- the fa llacy of drawing a conclusion about an entire group of people or things based on an undersized sample of the group. Summary This chapter was about the different types of evaluating moral arguments. The section that I thought was most interesting was the section when the author started to talk about moral statements and arguments. I agreed with what the author had to say when he said a moral statement affirming that an action is right or wrong or that a person is good or bad. Like when a person lies they know that they have done something wrong without someone telling them. That is basically what this whole chapter about. How to cite The Divine Command Theory, Essay examples

afaet Essay Example For Students

afaet Essay questions about what you want to understand better about the past. 1) Identify the broad historical topic that you want to write about. Dont be afraid to think big at first!You topic can be taken from any number of the themes, events, or concepts that we read about or discuss in-class. For example, you might explore an issue that is addressed in lecture in greater depth, such as racial segregation in the military during WWII, conservative responses to the New Deal, or the use and support of art and culture by the state during the 1930s. You might explore a specific angle on a particular historical event that we discuss, for example, the response of the U.S. communist party to the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the responses of particular trade unions to the Taft-Hartley legislation restricting the tactics of labor organization, the local responses in Seattle to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, to Japanese internment, or the impact of the McCarthyism at the University of Washington. Finally, you might explore subjects that are only touched upon briefly, in greater depth, for example, the changing role of women during WWII, the persecution of homosexuals during the cold war, the intellectual origins of neo-conservatism in the 1950s, the F.B.I. investigations of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, or the role of music in 1960s protest culture. These are just a few examples, meant to give you ideas. The point is to develop your own!2) Using the library, find one or more than one primary source that you will use to develop your argument. As you will notice, class lectures use many primary sources. Primary sources are visual media, such as paintings, cartoons, films and advertisements. They can also be written documents, such as newspapers and magazines, as well as letters, memoirs, diaries, or government records. For example, the lectures and the web-links use clips from early war movies and propaganda films, protest cartoons from the black press, magazine covers advertising Roosevelts Four Freedoms, paintings of the black migration, and so on. We are also reading articles and speeches of government officials and notable intellectuals that do such things as defend U.S. entry into WWII, justify or challenge the use of the atomic bomb, warn of leftist subversion in the government, or criticize policies of the Cold War. What you must do is to find and choose the sources around which you can develop your historical argument. Ask yourself what kinds of sources might best illuminate your topic. Once youve found a source, or sources, ask yourself what they tell you. Why these particular sources? What makes them significant? What do they say to you?3) Write a short thesis statement that gets you started. The thesis statement is the argument that you want to make, using the primary source(s) you have found. Your thesis statement should not be a simple restatement of the broad topic you have chosen. Rather it should be a much narrower explanation of what you propose to say about a particular aspect of the topic youve chosen. What angle are you going to pursue? What hypothesis about the past will you attempt to prove or demonstrate? What is your tentative argument going to be?You thesis statement might need to be changed as you pursue your research. Think of it as a starting point.

Victimization of the Black Americans

From time immemorial, America has been a platform of racial and cultural segregation. The Blacks in this country have, for a long time, faced unimaginable discrimination. There have been a number of indicators of racist brutality and violence against the black.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Victimization of the Black Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The roles played by white women and white blacks in the fight against racism and discrimination have taken different dimensions. Many literature materials have talked about the unheard voices of black women in this continent as one of the major causative factors of political movements against the ill practice of racism. However, sexual offences have been viewed as minor tools of racial oppression and have only been highlighted in stories that talk about the struggle for freedom by African Americans. For a long time, the pleas of women were unheard. This wa s either because of racial inequality or gender domination; all of which did not favor the blacks any bit. For this reason, the plight of sexually molested African Americans in the USA did not find justice until 1959 when a sexually abused black lady received justice. Her white assailants were arrested, tried and convicted by an all-white jury. This then marked a historical transition that marked the end of silence that surrounded rape against the blacks. Many other similar cases were then publicized. This included a case that involved two white police officers who arrested a young black lady purported to have been drunk then later raped her repeatedly. Sexual harassment, thought unrecognized, was one of the major tools of racial discrimination and segregation amongst the blacks and whites of USA. The fact that victims of this circumstance broke their silence and came forward to talk about their plight was not brought about by the demolition of a wall of silence. It was, however, en gineered by the available opportunities for justice and the unbearable pain of violation faced by these women. The increasing number of rape cases that received justice from courts full of whites was the championing factor that prompted black victims of such circumstances to come forward and speak about their offences.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Post cold war activities of the 1970s were also platforms of sexual offences amongst the black women of USA. In some situations, black women who found themselves amidst the clashing interest of antagonistic policies fell victims of sexual harassment. The ill-fated rape victims had to come forth and present their pleas to the relevant authorities. Others presented their pleas to church leaders after either failing to be given a listening ear by the authorities or failing to trust them. After an endless fight to earn recognition on the judicial platforms, rape victims received support from humanitarian agencies. This then enabled them gain justice for sexual offences committed against them. At the end of cold war, new concepts aimed at fighting sexual offences against black women were introduced. These concepts were meant to foster human security and development in a bid to improve awareness on the plight of black women. Human security incorporated military preparedness and power stability amongst political powers. This also incorporated health, community, personal and environmental security. At the end of it all, there were fruitful gains that resulted from undivided support of humanitarian agencies. It is important to note that the violation of human rights is a menace that must be countered by all available forces in a bid to save human dignity. This essay on Victimization of the Black Americans was written and submitted by user Dominic Hill to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun essays

Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun essays Elisabeth Le Brun is known as a prominent woman artist in Eighteenth Century art. She is known for her work as a portrait painter. Her most famous works are included in the series that she had painted at age twenty-four of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Elisabeth was a woman of so many talents. Before she died at eighty-seven years old, she was an accomplished artist, exceptional musician, and a loving mother. She was an unusually unattractive woman. Although, she was charming and self-confident with an ability to present her sitters personas with an advantage. She was very reputable because she managed to keep her head and professional reputation in a time of the French Revolution. Whereupon she gained fame in France, Italy, Austria, and Russia. By the age fifteen she could have supported herself and her family. Nine years later she began work on her most famous portrait series of Marie-Antoinette, which included Marie-Antoinette and her children at Verssailles-1788. This portrait was the last of thirty that Elisabeth painted of the doomed Queen. This painting still hangs at Versailles. Elisabeth was a painter of the Rococo period which placed emphasis on portraying the carefree life of the nobility rather than on heroes or martyrs. Love and romance were considered to be better subjects for art than historical or religious subjects. The styles characteristics were free, graceful movements; a playful use of line; and delicate colors. Marie-Antoinette is painted with a fair complexion and is portrayed as an extremely feminine woman. Elisabeth shows Marie as a good motherly figure. The Queen and Elisabeth developed a close relationship which later became too dangerous. After Marie-Antoinette and Louis XIV were arrested, Elisabeth began twelve years of exile. Although, her talent gained her admissions to several academies. Here is a quote characterizing her ar ...

Brain Evolution in the Human Species

Brain Evolution in the Human Species Introduction Hominid evolution is marked by a very significant increase in relative brain size. Because relative brain size has been linked to energetic requirements, it is possible to look at the pattern of encephalization as a factor in the evolution of human foraging and dieting (Foley et al., 1991). Major expansion of the brain is associated with the Homo species rather than the Hominidae as a whole, where the energetic costs are likely to have forced prolongation of growth rates and secondary altriciality (Foley et al., 1991). Paleontological evidence indicates that rapid brain evolution occurred with the emergence of Homo erectus 1.8 million years ago and was associated with important changes in diet, body size, and foraging behavior (Leonard et al., 2007). Energy Requirements Extensive energy is required for brain growth and functioning. Parker (1990) analyzes intelligence and encephalization from the perspective of life history strategy theory, which is based on the premise that evolutionary selection determines the timing of major life cycle events-especially those related to reproduction-as the solution to energy optimization problems. Foley and Lee (1991) analyze the evolutionary pattern of encephalization with respect to foraging and dieting strategies. In considering the development of human foraging strategies, increased returns for foraging effort and food processing may be an important prerequisite for encephalization, and in turn a large brain is necessary to organize human foraging behavior. Dietary quality is also correlated with brain size. Foley and Lee (1991) first consider brain size vs. primate feeding strategies, and note that folivorous diets (leaves) are correlated with smaller brains, while fruit and animal foods (insects, meat) are correlated with larger brains. Overall, the genetic costs of brain maintenance for modern humans are about three times that of a chimpanzee. The first dietary shift is seen beginning within the genus Hom o, which began to include meat in the diet. It may be argued that meat-eating represents an expansion of resource breadth beyond that found in non-human primates (Foley and Lee, 1991). Therefore, Homo and its encephalization may have been the product of the selection of capable of exploiting energy- and protein-rich resources as the habitat expanded. While the evolutionary causes of the enlarging human brain themselves are thought to have been due to factors that go beyond diet alone (increasing social organization being prime among the proposed factors usually cited), a diet of sufficient quality would nevertheless have been an important prerequisite. That is, diet would have been an important hurdle, or limiting factor, to overcome in providing the necessary physiological basis for brain enlargement to occur within the context of whatever those other primary selective pressures might have been. Leonard and Robinson (1994: add page numbers for direct quote) conclude: These results imply that changes in diet quality during hominid evolution were linked with the evolution of brain size. The shift to a more calorically dense diet was probably needed in order to substantially increase the amount of metabolic energy being used by the hominid brain. Thus, while nutritional factors alone are not sufficient to explain the evolution of our large brains, it seems clear that certain dietary changes were necessary for substantial brain evolution to take place.

