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https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-pc-shooters
|
PC games are an incredibly diverse form of entertainment. For example, strategy games—both turn-based and real-time—challenge your tactical prowess. Puzzle games scratch a similar itch, but typically with twitchy, block-dropping, or item-shifting challenges. The shooter, on the other hand, is a wildly popular genre that tests your ability to keep blasting until you see your enemies reduced to pulp.
Shooters typically come in two forms: first-person or third-person. First-person shooters are more immersive gaming experiences, as the game you play unfolds from your perspective. The 2016 Doom reboot and its sequel, Doom Eternal, are standouts in that sub-genre. Third-person shooters look cooler, because you can see your on-screen avatar's whole body as it navigates the battlefield. PlatinumGames' Vanquish is a perfect example of this, as you can witness Sam Gideon jetting across the warzone in ability-enhancing power armor.
Ready to start blasting? Here are some of our favorite first- and third-person shooters.
Recommended by Our Editors
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
There’s nothing quite like gunning down freakish monsters with buddies in online co-op action. Aliens: Fireteam Elite puts you in the boots of a hardened Colonial Marine who's tasked with rescuing survivors and investigating a xenomorph outbreak on a Weyland-Yutani colony. You undertake various missions while searching for loot and valuables to improve your marine’s build. The game supports three-player online co-op play, but you can also play solo if you prefer. By blending 1980s action, memorable movie visuals, and engrossing combat, Aliens: Fireteam Elite creates an addictive game loop that's hard to put down.
Battlefield 4
When it comes to evaluating any title in the Battlefield franchise, it's important to remember that the only reason anyone plays campaign mode is to unlock new weapons in multiplayer. Despite great voice acting by Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire), campaign mode is little more than a four- to six-hour tutorial teaching you how to play the game. Multiplayer combat, on the other hand, captures the awe of destruction. You can run across the battlefield, ducking in and out of cover, board a helicopter, hop on the mini-gun, cut enemies to shreds, then hop off the gun and repair the helicopter while in flight. It's all in a day's work on the battlefield.
Battlefield V
Battlefield V doesn't drastically alter the first-person shooter field, but what's in this package is quite good. The EA DICE-developed game features a gorgeous World War II scenario and lightning-fast gameplay that'll keep you running and shooting for hours on end. Battlefield V includes respectable single-player content (War Stories) and fresh takes on multiplayer gameplay (Grand Operations). Firestorm, the game's squad-based battle royale mode, supports up to 64 players, putting the series' signature environmental destruction on display in glorious fashion.
BioShock Infinite
Shattered dreams form the foundation of BioShock Infinite, the third installment in Irrational Games' impressive saga exploring the devastating effects of isolation (and isolationism) on the human psyche. But even if you loved the original BioShock (2007) and its sequel, BioShock 2 (2010), this chapter won't leave you with the impression your dreams have been betrayed. Wedding familiar gameplay elements from the preceding titles with exciting new mechanics, an engrossing story, and stunning visual design, BioShock Infinite is the culmination of the series' aesthetic and its promise to turn a mirror on humanity by probing as deeply into the self as possible.
Borderlands 2
With Borderlands 2, developer Gearbox Entertainment and publisher 2K Games return to the comedy-filled warzone. You play as a Vault Hunter, a treasure hunter looking for an alien vault on a barely colonized planet. Throughout the guffaw-filled adventure, you collect hundreds of different guns, each with its own unique stats and attributes. The heavy metal lets you mow down a seemingly unlimited number of robots, mutants, and Mad Max-style raiders.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
The Call of Duty franchise has been all over the place in recent years, with a shift in focus from WWII campaigns to space adventures and battle royale action. Although Call of Duty has strayed from its roots, the Infinity Ward-developed reboot of the seminal 2007 title grounds the first-person shooter series. Modern Warfare has the tactical single-player and robust multiplayer modes one expects from a Call of Duty title, but successfully strips away all superfluous elements. That's not to say that Modern Warfare lacks cool features. New to the game is a rewards-based morality system that ranks your ability to properly discern innocent people from legitimate threats in the single-player campaign.
Doom (2016)
No, this isn't the classic, genre-defining 1993 original. This is Doom, the numberless 2016 series entry that exceeded many gamers' expectations. You once again play as the armed-to-the-teeth Doom Slayer who battles Hell's minions on Mars. As a result, goat-legged skeleton men, flying, flaming skulls, and other monstrous hordes assault you from every side. Featuring gory, frantic, demon-blasting gameplay and a blood-pumping heavy metal soundtrack, the id Software-crafted Doom blends old-school design with modern know-how to form a satisfying, unholy concoction.
Doom Eternal
Doom 2016 reimagined the landmark shooter by adding more weapons, more demons, incredible stage design, and an awesome heavy metal score. Doom Eternal, that game's sequel, turns things up to eleven.
In Doom Eternal, demons have invaded and conquered Earth, so your player-character, the simply named Doom Slayer, must drive back the monstrosities. Although Doom Eternal introduces more story elements than Doom 2016, particularly the Doom Slayer's origins, that isn't the main draw here. Doom Eternal has one true focus: killing demons in increasingly gory and brutal ways.
Featuring satisfying stage-navigation options, numerous secrets to unearth, and a new 2-vs.-1 multiplayer Battlemode, Doom Eternal is a worthy follow-up to one of the best contemporary shooters around.
Doom: The Dark Ages
The grandfather of first-person shooters continues to shine with Doom: The Dark Ages. Taking place in the past, it adds more medieval flair to the gory, demon-slaying action. Alongside your trusty shotguns, you'll slaughter monsters with a sturdy shield and heavy mace. The combat is grounded yet open to creative tactics. Take a break from shooting and hop on a flying dragon or into a towering mech. The story may take itself a little too seriously, but Doom: The Dark Ages gets your blood pumping the way only Id Software can.
Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 is a fun sandbox of shooting with an interesting land to explore and tons of missions to find and collectibles to grab. It slavishly follows Far Cry 3's structure, but when the action is this entertaining, hard to complain. Far Cry 4 doesn't do much new, but it's an enjoyable and good-looking excuse to spend some hours stomping through jungles and sniping people from towers.
Gears of War 4
Gears of War 4 brings satisfying cover-based alien-blasting action to PC. The Coalition-developed title offers a new team to fight with, new toys to play with, and all-new enemies to shred, either alone or with a friend. And, like Forza Horizon 3, Gears of War 4 is a part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative, so you can play a digital copy on either a Windows 10 PC or Xbox One console with a single purchase—a nice perk. The gameplay grows a bit repetitive as the story progresses, but if you want to sneakily kill lots and lots of enemies, Gears of War 4 is a worthy pickup.
Gears 5
Xbox Game Studios' Gears 5 is the first main game in the beloved third-person shooter series to ditch the "of War" suffix, but don't get it twisted: This is a Gears of War through and through. A direct sequel to Gears of War 4, Gears 5 continues the Coalition of Ordered Government's (COG) battle against the alien Swarm. Gears 5's captivating storytelling, solid shoot-and-cover mechanics, and excellent graphics far outweigh its merely average multiplayer modes. Still, Gears 5 is a strong recommendation for both series veterans and newcomers.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, the first DirectX 12 PC title, just about sets the standard for what a remastered game should offer. The third-person shooter was already a great game when it debuted a decade ago on Xbox 360, but this updated title adds 4K resolution, unlocked frame rates, and content that was once paid DLC. That said, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition isn't perfect; it doesn't work well with AMD GPUs, bugs from the original game are still an issue, and it lacks some of the updated mechanics found in later Gears games. But if you own an Nvidia-powered gaming rig, you'll be good to go.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
Halo: Combat Evolved is the game that sparked a beloved Microsoft franchise and put the original Xbox on the map. It reimagined the first-person shooter (FPS) genre for consoles and popularized many of the controls and functions that such games would use for decades afterward. As part of the new Master Chief Collection, the updated Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary boasts 4K graphics, ultrawide monitor support, and other features you'd expect from a contemporary PC game.
Halo 2: Anniversary
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a nostalgic compilation featuring Microsoft's classic first-person shooter titles, but the reworked games launched with various bugs. Halo 2: Anniversary came out the gate in a better state than the games before it, but has multiplayer and graphical glitches. Still, this updated Halo 2 is a great shooter, as it features fast-paced shooting action, wonderfully overhauled 4K graphics, and the ability to dual-wield weapons.
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Halo 3
Halo 3 is a must-own shooter. It's easily the most polished Master Chief Collection game released to date, offering excellent shoot-from-the-hip action, cool new weapons and mechanics, and a dramatic conclusion to Halo 2's conflict. Plus, Halo 3 looks better than ever thanks to 4K assets. If you find yourself itching to replay it, or if you never had the chance to do so before, consider the game a fantastic buy.
Halo: Reach
The newly remastered Halo: Reach—a part of the Halo: Master Chief Collection compilation that bundles and updates every mainline Halo release, sans Halo 5—represents the first time the shooter has appeared on PC. The game now offers 4K graphics, ultrawide monitor support, and other expected PC-related enhancements that were not included in the Xbox 360 original.
Halo: Spartan Strike
Is there anything that sounds more cynical than a top-down shooter Halo spin-off for phones and tablets? Ever since single-handedly saving the original Xbox, Halo has remained Microsoft's gaming cash cow, so sticking its name on something is a great way to drum up extra interest. However, instead of being a mere cash-in, Halo: Spartan Assault is a legitimately fun and well-produced game, triumphantly translating Master Chief's missions to PCs and mobile devices. Halo: Spartan Strike maintains much of that game's strengths, while cutting out most, but not all, of its weakness.
Halo 5: Forge
It's easy to recommend Halo 5: Forge to anyone who's looking for a solid multiplayer shooter. Forge comes with a wealth of multiplayer modes, including the titular map-editing mode, giving you a ton of content to chew through. It does have a few shortcomings that are worth noting, however. Multiplayer matchmaking is restricted to private lobbies, so sessions are limited to playing with your Xbox Live friends. In addition, Halo 5: Forge suffers from a tight field of view that makes playing the game unexpectedly stressful. Still, if you are willing to overlook these and a few smaller issues, Halo 5: Forge is well worth downloading. After all, you can't beat free.
Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite doesn't radically shake up the familiar Halo formula, but developer 343 Industries' gameplay changes make the newest series installment worth a play. This time out, Master Chief navigates open-world environments, uses a grapple hook to snag enemies, and starts a relationship with a new AI companion. The well-designed first-person shooter also features a strong (and free!) multiplayer component, gorgeous cutscenes, and unlocked frame rates for silky-smooth gameplay.
Helldivers 2
Protect Super Earth and democracy from dastardly insect and robot threats in glorious four-player cooperative shooting. Imagine Earth Defense Force's over-the-top multiplayer action blended with Starship Troopers' hypermilitarized satire. Chaotic multiplayer action, a rewarding gameplay loop, and a fun setting make this an easy recommendation.
Overwatch 2
Shooters don't always need to be dark, gritty, or ultra-realistic affairs. Cartoonish fun has its place, too, and Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch 2 is a great example of that. Featuring colorful levels, multiple game modes and team-based synergy, and lore-drenched characters with vastly different play styles, Overwatch 2 is a thoroughly enjoyable first-person shooter that's filled with cheer and mechanical variety.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
The original Garden Warfare married PopCap Games' zany Plants vs. Zombies universe with strategic, class-based third-person shooting, resulting in an addicting, polished multiplayer shooter. Garden Warfare 2 expands the roster of playable characters and variants, adds all-new customization options, introduces new game modes, and fleshes out the single-player experience, creating a much more rounded game than the original. That said, balance issues make some classes feel more potent than others, and the server connectivity is spotty at times, resulting in jittery matches. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is a solid title nonetheless, and one that fans of the original and newcomers alike can enjoy.
Postal: Brain Damaged
The Postal franchise may conjure memories of the worst edgy shooters that plagued the 1990s, but Postal: Brain Damaged maintains what made those shooters so fun to play. Inventive weapons, head-banging music, and fun boss fights take you back to a time when “realism” was a dirty word.
Prey
Let's get this out of the way: Prey could easily pass as an unofficial System Shock game. On the surface, Prey looks very much like the brainchild of industry veterans Ken Levine or Warren Spector. While the opinions of the latest System Shock spiritual installments (BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite) are all over the place, Bethesda's take does the Shock family and first-person shooter genre justice with its fast-paced, body-morphing gameplay set in Art Deco-flavored environments.
Returnal
Developer Housemarque's Returnal debuted six months after the PlayStation 5 hit the market, and proved incredibly polarizing due to its difficulty and roguelike gameplay. The action-packed third-person shooter later made the jump to PC with the console DLC in tow, plus new monitor (ultrawide and super ultrawide) support and GPU (Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR) features. Despite the changes, Returnal's excellent gameplay, graphics, and audio remain.
Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars: Battlefront is a multiplayer shooter that reboots the classic LucasArts video game series. Unlike previous games in the series, Star Wars: Battlefront lacks an overarching narrative and historic battles to reenact; it's basically a modern shooter given a liberal coat of Star Wars paint. The veneer is a fine one, and Battlefront has some good action to offer, including a playable Emperor Sheev Palpatine.
Star Wars Battlefront II
Star Wars Battlefront II does many things right. It has top-notch environments, thrilling multiplayer modes, and engaging mechanics that will have you piloting ships and swinging lightsabers deep into the night. That said, an uproar over this first-person shooter's included microtransactions tanked its reputation at launch, causing publisher Electronic Arts to quickly reverse course and temporarily remove all microtransactions from the game on the eve of its release. Microtransactions will strike back in some form, however, in the near future.
Superhot
Many shooter developers are happy to release games that maintain the status quo. Superhot Team, the creative squad behind Superhot, is not. No hyperbole: Superhot is the most innovative shooter to come along in some time. It injects puzzle elements and a bizarre meta-narrative into quick, bite-sized servings of computerized violence. On the surface, Superhot may come off as a short, simple title that features mediocre graphics, but the game's addictive, time-pausing mechanic will keep you coming back to get more stylish kills.
Vanquish
Exquisitely designed with movement in mind, Vanquish's kinetic, jet-powered action adds visual flair (now remastered in 4K) and a wonderful sense of movement as you wreck mechs, vehicles, enemy troops, and super-powered bosses in a near-future setting. If Battlefield and Call of Duty have turned you off from shooters, Vanquish's unique power-armor take on the genre may be the title to make you strap on your in-game guns.
Play Non-Shooter Games
Jeffrey L. Wilson contributed to this article.
| 17,601
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Show me 5 all-time top-selling FPS games on Steam ordered by release date.
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https://gamerant.com/steam-deck-best-games/
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Debuting in February 2022, Valve's Steam Deck has been around for a couple of years by this point. While hitting a few bumps along the road, the handheld system has generally been a resounding success and helped usher in a new era of portable PCs. Despite some competitors offering legitimate alternatives, the Steam Deck is still the most popular and definitive option for any PC gamer who wants to access their libraries on the go. Not every title is compatible with the platform, but the best games on Steam Deck are also some of the greatest projects of the last few years.
Currently, Valve is selling multiple tiers of the Steam Deck. There are three main models: 256GB LCD, 512GB OLED, and 1TB OLED. However, the 64GB and 512GB LCD versions can be purchased while their stocks last. Valve has even started selling refurbished Decks, although they are frequently out of stock. After picking up a console, players might wish to read a breakdown of the best Steam Deck Verified games. The selection is updated monthly.
Steam Decks can be purchased via Valve's store. Also, make sure to double-check a game's Steam profile to see if it is Verified for the Deck. Protondb is also a great resource for checking a game's Steam Deck performance.
Updated on January 24, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Steam Deck games are always being announced. For example, FF7 Rebirth debuted with the Verified on Deck label, and the upcoming Civilization 7 has already confirmed that it will work on Valve's console. Furthermore, a Metroidvania that recently came out of early access is viable on the Steam Deck. Click below to jump to this title.
1 Left 4 Dead 2
Steam User Rating: 97%
OK, Left 4 Dead 2 is just a placeholder for every Deck Verified Valve game. There is a reason these titles continue to rank among Steam's most active titles; they are timeless. Outside purely multiplayer games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike, which are not Deck Verified, Left 4 Dead 2 is arguably Valve's most replayable game since there is never a bad time for a group of friends to get together and blast a few hundred zombies in the face. Many projects have tried to replicate the Left 4 Dead formula, but none have come close to matching the excellence of Valve's second entry in the series.
2 Elden Ring
Steam User Rating: 92%
Released very close to the Steam Deck's debut, Elden Ring was something of a test of the portable system's potential. Could Valve's platform handle a massive open-world game? Thankfully, the answer was yes.
Elden Ring: 30 Best Strength Weapons, Ranked
Strength Weapons deal the heaviest damage of Elden Ring's arsenal, but some of these hard hitters rise above the rest.
Among the best games of 2022, Elden Ring implements the Dark Souls formula into a sandbox environment that generally allows players to go wherever they please. The Lands Between is stuffed with content, both compulsory and optional, and the base game can readily keep a player engaged for 100+ hours. Build variety, epic boss fights, PvP, and lore depth are just a couple of Elden Ring's strengths, and they are just the tip of the iceberg.
3 Baldur's Gate 3
Steam User Rating: 96%
Considering Baldur's Gate 3's full debut attracted a peak Steam player count of more than 800,000 users, it is safe to say that the game's stint in early access paid off. Due to the success of its Divinity series, Larian Studios is nowadays well-established as perhaps the greatest modern developer specializing in the tactical RPG genre, making the company the perfect pick to revisit one of the most decorated IPs in gaming history. Putting aside the spin-offs, Baldur's Gate's main projects are synonymous with excellence, so any new entry would be automatically compared to some of the best RPGs of all time. In the future, games in the genre will be compared to Baldur's Gate 3, which has set the bar so high that it might be the standard-bearer for decades.
Larian has crafted a dense RPG filled with humor, drama, and player-driven choices. Right out of the gate, the game hits a home run with its character creator, which not only offers impressive depth but also influences the gameplay and world. The party-based combat system is fairly slow-paced since it focuses on planning and strategy over action or reflexes, and battles can get brutal quickly. Anyone familiar with grid-based tactical RPGs should feel at home, but newcomers to the genre might need a few hours to adapt to its rhythm.
4 Hades
Steam User Rating: 98%
Roguelikes and roguelites have exploded in popularity over the last decade, developing into one of the most popular genres in gaming, particularly the indie scene. While far from the first of its type, Hades is undeniably among the most successful roguelites of all time, primarily thanks to its addictive combat and clever blend of story and gameplay.
Dying and starting from scratch is central to roguelites, but Hades shakes things up by justifying this mechanic through its narrative (which involves the son of Hades repeatedly trying to escape hell). Regardless of whether someone is a roguelike/lite veteran or new to the genre, they should check out Supergiant's 2020 masterpiece.
Hades 2 is also Verified for the Steam Deck, but it is still in early access.
5 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance
Steam User Rating: 95%
Initially a Switch exclusive, Shin Megami Tensei 5 is now available on all platforms, including the Steam Deck. Vengeance is, essentially, the definitive version of SMT5, delivering the original campaign alongside a brand-new alternative route that changes the story's back half considerably, which was one of the original iteration's main criticisms. Vengeance elevates what was already a fantastic and long JRPG, arguably delivering an even more complete upgrade than Persona 5 Royal.
As the series is not exactly known for PC releases, SMT 5: Vengeance might be a lot of people's first foray into Atlus' mainline series. While the battle system is somewhat similar to Persona, SMT is far harder and way more prominent. In fact, combat and the mechanics surrounding it are the main focus of the game, with the story and characters taking a backseat.
6 Dave The Diver
Steam User Rating: 97%
Great sushi requires a lot of hard work. Dave the Diver is a sim about running a restaurant. Also, Dave the Diver is an exploration game revolving around an ever-changing underwater paradise that is home to quite a few majestic and massive creatures. Basically, Dave the Diver wears a lot of hats, and they nearly all fit like a glove.
Mintrocket's project strikes a fun balance between open-ended dives into known but uncharted waters and a satisfying management game. Although they do not share all that much in common, these mechanics are complementary, with one side directly feeding into the other. Dave the Diver combines great gameplay with gorgeous visuals, a charming sense of humor, and a story that has more depth than meets the eye.
7 The Planet Crafter
Steam User Rating: 96%
In 2021, Miju Games released a free prologue for The Planet Crafter, granting players interested in the survival genre an opportunity to test out the upcoming project. While it took more than a year to materialize, the full game launched in April 2024, landing to a generally positive reception. Even though they are gradually becoming more commonplace, survival open-world games are still niche, and The Planet Crafter is a fairly small release in the grand scheme of things. However, Migu built a game that knows exactly what it wants to be and shows enough ambition without pushing itself too far.
The Planet Crafter: Complete Map and Biomes Guide
You can find plenty of amazing views and hidden treasures in The Planet Crafter, but it helps to know where everything is (and how to get there).
Dropped onto an inhospitable planet and tasked with terraforming it into a potential home for humans, The Planet Crafter delivers an addictive sense of progression as players gradually transform a deserted wasteland into a lively and vibrant paradise. Even during the early hours when the focus is primarily on meeting the protagonist's physical needs and building a basic base, players should still feel like they are constantly working towards a tangible goal, creating a satisfying loop.
8 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Steam User Rating: 91%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Sega's Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise is widely compatible with the Steam Deck, with most of the entries being verified. The license's commitment to Valve's handheld was once again made evident when Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ran well on the Deck at launch. By far the biggest (and longest) entry in the series, the 8th mainline entry is a tour-de-force that delivers quantity and quality. While the project garnered some criticism due to its DLC practices, there is no denying that the actual content is top-notch. Once again, Ichiban takes center stage as the protagonist, although this time he is accompanied by the returning Kazuma; more importantly, the story leaves Japan and heads to Hawaii, a change that makes the whole experience feel incredibly fresh.
Even if someone focuses solely on the game's main campaign, they are looking at about 50+ hours of gameplay, and that scenario is unlikely to transpire due to Infinite Wealth's fantastic substories and mini-games. The turn-based combat is not too far removed from Yakuza: Like a Dragon's system, but it is fine-tuned to create a more enjoyable and satisfying package. The same can be said for the Jobs systems, which adds plenty of build variety and customization options.
9 Balatro
Steam User Rating: 97%
- Released
- February 20, 2024
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
Roguelikes are a dime-a-dozen, and deck-builders are not rare either. Consequently, a project that falls into both categories needs to be something special if it wants to stand out from a crowd that has produced plenty of great releases over the decades. Balatro deserves to sit alongside the likes of Slay the Spire as an example of a roguelike deck-builder done to absolute perfection. Inspired by Poker, LocalThunk's game presents a fantastic and accessible twist on the casino classic, delivering an experience that is immediately satisfying while also offering a gratifying sense of progression.
7 Games You Should Play If You Like Balatro
Balatro is a truly unique deckbuilder. That said, those looking for a similar experience have several options available to them.
Split into Blinds and Antes, players must put together a round-winning hand, which generally means achieving one of Poker's standard lineups. The core gameplay is straightforward, but it is complemented by a plethora of special cards that enhance a player's hand. Whether talking about Jokers or Tarots, these cards significantly open up the possibilities, allowing for a massive array of potential loadouts. They transform would could have been a fun but short-lived game into something that is very replayable.
10 Animal Well
Steam User Rating: 96%
The Steam Deck's key selling point is that it allows AAA games like Baldur's Gate 3, Elden Ring, and Street Fighter 6 to be played on the go. That is something that classic handheld consoles were never able to offer, and even the Switch is fairly limited in what projects it can run. However, as exciting as holding Cyberpunk 2077 in your hands is, the Steam Deck is arguably even better as a platform for playing smaller-scale indie adventures.
Garnering near-universal praise, Animal Well is a Metroidvania with an eye-catching presentation and brain-teasing puzzles that generally fall on the side of difficult but satisfying rather than just frustrating. Focusing on platforming rather than combat, Shared Memory's project builds an incredible atmosphere through its surreal pixel art, lending an otherworldly tone to the campaign. Be it during boss fights or just in standard rooms, the puzzles make frequent clever use of enemies, switches, and items.
| 12,088
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games
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Show me 5 all-time top-selling FPS games on Steam ordered by release date.
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https://www.thegamer.com/terraria-most-fun-classes-to-play/
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Typically, classes in a video game are distinct; you start the game, pick a class, and begin to play. In Terraria, this works a bit differently. There are classes that you can play as, but it's very easy to switch or tweak your chosen class. With the wide range of weapons available, you can personalize your fighting style.
In this list, we are going to go over some of the most fun classes to play. It's important to keep in mind that this list itself is just for fun! If you don't like any of the classes mentioned, that's totally fine. These are just great options if you are looking to shake up your Terrarian experience.
There are four official Terraria classes; mage, summoner, melee, and ranged. The classes listed here are a bit more specific, involving different playstyles within these four groups.
7 Flinx Summoner
The Flinx Summoner is exactly what it sounds like; a Summoner who commands Flinx. This is a small and round creature that bounces between enemies in a comical way. As a Flinx Summoner, you can command Flinx to do your bidding.
The Flinx Staff is pretty accessible at the start of the game, making it a good starting class. Remember, you can change your class whenever you want, as it's just based off of the weapons you use.
The Flinx Staff is required to summon a Flinx, but with the Flinx Fur Coat, you can increase the number of minions you have. When you have both of these items, you will have two Flinx that bounce around the screen, killing enemies so you don't have to.
6 Melee Yoyo-User
The yoyo is an often underutilized weapon in Terraria. While the weapon does have a bit of range, it's not nearly enough to be on par with guns and bows. The yoyo itself is tethered to you, but you can still deal some devastating attacks.
Hel-Fire is a Hardmode yoyo that burns any enemy it touches. We suggest pairing a yoyo with the Yoyo Bag (allows you to hold two yoyos) or Counterweights (creates a second yoyo projectile that attacks the enemy). What's more fun than taking on bosses with multiple yoyos in hand?
5 Bee Master
After defeating the Queen Bee, the world of bee combat will open to you. There are several bee-themed weapons in the game, which you can find below.
|
Weapon |
Type |
Description |
|
The Bee's Knees |
Bow |
Fires an 'arrow' that is made up of a projectile of bees |
|
Bee Keeper |
Broadsword |
Summons bees when attacking enemies |
|
Beenade |
Grenade |
Explodes like a normal grenade, but releases a swarm of bees |
|
Bee Gun |
Gun |
Shoots bee projectiles |
|
Hornet Staff |
Staff |
Summons a giant Hornet |
|
Hive-Five |
Yoyo |
33% chance to summon bees when attacking |
In addition to these weapons, you can also get yourself the Bee Armor, which provides a great minion boost. Overall, you can play melee or ranged as a Bee Master; the choice is yours.
4 Natural Mage
In general, the Mage class is one of the most popular. There is a wide variety of weapons to choose from, giving you infinite possibilities. One such possibility revolves around greenery. Wands such as the Flower of Fire or Nettle Burst can turn you into a druid-like Mage, capable of attacking with nature.
If you participate in the Christmas event called Frost Moon, you will have the chance to defeat Everscream, who has a small chance to drop the Raxorpine. This is a wand that resembles a tree branch, and can shoot high-velocity pine needles. Interestingly, this wand has some of the highest DPS in the game, making it well worth it!
3 Whip Champion
Whips function similarly to yoyos; the weapon itself is tethered to you. In total, there are nine whips that you can find in Terraria, with six of them only being available in Hardmode. Still, with limited options, whips are an incredibly fun weapon to use.
All whips synergize well with minions. When hitting enemies, your summoned minions will attack the last one that was hit.
With the Hardmode whip Kaleidoscope (which drops from the Empress of LIght), you can boost your minion's chance of landing a critical hit. Additionally, this is the strongest whip in the game, and attacks with it give off a nice rainbow effect.
2 Captain America
Yes, you read that right. You can cosplay as Captain America in Terraria with the Sergeant United Shield. Though this is called a shield, it functions like a boomerang. The weapon can be thrown, and will target enemies while bouncing between them.
As a hybrid shield-boomerang, you will be able to use this as a defensive item as well. While this isn't the most complex 'class' to play as, it's great for those going to a Marvel-themed run. If you want to embrace the Falcon (Sam Wilson), you can even add a pair of wings to the mix.
1 Gunslinger
Guns are ranged weapons, requiring ammo to be used. There is a wide variety of guns available in the game, with some of them functioning more as launchers. With the number of guns to choose from, you can really customize your Gunslinger experience.
Some guns, such as the Piranha Gun, don't require any ammo. This unique gun shoots three mechanical Piranhas that deal damage while attached to the enemy. With the Celebration Mk2, you can even launch a barrage of fireworks at enemies.