Strategic Direction of Tesco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Direction of Tesco - Case Study Example We have a track record of providing value for customers, creating jobs and training, providing opportunities for suppliers and regenerating deprived areas. [The Tesco Group had turnover of 33,974 million ($59,454 million) with pre-tax profits of 2,029 million ($3,551 million) in the year to February 2005. We have 2,467 stores, employing over 370,000 people in the 13 countries in which we operate. In Europe, outside the UK, we operate in Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey where we have 305 stores and over 61,000 employees.] For the first 50 years, Tesco worked hard to establish the brand and build up a strong UK business, by ensuring that everything we did was driven by a never-ending ambition to improve our customers' shopping trips.] http://www.tescocorporate.com/annualreview07/01_tescostory/tescostory5.html "No one tries harder for customers," and "Treat people how we like to be treated," are the core values of Tesco and its approach to Corporate Responsibility. Sir Terry Leahy says that they believe they can achieve most when they work together on practical things that make a difference. Tesco helps customers and fairly treat colleagues with trust and respect. Tesco delivers cheaper and better products, and provide more choice for the people and community. We continue to make long-term price reductions throughout our businesses. As life has become busier and more complex, and living costs more expensive, Tesco has helped make shopping simpler, more convenient and affordable to customers. During 2006/07 we have: (http://www.tescocorporate.com/page.aspxpointerid=22492B1EE56448CDB88FAD501D742BCB) [launched our Fruit and Veg Pledge - that we would offer at least

Minor Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Minor Paper - Essay Example identify that there are issues around the financial control, particularly the bank reconciliation and capacity and skill level in financial reporting. The 2013 financial statements were not submitted in time (Mulgan, 2013). The finance director informed me that this was due to the late implementation of the regulatory assurance approach and the way the new external auditor was conducting their work with rigor. During the review, the management issued me with the draft of the Price Water-house Coopers management letter in relation to the year ended 31st December 2013, which has twenty recommendations to the financial administration. It points out a number of areas in financial administration within the department that needs improvement. These include the general level of skills, capacity and competence reporting of the financial across the department is not at the level they should be in light with the government expansion and the increasing complexity in reporting of the financial statements (Parliament of Australia, 2007). Close observation of the financial statements of the department reveals that the department has not demonstrated a consistent and disciplined approach to bank reconciliation. This was noted in the external auditor’s management letter and acknowledged by the department. The other area of the review is the supplier and the professional services that are carried out by the department. It was not practicable for the review to look at the entire procurement practices with the department and all those for the government, but focused on the issues in board minutes. The board minutes indicated that there had been procedural irregularities in respect to certain contracts of the department and the government lets and that the extent of irregularities was a notch higher in the department (Business Council of Australia, 2008). My procedural review into the discrepancies of the procurement procedures also revealed so. I came to realize that there were

Marketing Samsung Essay Example for Free

Marketing Samsung Essay The transformation from a low end to a world class company, Samsung has grown with an electrifying portfolio. ’Next is what’ tag line for all the Samsung mobiles defies its competitors,making them strive more to compete. The underpinning business orientation aids the company to play the market race easily. The coordination between the products and sales is balanced and composed that the net sales mend at a high speed. Samsung targets to capitalize profitability by ensuing an effective marketing mix. A healthy competition is always considered to be one of the most attractive driving sources to triumph. Samsung faces several industrial aspirants, but is significantly distinguished with its marketing management tasks. The company follows a core strategy to keep glowing in the sprint. Superior performance through differentiation providing consumer value, managing lowest deliver cost acts as the imperative competitive advantages. ? The direct competitor targets for Samsung are, Put the companies name like iphone, nokia†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ all its important competitors logo Samsung has a strong infrastructure with all the necessary requirements, producing wide range of well recognized products globally. The company puts its higher investment on RD, thereby building technologically driven niche products. It establishes a brand value , providing greater yields than its competitors. The fast changing company entices young brains by providing fascinating pay, bonuses and incentives as a token of recognition. Samsung has large resources as a powerful work force, who are given full freedom to explore and innovate advancement in technologies and development. The business targets the specific market and creates a revolution, with its high margin products all over the world. With joint investments, the business is customer and market oriented. The brand power creates value chain that integrates competencies of all areas.Samsung positions itself as the digital technology leader, contends with other leading companies by appointing Olympic gold medalist Abinav Bindra and Actor Aamir khan, as its brand ambassador for it consumer electronics business and mobile phones respectively. Samsung meets every challenge, with high investment, with expertise in technology and marketing. Internally, Samsung maintains its own controlled strategy to stay competitive.

Honor :: essays research papers

HONOR CAN BE DEFINED IN SO MANY WAYS CAN mean respect and esteem shown to another. HONOR may ALSO apply to the recognition of one's right to great respect or to any expression of such recognition IN SOME SITUATIONS IT implies profound respect mingled with love, devotion.There is a priceless respect that everyone in the world possesses, and that is the. respect of a person?s honor. A person?s honor is something that can not be bought, sold,. or traded it?s something that must be gained by the respect of your peers. An example of. how honor is seen in everyday life in through a persons word. The standard dictionary definition of honor first lists public regard and esteem under the word, with ethical conduct or high standards of justice and responsibility appearing much further down the list. This is reflected in the way the modern world treats the issue of honor. In ancient times, honor was the manner of being that we now describe as having integrity. In plain language, an honorable p erson avoids deception whenever possible, treats others with respect and sticks to her beliefs no matter how others think or act. People generally do not seem to behave very well toward each other any more.Honor determines the hierarchy of an individual while revealing his loyalty and true intentions. Reward comes for those at the top whose honor does not diminish, while a false or fleeting honor of a lesser mortal causes destruction. Exploring and discussing how to act honorably toward each other is a place to start.The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. How can you be a person of integrity? First, figure out what integrity (honor) is. My mother used to say to treat others the way you wanted to be treated. Does anyone do that these days? Well, I know that I don't want to be cut off in traffic, or yelled at, or bumped into rudely at the grocery store, or left picking up garbage all over my yard from the street. So I could try not to do thos e things to other people. I won't cut off others in traffic, or yell, or act rude at the grocery store, or throw garbage in the street. That's just a place to start. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Home Page Essay

At Popcorn Supplies, we cordially invite you to sit back and enjoy the rich taste of entertainment as well as the essence of relaxation with our large kernelled, succulent popcorn as well as the delectable toppings that we offer. Our company’s product may already be known to you through our sister supplier Home Theatre Express. com. We provide the same mouth-watering buttery, caramel and other delicious popcorn flavors, but we offer them in wholesale quantities to those who want to invite large groups to enjoy the luscious experience. This offer is also meant to cater to those who own small or medium-sized businesses where such an appealing snack might be provided as a supplement to the entertainment or other activities provided. We offer a variety of services and products that enhance the popcorn production and consumption experience. Our store supplies carnival-style popcorn poppers such as Paragon Theater Pop and Gold Medal Funpop. We also stock large 4-oz bags of Orville Redenbacher’s high quality popcorn and cases of 35-oz Flavacol salt (12/case) that will equip your event to handle the high demand that is sure to materialize once guests or clients taste the scrumptious delight that comes in the popcorn bag. Plus, we also stock movie-theater popcorn buckets that create a much more authentic atmosphere for the occasion. Get these by the bulk too and legitimize your event as well-appointed and adequately catered. To this end, our toppings add the final touch of mouth-watering tastiness to the affair. This will make it not only a big hit with butter lovers, but also with caramel, cheese, nacho, frosting lover. And we offer even more toppings! Our prices are regularly unbeatable, and at wholesale prices it’s a full-scale, blow-out sale every day. Get your supplies now and save!

Angelo, Escalus and the Duke present three kinds of ruler. How does Act I establish similarities and differences between them?