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How to Play Mahjong: Learn The Basic Rules Setup, Play, and Scoring By Seth Brown Seth Brown Seth Brown is a gaming expert, sharing his knowledge about board games, card games, game tutorials, gameplay, and gaming strategies. He is the author of "The Little Book of Mahjong" and is a member of the Northern Berkshire Gaming Group. Learn more about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process Updated on 10/21/24 Credit: Kilito Chan / Getty Images Mahjong is a popular Chinese game played with sets of tiles. There are many regional variations, from the Chinese prevailing wind system to American mahjong with special bingo-like scoring cards. Read on to learn how to play mahjong using the game's basic rules and strategies, which are the same across most other variants. 1:15 How to Play Mahjong American Mahjong Mahjong is played with four players seated around a table, though there are variants with three players. Players shuffle the tiles, cast the dice, and perform rituals involving the allocation of tiles. Then, the exchange of tiles begins. The first person to match a hand of 14 tiles and call "mahjong" ends the game. Players then score their tiles and determine the winner. Components The basic game has 136 tiles, including 36 characters, 36 bamboos, and 36 circles, which are the suits. These are, in turn, divided into four sets of numbers 1 to 9 in each suit. There are also 16 wind tiles and 12 dragon tiles. Many sets also include eight bonus tiles with four flowers and four seasons, which you don't need in the basic game. You use one pair of dice to determine the deal. It's optional to have four racks. Goal The game's goal is to get a mahjong, which consists of getting all 14 of your tiles into four sets and one pair. A pair is two identical tiles. A set can be a "pung," three identical tiles, or a "chow," a run of three consecutive numbers in the same suit. You cannot use a single tile in two sets at once. Setup Determine a starting dealer. In Chinese tradition, the dealer shuffles the four wind tiles face down and deals them to the players. Players then sit according to their tile and sit clockwise in the order of north, west, south, and east. East starts as the dealer. Modern players may simply roll the dice to determine the dealer. All tiles get shuffled together, and the players build a wall of 34 face-down tiles in front of themselves, 17 tiles long and two high. The result should be a large square wall of tiles in the center of the table. The dealer rolls the dice, counts that many tiles from the right edge of their wall, and then separates the wall at that point to begin dealing tiles from the left of that spot and going clockwise. Each player receives 13 tiles, the dealer starting with an extra 14th tile. Each player then arranges their tiles so they can see them, but other players cannot. Players often use racks used for this purpose. The dealer then discards one tile, and play begins to the dealer's left. Play Before your turn, you must give other players a few seconds to claim the most recently discarded tile. The priority goes to any player who can claim the discarded tile to complete a mahjong. A player who can do this claims the tile and then reveals the winning hand of 14 tiles. Failing that, any player can claim the discarded tile to complete a pung. The player says "pung" and then reveals the two matching tiles that match the discard. For example, if the discarded tile was the 7 of bamboo, and the player had two more bamboo 7s on the rack, that player would call "pung." When calling pung, a player turns the completed pung (with all three bamboo 7s, in this case) face-up, discards a different tile, and the turn passes to the right. If nobody claims the discarded tile but it completes a chow for you, you may claim it at the beginning of your turn by saying "chow". You then must turn your chow face-up, revealing the completed run (e.g., 5, 6, 7 of bamboo) as in the pung example above. You then discard a different tile, and play continues as usual. If the discard does not complete a set for you, then on your turn, you draw the next tile from the wall (going left). Unless this gives you a mahjong, you then discard a tile face-up. Note that you can only claim the most recently discarded tile. Kong Some players also play with a "kong," four of the same tile (like an extended pung). The same rules for claiming a discarded tile apply, but any player completing a kong immediately draws an extra tile before discarding. Hand End The hand ends when somebody declares mahjong and reveals a complete 14-tile hand of four sets and a pair. If nobody has revealed a mahjong by the time the wall runs out of tiles, the game is considered a draw and the dealer redeals. Scoring Simple scoring awards one point to whoever achieved the mahjong and won the hand. Many more complex scoring arrangements exist, which vary widely by region. Bonus point scoring awards an additional point for not winning by taking a discard, winning with the last tile in the game, or having a pung of dragons. Exponential scoring scores each pung at 2 points, which is doubled if the pung was not revealed, doubled if the pung used ones or nines, and doubled twice more if the pung was a kong. Due to the many scoring variations, players should carefully agree on scoring rules before a game. Game End Players play to a pre-determined number of points, 16 rounds, or until they agree that they are done. Explore more: Hobbies Board Games
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The 25 best FPS games to play in 2025
Shoot sharp in the best FPS games of all time, from Half-Life to Halo 2
Whether you're into great single-player shooters or dynamic multiplayer experiences, our pick of the best FPS game is Titanfall 2. It's been almost a decade since this iconic Respawn Entertainment release, but it remains a standout. If you're looking for something a little more recent, then you'll want to turn your attention towards games like Doom Eternal, Call of Duty Warzone, and Half-Life Alyx.
If you're on the lookout for the best FPS games around right now, we're here to help. This list brings together the highlights of what is one very expansive genre. And with more new games on the way, including the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it's only going to get bigger, but there's plenty already out there to explore and try out if you're looking for an FPS to try out next.
From some of the best Call of Duty games to the best borderlands games, and lots of standout experiences in some other major series, there's so some fantastic indie games out there that put their own spin on the classic first-person shooter. We've pulled together a broad selection across various platforms, so you're sure to find something here.
And of course, it's worth also checking out our pick of the best shooter games if you also enjoy third-person shooters, too. But for our pick of the best FPS games, read on below to discover our selection.
The top 25 best FPS games to play in 2025 are...
25. Valorant
Developer: Riot Games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Valorant is Riot Games' attempt to take CS:GO's competitive FPS crown. It's like a mix of Valve's tactical shooter and Overwatch's over-the-top heroes. It is, at its heart, still a tactical FPS in which positioning is king and every character is dangerously squishy, but each Agent has flashy skills and abilities that can turn the course of a round. If you've not taken some time away, you may be surprised by just how powerful some of these skills have become in the years since launch.
Valorant is more colorful than CS:GO, but the clean visuals prove that the emphasis is on substance over style. The fact it's made the leap to platforms such as PS5 and Xbox are testaments to how much polish Riot put into its design and how balanced its maps and heroes are - and if you're looking for a shooter that demands as much brain as brawn, you'll find few as engaging as Valorant.
24. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Developer: Auroch Digital
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4
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Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is polished FPS with a retro style that's well worth checking out. Taking on the role of Space Marine Malum Caedo, you set out on a dangerous mission to find a shard that comes from a mysterious power source on a Forge World known as Graia.
With a host of weapons from the Warhammer universe to get your hands, the guns feel impactful as you take on Chaos Space Marines and Daemons galore across various environments. Blending its fast, frenetic gameplay with its '90s inspired style undoubtedly makes it stand out among the Warhammer FPS entries out there. And with a second game on the way, there's never been a better time to check it out.
23. Battlefield 1
Developer: DICE
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Battlefield 1 is a WW1 shooter that showcases a terrifying amount of carnage. It's got all the familiar BF modes that we've grown to love, including Conquest, Rush, and Domination. But this game adds the formidable Operations mode that takes the push and pull of war to new heights. In fact, the game works so well as a multiplayer shooter because of how finely it's balanced - there's no class, weapon, or tactic that gives an unfair advantage over others. Trust us, there's a reason why we gave it such a high score in our Battlefield 1 review!
Though the Battlefield series has marched on since this entry, post-launch updates turned Battlefield 1 into something of a late bloomer after launch, to the point where it's arguably now better than it's ever been. If you want to mix things up from Battlefield 2042 or simply didn't gel with EA's modern shooter, this is the perfect recommendation for anyone who wants a historical shooter with a little more texture than your usual Call of Duty match.
22. Dusk
Developer: New Blood Interactive
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4
Plenty of modern FPS games capture the feeling of playing Quake or Doom for the first time, but Dusk is the smoothest, the fastest, the goriest. It's like the best of the '90s but with a few modern-day twists that make it stand out, like detailed reload animations and inventive level design. Maps are varied and keep you guessing: one minute, you're in a spooky old farm, clearing out barns with a shotgun, the next you're in a science lab that twists back on itself, the walls becoming the floor when you turn your head.
Like the best old-school shooters, it's simply bloody good fun. Beefy weapons turn enemies into a fine red mist, and you zoom through levels as if on roller skates, only pausing to line up the perfect shot. It's topped off by a metal soundtrack that refuses to let you quit.
21. Half-Life 2
Developer: Valve
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
It may be old enough to drive and gamble a young Gordon's student loan fees under a bus, yet despite its age, Half-Life 2 still has a touch of G.O.A.T. status. This is an all-time shooter masterpiece. Whether you played it on a cutting-edge rig on a debuting Steam in 2004 or first sampled its City 17 delights courtesy of Valve's brilliant Orange Box bundle, the core of Half-Life 2's greatness remains unblemished.
It's a true test of time game that earned a near-perfect score in our Half-Life 2 review. Few other shooters before or since show such a level of masterly pacing. If you haven't played before, we'd recommend checking Half-Life 2 out to see why it was all the rage in its heyday. Plus, the level set in zombie-infested Ravenholme remains one of the best levels to ever take place in an FPS - if you haven't bisected an enemy with flying sawblades, have you ever really lived?
20. Far Cry 6
Developer: Ubisoft
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
It may not be one of the best Far Cry games in the series, but Far Cry 6 is still a superior shooter. Does it still lean heavily on a lot of well-worn Ubisoft tropes? Of course. Yet look past the dinky dachshund sidekicks named after a Spanish sausage and the typically assured, if samey, stealth, and you'll find an FPS that feels like a much-needed turning point for Far Cry.
New additions like the Supremo Backpacks open up creative new avenues for both sneaky and explosive chaos, further enlivening Far Cry's already intoxicating power fantasy. Better yet? With the introduction of freedom fighter Dani – who you can actually see, listen to, and emote alongside in third-person cutscenes – Far Cry has finally given us a protagonist who's actually worth rooting for. And all it took was half a dozen entries. When it comes to sandbox shooters, few do madcap spectacle better than this FPS. Check out our Far Cry 6 review for more information!
19. Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition
Developer: People Can Fly
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Never has a game so intelligent tried so hard to look like an idiot, or been so screamingly funny with it. On Bulletstorm's surface, you'll find a brash, knowing, don't-give-a-fuck attitude, sitting on a layer of the most gloriously creative cursing you've ever heard in a video game. Beneath, you'll find one of the densest, most detailed, widest-branching FPS systems ever devised.
The genius of Bulletstorm lies in its Skillshots. Imagine if a new Tony Hawk's game served up tricks but replaced every Ollie and kickflip with increasingly gruesome ways of mangling mutants, and you're pretty much there. Boot a dude in the balls, then kick his head off. Launch some men into orbit with an alt-fire rocket, then pick them out of the sky like they were clay pigeons. Sadly, we'll probably never see such a brash, bright, or commendably crude FPS like this again. Read our five-star Bulletstorm review if you're after more details!
18. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
When it comes to the best Call of Duty games, this is both the latest and (one of the) greatest. As stated in our Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review, 2024's entry to the series boasted a return to form on all fronts. Whether you're craving a surprisingly creative campaign, multiplayer bolstered by the addition of Omnimovement, or the best Zombies mode since 2010's Black Ops, Black Ops 6 is the game to go with.
That's the funny thing about Black Ops 6: regardless on what you're in the mood for, it has something for every FPS fan. '90s babies will appreciate the sprinkling of capital-C Culture here - there are needle drops for Faith No More and Nine Inch Nails sprinkled throughout the multiplayer and campaign - but really, it's the movement system and Treyarch's extra-punchy guns that make this one a winner. If you've taken a longer-than-usual break from Call of Duty, Black Ops 6 is the best possible time to pick things back up where you left 'em: two kills off a chopper gunner.
17. Borderlands 4
Developer: Gearbox
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
Following on from Borderlands 3, Gearbox's latest adventure brings with it a frankly wild number of guns to play around with. Yes, Borderlands 4 may not quite deliver in the story department, but its core looter shooter ingredients are stronger than ever, and it's a refined and polished FPS with added mobility thanks to the addition of the grappling hook.
In our Borderlands 4 review, we highlight just how much it stands out in the shooting department, with its vast arsenal offering so much weapon variety that's not only fun to use, but also offer up different approaches to take out enemy camps. And with co-op support and different Borderlands 4 characters and classes to choose from, this is a solid option if you're looking for an FPS to play with pals.
16. PUBG: Battlegrounds
Developer: PUBG Corp
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
PUBG is the game that spawned the battle royale craze. Technically, it wasn't the first battle royale game, but it popularized the staples of the genre we all recognize: randomized gear spread out on a big map; a starting plane from which players parachute; and an ever-shrinking play zone. A lot has changed since it first came out, and now it's more polished, with a variety of maps that cater to all play styles, and it's free-to-play at a baseline.
On the biggest maps, you might go long stretches without seeing another player, and it's that pacing and the lethality of the realistic bullet physics that set PUBG apart from the crowd. You can play with a squad of friends and experience why this is one of the best multiplayer games around, but it's always those nail-biting, stealthy solo moments that stick with me. And yes, you can technically play PUBG in third-person - but good luck getting that chicken dinner if you're not shooting in first-person.
15. Counter-Strike 2
Developer: Valve
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox One
Despite changing its name from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Valve's king of shooters remains in top form on Steam. This tactical FPS is as crunchy as ever, with the added benefit of a modern-day visual overhaul, meaning it's a wonderful entry (or re-entry) for taking your shooting skills into a more competitive environment. Although custom servers allow for more casual experiences, the real draw of CS2 is its Terrorists vs. Counter-Terrorists game modes without respawns.
Here, Counter-Strike's emphasis on paying attention to sounds and communicating with your allies shines. There's nothing like the tension that sits at the beginning of each round, as both teams secretly select their tactics and wait for them to collide with their opponents' own gambit. Each map is meticulously crafted to allow for myriad tactics, and the lovingly modeled guns in your expansive arsenal all have minutiae in their firing rates and recoil. This game sticks with you, and it's hard to see this shooter going anywhere for a long time. Read our Counter-Strike: Global Offensive review for more details!
14. Wolfenstein 2: New Colossus
Developer: MachineGames
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
This Nazi murder sim is smarter than it sounds. The guns are big, loud, and turn members of the Third Reich into bloody pulps, and the more bullets you pump out, the better. The ability to dual-wield any two weapons also makes New Colossus feel different from other old-school shooters. Most impressive of all is the narrative.
You get to know more about the series' broken hero, BJ Blazkowicz, than ever before through an origin story that's not afraid to get dark, and a talented cast somehow manages to pull off a tale that pirouettes between the serious and the absurd. This title is a must-play when it comes to our list of the best FPS games, and we stand by giving it a close-to-perfect score in our Wolfenstein 2: New Colossus review.
13. I Am Your Beast
Developer: Strange Scaffold
Platform(s): PC
Let's be honest: whether your FPS is meant to be a slow tactical crawl or daft arcade-y, fun, killing every enemy in seconds is a massive flex. I Am Your Beast, an indie shooter from Strange Scaffold, gets this.
A revenge thriller with the tightly-choreographed action sequences of a feature film, I Am Your Beast is all about making you feel like the strongest, slickest star in any single fight. You'll often be outnumbered, frequently outgunned, but never outmatched: after all, any character capable of clubbing a guard and catching their gun in the same second - yes, you can really do that - deserves their main character status. This may have flown under your radar at launch, but don't let it sneak any further away.
12. Metro Exodus
Developer: 4A Games
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
We called it the best shooters of 2019 for a reason in our Metro Exodus review. The Metro series is known for blending stealth and shooting in oppressive environments filled with ravenous mutants that want to rip your throat out. Exodus is built from the same DNA, but finds a new level of polish and ambition. From Moscow, you take a train through the Russian wilderness, stopping off in desert towns, snowy tundras, and military bases, each filled with secrets to find and enemies to blow to bits.
You conduct missions alone, and venturing from the safety of your party is nerve-wracking. Thankfully, you have an armory of inventive, upgradable weapons to keep you safe, from crossbows to revolvers. Back on the train, you'll get to know the endearing cast, who will make you genuinely care about protagonist Artyom's fate. If you're looking for pure action, Exodus's careful pace might turn you off, but the cross-country travel gives you a constant sense of progress.
11. Superhot
Developer: SUPERHOT Team
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Time only moves when you move. That's the elevator pitch for Superhot, a cerebral FPS from an independent studio out of Poland, and it's a perfect distillation of what makes Superhot so intoxicating. And all that slow-mo obviously helps, too. Cooler than Keanu in the original Matrix taking the ice bucket challenge, this effortlessly slick FPS is as much a puzzler as it is a shooter.
While the act of pointing and pulling the trigger is simple enough – it's hard to miss when you're moving slower than a tortoise in treacle – the order you take enemies out is an entirely trickier issue. Many levels must be completed with Swiss watch-levels of precision, and killing a dude at the wrong time can make the whole slow-motion house of bullet-strewn cards tumble. That's the central appeal of Superhot: it's an FPS that's as clever as it is cool. Check out our Superhot review for more information on this gem.