Act I sees the introduction of three important characters of the play, each taking up a different approach to authority. The Duke, Angelo and Escalus all use their power in a very different way, resulting in different consequences and effectiveness. The first position of authority we see in action is that of the Duke's. The opening scene alerts the audience to the fact that the Duke plans on leaving the city, for a reason which we are not made aware of, and that he plans on leaving Angelo in charge. As of yet, we do not know what sort of decision this is, because we do not have the substantial insight into the character of Angelo to be able to make a judgement. However, the Duke does comment on the fact that his first choice for ruler in his place was Escalus, â€Å"Old Escalus,/ Though first in question, is thy secondary.† This does give the audience more an insight into the Duke's decision. It may suggest that he is weary of his choices because he didn't just go with his first instinct, he thought about it and chose a less obvious candidate. This suggests that he may have deeper meaningful reasons as to why he has not elected his most obvious replacement, causing the audience to see him perhaps as a wise character, mayb e even cunning, both characteristics that would make a good ruler. However, one may question why it is that he has to leave in the first place. Although he claims that it is to do with a meeting with the King of Hungary, this is likely not to be the case (as retrospective audiences will know). The audience may be made to think that the city of Vienna has got into such a slack state in terms of laws and punishment, that it needs a solution. This would mean that the Duke's actions could be seen as cowardly. His plan involves him running away and leaving someone else, probably less capable of the job than he is, in charge with all of the power. One could see this decision as very careless and unwise, no matter what his ulterior motives may be. We see that Angelo, too, thinks that this may not be the best decision, â€Å"Let there be some more test made of my metal,/ Before so noble and so great a figure/ Be stamp'd upon it.† This shows that Angelo thinks he may not be able to do the job as well as the Duke thinks he can. We might expect him to be ecstatic that the Duke has elected him to be his replacement, but instead he questions his own ability. This allows us to doubt the Duke's decision and wonder how good a ruler he really is. He decides to take a much more passive role in â€Å"ruling†, causing us to wonder if he is fit for ruling at all. This could be seen as an act of fear, suggesting he may be too afraid to start being a strict ruler and using his authority. As a Duke, it is likely that he will be in the public view a lot of the time, causing his every action to be scrutinized. His decision to run away and put somebody else in his place could be a result of cracking under the pressure of society constantly judging all his choices. Of course Act 1 scene iii shows us what is really behind the Duke's plan. Here he openly admits to being too kind a Duke, â€Å"We have strict statutes and most biting laws†¦Which for this fourteen years we have let slip.† This confirms our suspicions that the Duke has not been the best, most consistent ruler. Vienna has gone into a state of slackness, where some vital laws no longer apply. He suggests to the Friar that Angelo is the more appropriate man to awaken all these laws than himself. This, again, could be because the Duke is scared of looking like an evil person and being judged. However, the Duke does seem to put good reason behind his thinking. He says that because it was him that let the laws become so slack in the first place, it would seem hypocritical of him to suddenly enforce these laws after letting them be for so long. One may be able to empathise with this idea, agreeing that maybe to ensure new laws are kept and taken seriously, then a new ruler must come into play. Of course, the Duke thinks of the perfect way to introduce a new ruler and yet still hold his authority over the city, pretending that he is leaving temporarily and is in need of someone to take his place. Here is where we gain our insight into Angelo as a ruler. In Act 1 scene ii, we learn that Claudio has been sentenced to death for sleeping with Juliet. This is at the hand of the new and temporary ruler, Angelo. The audience is immediately thrust into the position that Angelo has been put in and is made to quickly judge what kind of decisions he is making. One may argue that his strict imposition of the laws is a good decision as a new ruler as he has not yet established himself or what kind of Duke he will be. This complies with the contemporary ruler at the time, King James I of England, who wrote in his book Basilikon Doron, â€Å"And when ye have by the severitie of justice once settled your countries, and made them knowe that ye can strike, then may ye thereafter all the days of your life mixe justice with mercie, punishing or sparing, as ye shall finde the crime to have been wilfullie or rashlie committed, and according to the by-past behaviour of the committer.† This quote from James I suggests that a ruler should first establish himself as a good and fair ruler who wishes to strive for justice by punishing those who go against it. Once his people know that he is serious about the laws of his country, then a good ruler can use judgement to punish where appropriate. This supports the actions of Angelo, who is put in the difficult position of trying to establish himself in a city that is already corrupt because of his predecessor. The audience may sympathise with him due to the situation that the Duke has left him in. However, we could argue that this strictness will inevitably put an innocent man to death. It may be suggested that the best choice for Angelo would be to use better judgement when considering which laws to enforce again and which to just let lie. This could be seen as Angelo being inexperienced and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, something which again may bring us to pity him being submerged into this position of authority. One could even interpret Angelo as being a nasty, cruel man who wishes to abuse his power that he has been given, especially as it is only temporary. However, the reluctance with which he took up the position suggests that this is not the case and the more likely case is that he fears being rejected, possibly even mocked, by his people and as a result he wishes to take a leaf out of James I's book and imposes order among Vienna. A much more compromised ruler would be that of Escalus. Although Act 1 sees very little of his ruling skills, we do hear the reputation he holds and the respect that the Duke seems to have for him. As said before, the Duke states that Escalus would have been the obvious first choice for his temporary replacement, and yet he changes his mind. This may suggest that the role of the Duke may lead to some form of lesson that may need to be learnt by the Duke's choice. He may think that Escalus would not gain anything from the role as he is already too wise and knowledgeable about mankind, â€Å"Your own science/ Excceds, in that, the lists of all advice/ My strength can give you†. This shows the respect that the Duke has for Escalus and how aware he is of Escalus' already existing abilities. This may explain why he feels that Escalus would not benefit from leading Vienna whilst the Duke is away. However, you could argue that this may not be the best angle to choose a ruler from. It seems that the Duke may be choosing a ruler from the point of view of who it would benefit most but what he should perhaps be doing instead is thinking about who will benefit the city most and who will be the most effective ruler. It seems that Escalus would possibly have been a wiser choice. In spite of this, the fact is that Escalus will be there to guide Angelo no matter what decision he makes. This means that he is there should Angelo feel the need for any assistance and it also means the Escalus will indeed have some power and authority over the rest of the city. This allows the audience to see what kind of ruler he is anyway, even though he is not the highest authority around. This produces a direct comparison between the three as rulers and means that the audience is able to compare them in turn as they each show their signs of rulership. In conclusion, it appears that each character that is presented as a ruler takes up a different corner in terms of how they each approach their position of authority. While the Duke has recognised that he has been too leniant in recent years, it could easily be suggested that his actions are cowardly and even unwise. Angelo, on the other hand, sees the opportunity to enforce laws that have not been in place. This seems to be the aim of the Duke's plan, yet one may question to what extent the Duke wished Angelo to force these laws on the people. This makes us assume that Angelo has taken almost the complete opposite approach to the Duke. Escalus, however, seems to provide a contrast between both the Duke and Angelo. Whilst he does not seem like the type to let people get away with anything, he also does not seem like the type to put innocent, decent men to death. It seems to me that Escalus is the character who follows James I's advice the best, using his judgement and circumstances t o provide honest justice.

What Is a Five Paragraph Essay

What Is a Five Paragraph Essay Because a five-paragraph essay is a chosen vehicle for measuring a students writing proficiency, it is essential that each master this patterned format writing to score well. What Is a 5 Paragraph Essay? Students at the college or university level are often required to write essays as part of an exam or as a general writing-composition assignment. Unless an assignment calls for a more in-depth composition (persuasive essay, research paper, dissertation), or if a written exam instructs otherwise, more than likely the student is to respond to a question or write on a topic in the form of  a  five-paragraph essay. While many students are taught in high school how to write this particular type of essay, it may seem a foreign concept to others. Students must be able to apply these skills and their knowledge of that material in the form of an essay. An essay of this sort may have them making an argument, or simply conveying information on a given topic, to their instructor or professor. In most instances, whether for an exam or an assignment, instructions will not always specify that the student responds to a question in the form of this particular kind of essay – â€Å"Respond to the following questions in a five-paragraph essay.† Unless students are asked to write longer-type papers, or responses in brief one-paragraph segments in exams, writing a five-paragraph essay may be the safest approach – and it is always beneficial to know the formula for writing one. HOW TO WRITE A 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY 5 Paragraph Essay Outline An essay can be written in just FIVE paragraphs. Here is a detailed information about a 5 paragraph essay outline. Introduction The first paragraph, the introduction, includes an opening, topical sentence as a way to ease the reader into the essay; secondly, this paragraph states the topic (a text, book, article, or issue, etc.) being examined in an accompanying thesis statement, a single-sentence summary of the argument the student is making in the rest of the paper – the claim the student is making about the topic. If it’s not an argument the student is making, it is best if they view the thesis statement as a declaration or theory that is put forward as a premise for the rest of the paper. Body Paragraphs Often referred to as â€Å"the meat of the essay,† the next three paragraphs support and evidence the thesis statement. Each one usually begins with some kind of transition (first of all, secondly, lastly) and a topic sentence to keep the reader’s focus on the topic at hand – and each one includes very pertinent information and in no particular order: each paragraph needs to restate the thesis but in a different way than it was originally written in the introduction without diluting the original argument. Once again, each of these body paragraphs serves to evidence the thesis – to build a stronger argument for the student making the case of something. Each of these body paragraphs, usually, are to include a quote, or paraphrase, or summary, as well as a commentary on how these points of evidence defend or make a stronger argument. Also known as the body paragraphs, the three paragraphs take on different aspects or elements of a story or topic – whatever is needed to defend the thesis – and always tie into the argument being made. Conclusion The conclusion paragraph restates, in a clever way, the argument first declared in the introductory paragraph and summarizes the most important points that comprised the three body paragraphs. By this time, the student, if they have made a valid argument with this five-paragraph essay, will have convinced the reader (most likely the professor or instructor) that their argument is valid. Again, a 5 paragraph essay format is used to argue a position in a thorough, persuasive manner; and, in some entry-level composition courses, a professor will require their students to submit papers in this genre to build the student’s analytical and writing skills and to demonstrate their understanding of a given topic. If you are going to write a five-paragraph essay and would like to receive quality academic guidance and assistance, we are happy to help. We have experts in writing all kinds of essay types and guarantee you a  quality of service. Rest assured: your paper will be properly written and formatted, will contain only recent research data and will be fully original. We guarantee you total customer satisfaction to inform the details of your assignment, place an order.

Infant observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Infant observation - Essay Example As I watched the child, after he had taken the yogurt, I could observe that he was able to wave at me and this is a sign of trust as explained by Erik Erikson in the first stage of development where there is either trust or mistrust. Trust occurs when the child is able to have faith in people around him and relate with well without fear that they could be harmful to him, while mistrust occurs when the child is unable to relate with people around him feeling that they have ill will on him. In addition, under Maslow hierarchy of needs where one seeks security and love after his basic needs such as food, clothes and shelter have been satisfied, i was able to observe that he only waved at me after taking yogurt, a sign to show hat he was satisfied with food and now needed love and protection. In this case, yogurt served as food. He moved his head up and down when music played as a way of dancing; this could be as result of classical conditioning in the theory of behaviorism. Classical co nditioning in behaviorism occurs when one is able to associate certain object or incidents that frequently happen with something familiar to ones immediate environment. This child learnt to associate music with dancing. He grabbed his friends’ hair and pulled it, stood by himself and walked across the room by holding the cribs. Additionally, he was able to make the ball roll round, shake the rattle, stretch out in the floor, and act like as if he was talking on the phone. The child is able to do this during infant development stage according to cognitive theory (Douglas 35). In his sensory development, I could observe that he was able to touch his friend’s hair and pull it, see me, and wave towards my direction when we first met. According to attachment theory, the child at infant stage is able to relate well with people close to him especially his caregiver. Therefore, from the above observation, it appears that he is already attached to his

Evaluate a Complex Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Evaluate a Complex Decision - Essay Example I called the friend who had caused the problems at the work site into my office. I reeled into him, yelling at him for being so stupid and costing the company a very important sales contract. He had previously in the week told me how good the job was going, and perhaps if he had earlier mentioned to me the problems I could have solved them. I told him because of his neglect he was to be fired and that there was no discussing this matter, as I then had to go and try to patch things up with the company and hope to regain our contract. I then called the company and begged for the contract back. They told me that due to the efforts of that one person, they had already given the contract to somebody else. There were giving me the same treatment I had just given my employee, and were not further discussing the matter. Now looking back at the decision, I see that there were several other ways I could have gone about it. Looking at the formal methods of decision making addressed in this class, I now see that there were many other ways I could have better addressed the situation and come to possibly a better outcome. After my call with the company I realized that I was being just as rash as they were, and that I possibly should have at least listened to my friend’s side of the story before firing him. I was not sure if he would come back to work at the company after how I had treated him, but I at least wanted to given him the fair chance to tell me what had happened. However, I never got to find out, as he still won’t return any of my calls, and I have heard rumors that he has a new job elsewhere. To make matters even worse, I received a call from the company today, stating that the complaints against my worker were dropped, and were actually deemed to be their fault. They issued an apology and renewed our contract, and I felt horrible for how I had treated

Construction Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Construction Economics - Assignment Example The economic policy of a government is generally reflected in its national budget (Jenkins 1978). Partly, it is through the budget that the government exercises its three principal methods of establishing control: the stabilization function, the allocative function and the distributive function. In some cases, economic policies are usually influenced by international institutions such as the World Bank or International Monetary Fund as well as policies of political parties and their beliefs. The business environment within which most housing and construction companies operate has continued to change rapidly throughout the world. Construction companies that fail to adapt or respond to these changes have problems in their survival. Therefore, contractors must be capable of improving their performances continuously in order to out smart their competitors. In nature, the construction company is complex because it consists of a large number of parties as contractors, stakeholders, clients, consultants and regulators. However, despite its complexity, it plays a great role in the achievement and development of the goals of a society. Economic growth refers to the rise of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) or other measures of total income. It is usually represented in annual basis as the rate of change in real GDP. The economic growth of a country depends on the ability of that country to improve its productivity, that is, its ability to produce more goods and services using similar inputs of labor, materials, energy and capital. According to most economists, there are two types of economic growths: the long-term economic growth and short-term economic stabilization. However, economic growth is usually concerned with the long-term type. The short-term type is rather deemed as the business cycle. The leading indicator of the state of economy in a given country is the housing and

Micro economics extra credit Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Micro economics extra credit - Coursework Example There are various concepts that explain microeconomics in the case of Mr Shea, who faced an eviction notice after renting his terrace to a visitor who turned out to be a private investigator (OTTERMAN page 1-2). Consumer protection This concept refers to the assurance of quality and safety in the products the consumers purchase and consume. Trusting the producers makes the economy flourish. In the case of Mr Shea, he provides room for visitors at cheap prices and there is no assurance of protection and safety (OTTERMAN page 1-2). When one of the visitors arrives , Mr Shea smuggles the visitors’ language using a laundry cart to avoid attention from the neighbors or the co-op board (OTTERMAN page 1-2). He goes to the extent of asking the visitor to identify himself as a friend to Mr Shea in case anyone asked. The internet communication from the visitors to private hosts is not an assurance of safety since some of the hosts may take advantage of the situation to make money out of the visitors (OTTERMAN page 1-2) Demand Demand refers to the extent at which a good or service is needed in the market. Demand not only refers to the quantity but also to the demand curve of a product. This traces the degree at which a good or service is demanded at different prices. ... This was to ensure to the quality of the rooms thus attract many visitors (OTTERMAN page 1-2). Profits Profits refer to the earning of returns by the capitalists through their efforts in the provision of their inputs. The capitalists are willing to go through denial of self gratification to invest some of their resources in fruitful activities (OTTERMAN page 1-2). Profits occur as a result of taking risks by different investors. The investments yield profits while others don’t. David Shea and the co-op board of affordable development rent out terrace to earn profits (OTTERMAN page 1-2). Mr Shea estimated a reasonable number of fifty visitors between 2011 and 2012 making an income of $6,000 which served as his profits because there was no taxation. Mr Shea goes against the rules of the co-op board which prohibits sub renting for profits even though David Shea says he was unaware of the rule (OTTERMAN page 1-2). Receiving anything of value from the invitee, occupant or the guest in exchange of habitation, whether it is permanent or temporary is not curable since it is fraud and profiteering. . Hosts present for the visitors added up to fifteen thousand thus losing millions in the hotel occupancy taxes (OTTERMAN page 1-2). Producers A producer refers to a person creating and supplying goods or services to potential consumers (OTTERMAN page 1-2). The producers combine the labor and capital which are factors of production. When a producer offers their services to the consumers, they get a reward, in this case a profit. Mr Shea offers services to his guests through the renting of terrace to guests at affordable prices (OTTERMAN page 1-2). The idea of renting came about when a therapist suggested to David