10. Apex Legends
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Andriod, IOS, Nintendo Switch
The battle royale for those who want to go faster. Your movement is as important as your aim in Apex Legends: you can parkour across roofs, shimmy up ledges, and slide down hills, scrabbling for positional advantage. The character classes and their abilities make Respawn's shooter feel unique in the genre. One hero can see trails of enemy footsteps, another creates portals, and another can clone themselves to bamboozle their opponents.
In a squad of three, which is how it was designed to be played, you can combine these abilities inventively to outfox enemy teams. The two maps are bright and varied, with plenty of ways to help you take the high ground, and Respawn is constantly tweaking the formula with new weapons and heroes. If you haven't played it since the early wave of enthusiasm, it's time to return. In our Apex Legends review, we gave the game a massive five-star rating, so yeah, it's top-tier.
9. Black Mesa
Developer: Crowbar Collective
Platform(s): PC
It's what you get when you take one of the most beloved shooters of all time, Half-Life, revamp the entire disastrous ending and add prettier visuals. Black Mesa is fan-made (and Valve-approved), but you wouldn't know it: every room is crafted with the kind of care you don't see from many AAA teams. This is more than just a remake of a classic – it's a complete overhaul that brings one of the greatest shooters ever and one of the greatest protagonists, Gordon Freeman, into the modern era.
Everything you love about Half-Life remains. You'll shoot headcrab zombies, alien monsters, and human soldiers with an array of weapons, from a beefy shotgun to the prototype energy Gluon Gun, which melts enemies in seconds. But it's the new additions that stand out. In the original Half-Life, the Xen locale was lifeless. Here, it's bursting with color, and every craggy rock and bizarre clump of plants is rebuilt from scratch. It's far bigger and feels like a completely different game. Half-Life is finally whole.
8. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Developer: Ubisoft
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Rainbow Six Siege has quietly become one of the best Tom Clancy games around, combining the intensity and replayability of Counter-Strike with the unique abilities and personality of Overwatch. But the real star of Siege is the impressive destructibility of your environment: walls and ceilings can all be destroyed, so you need to smartly choose which flanks to cover and which walls to reinforce, lest someone blast through them with sizzling thermite.
You and your squadmates choose from a variety of highly skilled Operators, each with their own specialties that can complement each other for a rock-solid team comp, though your propensity for sneaking and aiming a gun are what matter most. As mentioned in our Rainbow Six: Siege review, every round becomes a tactical, incredibly tense game of cat-and-mouse, as one team protects an objective while their opponents try to scout out danger and survive a breach.
7. Destiny 2
Developer: Bungie
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
No one expected Destiny 2 to be as good as it is. And we really, really loved this game at launch - if you couldn't tell already by our five-star Destiny 2 review. Instantly making the first game look like a set of prototypes, this title improves in every area. Actually, scratch that. It evolves, taking the seed of the first game's MMOFPS idea and building a whole new, entirely richer, deeper, and broader experience around it. With a simplified, streamlined leveling system running through every one of Destiny 2's vastly expanded activities - from story-driven side-quests to multi-part Exotic Questlines, to treasure hunting and tactically reworked Crucible PvP.
And then there's the far more freeform approach to load-outs, further energized by more creative and expressive weapon design. Thanks to the dawn of Destiny 2 New Light, you can access a lot of the action for free. While the base game made a positive impression and saw some great expansions like The Witch Queen, the latest Edge of Fate addition has unfortunately left Destiny 2 on a sour note.
6. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Developer: 343 Industries
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
This is the ultimate serialized tale of John 117 and the go-to choice for players looking to find all the best Halo games in one place. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is all but unrecognizable from the Spartan car crash that launched in 2014. After years of server fixes, technical tweaks, and graphical upgrades, this is now the definite way to experience golden era Halo.
Whether experiencing the best second level in all of the shooters in the original Combat Evolved or blasting buddies in PvP on Halo 3's all-time classic Guardian map at a blistering 120 frames per second on an Xbox Series X, Halo has rarely felt more essential. We're tickled (Needler) pink Chief got the redemption act he deserves. Is cramming a bunch of games into one entry cheating? Sure, but if you read our Halo: The Master Chief Collection review, you'll understand why we had to bend the rules in this case.
5. Battlefield 6
Developer: Battlefield Studios
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
As the latest entry in the long-running FPS series, Battlefield 6 brings a destructive edge to the combat, with the chance to demolish your surroundings to your advantage. Whether you're tearing down a wall to land on the opposing side, or smashing through the environment, it's as satisfying as it is reactive.
As we explained in our Battlefield 6 review, the core campaign is outshined by multiplayer, with its many modes likely being the reason you'll keep coming back, but with refined and overhauled gunplay and some extra additions such as class systems, Battlefield is worth your time.
4. Half-Life: Alyx
Developer: Valve
Platform(s): PC
If VR headsets were issued at birth, there's a chance Half-Life: Alyx would be our favorite FPS of all time. Sadly, the barrier for entry to enjoy this virtual reality wonder at its very best is loftier than the off switch on a Strider. Even if you merely 'settle' for experiencing this perfectly paced, incredibly atmospheric shooter on a Meta Quest rather than Valve's painfully expensive Index, you're still looking at dropping a huge chunk of change for a ten-hour game.
And yet, the absolute highest praise we can heap on Alyx? We'd seriously consider paying the price of a PS5 or Xbox Series X to play this one sensational shooter. Not only is it one of the best VR games on the market, but the shooting controls make you feel like you are the star of your own action movie. Check out our Half-Life Alyx review for more detailed information on this modern staple.
3. Call of Duty: Warzone 2
Developer: Infinite Ward, Raven Software
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Arguably, the best of the best battle royale games. For years, three games had a stranglehold on the genre: Fortnite, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and Apex Legends. But Call of Duty: Warzone has blown it wide open by twisting every element of the genre into something that feels exciting but accessible. The new stuff: when you die, you get one shot to respawn by taking on another dead foe in a 1v1 fight. You get cash from completing contracts spread across the map, hunting down enemies, searching for chests, or defending an area.
Then there are the old, comforting bits: the ever-shrinking play zone, a flawless “ping” system to flag items for your teammates, and vehicles to transport you to distant circles. It's like the greatest hits of the genre so far, all backed by Call of Duty's tried and tested low-recoil gunplay. You can play it solo, but jumping in with friends in Duos, Trios, or even the chaotic four-soldier squad mode is where the real Warzone fun is found. For a deeper dive into this iconic shooter, read our Warzone 2 review.
2. Doom Eternal
Developer: id Software
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
Though we didn't exactly shower Doom Eternal with praise fresh out the gate (read our Doom Eternal review for more on that), in retrospect, this really is at the pinnacle of the FPS genre. This is everything that the genre is about, distilled into one glorious roar. It's also a remarkably elegant experience in motion, especially for a game that makes you garrote a demon every 17 seconds. Like Mario 64 or Mirror's Edge, Eternal feels flawless when you tap into its joyous rhythm.
Every gun feels perfectly tuned, each level impeccably paced, while every monster dragged screaming from the depths of Hell has clearly been designed to coax just the right measure of aggression out of the Doom Slayer. Amazingly, it's brilliant on pretty much every modern platform, too. Whether you're playing on an OG Xbox One, ripping Cacodemon eyes out at 120 frames per second on a cutting-edge PC, or yanking spines on the impressively assured Switch port, Doom Eternal kicks ass whatever your choice of format.
1. Titanfall 2
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Titanfall 2 is an undisputed high-ranker when it comes to the best FPS games. The weightlessness that comes with perfectly mastered wall-running makes you feel like you're doing some sort of deadly ballet, letting you sail past your foes at impossible speeds, catching them unawares. The unforgettable BT-7274 and unbridled creativity dominate Titanfall 2's campaign, whether it involves you switching between decades in the blink of an eye, walking through a moment frozen in time, or simply ripping other Titans apart when you step into titanic bot boots of BT-7274.
Rewarding you for using the environment to your advantage, you can feel the moment when you start thinking differently, realizing the possibilities a map offers. The physics-twisting Quake-like mechanics of its multiplayer mode strengthen an already sensational shooter package. But it's that remarkable campaign that makes Titanfall 2 such an enduring shooter. Let's cross BT's colossal droid digits so that we eventually see a Titanfall 3. In the meantime, you can read our Titanfall 2 review for a deeper look at this classic.
After more hits? Check out our lists of the best RTS games, the best survival games, and all the new games heading our way.
David has worked for Future under many guises, including for GamesRadar+ and the Official Xbox Magazine. He is currently the Google Stories Editor for GamesRadar and PC Gamer, which sees him making daily video Stories content for both websites. David also regularly writes features, guides, and reviews for both brands too.
- Andrew BrownFeatures Editor
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- Josh WestEditor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+
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Show me 5 all-time top-selling FPS games on Steam ordered by release date.
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How much of a role does genetics play in obesity?
There are hundreds of genes that influence fat storage and metabolism. So, do we have any control over our weight at all? The experts weigh in.
Sometimes it’s bad genes, not just bad diet, that leads an individual to gain weight more easily than others.
Scientists have found that genetic mutations that make an individual feel less satisfied after a meal may be more common than previously thought, leading those who carry these gene variants to eat more frequently or to consume more calorie-rich foods.
"Obesity is not a choice,” says Giles Yeo, a geneticist who studies obesity at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. "The genetics of body weight is, by definition, the genetics of how our brain controls food."
Nearly a third of the adult population in the United States and almost one in six children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are currently overweight, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. For the two in five American adults who are obese, this excess weight boosts the risk of developing many preventable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. But what is causing this epidemic? Is it lifestyle or is our weight dictated by the genes we inherit?
While the kind of food-intake and the level of physical activity play a major role in growing population of obese people, science is revealing that, similar to height, between 50 and 80 percent of the variation between body weights can be due to subtle changes in some genes. While single genetic mutations that make obesity inevitable are super rare, the hundreds of genetic variations that each exert a tiny effect—making some of us slightly more vulnerable to gain weight—are more common. When someone inherits several of these variations their risk of obesity jumps significantly, particularly when combined with other lifestyle factors.
"We need the public to understand that we have so far, and very incorrectly, looked at obesity as a fault in a character,” says Naji Abumrad, an endocrine surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who treats morbidly obese patients and studies the effects of weight-loss surgery.
Obesity originates in the brain
That nature influences obesity was discovered serendipitously in 1949, when researchers at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, noticed that a strain of their lab mice grew abnormally "plump" because they ate a lot of food and seemed to be perpetually hungry. It took 45 years to identify a mutation in a gene—named obesity—caused the mice to overeat and gain weight. A string of studies soon showed that the obesity gene produced a hormone called leptin, named for the Greek word leptós meaning “thin,” that attached to a receptor in the brain to signal satiety. Without sufficient leptin protein the mice felt hungry, ate, and got fat.
Subsequent studies revealed that leptin gene was just one member of a complex network of genes linked together in the so-called melanocortin pathway—which also includes insulin—to control appetite.
"Leptin is the hormone made in proportion to fat that tells the brain how much energy you have," says Roger Cone, an obesity researcher at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute.
Fat cells secrete leptin into the bloodstream, which cues the brain to feel full and helps burn fat. "Just like a thermostat on the wall that controls the amount of energy in a room, the leptin-melanocortin system controls the amount of energy you store as fat," says Cone. "There are other pathways as well that play critical roles in sensing leptin and converting that information into how much energy we burn and how much energy we acquire."
From a few mutations to many variants
Forms of obesity caused by mutations in just one gene, like the one that affected the mice at Jackson Labs, are estimated to be responsible for less than seven percent of morbid obesity worldwide. Only about six percent of severely obese children carry defects in known single genes that cause their condition.
Such single gene mutations, which become apparent early in life, are very rare, says Manfred James Müller, a nutritionist at the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel in Germany. For example, only about a dozen cases of genetic leptin deficiency and only 88 cases of leptin receptor deficiency worldwide have been diagnosed.
More common are alternate DNA sequences, called polymorphisms, that lead to different versions of a gene that affect its function slightly.
To learn more about the roots of complex traits, like obesity, scientists use Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to identify variants of genes linked to a particular disease.
"We extract the DNA from thousands, or even a hundred thousand individuals," says Ruth Loos, director of the Genetics of Obesity and Related Metabolic Traits Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Loos and her colleagues then compare the complete set of DNA, or genome, of people who have obesity with those who don’t. The scientists then search for single 'letter' changes and estimate how likely those variants are associated with obesity.
Intrigued by why only some people develop obesity, Christian Dina, a genetic epidemiologist at Nantes University in France, compared the sequences of 2,900 obese patients with 5,100 people with healthy weight. Dina discovered that people with specific variations in a gene called FTO had a 22 percent higher risk of becoming obese. But figuring out why they raise the risk or how these gene variants function can take many more years of research.
For example, studies have shown that a different variant of the FTO gene that affects one in six adult European males can increase their risk of becoming obese by 70 percent. People with this obesity-risk FTO variant have higher levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, circulating in their blood, which makes them feel hungry soon after eating a meal. Brain-imaging studies of people carrying this gene variant also reveal that these individuals respond differently to ghrelin and to pictures of food.
For some, a silver lining?
But not all gene variants linked to obesity are bad. A rare gene variant has also been found that can protect against obesity. A study of more than 640,000 people from Mexico, the U.S., and the United Kingdom, found that people who carried an inactive copy of a gene active in the hypothalamus—which regulates hunger and metabolism weighed about 5.3 kilograms (nearly 12 pounds) less and were half as likely of being obese compared with those with working versions.
“But most of the studies that link risk of getting obese with the genetic variations so far have been done on the European and white population,” says Abumrad. That means that the findings may not be relevant to people with different ancestry. The ambitious “All of Us Research Program” launched by the National Institutes of Health in 2018—which plans to recruit at least one million people of various ethnicities—may help to accurately assess the extent of the genetic predisposition to obesity.
Diet and lifestyle are the main drivers in the obesity epidemic, says Dina. "But there is a strong genetic basis in the difference of reaction to the obesogenic environment.”
Dina's, Yeo's and other's work is revealing that variations in many genes involved in our feeding behavior can frequently be linked with a range of obesity traits, such as BMI, body fat percentage, levels of leptin in blood, etc. So far, scientists have identified more than 1,000 gene variants that each explain a very small part of the difference in body weight between people. Their association with increased risk to gain weight usually manifests later in life resulting from an interaction between the presumed risk genes and lifestyle variables, explains Müller.
However, the trends toward increasing obesity worldwide have more to do with lifestyle choices since there are no hints of drastic change in the occurrence of genetic variations across generations. In fact, studies have shown that consumption of fried food in conjunction with the underlying genetic background plays a big role in developing obesity.
While frequent consumption of high-calorie food may cause people with obesity-associated genes to gain weight faster, awareness, prevention, and exercise are very effective in avoiding the obesity.
“Having the same FTO allele that my father has doesn’t mean it will give me obesity,” says Dina. “I have a slightly increased chance, but I can avoid it.”
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What's the interplay between genetics and obesity?