Childhood Maltreatment and Diabetes Relationship

Childhood Maltreatment and Diabetes Relationship Study Rationale The primary goal of this study is to conduct an empirical investigation of the association between an early life stressor such as childhood maltreatment and subsequent diagnosis of Type II diabetes in adulthood. This study will specifically explore if a relationship exists between the type and severity of childhood maltreatment encountered and participants diabetes-related quality of life. To provide a context for the current study, background literature focusing on two dimensions that have received considerable attention in the psychological literature is first thoroughly reviewed: definition and effects of childhood maltreatment and the biopsychosocial aspect of Type II diabetes. The current studys purpose, hypotheses, method, and data analytic strategy will then be proposed. Background Information Childhood Maltreatment Childhood maltreatment refers to, any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], n.d., para. 1). In their report, Child Maltreatment Surveillance, Leeb, Paulozzo, Melanson, Simon, Arias (2007) defined acts of commission as deliberate and intentional use of words or actions that cause harm, potential harm, or threat of harm to a child. Examples of acts of commission include physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse. Acts of omission, on the other hand, are the failure to provide for a childs basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to protect a child from harm (Leeb et al., 2007). Thus, acts of omission include physical, emotional, medical, or educational neglect, the failure to supervise or insufficient supervision, and/or exposure to a violent environment. According to the most recent publication by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) on childhood maltreatment, an estimated 905,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect (USDHHS, 2006). Specifically, 64.2 percent of child victims experienced neglect, 16.0 percent were physically abused, 8.8 percent were sexually abused, and 6.6 percent were emotionally or psychologically maltreated. The report suggests that rates of victimization by maltreatment type have fluctuated only slightly during the past several years. The long-term consequences of child maltreatment are significant and include the risk of alterations of brain structure and function, sexual risk taking behaviors, eating disorders, suicidal intent and behavior, lower self-esteem, adjustment problems, internalizing problems (i.e. anxiety and depressive disorders), externalizing problems (i.e. personality disorders and substance abuse), adult trauma, continuation of intergenerational violence and/or neglect, and developmental and cognitive disabilities (Anda, Felitti, Bremner, Walker, Whitfield, Perry, Dube, Giles, 2006; Arata, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Bowers, OFarrill-Swails, 2005; Bardone-Cone, Maldonado, Crosby, Mitchell, Wonderlich, Joiner, Crow, Peterson, Klein, Grange, 2008; Johnson, Sheahan, Chard, 2003; Kaplow Widom, 2007; Kaslow, Okun, Young, Wyckoff, Thompson, Price, Bender, Twomey, Golding, Parker, 2002; Lewis, Jospitre, Griffing, Chu, Sage, Madry, Primm, 2006; Medrano, Hatch, Zule, Desmond, 2002; Smith, 1996; Sobsey, 2002; Taft, Marshall, Schumm, Panuzio, Holtzworth-Munroe, 2008). A consistent relationship between abuse history and poorer overall health has also been demonstrated in a stratified, epidemiological sample of both men and women within the United States (Cromer and Sachs-Ericsson, 2006). Childhood Maltreatment and Physical Health Problems A consistent dose-relationship between abuse history, poorer overall health, and sustained losses in health-related quality of life has been well established (Cromer Sachs-Ericsson, 2006; Golding, 1994; Corso, Edwards, Fange, Mercy, 2008). Childhood sexual abuse has been associated with physical complaints such as migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain (Goldberg, Pachas, Keith, 1999; Goodwin, Hoven, Murison, Hotopf, 2003; Ross, 2005; Walker, Keegan, Gardner, Sullivan, Bernstein, Katon, 1997). Furthermore, using data from the National Corbidity Study, a nationally representative general population study, Arnow (2004) found that abused children were likely to have pelvic and musculoskeletal pain as adults, and utilize health care services at a greater proportion in adulthood. However, a major limitation of these studies is exclusion of emotional and/or psychological abuse experienced in childhood. Additionally, results regarding the incidence of types o f childhood maltreatment and diabetes have been mixed. Diabetes Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the deficiency or resistance to insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily living. As such, insulin deficiency compromises the body tissues access to essential nutrients for fuel or storage. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes, many of which unaware that they have the disease (ADA, n.d., para. 2). Diabetes occurs in two primary forms. Type I diabetes is characterized by absolute deficiency and typically occurs before the age of 30. Type II diabetes, however, is typified by insulin resistance with varying degrees of deficiencies in the bodys ability to secrete insulin. Sedentary lifestyle and diet have been linked to the development of Type II diabetes. Other risk factors for this type of diabetes include obesity, pregnancy, metabolic syndrome, and various medications. Physiologic and emotional stress has also been thought to play a key role in the development of Type II diabetes specifically. Prolonged elevation of stress hormones, namely cortisol, glucagon, epinephrine, and growth hormone, increases blood glucose levels, which in turn places increased demands on the pancreas. Such stress ultimately leads to the inability of the pancreas to keep up with the bodys need for insulin and high levels of glucose and insulin circulate in the bloodstream, setting the stage for Type II diabetes (Diseases, 2006). Role of Stress in the Onset of Diabetes Animal Studies Researchers have found that both a history and presence of existing stressors play a significant role in the onset and course of diabetes. Through the use of animal studies, researchers have been able to prospectively test the influence of stress on both types of diabetes. For example, Lehman, Rodin, McEwen, and Brinton (1991) investigated whether an environmental challenge promoted the expression of diabetes in bio-breeding rats. Researchers introduced a triad of stressors to the animals over a 14-week period, including rotation of the cage, vibration, and restraint in individual containers. They found that the administration of these stressors repeatedly increased the likelihood of the rats developing Type I diabetes as indicated by elevated blood sugar levels (Lehman et al., 1991). One of the first observations that stress could contribute to the expression of Type II diabetes was made during metabolic studies of the native North African sand rat (psammonys obesus). Once fed with laboratory chow and allowed to become obese, the North African sand rat will eventually develop Type II diabetes in response to an environmental stressor (Surwit, Schenider, Feinglos, 1992). Notably, Mikat, Hackel, Cruz, and Lebowitz (1972) administered an esophageal intubation of saline in an effort to control the dietary intake of the sand rat. This tube feeding resulted in an alteration of glucose tolerance and precipitated the onset of Type II diabetes in these rats. Similar research was done on the genetically obese (ob/ob) mouse, which is used as a prototype of Type II diabetes in humans because of its pattern of obesity, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance (Surwit, Feinglos, Livingston, Kuhn, McCubbin, 1984). To study the effects of env ironmental stress and sympathetic nervous system arousal on plasma glucose in ob/ob mice, Surwit et al. (1984) designed two experimental conditions. In the first condition, 15 ob/ob mice were shaken in their cage at a rate of 200 strokes per minute for five minutes. In the second condition, 16 ob/ob mice were injected with epinephrine bitartrate, a chemical whose effects mimic those of the stress response. Plasma glucose levels in mice from both conditions were found to be significantly elevated. The researchers concluded that environmental stress was partially responsible for the expression of the diabetic phenotype in this animal model of diabetes. Role of Stress in the Onset of Diabetes Human Studies Data gathered on the impact of life events on Types I diabetes in a human sample has yielded inconsistent results. An early study by Grant, Kyle, Teichman, and Mendels (1974) examined the relationship between the occurrence of life events and the course of illness in a group of 37 diabetic patients. Using Holmes and Rahes Schedule of Recent Events (SRE), a scale in which 43 significant recent life events are assigned a numeric value of life change units as a measurement of life stress, Grant et al. (1974) found that of the 26 participants who had a positive correlation between undesirable life events and illness, 24 had a positive correlation between undesirable events scores and diabetic condition. This data suggests that negative events were primarily responsible between life events and changes in diabetic condition since the inclusion of neutral and positive events did not increase the magnitude of the correlations. Despite the significant results, this study had a number of limit ations, including the utilization of a small sample size, difficulty in establishing reliable criteria for assessing subtle changes in the diabetic condition, lack of sufficient time to elapse between assessments for significant life changes to occur, and the lack of delineation of the types of diabetes studied (i.e. Type I vs. II). However, in a more recent meta-analysis, Cosgrove (2004) found no evidence to support the hypothesis that life events cause or precipitate Type I diabetes. Using an electronic and manual literature search of appropriate key words (namely, diabetes and depression, diabetes and depressive, diabetes and life events, diabetes and stress) in the literature up to July 2003, Cosgrove (2004) aimed to establish whether there might be a link between depression, stress, or life events and the onset of Type I diabetes. A total of nine papers were found from the electronic and manual search. It was concluded that when the number and severity of life events was compared to controls in all nine reviewed studies, no differences were detected in the diabetics (Cosgrove, 2004). Though data from small, older studies and large, randomized studies showed that early losses in childhood increase the risk of developing Type I diabetes, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that life events cause o r precipitate this diagnosis. Meta-analyses with more recent studies have not been found studying the relationships between stressful life events in both types of diabetes. As such, it is unknown whether links have since been found by other researchers. More consistent evidence was found supporting the notion that stressful circumstances precipitate Type II diabetes. In their study of environmental stress on Type II diabetics, McCleskey, Lewis, and Woodruff (1978) measured glucagon and glucose levels on 25 patients who were undergoing elective surgery, a physical stressor. Ten samples were obtained during pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative periods for each patient. It was found that throughout the sampling period, diabetic patients had two times the amount of glucagon (a hormone produced by the pancreas that stimulates the increase of blood sugar levels) in their body compared to their non-diabetic counterparts (McCleskey, Lewis, Woodruff, 1978). This effect was also found in Pima Indians, who have an approximately 60% chance of eventually developing Type II diabetes, compared with 5% of the Caucasian population (Surwit, Schenider, Feinglos, 1992). The effects of a simple arithmetic task on blood glucose levels were studied in both Caucasian and Pima Indian samples. Surwit, McCubbin, Feinglos, Esposito-Del Puente, and Lillioja (1990) found that blood glucose was consistently higher during and following the stressful task in ten of 13 Pima Indians, concluding that altered glycemic responsivity to behavioral stressors anticipates the development of Type II diabetes in individuals who are genetically predisposed to the disease (Surwit et al., 1990). Results from The Hoorn Study further illustrated the effects of stress on Type II diabetes. Mooy, De Vries, Grootenhuis, Boutner, and Heine (2000) analyzed data from a large population-based survey of 2,262 adults in the Netherlands upon which the researchers were able to explore whether chronic stress is positively associated with the prevalence of Type II diabetes. Analysis of data confirmed their hypothesis; a high number of rather common major life events that are correlated with chronic psychological stress, such as death of a spouse or relocation of residence, were indeed found to correspond to a significantly higher percentage of undetected diabetes (Mooy et al., 2000). Because the study was conducted in the Netherlands on a Caucasian, middle-aged population, it is uncertain whether these findings are generalizable to other demographics in different geographic regions. Childhood Maltreatment and Diabetes Thus far, with the exception of one study, the research discussed has demonstrated a positive correlation between a variety of recent or current environmental stressors, such as anesthesia, surgery, cognitive tasks, death of a loved one, and other significant losses, and the onset of Type I and/or II diabetes in animals and human beings. However, the literature is somewhat limited as to the relationship between a past environmental stressor, namely childhood maltreatment, and Type II diabetes in adulthood. Numerous researchers examined the prevalence of medical problems in abused populations and have reported that diabetes is one of the most common health conditions among those who have experienced maltreatment. For example, using data drawn from the National Comorbidity Study conducted in the early 1990s, Sachs-Ericsson, Blazer, Plant, and Arnow (2005) examined the independent effects of childhood sexual and physical abuse on adult health status in a large community sample of 5,877 men and women. Sachs-Ericsson et al. (2005) found that childhood sexual and physical abuse was associated with the one-year prevalence of serious health problems for both men and women. Specifically, participants who experienced any form of childhood abuse were more likely to report having a medical condition, including AIDS, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney or liver disease, neurological problems, stroke, gastrointestinal disorders, or any other serious health pr oblem (Sachs-Ericsson et al., 2005). Though data from this epidemiological study likely represents the U.S. demographics, a number of limitations exist. Specifically, the researchers did not report the prevalence of each disorder endorsed and thus, the actual incidence of diabetes in the population sample is unknown. Furthermore, Sachs-Ericsson et. al (2005) did not look at additional forms of maltreatment, such as verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Similarly, Walker, Gelfand, Katon, Koss, Von Korff, Bernstein, and Russo (1999) found a significant association between childhood maltreatment and adverse adult health outcomes. In particular, the researchers administered a survey to 1,225 women randomly selected from the membership of a large HMO in Washington State. Results indicated that women with childhood maltreatment histories were more likely to have an increased number of physician-coded ICD-9 diagnoses, grouped together as high blood pressure, diabetes, dermatitis, asthma, allergy, acne, and abnormal menstrual bleeding. Though the group of women in this study who reported threshold levels of sexual maltreatment had the poorest health outcomes, a major limitation of this study is the uncertainty as to whether additional forms of maltreatment were concomitantly experienced. Specifically, the authors do not establish whether sexual abuse solely was the cause of poorer health or is largely due to multiple forms of maltreatment in girls who were not properly protected in their early families. Moreover, Walker et al. (1999) do not differentiate between types of diabetes. Gender differences have been established in the association between physical abuse in childhood and overall health problems in adulthood. Analysis of data from 16,000 individuals interviewed in the National Violence Against Women Survey found that female abuse victims were at greater risk for health problems than their male counterparts (Thompson, Kingree, Desai, 2004). Furthermore, women with maltreatment history tend to have more distressing physical experiences, have an increased number of physician-coded diagnoses, and were more likely to engage in multiple health risk behaviors, including obesity a significant risk factor associated with Type II diabetes (Trickett, Putnam, Noll, 2005; Walker, Gelgand, Katon, Koss, Von Korff, Bernstein, Russo, 1999). Moreover, sexual assault history throughout ones lifespan was also associated with chronic disease (i.e. diabetes, arthritis, and physical disability) in a sample of women from Los Angeles (Golding, 1994). Conversely, in their sa mple of 680 primary care patients, Norman, Means-Christensen, Craske, Sherbourne, Roy-Byrne, and Stein (2006) found that the experience of trauma significantly increased the odds of arthritis and diabetes for men, while trauma was associated with increased odds for digestive disorders and cancer in women. Although the data suggests that childhood maltreatment is related to adverse health outcomes in adulthood, they do not address as to why associations differed by gender. Analyzing data from the Midlife Development in the United States Survey (MIDUS), Goodwin and Weisberg (2002) sought to determine the association between childhood emotional and physical abuse and the odds of self-reported diabetes among adults in the general population. Their results revealed that self-reported diabetes occurred in 4.8% of its representative sample of 3,032 adults aged 25-74 years. Childhood abuse was associated with significantly increased odds of self-reported diabetes, which persisted after adjusting for differences in socio-demographic characteristics and mental health status (Goodwin Weisberg, 2002). Moreover, individuals who specifically reported maternal emotional abuse and maternal physical abuse had significantly higher rates of diabetes (Goodwin Weisberg, 2002). Furthermore, data gathered from a sample of 130 patients (65 abused, 65 non-abused controls) drawn from an adult primary-care practice in a small, affluent, predominantly Caucasian community in northern New England revealed that patients with a history of victimization were more likely to report diabetes or endorse symptoms of this illness than non-abused participants (Kendall-Tackett Marshall, 1999). Specifically, four patients in the abused group reported diabetes, with none in the control group. Interestingly, those patients in the abused group did not have a significantly higher family history of diabetes than those in the non-abused group and a higher percentage of patients in the abused group reported having three of more symptoms than did those in the control group. Kendall-Tackett and Marshall (1999) assert that although only four people identified themselves as having diabetes, this number should be interpreted in the broader context of incidence of diabetes in the general population. Nonetheless, this finding could have been due to chance and many of the symptoms endorsed could have been related to other diseases (Kendall-Tackett Marshall, 1999). Additional limitations include the failure to differentiate between the types of abuse endured and the use of a non-empirically validated measure to gather data. Furthermore, the researchers did not specify which type of diabetes the participants were diagnosed with and did not indicate the severity of the disease. Data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE), however, found alternative results. Researchers Felliti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, Koss, and Marks (1998) mailed questionnaires about adverse childhood experiences to 9,508 adults who had completed a standardized medical evaluation at a large HMO in California. It was found that abuse and other types of household dysfunction were significantly related to the number of disease conditions, with the exception of diabetes. Specifically, when those who had experienced multiple forms of childhood maltreatment were compared to those with no experiences, the odds-ratio for the presence of diabetes was a non-significant 1.6 (Felliti et al., 1998). The researchers believe that their estimates of the long-term relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult health are conservative. Specifically, it is likely that, consistent with well-documented longitudinal follow-up studies, that reports of childhood abu se were underestimated due to the premature mortality in persons with multiple adverse childhood exposures (Felliti et al., 1998). Similarly, in a sample of 1,359 community-dwelling men and women aged 50 years or older, Stein and Barrett-Connor (2000) found no relationship between sexual assault history in participants lifetime and reported rates of diabetes. Rather, a history of sexual assault was associated with an increased risk of arthritis and breast cancer in women and thyroid disease in men (Stein Barrett-Connor, 2000). In this study, the researchers posit that the possibility of response bias is a major limitation. Namely, Stein and Barrett-Connor (2000) consider the likelihood that previously assaulted respondents have a greater tendency to visit doctors, leading to the increased opportunities for health conditions to be detected. Additional limitations include the lack of consideration for other types of abuse encountered in childhood. The Link between Childhood Maltreatment and Diabetes The above findings provide support for the hypothesis that childhood maltreatment may be associated with increased likelihood of the diagnosis of a medical condition, with the inclusion of diabetes in some studies. An essential question posed by this observation is by what mechanisms are adverse childhood experiences linked to health risk behaviors and adult diseases? A number of researchers have found that psychological stress, in particular, has been associated with the onset of Type II diabetes. This impact of stress on the etiology and course of Type II diabetes can be considered via the metabolic pathways by means of obesity and/or activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the gene-environment interaction, and the correlation of coping with diabetes and stressors. The stress response is a physiological coping response that involves the HPA axis, the sympathetic nervous system, the neurotransmitter system, and then immune system. There is growing evidence that victims of various forms of abuse and stressors often experience biological changes, particularly in the neuroendocrine system implicated in the stress response, as well as the brain (Glaser, 2000; Goenjian, Pynoos, Steinberg, Endres, Abraham, Geffner, Fairbanks, 2003; King, Mandansky, King, Fletcher, Brewer, 2001; McEwen, 2000). The HPA axis is the primary mechanism studied in the literature on the neurobiology of stress and is estimated through the non-invasive measurement of cortisol in saliva samples. During psychological stress, cortisol is elevated beyond normal levels in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone from the pituitary, mobilizing energy stores, and facilitating behavioral responses to threat (Diseases, 2006). In the presence of prolonged stress, especially in which the individual has difficulty coping, this physiological response may occur to an atypical extent and prove harmful. Dienstbier (1989) asserts that prolonged and/or extreme stress can create a vicious cycle of pathology, as individuals with a history of abuse may become even more vulnerable in the face of new victimization because they become threat-sensitized, resulting in either an over- or under-reaction of the HPA system to new stressors. As Vaillancourt, Duku, Decatanzaro, Macmillan, Muir, and Schmidt (2008) cite, this process is best illustrated by Cicchetti and Rogoschs (2001) study of maltreated children attending a summer day camp. These authors found that in comparison to non-abused children, children who had been both sexually and physically abused, in addition to emotionally maltreated or neglected, exhibited higher morning cortisol levels, whereas a subgroup of children who had only been physically abused exhibited lower levels. Recent evidence suggests that increased cortisol concentrations may contribute to the prevalence of metabolic syndromes, such as Type II diabetes. For example, in their assessment of 190 Type II diabetic patients who volunteered from a population study of 12,430 in suburban Germany, Oltmanns, Dodt, Schultes, Raspe, Schweiger, Born, Fehm, and Peters (2006), sought to assess the relationship between diabetes-associated metabolic disturbances and cortisol concentrations in patients with Type II diabetes. The target population comprised of men and women born between 1939 and 1958 who completed a postal questionnaire about their health status. Results demonstrated that in patients with Type II diabetes, those with the highest cortisol profiles had higher glucose levels and blood pressures (Oltmanns et al., 2006). Their findings suggest that HPA axis activity may play a role in the development of Type II diabetes-associated metabolic disturbances. Cartmell (2006) proposes a model by which this may occur. Namely, high levels of cortisol decreases metabolism of glucose and increase mobilization and metabolism of fats. This decreased metabolism of glucose contributes to increased blood glucose levels. Furthermore, increased blood fat levels contribute to insulin resistance. This increase level of blood glucose and fats are characteristic symptoms of diabetes (Cartmell, 2006). Researchers Chiodini, Adda, Scillitani, Colleti, Morelli, Di Lembo, Epaminonda, Masserini, Beck-Peccoz, Orsi, Ambrosi, and Arosio (2007) extended the literature by studying HPA axis secretion of cortisol and chronic diabetic complications. An evaluation was conducted on HPA activity in a sample of 117 Type II diabetic patients with and without chronic complications and in a sample of 53 non-diabetic patients at a hospital in Italy. Chiodini et al. (2007) found that in diabetic subjects without chronic complications, HPA axis activity was comparable with that of non-diabetic patients, whereas in diabetic subjects with chronic complications, cortisol level was increased in respect to both diabetic subjects and control subjects. Though the design of their study did not look for a cause-effect relationship, Chiodini et al. (2007) purport that higher levels of cortisol, either due to a constitutive HPA axis activation or secondary to a chronic stress condition, may predispose an individua l to the development of chronic diabetic complications. Type II diabetes is now a well-recognized syndrome characteristic of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension (Sridhar Madhu, 2001). One theory that purports the biological plausibility of a stress-diabetes association has been formulated by Swiss researcher, Dr. Per Bjà ¶rntorp. Bjà ¶rntorp (1997) postulated that stress could be responsible for sympathetic nervous system activation, hormone abnormalities, and obesity. This theory states that perceived psychological stress with a defeatist or helplessness reaction leads to an activation of the HPA axis. This in turn results in endocrine abnormalities, including increased cortisol and decreased sex steroid levels that disrupt the actions of insulin. In addition, this hormonal imbalance causes visceral adiposity, which plays an important role in diabetes and cardiovascular disease by contributing to the development of insulin resistance (Cartmell, 2006). Researchers of The Hoorn Study described above tested Bjà ¶rntorps theory and found only partial support (Mooy et al., 2000). Specifically, the accumulation of visceral fat did not seem to be the major mediating factor between stress and diabetes and fasting insulin concentration, which is an approximation of insulin resistance, was not higher in the individuals in their sample who had experienced more stressful events. Study Significance The significance of this study is its potential to provide medical practitioners with information regarding the impact of past psychosocial factors, such as childhood maltreatment, on the current physical health of Type II diabetics. Diabetes and its complications affect a significant portion of the United States population and has become the fifth leading cause of death in the country (Florida Department of Health, 2008). As researchers continue to look for the cause(s) of diabetes and methods to treat, prevent, or cure the disorder, it is vital that practitioners take a holistic and comprehensive approach to assessing the diabetics life. As long as abuse and other potentially damaging experiences in childhood contribute to the development of risk factors, then these childhood exposures should be recognized as the basic causes of morbidity and mortality in adult life (Felliti et al., 1998). Major limitations of past literature include lack of specificity of type of diabetes, family history, and self-reported diabetes without data on physiological measures. In addition to replication, future studies should include detailed studies on diabetes-type, a ruling-out of serious medical conditions that could potentially act as confounds, and identify maltreatment subtypes experienced. This study aims to uncover a relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult physical health, namely with Type II diabetes, so as to assist with screening and intervention. If doctors caring for adults who suffer from a medical condition associated with diabetes are unaware of this relationship, they will neither obtain early maltreatment history nor make appropriate patient referrals leading to higher health care utilization and poorer outcomes (Arnow, 2004; Springer, Sheridan, Kuo, Carnes, 2003). Research Questions and Hypotheses This study aims to answer the following questions: Is a history of childhood maltreatment associated with diabetes-related quality of life? If so, is a decrease in diabetes-related quality of life associated with an increase in the types of childhood maltreatment experienced? It is hypothesized that the more types of abuse endured during childhood (i.e. physical, emotional, and/or sexual, neglect, and/or the witnessing of family violence), the more chronic and severe an individuals diabetes will be and the greater impact of their illness on their reported quality of life. Method Participants Data will be collected from individuals with Type II diabetes, recruited from psychiatric practices located in Plant City and Tampa, Florida. Participants will be recruited from these sites due to likelihood that patients receiving psychiatric care have a history of childhood maltreatment. Participants will be included in the study if they are aged 40 and older, as non-insulin dependent diabetes appears after this age. Participants will be excluded fro