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https://bmcmedgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1755-8794-8-S1-S2
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Abstract
Obesity, a major public health concern, is a multifactorial disease caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Although recent genome-wide association studies have identified many loci related to obesity or body mass index, the identified variants explain only a small proportion of the heritability of obesity. Better understanding of the interplay between genetic and environmental factors is the basis for developing effective personalized obesity prevention and management strategies. This article reviews recent advances in identifying gene-environment interactions related to obesity and describes epidemiological designs and newly developed statistical approaches to characterizing and discovering gene-environment interactions on obesity risk.
Similar content being viewed by others
Introduction
Obesity has become a major public health concern. The number of overweight and obese adults has been estimated to be 1.35 billion and 573 million respectively by 2030 [1]. Obesity is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases and decreased health-related quality of life and overall life expectancy [2]. It is also associated with substantially elevated healthcare cost [3].
Obesity results from a complex interplay of many genetic factors and environmental factors [4–8]. Numerous epidemiological studies and clinical trials have examined the roles of lifestyle/dietary and genetic factors in the development of obesity. The body of evidence on gene-environment interaction (GEI) has also grown rapidly. However, preliminary results regarding GEI on obesity are for the most part inconclusive. The present review summarizes recent advances in identifying GEI related to obesity, and examines the newly developed approaches to testing GEI in the context of GWAS for obesity risk.
Basic concepts
a) Nutritional genomics
Nutritional genomics is an emerging field that may improve dietary guidelines for chronic disease prevention [9]. It covers both nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. Nutrigenomics explores the effects of nutrients or other dietary factors on the gene expression, DNA methylation, proteome and metabolome [10], while nutrigenetics is aimed to elucidate whether genetic variations modify the relationships between dietary factors and risk of diseases [11]. Nutrigenetics has the potential to provide scientific evidence for personalized dietary recommendations based on the individual’s genetic makeup for weight control [9].
b) Gene - environment interactions
In epidemiology, interaction is defined by estimating whether the degree of risk attributable to the joint effects of a genotype and an environmental factor on an outcome is greater or less than would be expected if these joint effects were additive [12]. Alternatively, GEI exists where the risk conveyed by specific genotype depends on one or more environmental exposure levels. This definition is quite helpful in the context of intervention studies where the environmental exposures can be intervened upon, such as diet and physical activity, to offset genetic risk [13–15]. Nutrigenetics is a special area of GEI research, where the environmental exposure is consumption of specific foods or nutrients. Looking from a different perspective, nutrigenetic studies also assess whether genetic factors modify the effects of specific dietary factors on diseases or related traits.
Approaches to studying GEI
a) Study designs for testing GEI
Over the past two decades, various study designs such as prospective cohort studies, case-control studies, case-only studies, randomized intervention trials, and twin studies have been used to test GEI [12]. Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages, and may be suitable for different situations.
Case-control studies
In population-based case-control studies, incident or prevalent cases in the studied population are ascertained over a certain time period, while the controls are randomly selected from the same source population. For example, a case-control design including 159 case subjects (BMI>30 kg/m2) and 154 controls (BMI<25 kg/m2) found that the ADRB2 genotype modified the effect of carbohydrate consumption on obesity risk [16]. This finding suggested that high carbohydrate consumption was associated with an increased risk of obesity only among women with the Glu27 allele (OR 2.56, p=0.051). A Spanish case-control study reported that dietary saturated intake modified the effect of the FTO rs9939609 on risk of obesity among children and adolescents. The risk allele carriers consuming more than 12.6 % saturated fatty acids (of total energy) had an increased obesity risk compared with TT carriers [17], but the increased risk was not observed among those with lower saturated fat intake.
Case-only studies
Case-only studies can be used if the interest is limited to GEI, because the case-only design has the practical advantage that there is no need to collect control samples. This design is based on the assumption that genotypes and environmental exposures are independent of each other, so that the exposures should not differ among different genotypes. The case-only design is more efficient than case-control design, but the independence assumption may not hold. In addition, the design is subject to bias and confounding, especially if there is exposure misclassification [18]. For example, a case-only study among 549 adult obese women observed an interaction between fiber intake and the -514 C>T polymorphism of the LIPC gene (p for interaction=0.01). Similarly, the -11377G>C polymorphism of the ADIPOQ gene and the -681 C>G polymorphism of the PPARG3 gene were found to modify the association of dietary fat intake and obesity (all p for interaction<0.05) [19].
Cohort studies
The classic prospective cohort study follows subjects over time, comparing the outcome of interest in individuals who are exposed or not exposed at baseline [5]. Because exposure is assessed before the outcome, the cohort design is less susceptible to selection bias and differential recall bias between cases and noncases when compared to a case-control design. However, cohort studies of chronic conditions with low incidence are expensive, and require large sample size and long follow-up. A nested case-control study within a large prospective cohort can improve efficiency and reduce cost [20]. In recent years, several cohort studies have investigated the GEI on obesity. For example, Qi et al. calculated weighted genetic risk score (GRS) on the basis of 32 BMI variants and demonstrated that the genetic association with adiposity was stronger among participants with higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages than among those with lower intake in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) cohorts, and these findings were replicated in the Women's Genome Health Study (WGHS) cohort [8]. A similar interaction between regular consumption of fried food and GRS in relation to obesity was observed among these three cohorts [6]. In the combined analysis, the differences in BMI per 10 risk alleles were 1.1 (SE 0.2), 1.6 (SE 0.3), and 2.2 (SE 0.6) for fried food consumption less than once, one to three times, and four or more times a week (p<0.001 for interaction). These findings suggested that the genetic association with adiposity was strengthened with higher consumption of fried foods. Furthermore, it was documented the genetic association with BMI was strengthened with increased hours of TV watching in 7740 women and 4564 men from the NHS and HPFS. In contrast, the genetic association with BMI was weakened with increased levels of physical activity. These findings suggest that sedentary lifestyle may enhance the predisposition to elevated adiposity, whereas greater leisure time physical activity may mitigate the genetic association [21].
Clinical trials
Randomized controlled trial (RCT) is widely considered to be the most reliable design because of the randomized allocation of the exposures. However, RCT is often infeasible to test the long-term effects of dietary exposures on obesity or obesity-related chronic diseases due to cost and logistic considerations. Several randomized dietary intervention trials of weight loss have been analyzed to provide unique insights into individualized dietary response to weight loss diets based on specific genetic variants (Table 1). The Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies Trial is the largest and longest-term (2-years) randomized intervention trial comparing the effects of four weight-loss diets of varying macronutrient compositions [22]. The results from this trial showed that individuals carrying the C allele of the branched-chain amino acid/aromatic amino acid ratio-associated variant rs1440581 might benefit less in weight loss than those without this allele when undertaking an energy-restricted high-fat diet [23]. For FTO variant rs1558902, a high-protein diet was found to facilitate weight loss and improvement of body composition in individuals with the risk allele of the FTO variant rs1558902, but not in other genotypes [24]. Several other intervention studies also demonstrated gene-diet interaction on obesity (Table1). For example, Alsaleh et al found that higher consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modified the effects of ADIPOQ rs2241766 on risk of obesity [25]. Improvement in metabolic markers secondary to weight loss was greater in FTO rs9939609 A allele carriers with a low-fat hypocaloric diet [26]. The FAAH rs324420 AA/AC was not associated with weight loss in a 1-year lifestyle intervention for obese children and adolescents [27]. These results need to be validated in further studies.
b) Evolving Approaches to GEI: GWEI
The GWAS approach has made impressive progress in identifying common obesity genetic variants. However, GWAS analysis of main effects only might miss important genetic variants restricted to exposure subgroups of the population. Several approaches to assessing genome-wide environment interaction (GWEI) have been developed recently. These approaches also have the potential to identify novel SNPs that are not detected in genome wide scan. However, no study has reported the GWEI for obesity. In this section, we summarized the newly developed methods for GWEI that has the potential to detect GEI on obesity (Table2):
1) 2-step analysis
The 2-step approach incorporates a preliminary screening step to efficiently use all available information in the data [28]. In the first step (screening test), for each of the SNPs, a likelihood ratio test of association between genetic variant and environment was performed using a logistic model. The second step uses an unbiased traditional GEI test of the SNPs that passed the screening step to ensure an overall valid procedure. It was demonstrated that two-step approach reduced the number of SNPs tested for interactions and substantially improved the power of GWEI. Recently, an improved two-step screening and testing method (the screening step included exposure-genotype and disease-genotype information; EDG×E) was proposed. A software program which implements this new method and other GWEI approaches is now available (G×E scan, http://biostats.usc.edu/software) [29].
2) Gene- or pathway-based approaches
Both gene-and pathway-based analytic approaches have been used to integrate prior biological knowledge into association and interaction analyses [30], by combining associations of genetic variants in the same gene or biological pathway. Therefore, it could enhance statistical power and also provide insights into biological mechanisms. Several recent studies have shown that gene-based and pathway-based approaches to GEI in the context of GWAS could facilitate the mining of functional information that is complementary to traditional agnostic GWAS analysis [31]. Wei et al. conducted a GWEI to identify gene-asbestos interaction in lung cancer risk at levels of SNPs, genes, and pathways, using Texas lung cancer GWAS dataset, and found that pathway-based analyses had more power than SNP- or gene-based analyses [32].
3) A module-based cocktail approach
Hsu et al. proposed a module-based approach to integrating various methods (such as the correlation screening and marginal association screening) that exploits each method’s most appealing aspects [33]. Three modules were included in this approach: 1) a screening module for prioritizing SNP; 2) a multiple comparison module for testing GEI; and 3) a GEI testing module. They combined all three of these modules and developed two novel “cocktail” methods. It was demonstrated that the proposed cocktail methods did not inflate the type I error and had enhanced power under a wide range of situations [33]. This modular approach is computationally straightforward.
4) A joint test of marginal associations and GEI
Kraftet al. proposed a joint test of marginal association and GEI [34], using a likelihood ratio test. The joint test was found to have greater power than the marginal test when the genetic association was confined to an exposure subgroup or the GEI test when the genetic association was detected in both exposed and non-exposed groups [34]. Several studies have demonstrated enhanced power for large-scale association studies where the true underlying GEI model is unknown [35, 36].
5) Variance prioritization approach
Pare et al. proposed a novel approach to prioritize SNPs for testing the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions for quantitative traits [37]. In this approach, the variance of a quantitative trait by genotypes in the presence of an interaction effect was calculated, and then Levene's test was used to test if subgroup samples have equal variances. Pare et al. further applied the variance prioritization approach in the Women's Genome Health Study and identified several novel interactions, including the interactions between the LEPR rs12753193 and BMI on C-reactive protein levels, between the ICAM1 rs1799969 and smoking on intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1 ) levels [37]. Given the limited number of SNPs that are eventually tested for interactions, this approach has enhanced power over traditional methods.
6) A set-based gene environment interaction test (SBERIA)
Jiao et al. proposed a set-based gene environment interaction test (SBERIA) to explore the GEI using case-control data [38]. SBERIA first selects markers with relatively strong correlation signals, and then a weighted sum of the selected marker interaction terms is computed, where the weight corresponds to the magnitude and direction of the correlations among the markers. SBERIA was applied to GWAS data of 10,729 colorectal cancer cases and 13,328 controls and the study identified several significant interactions of known susceptibility loci with smoking on colorectal cancer [38]. One advantage of SBERIA is that could increase the statistical power by aggregating correlated SNPs within a marker set and thus reduce the multiple testing problems.
Continued challenges
Despite some progress in characterizing GEI underlying obesity, many challenges remain. First, many inconsistencies and significant findings need replication or more detailed follow-up. Publication bias may have contributed to the absence of replication reports. Therefore, it is critical for researchers to conduct replication studies and to publish both positive and negative results [39]. Second, inadequate statistical power due to modest sample sizes and measurement errors for environmental factors continue to be major factors limiting progress in the field [39]. Environmental exposures such as diet and exercise are often difficult to measure in free-living populations. Simulation studies have demonstrated that in GEI studies, even a modest amount of measurement errors in assessing environmental exposure can result in a substantial reduction in statistical power to detect an interaction [40].
Future perspective of GEI on obesity
There has been considerable progress in our understanding of the role of both genetic and environment factors in the development of obesity. Findings to date indicate that behavioral changes such as improving diet and physical activity can substantially offset obesogenic effects of risk alleles, which has much broader clinical and public health implications. In the near future, individuals may be able to obtain their comprehensive genetic information and thus a knowledge of their genetic predisposition to obesity and other chronic diseases. Nutritional genetics studies have made slow but steady progress in examining gene and dietary intervention interactions for weight loss and maintenance [8, 23, 24, 41], but there are still many challenges. Continued progress will depend on appropriate study design; more accurately measured environmental factors, and very large sample size. Further investment in studies of GEI for obesity holds promise on several grounds [39]. First, GEI studies may help us better understand disease mechanisms by providing biological insight into the function of novel obesity loci and pathways and interplays between the genes and environment. Second, GEI investigation may identify high-risk individuals for more efficient and targeted diet and/or lifestyle interventions. Finally, the integrating of genomics with other “omics” such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics can provide greater insights into how diet and lifestyle alter the expression or ‘manifestation’ of our genomes and the interplays between genes and environments on obesity development and progression. This approach, termed “systems epidemiology” [39], has tremendous potential to advance our understanding of obesity etiology and to help achieve the goal of personalized nutrition for obesity prevention and management.
Funding source
This article was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant DK58845.
Abbreviations
- BMI:
-
body mass index
- GEI:
-
gene-environment interaction
- GWAS:
-
genome wide association study
- GWEI:
-
genome-wide environment interaction
- SNP:
-
single-nucleotide polymorphism
- GRS:
-
genetic risk score
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Murcray CE, Lewinger JP, Gauderman WJ: Gene-environment interaction in genome-wide association studies. American journal of epidemiology. 2009, 169 (2): 219-226.
Gauderman WJ, Zhang P, Morrison JL, Lewinger JP: Finding novel genes by testing G x E interactions in a genome-wide association study. Genetic epidemiology. 2013, 37 (6): 603-613. 10.1002/gepi.21748.
Peng G, Luo L, Siu H, Zhu Y, Hu P, Hong S, Zhao J, Zhou X, Reveille JD, Jin L, et al: Gene and pathway-based second-wave analysis of genome-wide association studies. European journal of human genetics : EJHG. 2010, 18 (1): 111-117. 10.1038/ejhg.2009.115.
Luo L, Peng G, Zhu Y, Dong H, Amos CI, Xiong M: Genome-wide gene and pathway analysis. European journal of human genetics : EJHG. 2010, 18 (9): 1045-1053. 10.1038/ejhg.2010.62.
Wei S, Wang LE, McHugh MK, Han Y, Xiong M, Amos CI, Spitz MR, Wei QW: Genome-wide gene-environment interaction analysis for asbestos exposure in lung cancer susceptibility. Carcinogenesis. 2012, 33 (8): 1531-1537. 10.1093/carcin/bgs188.
Hsu L, Jiao S, Dai JY, Hutter C, Peters U, Kooperberg C: Powerful cocktail methods for detecting genome-wide gene-environment interaction. Genetic epidemiology. 2012, 36 (3): 183-194. 10.1002/gepi.21610.
Perez-Martinez P, Delgado-Lista J, Garcia-Rios A, Mc Monagle J, Gulseth HL, Ordovas JM, Shaw DI, Karlstrom B, Kiec-Wilk B, Blaak EE, et al: Glucokinase regulatory protein genetic variant interacts with omega-3 PUFA to influence insulin resistance and inflammation in metabolic syndrome. PloS one. 2011, 6 (6): e20555-10.1371/journal.pone.0020555.
Nettleton JA, McKeown NM, Kanoni S, Lemaitre RN, Hivert MF, Ngwa J, van Rooij FJ, Sonestedt E, Wojczynski MK, Ye Z, et al: Interactions of dietary whole-grain intake with fasting glucose- and insulin-related genetic loci in individuals of European descent: a meta-analysis of 14 cohort studies. Diabetes care. 2010, 33 (12): 2684-2691. 10.2337/dc10-1150.
Manning AK, LaValley M, Liu CT, Rice K, An P, Liu Y, Miljkovic I, Rasmussen-Torvik L, Harris TB, Province MA, et al: Meta-analysis of gene-environment interaction: joint estimation of SNP and SNP x environment regression coefficients. Genetic epidemiology. 2011, 35 (1): 11-18. 10.1002/gepi.20546.
Pare G, Cook NR, Ridker PM, Chasman DI: On the use of variance per genotype as a tool to identify quantitative trait interaction effects: a report from the Women's Genome Health Study. PLoS genetics. 2010, 6 (6): e1000981-10.1371/journal.pgen.1000981.
Jiao S, Hsu L, Bezieau S, Brenner H, Chan AT, Chang-Claude J, Le Marchand L, Lemire M, Newcomb PA, Slattery ML, et al: SBERIA: set-based gene-environment interaction test for rare and common variants in complex diseases. Genetic epidemiology. 2013, 37 (5): 452-464. 10.1002/gepi.21735.
Cornelis MC, Hu FB: Gene-environment interactions in the development of type 2 diabetes: recent progress and continuing challenges. Annual review of nutrition. 2012, 32: 245-259. 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071811-150648.
Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Rutter M: Strategy for investigating interactions between measured genes and measured environments. Archives of general psychiatry. 2005, 62 (5): 473-481. 10.1001/archpsyc.62.5.473.
Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, Smith SR, Ryan DH, Anton SD, McManus K, Champagne CM, Bishop LM, Laranjo N, et al: Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The New England journal of medicine. 2009, 360 (9): 859-873. 10.1056/NEJMoa0804748.
Qi Q, Xu M, Wu H, Liang L, Champagne CM, Bray GA, Sacks FM, Qi L: IRS1 Genotype Modulates Metabolic Syndrome Reversion in Response to 2-Year Weight-Loss Diet Intervention: The POUNDS LOST trial. Diabetes care. 2013, 36 (11): 3442-3447. 10.2337/dc13-0018.
Mattei J, Qi Q, Hu FB, Sacks FM, Qi L: TCF7L2 genetic variants modulate the effect of dietary fat intake on changes in body composition during a weight-loss intervention. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 96 (5): 1129-1136.
Qi Q, Bray GA, Hu FB, Sacks FM, Qi L: Weight-loss diets modify glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor rs2287019 genotype effects on changes in body weight, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance: the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2012, 95 (2): 506-513. 10.3945/ajcn.111.025270.
Lai A, Chen W, Helm K: Effects of visfatin gene polymorphism RS4730153 on exercise-induced weight loss of obese children and adolescents of Han Chinese. International journal of biological sciences. 2013, 9 (1): 16-21. 10.7150/ijbs.4918.
Acknowledgements
We thank Dr. Marilyn Cornelis for thoughtful comments.
Declarations
This article has been published as part of BMC Medical Genomics Volume 8 Supplement 1, 2015: Selected articles from the 2nd International Genomic Medical Conference (IGMC 2013): Medical Genomics. The full contents of the supplement are available online at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedgenomics/supplements/8/S1
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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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FH conceived the idea for the review. TH drafted the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Huang, T., Hu, F.B. Gene-environment interactions and obesity: recent developments and future directions. BMC Med Genomics 8 (Suppl 1), S2 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/1755-8794-8-S1-S2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1755-8794-8-S1-S2
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12.4: Genetic Engineering - Risks, Benefits, and Perceptions
- Page ID
- 5191
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- Identify ethical issues involving gene therapy and the regulatory agencies that provide oversight for clinical trials
- Compare somatic-cell and germ-line gene therapy
Many types of genetic engineering have yielded clear benefits with few apparent risks. Few would question, for example, the value of our now abundant supply of human insulin produced by genetically engineered bacteria. However, many emerging applications of genetic engineering are much more controversial, often because their potential benefits are pitted against significant risks, real or perceived. This is certainly the case for gene therapy, a clinical application of genetic engineering that may one day provide a cure for many diseases but is still largely an experimental approach to treatment.
Mechanisms and Risks of Gene Therapy
Human diseases that result from genetic mutations are often difficult to treat with drugs or other traditional forms of therapy because the signs and symptoms of disease result from abnormalities in a patient’s genome. For example, a patient may have a genetic mutation that prevents the expression of a specific protein required for the normal function of a particular cell type. This is the case in patients with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a genetic disease that impairs the function of certain white blood cells essential to the immune system.
Gene therapy attempts to correct genetic abnormalities by introducing a nonmutated, functional gene into the patient’s genome. The nonmutated gene encodes a functional protein that the patient would otherwise be unable to produce. Viral vectors such as adenovirus are sometimes used to introduce the functional gene; part of the viral genome is removed and replaced with the desired gene (Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). More advanced forms of gene therapy attempt to correct the mutation at the original site in the genome, such as is the case with treatment of SCID.
So far, gene therapies have proven relatively ineffective, with the possible exceptions of treatments for cystic fibrosisand adenosine deaminase deficiency, a type of SCID. Other trials have shown the clear hazards of attempting genetic manipulation in complex multicellular organisms like humans. In some patients, the use of an adenovirus vector can trigger an unanticipated inflammatory response from the immune system, which may lead to organ failure. Moreover, because viruses can often target multiple cell types, the virus vector may infect cells not targeted for the therapy, damaging these other cells and possibly leading to illnesses such as cancer. Another potential risk is that the modified virus could revert to being infectious and cause disease in the patient. Lastly, there is a risk that the inserted gene could unintentionally inactivate another important gene in the patient’s genome, disrupting normal cell cycling and possibly leading to tumor formation and cancer. Because gene therapy involves so many risks, candidates for gene therapy need to be fully informed of these risks before providing informed consent to undergo the therapy.
The risks of gene therapy were realized in the 1999 case of Jesse Gelsinger, an 18-year-old patient who received gene therapy as part of a clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania. Jesse received gene therapy for a condition called ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, which leads to ammonia accumulation in the blood due to deficient ammonia processing. Four days after the treatment, Jesse died after a massive immune response to the adenovirus vector.1
Until that point, researchers had not really considered an immune response to the vector to be a legitimate risk, but on investigation, it appears that the researchers had some evidence suggesting that this was a possible outcome. Prior to Jesse’s treatment, several other human patients had suffered side effects of the treatment, and three monkeys used in a trial had died as a result of inflammation and clotting disorders. Despite this information, it appears that neither Jesse nor his family were made aware of these outcomes when they consented to the therapy. Jesse’s death was the first patient death due to a gene therapy treatment and resulted in the immediate halting of the clinical trial in which he was involved, the subsequent halting of all other gene therapy trials at the University of Pennsylvania, and the investigation of all other gene therapy trials in the United States. As a result, the regulation and oversight of gene therapy overall was reexamined, resulting in new regulatory protocols that are still in place today.
- Explain how gene therapy works in theory.
- Identify some risks of gene therapy.
Oversight of Gene Therapy
Presently, there is significant oversight of gene therapy clinical trials. At the federal level, three agencies regulate gene therapy in parallel: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP), and the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Along with several local agencies, these federal agencies interact with the institutional review board to ensure that protocols are in place to protect patient safety during clinical trials. Compliance with these protocols is enforced mostly on the local level in cooperation with the federal agencies. Gene therapies are currently under the most extensive federal and local review compared to other types of therapies, which are more typically only under the review of the FDA. Some researchers believe that these extensive regulations actually inhibit progress in gene therapy research. In 2013, the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) called upon the NIH to relax its review of gene therapy trials in most cases.2 However, ensuring patient safety continues to be of utmost concern.
Ethical Concerns
Beyond the health risks of gene therapy, the ability to genetically modify humans poses a number of ethical issues related to the limits of such “therapy.” While current research is focused on gene therapy for genetic diseases, scientists might one day apply these methods to manipulate other genetic traits not perceived as desirable. This raises questions such as:
- Which genetic traits are worthy of being “corrected”?
- Should gene therapy be used for cosmetic reasons or to enhance human abilities?
- Should genetic manipulation be used to impart desirable traits to the unborn?
- Is everyone entitled to gene therapy, or could the cost of gene therapy create new forms of social inequality?
- Who should be responsible for regulating and policing inappropriate use of gene therapies?
The ability to alter reproductive cells using gene therapy could also generate new ethical dilemmas. To date, the various types of gene therapies have been targeted to somatic cells, the non-reproductive cells within the body. Because somatic cell traits are not inherited, any genetic changes accomplished by somatic-cell gene therapy would not be passed on to offspring. However, should scientists successfully introduce new genes to germ cells (eggs or sperm), the resulting traits could be passed on to offspring. This approach, called germ-line gene therapy, could potentially be used to combat heritable diseases, but it could also lead to unintended consequences for future generations. Moreover, there is the question of informed consent, because those impacted by germ-line gene therapy are unborn and therefore unable to choose whether they receive the therapy. For these reasons, the U.S. government does not currently fund research projects investigating germ-line gene therapies in humans.
While there are currently no gene therapies on the market in the United States, many are in the pipeline and it is likely that some will eventually be approved. With recent advances in gene therapies targeting p53, a gene whose somatic cell mutations have been implicated in over 50% of human cancers,3 cancer treatments through gene therapies could become much more widespread once they reach the commercial market.
Bringing any new therapy to market poses ethical questions that pit the expected benefits against the risks. How quickly should new therapies be brought to the market? How can we ensure that new therapies have been sufficiently tested for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed to the public? The process by which new therapies are developed and approved complicates such questions, as those involved in the approval process are often under significant pressure to get a new therapy approved even in the face of significant risks.
To receive FDA approval for a new therapy, researchers must collect significant laboratory data from animal trials and submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). Following a 30-day waiting period during which the FDA reviews the IND, clinical trials involving human subjects may begin. If the FDA perceives a problem prior to or during the clinical trial, the FDA can order a “clinical hold” until any problems are addressed. During clinical trials, researchers collect and analyze data on the therapy’s effectiveness and safety, including any side effects observed. Once the therapy meets FDA standards for effectiveness and safety, the developers can submit a New Drug Application (NDA) that details how the therapy will be manufactured, packaged, monitored, and administered.
Because new gene therapies are frequently the result of many years (even decades) of laboratory and clinical research, they require a significant financial investment. By the time a therapy has reached the clinical trials stage, the financial stakes are high for pharmaceutical companies and their shareholders. This creates potential conflicts of interest that can sometimes affect the objective judgment of researchers, their funders, and even trial participants. The Jesse Gelsinger case (see Case in Point: Gene Therapy Gone Wrong) is a classic example. Faced with a life-threatening disease and no reasonable treatments available, it is easy to see why a patient might be eager to participate in a clinical trial no matter the risks. It is also easy to see how a researcher might view the short-term risks for a small group of study participants as a small price to pay for the potential benefits of a game-changing new treatment.
Gelsinger’s death led to increased scrutiny of gene therapy, and subsequent negative outcomes of gene therapy have resulted in the temporary halting of clinical trials pending further investigation. For example, when children in France treated with gene therapy for SCID began to develop leukemia several years after treatment, the FDA temporarily stopped clinical trials of similar types of gene therapy occurring in the United States.4 Cases like these highlight the need for researchers and health professionals not only to value human well-being and patients’ rights over profitability, but also to maintain scientific objectivity when evaluating the risks and benefits of new therapies.
- Why is gene therapy research so tightly regulated?
- What is the main ethical concern associated with germ-line gene therapy?
Key Concepts and Summary
- While gene therapy shows great promise for the treatment of genetic diseases, there are also significant risks involved.
- There is considerable federal and local regulation of the development of gene therapies by pharmaceutical companies for use in humans.
- Before gene therapy use can increase dramatically, there are many ethical issues that need to be addressed by the medical and research communities, politicians, and society at large.
Footnotes
- 1 Barbara Sibbald. “Death but One Unintended Consequence of Gene-Therapy Trial.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 164 no. 11 (2001): 1612–1612.
- 2 Kerry Grens. “Report: Ease Gene Therapy Reviews.” The Scientist, December 9, 2013. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articl...erapy-Reviews/. Accessed May 27, 2016.
- 3 Zhen Wang and Yi Sun. “Targeting p53 for Novel Anticancer Therapy.” Translational Oncology 3, no. 1 (2010): 1–12.
- 4 Erika Check. “Gene Therapy: A Tragic Setback.” Nature 420 no. 6912 (2002): 116–118.
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Am Fam Physician. 2008;77(5):643-650
A more recent article on urinary retention in adults is available.
Author disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Urinary retention is the inability to voluntarily void urine. This condition can be acute or chronic. Causes of urinary retention are numerous and can be classified as obstructive, infectious and inflammatory, pharmacologic, neurologic, or other. The most common cause of urinary retention is benign prostatic hyperplasia. Other common causes include prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, and vulvovaginitis; receiving medications in the anticholinergic and alpha-adrenergic agonist classes; and cortical, spinal, or peripheral nerve lesions. Obstructive causes in women often involve the pelvic organs. A thorough history, physical examination, and selected diagnostic testing should determine the cause of urinary retention in most cases. Initial management includes bladder catheterization with prompt and complete decompression. Men with acute urinary retention from benign prostatic hyperplasia have an increased chance of returning to normal voiding if alpha blockers are started at the time of catheter insertion. Suprapubic catheterization may be superior to urethral catheterization for short-term management and silver alloy-impregnated urethral catheters have been shown to reduce urinary tract infection. Patients with chronic urinary retention from neurogenic bladder should be able to manage their condition with clean, intermittent self-catheterization; low-friction catheters have shown benefit in these patients. Definitive management of urinary retention will depend on the etiology and may include surgical and medical treatments.
Urinary retention is the inability to voluntarily urinate. Acute urinary retention is the sudden and often painful inability to void despite having a full bladder.1 Chronic urinary retention is painless retention associated with an increased volume of residual urine.2 Patients with urinary retention can present with complete lack of voiding, incomplete bladder emptying, or overflow incontinence. Complications include infection and renal failure.
| Clinical recommendation | Evidence rating | References |
|---|---|---|
| In men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, initiation of treatment with alpha blockers at the time of catheter insertion improves the success rate of trial of voiding without catheter. | B | 36, 37 |
| Men with urinary retention from benign prostatic hyperplasia should undergo at least one trial of voiding without catheter before surgical intervention is considered. | C | 31 |
| Prevention of acute urinary retention in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia may be achieved by long-term treatment with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. | B | 38–40 |
| Silver alloy-impregnated urethral catheters reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients requiring catheterization for up to 14 days. | A | 41 |
| Suprapubic catheters improve patient comfort and decrease bacteriuria and recatheterization in patients requiring catheterization for up to 14 days. | A | 42 |
| Low-friction, hydrophilic-coated catheters increased patient satisfaction and decreased urinary tract infection and hematuria in patients with neurogenic bladder who practice clean, intermittent self-catheterization. | A | 47, 48 |
Family physicians often encounter patients with urinary retention. In two large cohort studies of U.S. men 40 to 83 years of age, the overall incidence was 4.5 to 6.8 per 1,000 men per year. The incidence dramatically increases with age so that a man in his 70s has a 10 percent chance and a man in his 80s has a more than 30 percent chance of having an episode of acute urinary retention.3,4 The incidence in women is not well documented. Although the differential diagnosis of urinary retention is extensive, a thorough history, careful physical examination, and selected diagnostic testing should enable the family physician to make an accurate diagnosis and begin initial management.