The Perception of Pain :: Senses Medical Essays

The Perception of Pain At some point in life, all people experience pain. The presence of pain can prevent further damage to an injured area or even prevent an injury from occurring, but pain that continues, after treatment or even after healing, can be debilitating (Loeser and Melzack, 1999). Stephani Curtis (1997) presents a case study of a 32-year-old woman, Mrs. J, who injured her lower back when she fell off a horse. As a result of this accident, Mrs. J experienced a ruptured lumbar disc. The treatment, a lumbar laminectomy, failed to alleviate her pain. Due to the pain and the effects of her prescribed medication, Mrs. J was forced to curtail her activities, and she had to quit her job as a truck driver. Psychologists, neurosurgeons, and other health-care professionals research to relieve pain for patients like Mrs. J. This much needed research offers hope for the millions of people whose lives have been disrupted by pain, such as chronic pain, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. While pain has always been present in humans' lives, Loeser and Melzack (1999) report that it is in only the past 30 years that pain research has made advances in both the treatment and the understanding of pain. There are three basic categories of pain: transient, acute, and chronic. Short-term, or transient pain, serves to protect an individual from any lasting damage. Nociceptive transducers activate this beneficial kind of pain in daily life when people stub a toe or get a mild sunburn. People rarely seek medical care to address transient pain symptoms. The pain itself motivates the person to stop the harmful activity to prevent additional pain and damaging injury. When damage does occur to an injured area, nociceptive transducers also activate acute pain, another beneficial type of pain. A broken bone or a tissue-damaging burn are examples of this medium-duration pain. People normally go to the doctor to aid the natural healing of the body and to reduce pain. Acute pain rarely continues for longer than three months; although, continuous acute pain from malignant diseases can last longer. The final category of pain, chronic, presents many challenges to both patients, like Mrs. J, and health-care providers. The pain fails to cease after treatment or even after healing in some cases. The body may be unable to heal as in the amputation of a limb. Pain experienced in the missing limb is known as phantom limb pain (Loeser and Melzack, 1999; Pain Drain, 1999).