Causes of Urinary Retention
| Cause | Men | Women | Both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obstructive | Benign prostatic hyperplasia; meatal stenosis; paraphimosis; penile constricting bands; phimosis; prostate cancer | Organ prolapse (cystocele, rectocele, uterine prolapse); pelvic mass (gynecologic malignancy, uterine fibroid, ovarian cyst); retroverted impacted gravid uterus | Aneurysmal dilation; bladder calculi; bladder neoplasm; fecal impaction; gastrointestinal or retroperitoneal malignancy/mass; urethral strictures, foreign bodies, stones, edema |
| Infectious and inflammatory | Balanitis; prostatic abscess; prostatitis | Acute vulvovaginitis; vaginal lichen planus; vaginal lichen sclerosis; vaginal pemphigus | Bilharziasis; cystitis; echinococcosis; Guillain-Barré syndrome; herpes simplex virus; Lyme disease; periurethral abscess; transverses myelitis; tubercular cystitis; urethritis; varicella-zoster virus |
| Other | Penile trauma, fracture, or laceration | Postpartum complication; urethral sphincter dysfunction (Fowler's syndrome) | Disruption of posterior urethra and bladder neck in pelvic trauma; postoperative complication; psychogenic |
OBSTRUCTIVE
Obstruction of the lower urinary tract at or distal to the bladder neck can cause urinary retention. The obstruction may be intrinsic (e.g., prostatic enlargement, bladder stones, urethral stricture) or extrinsic (e.g., when a uterine or gastrointestinal mass compresses the bladder neck causing outlet obstruction). The most common obstructive cause is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).1,5 In a study of 310 men over a two-year period, urinary retention was caused by BPH in 53 percent of patients. Other obstructive causes accounted for another 23 percent.7
Each year in the United States, there are approximately 2 million office visits and more than 250,000 surgical procedures performed for patients with BPH.4 BPH causes bladder neck obstruction through two mechanisms: prostate enlargement and constriction of the prostatic urethra from excessive alpha-adrenergic tone in the stromal portion of the gland.8
Other obstructive causes of urinary retention in men include prostate cancer, phimosis, paraphimosis, and external-constricting devices applied to the penis. Obstructive causes in women often involve pelvic organ prolapse such as cystocele or rectocele. Urinary retention can also result from external compression of the bladder neck from uterine prolapse and benign or malignant pelvic masses. In men and women, urethral strictures, stones, and foreign bodies can directly block the flow of urine. Fecal impaction and gastrointestinal or retroperitoneal masses large enough to cause extrinsic bladder neck compression can result in urinary retention. Urinary retention from bladder tumors is usually caused by blood clots from intravesicular bleeding and often presents with painless hematuria.9
INFECTIOUS AND INFLAMMATORY
The most common cause of infectious acute urinary retention is acute prostatitis. Acute prostatitis is usually caused by gram-negative organisms, such as Escherichia coli and Proteus species, and results in swelling of the acutely inflamed gland.1,10 Urethritis from a urinary tract infection (UTI) or sexually transmitted infection can cause urethral edema with resultant urinary retention, and genital herpes may cause urinary retention from local inflammation and sacral nerve involvement (Elsberg syndrome).11 In women, painful vulvovaginal lesions and vulvovaginitis can cause urethral edema, as well as painful urination, which also results in urinary retention.
PHARMACOLOGIC
Medications with anticholinergic properties, such as tricyclic antidepressants, cause urinary retention by decreasing bladder detrusor muscle contraction.12 Sympathomimetic drugs (e.g., oral decongestants) cause urinary retention by increasing alpha-adrenergic tone in the prostate and bladder neck.8 In a recently published population-based study, men using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were twice as likely to experience acute urinary retention compared with those not using these agents. NSAID-induced urinary retention is thought to occur by inhibition of prostaglandin-mediated detrusor muscle contraction.13 Table 25 lists medications associated with urinary retention.
| Class | Drugs |
|---|---|
| Antiarrhythmics | Disopyramide (Norpace); procainamide (Pronestyl); quinidine |
| Anticholinergics (selected) | Atropine (Atreza); belladonna alkaloids; dicyclomine (Bentyl); flavoxate (Urispas); glycopyrrolate (Robinul); hyoscyamine (Levsin); oxybutynin (Ditropan); propantheline (Pro-Banthine*); scopolamine (Transderm Scop) |
| Antidepressants | Amitriptyline (Elavil*); amoxapine; doxepin (Sinequan*); imipramine (Tofranil); maprotiline (Ludiomil*); nortriptyline (Pamelor) |
| Antihistamines (selected) | Brompheniramine (Brovex); chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton); cyproheptadine (Periactin*); diphenhydramine (Benadryl); hydroxyzine (Atarax*) |
| Antihypertensives | Hydralazine; nifedipine (Procardia) |
| Antiparkinsonian agents | Amantadine (Symmetrel); benztropine (Cogentin); bromocriptine (Parlodel); levodopa (Larodopa*)†; trihexyphenidyl (Artane*) |
| Antipsychotics | Chlorpromazine (Thorazine*); fluphenazine (Prolixin*); haloperidol (Haldol); prochlorperazine (Compazine*); thioridazine (Mellaril*); thiothixene (Navane) |
| Hormonal agents | Estrogen; progesterone; testosterone |
| Muscle relaxants | Baclofen (Lioresal); cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril); diazepam (Valium) |
| Sympathomimetics (alpha-adrenergic agents) | Ephedrine; phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine); phenylpropanolamine‡; pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) |
| Sympathomimetics (beta-adrenergic agents) | Isoproterenol (Isuprel); metaproterenol (Alupent); terbutaline (Brethine*) |
| Miscellaneous | Amphetamines; carbamazepine (Tegretol); dopamine (Intropin*); mercurial diuretics; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., indomethacin [Indocin]); opioid analgesics (e.g., morphine [Duramorph]); vincristine (Vincasar PFS) |
NEUROLOGIC
Normal functioning of the bladder and lower urinary tract depends on a complex interaction between the brain, autonomic nervous system, and somatic nerves supplying the bladder and urethra. Interruption along these pathways can result in urinary retention of neurologic etiology (Table 36). Neurogenic or neuropathic bladder is defined as any defective functioning of the bladder caused by impaired innervation.14
Urinary retention from neurologic causes occurs equally in men and women.5 Although most patients with neurogenic bladder will experience incontinence, a significant number might also have urinary retention.15 Up to 56 percent of patients who have suffered a stroke will experience urinary retention, primarily because of detrusor hyporeflexia. In a prospective study, 23 of 80 patients with ischemic stroke developed urinary retention, with the majority having resolution within three months.16 Up to 45 percent of patients with diabetes mellitus and 75 to 100 percent of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy will experience bladder dysfunction, which is likely to include urinary retention.17 Voiding dysfunction tends to correlate with the severity of multiple sclerosis and occurs in up to 80 percent of patients, with urinary retention being present in approximately 20 percent.18 Disk herniation, spinal trauma, and cord compression from benign or malignant tumors may cause urinary retention through interruption of spinal pathways.19
| Lesion Type | Causes |
|---|---|
| Autonomic or peripheral nerve | Autonomic neuropathy; diabetes mellitus; Guillain-Barré syndrome; herpes zoster virus; Lyme disease; pernicious anemia; poliomyelitis; radical pelvic surgery; sacral agenesis; spinal cord trauma; tabes dorsalis |
| Brain | Cerebrovascular disease; concussion; multiple sclerosis; neoplasm or tumor; normal pressure hydrocephalus; Parkinson's disease; Shy-Drager syndrome |
| Spinal cord | Dysraphic lesions; invertebral disk disease; meningomyelocele; multiple sclerosis; spina bifida occulta; spinal cord hematoma or abscess; spinal cord trauma; spinal stenosis; spinovascular disease; transverse myelitis; tumors or masses of conus medullaris or cauda equine |
OTHER CAUSES
Postoperative Complications. Family physicians often encounter urinary retention in patients who have had surgery. Pain, traumatic instrumentation, bladder over-distension, and pharmacologic agents (particularly opioid narcotics) are all thought to play a role. After rectal surgery, patients will experience urinary retention up to 70 percent of the time.20 As many as 78 percent of patients who have had total hip arthroplasty and up to 25 percent of patients who have had outpatient gynecologic surgery will develop urinary retention.21,22 During hemorrhoidectomy, the use of selective pudendal nerve block rather than spinal anesthesia may decrease urinary retention.20 In some studies, perioperative administration of prazosin (Minipress) has also been shown to decrease postoperative urinary retention in men.23
Pregnancy-Associated Urinary Retention. Urinary retention during pregnancy is usually the result of an impacted retroverted uterus that causes obstruction of the internal urethral meatus, most often at 16 weeks' gestation.24 Post-partum, the incidence is reported to be 1.7 to 17.9 percent. Risk factors include nulliparity, instrumental delivery, prolonged labor, and cesarean section.25,26 In a study of more than 3,300 deliveries, women who received epidural anesthesia were significantly more likely to experience urinary retention than those who did not.27
Trauma. Acute injury to the urethra, penis, or bladder may cause urinary retention. Bladder rupture and urethral disruption can occur with pelvic fracture or traumatic instrumentation.5
Approach to the Patient with Urinary Retention
| Patient | History* | Physical examination† | Possible etiology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Previous history of urinary retention | Enlarged, firm, nontender, nonnodular prostate on digital rectal examination; prostate examination may be normal | Benign prostatic hyperplasia |
| Fever; dysuria; back, perineal, rectal pain | Tender, warm, boggy prostate; possible penile discharge | Acute prostatitis | |
| Weight loss; constitutional signs and symptoms | Enlarged nodular prostate; prostate examination may be normal | Prostate cancer | |
| Pain; swelling of foreskin or penis | Edema of penis with nonretractable foreskin; externally applied penile device | Phimosis, paraphimosis, or edema caused by externally placed constricting device | |
| Women | Pelvic pressure; protrusion of pelvic organ from vagina | Prolapse of bladder, rectum, or uterus on pelvic examination | Cystocele; rectocele; uterine prolapse |
| Pelvic pain; dysmenorrhea; lower abdominal discomfort; bloating | Enlarged uterus, ovaries, or adnexa on pelvic examination | Pelvic mass; uterine fibroid; gynecologic malignancy | |
| Vaginal discharge; dysuria; vaginal itching | Inflamed vulva and vagina; vaginal discharge | Vulvovaginitis | |
| Men or women | Dysuria; hematuria; fever; back pain; urethral discharge; genital rash; recent sexual activity | Suprapubic tenderness; costovertebral angle tenderness; urethral discharge; genital vesicles | Cystitis; urethritis; urinary tract infection; sexually transmitted infection; herpes infection |
| Painless hematuria | Gross hematuria with clots | Bladder tumor | |
| Constipation | Abdominal distention; dilated rectum; retained stool in vault | Fecal impaction | |
| Constitutional symptoms; abdominal pain or distention; rectal bleeding | Palpable abdominal mass; positive fecal occult blood test; rectal mass | Advanced gastrointestinal tumor or malignancy | |
| Existing or newly diagnosed neurologic disease; multiple sclerosis; Parkinson's disease; diabetic neuropathy; stroke; overflow incontinence | Generalized or focal neurologic deficits | Neurogenic bladder |
| Test type | Diagnostic test | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory | Urinalysis | Evaluate for infection, hematuria, proteinuria, glucosuria |
| Serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, electrolytes | Evaluate for renal failure from lower urinary tract obstruction | |
| Serum blood glucose | Evaluate for undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus in neurogenic bladder | |
| Prostate-specific antigen | Elevated in prostate cancer; may be elevated in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and in the setting of acute urinary retention | |
| Imaging studies | Renal and bladder ultrasonography | Measure postvoid residual urine; evaluate for bladder and urethral stones, hydronephrosis, and upper urinary tract disease |
| Pelvic ultrasonography; CT of abdomen and pelvis | Evaluate for suspected pelvic, abdominal, or retroperitoneal mass or malignancy causing extrinsic bladder neck compression | |
| MRI or CT of brain | Evaluate for intracranial lesion, including tumor, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MRI preferred in multiple sclerosis) | |
| MRI of spine | Evaluate for lumbosacral disk herniation, cauda equina syndrome, spinal tumors, spinal cord compression, multiple sclerosis | |
| Other | Cystoscopy, retrograde cystourethrography | Evaluate for suspected bladder tumor and bladder or urethral stones or strictures |
| Urodynamic studies (e.g., uroflowmetry, cystometry, electromyography, urethral pressure profile, video urodynamics, pressure flow studies of micturition) | Evaluate bladder function (detrusor muscle and sphincter) in patients with neurogenic bladder to help guide management |
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
A common presentation of urinary retention is bladder outlet obstruction caused by BPH. Patients will generally present with a history of multiple lower urinary tract voiding symptoms, including frequency, urgency, nocturia, straining to void, weak urinary stream, hesitancy, sensation of incomplete bladder emptying, and stopping and starting of urinary stream.31 The history may also include previous episodes of catheterization. The physician should inquire about precipitating factors, including alcohol consumption, recent surgery, UTI, genitourinary instrumentation, constipation, large fluid intake, cold exposure, and prolonged travel.32 A detailed medication history should be obtained for prescribed and over-the-counter medications, with special attention to those that are known to cause urinary retention (Table 25).
Abdominal examination should include percussion and palpation of the bladder. A bladder should be percussible if it contains at least 150 mL of urine; it may be palpable with more than 200 mL.5,28 A rectal examination should be performed to estimate prostate size and to check for prostate nodules and fecal impaction. A urinalysis should be done to evaluate for possible infection. If the diagnosis remains in doubt, residual urine can be accurately measured by bladder ultrasonography or catheterization.28 If available, bladder ultrasonography would be preferred because it is noninvasive and more comfortable for the patient, and because complications (e.g., UTI) can be avoided (Figure 1). The volume of residual urine considered to be significant varies in the literature, ranging from 50 to 300 mL.33 Because prostate-specific antigen will likely be elevated in acute urinary retention, it is unlikely to be helpful in this setting.5
NEUROGENIC BLADDER
Another cause of urinary retention that family physicians will likely encounter is neurogenic bladder. Patients can present with overflow incontinence or recurrent UTI. A history of neurologic disease, spinal trauma or tumor, diabetes, and any change in baseline neurologic status should be carefully noted. Patients with suspected neurogenic bladder should undergo a general neurologic examination, as well as specific examinations related to bladder function. These include the bulbo-cavernosus reflex (contraction of the bulbocavernosus muscle when the glans penis is squeezed), anal reflex (contraction of the anal sphincter when the surrounding skin is stroked), voluntary contractions of the pelvic floor, anal sphincter tone, and sensation in the S2 to S5 dermatomal distribution (Figure 2), which is in the perianal and “saddle” area.29 Imaging studies looking for tumors or other lesions in the brain and spinal cord may also be necessary. Once neurogenic bladder is diagnosed, the patient should be referred for urodynamic testing to guide ongoing management.