An important event that changed my life

There are many changes that can happen in a person’ s life. Some changes are very tiny and would not affect your life very much. However, other events could be very important and could change a person’ s whole life, such as getting married, having a baby, or losing someone special. The important event that changed my life is coming to the United States to study. When I first arrived in this country, I realized that a tremendous transformation would happen in my life both physically and mentally. After spending more than two months in the United States, I firmly believe that moving to the United States is a beneficial change for me. This change provides me a chance to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as a new way of thinking that are significant for me.It is essential to have this change as it offers me a healthy lifestyle. Before coming to the United States, I used to stay up late at night to study and wake up early in the morning. This was a hazard to my health that co uld cause me to get sick easily. When I decided to come to America, I made up my mind and determined to keep a healthy routine. For example, I enjoy the American-style meal which includes having a fresh salad instead of cooked vegetables. This method of cooking vegetables helps me absorb more vitamins from them. As a result, I can feel that I am becoming healthier and healthier. 3Additionally, this important change enables me to think differently and internationally. This is my first time living in a North-American country. Hence, I have a brand new opportunity to experience a new culture. Because I live in a multicultural society, living in Los Angeles has expanded my horizon on a lot of things – lifestyle, eating habits, and respectful greeting manners. By knowing more about different cultures, I have become more considerate and understanding of various habits as well as behaviors from different races. Consequently, I have changed into someone who has a new way of seeing di stinct issues happening around me.To sum up, mov ing to the United States was an important change in my life because of giving me the chance to have a healthy lifestyle and a new way of thinking. I have changed my eating and sleeping habits in a good way. Meanwhile, I have become more understanding of different cultures. Thus, this change is very important and beneficial for me An Important Event that Changed my Life There are many changes that can happen in a person’ s life. Some changes are very tiny and would not affect your life very much. However, other events could be very important and could change a person’ s whole life, such as getting married, having a baby, or losing someone special. The important event that changed my life is coming to the United States to study. When I first arrived in this country, I realized that a tremendous transformation would happen in my life both physically and mentally. After spending more than two months in the United States, I firmly believe that moving to the United States is a beneficial change for me. This change provides me a chance to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as a new way of thinking that are significant for me.It is essential to have this change as it offers me a healthy lifestyle. Before coming to the United States, I used to stay up late at night to study and wake up early in the morning. This was a hazard to my health that co uld cause me to get sick easily. When I decided to come to America, I made up my mind and determined to keep a healthy routine. For example, I enjoy the American-style meal which includes having a fresh salad instead of cooked vegetables. This method of cooking vegetables helps me absorb more vitamins from them. As a result, I can feel that I am becoming healthier and healthier.Additionally, this important change enables me to think differently and internationally. This is my first time living in a North-American country. Hence, I have a brand new opportunity to experience a new culture. Because I live in a multicultural society, living in Los Angeles has expanded my horizon on a lot of things – lifestyle, eating habits, and respectful greeting manners. By knowing more about different cultures, I have become more considerate and understanding of various habits as well as behaviors from different races. Consequently, I have changed into someone who has a new way of seeing dist inct issues happening around me.To sum up, mov ing to the United States was an important change in my life because of giving me the chance to have a healthy lifestyle and a new way of thinking. I have changed my eating and sleeping habits in a good way. Meanwhile, I have become more understanding of different cultures. Thus, this change is very important and beneficial for me.

Time Management for Right-Brained

MANAGING TIME USING THE RIGHT BRAIN As we prepare ourselves to meet the challenges of the new century, we need to be concerned about the most critical of all resources, Time. As the pressure to become more competitive builds up, this resource is becoming more and more scarce. One can create and destroy any resource, but not time. However, the way time is managed differs from person to person. It is not how much time one has that is important. It is what do one does with one’s time. Most people have ambitions and aspirations in life. Every one wishes that he or she manages the goals in life successfully.But the critical issue is only a few succeed in reaching them in full. Why is that? There are different words to describe an outcome or an end result : ‘wish’, ‘desire’, ‘need’, ‘wants’, ‘goals’, are some of them. Of these, the word ‘goal’ presupposes a time frame and quantification and some efforts. B ut there is one more dimension to a goal in terms of its strength and intensity as understood by the mine. It is called ‘empowerment’. Empowerment is the process of giving an inner strength and wherewithal to reach the goal in spite of obstacles. It results in a mindset of restlessness and urge to reach the set goal.We need to look at the concept of time management from a different perspective. The process of what goes on in the mind is more important than what is exbibited outside a person in terms of setting priorities and pursuing various activities. To make a success of time management, it should be first be understood that it is a mind driven concept and not a system driven practice. To understand why some people manage time well, we should locate the seat of all our goals and aspiration in life. For this we should understand the working of the human brain.The human brain has two halves : the left and the right. The left brain is involved in language skills, it is analytical and it processes information in a linear fashion one after the other. It is logical and verbal. The right brain is the intuitive part of the brain, which is holistic and non-linear. This imaginative and creative part is responsible for the dreaming function. One this aspect of the brain is understood, it is easy to interpret what goes on in the mind of a successful person who manages his time effectively. In fact, there is no such thing as time management.The issue is self-management through pursuing an empowerment through emotional commitment. Any one who attaches a deep sense of emotion to the goal finds out a way of setting priorities to realise the same. He is able to withstand all the pains of initiating the controlling the various actions towards reaching his goal. For transferring the goal to the right brain, the visualisation skill of the right brain should be used. Before trying to manage one’s time, one should start with a powerful picture of the goal in his mind. One should visualise the goal with emotional attachment.It could all start with what others may dub it as a fantasy. After all, when you think about it, all inventions are a result of some one’s fantasies! 1 When the goal is powerfully represented in the mind through a bright picture of the future, the effect of the same involves the person so emotionally that it gets into his subconscious mind. The right brain alone can understand a person’s emotional attachment to his goal. When confronted with problems while reaching one’s goals, the left brain is logical and analytical and reasons out how it is impossible to reach the goal given the difficult circumstances.It reasons out how intense will be the problems to be surmounted, and, if allowed to prevail on the mine, will make the person to give up his goal. The way the right brain interprets the goal is different. It is not logical but intuitive. It is emotionally involved in the process of goal setting and will not give up. The right brain is not logical but creative and thinks about innovative ways of reaching the goal. It has already visualised the final scene of the goal achievement and hence ‘knows’ how nice it is to be in that situation of achievement and will not rest until newer and alternative methods of reaching the goal are found.A limiting belief makes you feel you are not capable of performing, as you want to due to some things present in the external system. Actually, limitation is not outside the person. It is within the mind. This is mainly due to the interpretation of the situation by the left brain, as it understands the situation. In such a situation, the right brain has to be used to get emotionally connected with the goal. This process will make the person believe in himself and his abilities to reach the goal. (Source : N. C. Sridharan’s article in The Hindu) 2 Related article: Â  Time Management

Definition and Examples of Primary Sources in Research

Definition and Examples of Primary Sources in Research In research  activities,  a primary source refers to information collected firsthand from such sources as historical documents, literary texts, artistic works, experiments, surveys, and interviews. It is also called primary data and is very different than a secondary source. The Library of Congress defines primary sources as actual records that have survived from the past, such as letters, photographs, or articles of clothing, in contrast to secondary sources, which are accounts of the past created by people writing about events sometime after they happened   Examples of Primary Sources [Primary sources] provide the raw data that you use first to test the working hypothesis and then as evidence to support your claim. In history, for example, primary sources include documents from the period or person you are studying, objects, maps, even clothing; in literature or philosophy, your main primary source is usually the text you are studying, and your data are the words on the page. In such fields, you can rarely write a research paper without using primary sources. (Wayne C. Booth et al. The Craft of Research. University of Chicago Press, 2008) Chief Characteristics The chief characteristics of  primary sources are: (1) being present during the experience, event or time and (2) consequently being close in time with the data. This does not mean that data from  primary sources are  always the best data. . . . Data from human sources are subject to many types of distortion because of such factors as selective recall, selective perceptions, and purposeful or nonpurposeful omission or addition of information. Thus data from primary sources are not necessarily accurate data even though they come from firsthand sources. (Natalie L. Sproull,  Handbook of Research Methods: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in the Social Sciences, 2nd ed. Scarecrow Press, 2002) Methods of Collecting Primary Data If the information you need is unavailable or hasnt yet been gathered, youll have to gather it yourself. Four basic methods of collecting primary data are field research, content analysis, survey research, and experiments. Other methods of gathering primary data include historical research, analysis of existing statistics, . . . and various forms of direct observation. (H. Dan OHair et al. Business Communication: A Framework for Success. South-Western, 2001) Secondary Sources and Their Bibliographies By identifying basic facts, such as year of construction, secondary sources can point the researcher to the  best primary sources, such as the right tax books. In addition, a careful reading of the bibliography in a secondary source can reveal important sources the researcher might otherwise have missed. (Alison Hoagland and Gray Fitzsimmons, History.  Recording Historic Structures, 2nd. ed., edited by John A. Burns. Wiley, 2004) Original Sources The distinction also needs to be made between primary and original sources. It is by no means always necessary, and all too often it is not possible, to deal only with original sources. Printed copies of original sources, provided they have been undertaken with scrupulous care (such as the published letters of the Founding Fathers), are usually an acceptable substitute for their handwritten originals. (E. J. Monaghan and D. K. Hartman, Undertaking Historical Research in Literacy, in Handbook of Reading Research, ed. by P. D. Pearson et al. Erlbaum, 2000) Finding and Accessing Primary Sources This one is entirely dependent on the assignment given and your local resources; but when included, always emphasize quality.  . . . Keep in mind that there are many institutions such as the Library of Congress that make primary source material freely available on the Web.  (Joel D. Kitchens, Librarians, Historians, and New Opportunities for Discourse. ABC-CLIO, 2012)