Initial Management of Urinary Retention
Acute urinary retention should be managed by immediate and complete decompression of the bladder through catheterization. Standard transurethral catheters are readily available and can usually be easily inserted. If urethral catheterization is unsuccessful or contraindicated, the patient should be referred immediately to a physician trained in advanced catheterization techniques, such as placement of a firm, angulated Coude catheter or a suprapubic catheter.5 Hematuria, hypotension, and postobstructive diuresis are potential complications of rapid decompression; however, there is no evidence that gradual bladder decompression will decrease these complications. Rapid and complete emptying of the bladder is therefore recommended.34
In patients with known or suspected BPH, the optimal amount of time to leave a catheter in place is unknown. Up to 70 percent of men will have recurrent urinary retention within one week if the bladder is simply drained.35 Recent studies have shown that men with BPH have a greater chance of a successful voiding trial without a catheter at two to three days if they are treated with alpha-adrenergic blockers (e.g., alfuzosin [Uroxatral], tamsulosin [Flomax]) for three days starting at the time of catheter insertion.36,37 American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines recommend at least one attempted trial of voiding after catheter removal before considering surgical intervention.31 Prevention of acute urinary retention in BPH may be achieved by long-term treatment (four to six years) with dutasteride (Avod-art), finasteride (Proscar), or a combination of finaste-ride and doxazosin (Cardura).38–40 The AUA guidelines recommend only using the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride in men with demonstrable prostate enlargement by digital rectal examination.31
For hospitalized patients requiring catheterization for 14 days or less, a Cochrane review found that silver alloy-impregnated urethral catheters have been associated with decreased rates of UTI versus standard catheters.41 Another Cochrane review concluded that patients requiring catheterization for up to 14 days had less discomfort, bacteriuria, and need for recatheterization when suprapubic catheters were used compared with urethral catheters.42 In a recent meta-analysis of abdominal surgery patients, suprapubic catheters were found to decrease bacteriuria and discomfort and were preferred by patients.43 Although evidence suggests short-term benefit from silver alloy-impregnated and suprapubic catheters, their use remains somewhat controversial.
If possible, the use of chronic urethral indwelling catheters should be avoided. Complications include UTI, sepsis, trauma, stones, urethral strictures or erosions, prostatitis, and potential development of squamous cell carcinoma.44,45 In a one-year prospective study of nursing home patients, catheter use was independently associated with increased mortality.46
Patients with chronic urinary retention, especially those with neurogenic bladder, should be able to manage their condition with clean, intermittent self-catheterization. This technique is considered first-line treatment for managing urinary retention caused by neurogenic bladder and can reduce complications, such as renal failure, upper urinary tract deterioration, and urosepsis.47 Two randomized trials found that in men with neurogenic bladder from spinal cord injury, low-friction, hydrophilic-coated catheters decreased the incidence of UTI and microhematuria and provided increased patient satisfaction in persons performing self-catheterization.47,48 Definitive management of urinary retention will depend upon the underlying etiology and may involve surgical and medical treatment.
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https://www.becomingminimalist.com/choose-happy/
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“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” —Abraham Lincoln
Is happiness a choice? Yes! Many happy people realize happiness is a choice and it’s up to them to intentionally choose it every single day.
Happy people are not held hostage by their circumstances and they do not seek happiness in people or possessions.
They understand that when we stop chasing the world’s definition of happiness, we begin to see the decision to experience happiness has been right in front of us all along. Research in the field of positive psychology continues to reinforce this understanding.
But simply knowing that happiness is a choice is not enough. Fully experiencing it still requires a conscious decision to choose happiness each day. How then might each of us begin to experience this joy?
How to Choose Happiness Today
Embrace one new action item, practice all of them, or simply use them as inspiration to discover your own. Here are 12 ways to choose happiness today:
1. Count your blessings.
Happy people choose to focus on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative. They set their minds on specific reasons to be grateful. They express it when possible. And they quickly discover there is always, always, something to be grateful for.
2. Carry a smile.
A smile is a wonderful beautifier. But more than that, studies indicate that making an emotion-filled face carries influence over the feelings processed by the brain. Our facial expression can influence our brain in just the same way our brains influence our face. In other words, you can actually program yourself to experience happiness by choosing to smile. Not to mention, all the pretty smiles you’ll receive in return for flashing yours is also guaranteed to increase your happiness level.
3. Speak daily affirmation into your life.
Affirmations are positive thoughts accompanied with affirmative beliefs and personal statements of truth. They are recited in the first person, present tense (“I am…”). Affirmations used daily can release stress, build confidence, and improve outlook. For maximum effectiveness, affirmations should be chosen carefully, be based in truth, and address current needs. Here is a list of 100 daily affirmations to help you get started.
4. Wake up on your terms.
Most of us have alarm clocks programmed because of the expectations of others: a workplace, a school, or a waking child. That’s probably not going to change. But that doesn’t mean we have to lose control over our mornings in the process. Wake up just a little bit early and establish an empowering, meaningful, morning routine. Start each day on your terms. The next 23 hours will thank you for it.
5. Hold back a complaint.
The next time you want to lash out in verbal complaint towards a person, a situation, or yourself, don’t. Instead, humbly keep it to yourself. You’ll likely diffuse an unhealthy, unhappy environment. But more than that, you’ll experience joy by choosing peace in a difficult situation.
6. Practice one life-improving discipline.
There is happiness and fulfillment to be found in personal growth. To know that you have intentionally devoted time and energy to personal improvement is one of the most satisfying feelings you’ll ever experience. Embrace and practice at least one act of self-discipline each day. This could be exercise, budgeting, or guided-learning… whatever your life needs today to continue growing. Find it. Practice it. Celebrate it.
7. Use your strengths.
Each of us have natural talents, strengths, and abilities. And when we use them effectively, we feel alive and comfortable in our skin. They help us find joy in our being and happiness in our design. So embrace your strengths and choose to operate within your giftedness each day. If you need to find this outlet outside your employment, by all means, find this outlet.
8. Accomplish one important task.
Because happy people choose happiness, they take control over their lives. They don’t make decisions based on a need to pursue joy. Instead, they operate out of the satisfaction they have already chosen. They realize there are demands on their time, helpful pursuits to accomplish, and important contributions to make to the world around them. Choose one important task that you can accomplish each day. And find joy in your contribution.
9. Eat a healthy meal/snack.
We are spiritual, emotional, and mental beings. We are also physical bodies. Our lives cannot be wholly separated into its parts. As a result, one aspect always influences the others. For example, our physical bodies will always have impact over our spiritual and emotional well-being. Therefore, caring for our physical well-being can have significant benefit for our emotional standing.
One simple action to choose happiness today is to eat healthy foods. Your physical body will thank you… and so will your emotional well-being.
10. Treat others well.
Everyone wants to be treated kindly. But more than that, deep down, we also want to treat others with the same respect that we would like given to us. Treat everyone you meet with kindness, patience, and grace. The Golden Rule is a powerful standard. It benefits the receiver. But also brings growing satisfaction in yourself as you seek to treat others as you would like to be treated.
11. Meditate.
Find time alone in solitude. As our world increases in speed and noise, the ability to withdraw becomes even more essential. Studies confirm the importance and life-giving benefits of meditation. So take time to make time. And use meditation to search inward, connect spiritually, and improve your happiness today.
12. Search for benefit in your pain.
This life can be difficult. Nobody escapes without pain. At some point—in some way—we all encounter it. When you do, remind yourself again that the trials may be difficult, but they will pass. And search deep to find meaning in the pain. Choose to look for the benefits that can be found in your trial. At the very least, perseverance is being built. And most likely, an ability to comfort others in their pain is also being developed.
Go today. Choose joy and be happy. That will make two of us.
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https://www.bankofbaroda.in/banking-mantra/investment/articles/how-to-open-a-fixed-deposit-account
|
How To Open A Fixed Deposit Account
14 Apr 2023
Table of Content
Time deposits or Term deposits are most commonly known as fixed deposits. Apart from mobilising funds from demand deposits like savings and current accounts, banks also resort to fixed deposits to raise funds. Fixed deposit, like the word suggests, have a fixed duration.
How to Open a Fixed Deposit Account?
Now that we know what a fixed deposit (FD) is, let us see how we can open a fixed deposit account.
Steps to Open an FD Account
One can open a fixed deposit account by:
- visiting the nearest bank branch where they want to open their FD account
- through net banking or
- by using the mobile app of the bank where they are willing to open their FD account
If one already has a savings bank account, then one can easily open a fixed deposit through net banking or by physically visiting the nearest bank branch of the bank in which they have the savings account.
How to Open an FD Account by Visiting a Bank?
If one already has a savings bank account with the bank they want to open their FD with, then one has to download the FD application form from the bank's website. One can also fill out the application form by physically visiting the bank branch.
After procuring the application form, one must follow these steps:
- Fill in the application for a fixed deposit with relevant and correct details. Write down the amount one wants to invest in and mention the tenure.
- Submit the duly filled-in application form at the bank, along with the required documents.
- Provide cash/cheque for the amount one would like to invest in FD.
- The application will then be processed, and the FD account will be opened by the concerned bank/financial institution.
How to Open a Fixed Deposit Account through Net Banking?
The procedures for opening an FD account differ from one bank to another. However, the general steps to open an FD account through net banking are as follows:
- Visit the official website of the Bank/NBFC
- Register with a new ID or log in using the existing credentials
- Select the option to 'Open a fixed deposit account'
- Fill in the required details, such as the investment amount, tenure, nominee details, etc.
- Review all the details to ensure they are correct and then confirm them to proceed
- Pay through net banking
- Download the receipt for future reference
How to Open a Fixed Deposit Account through an App?
The steps for opening an FD account through a mobile banking app will vary from Bank to Bank. This is because each bank will use a unique application that will differ from those of other banks. There are some generic steps that one would need to follow, whichever mobile application one chooses.
The general steps to open an FD account via an app are as follows:
- Download the bank's mobile app on which one wants to open an FD account
- Login using credentials
- Look for 'open a fixed deposit account' or 'open deposit account' or similar sounding option
- Choose the amount and the maturity period, and also fill in the rest of the details
- Click the 'Proceed’ button. The invested amount will then be debited from one's savings account, and an FD account will be created instantly.
- Download the web receipt for future reference
Conclusion
Fixed Deposits earn higher interest than a Savings Account because the former gives them leg room to lend to people who need the money for roughly the same time limit. A one-year fixed deposit in a bank can allow the bank to lend money to a person who requires a personal loan for one-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who can open fixed deposit account?
- An individual in his own name.
- More than one individual in joint name.
- Minor of age 10 and above on terms laid down by the bank. Accounts can also be opened in the name of minor with their father/mother, as guardian. Clubs, associations, Educational Institutions, Partnerships, and joint stock companies, provided they are registered, and bank is satisfied that the account is opened for genuine savings purpose.
- An Indian citizen of 18 years or older can open an FD account.
2. Can I open multiple FD accounts in same bank?
Yes, one can open multiple FD accounts at the same bank. There is no limit to the number of FDs you can open.
3.Can minor open fixed deposit?
Yes, a minor can open a fixed deposit account.
4. Can I open an FD without a bank account?
Yes, one can invest in FDs without opening a bank account.
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Disclaimer
The contents of this article/infographic/picture/video are meant solely for information purposes and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bank of Baroda. The contents are generic in nature and for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for specific advice in your own circumstances. Bank of Baroda and/ or its Affiliates and its subsidiaries make no representation as to the accuracy; completeness or reliability of any information contained herein or otherwise provided and hereby disclaim any liability with regard to the same. The information is subject to updation, completion, revision, verification and amendment and the same may change materially. The information is not intended for distribution or use by any person in any jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation or would subject Bank of Baroda or its affiliates to any licensing or registration requirements. Bank of Baroda shall not be responsible for any direct/indirect loss or liability incurred by the reader for taking any financial decisions based on the contents and information mentioned. Please consult your financial advisor before making any financial decision.
How is Interest on Fixed Deposits Calculated by Banks?
A fixed deposit (FD) is one of the safest investment instruments banks offer customers. It allows customers to invest a certain amount of money for a fixed period safely and securely. However, you may be interested in finding out how to calculate your fixed deposit interest rate. Well, you can use a fixed deposit calculator online for this purpose.
Features and Benefits of Fixed Deposit
A fixed deposit is one of the most popular investment options in India. Several people consider fixed deposits as the best investment option and invest a significant portion of their savings in this instrument. But what is a fixed deposit?
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https://thehelpfulgf.com/gluten-free-tomato-sauce-the-ultimate-guide/
|
Are you looking for the best gluten-free tomato sauce to use? Keep reading to learn which brand of tomato sauce is gluten-free.
In this article, I’ll cover what store-bought pasta sauce is gluten-free and where to buy them.
Use the Table of Contents below to navigate to the section of your choice or keep reading for more information.
Jump to:
The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research. Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here.
Is All Tomato Sauce Gluten-Free?
First, let's briefly discuss what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in various different grains, including wheat, rye, barley, or oats if they weren’t grown separately from gluten-containing grains. You might see these ingredients on the ingredients list of the nutrient label instead of the word ‘gluten’ itself.
According to the FDA, a product can only be labeled as gluten-free in the United States if it contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram, you will want to watch for cross-contact during processing.
The basic tomato sauce that only contains tomatoes is gluten-free. Once flavoring and other additions to the sauce are added to make marinara or spaghetti sauce, some can contain gluten.
Additionally, it also matters what you are preparing with your tomato sauce--depending on what you are cooking you can cross-contaminate your tomato sauce in the kitchen. Learn more about how to handle cross contact in the kitchen here.
Take this quick quiz and uncover the secrets to making your gluten-free lifestyle not just manageable, but truly enjoyable with custom recipes and tips!
Do Canned Tomatoes Contain Gluten?
Canned tomatoes should not contain gluten but double-check the label for any warnings about processing with wheat.
Is Tomato Paste Gluten-Free?
Most tomato paste is naturally gluten-free, however, you will want to check labels to ensure that no gluten ingredients have been added during the manufacturing process.
Is Marinara Sauce Gluten-Free?
Most marinara sauces are gluten-free and safe for those with celiac to enjoy, however, you will want to double-check the ingredients to ensure it contains no wheat.
Homemade marinara sauce (like this best homemade marinara sauce) is typically naturally gluten free, you just want to be wary of kitchen cross contact.
With more and more people being diagnosed with Celiac Disease or choosing to live a gluten-free lifestyle, you may notice that certain marinara sauce packaging is labeled gluten-free.
It's also important that when preparing your gluten free spaghetti sauce that you don't cross contact it with something that can contain gluten like wheat pasta or meatballs.
While pasta and meatballs usually contain gluten, there are great substitutes! You can use this recipe for Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs instead of traditional meatballs which contain breadcrumbs. You can also sub wheat noodles for gluten free noodles in recipes or try a totally gluten free recipe for your favorite pasta dish such as this Palmini Lasagna.
Best Gluten-Free Tomato Sauce Brands
- Thrive Market Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
- La Dee Da Gourmet Pasta Sauce
- Yo Mama’s Keto Marinara Pasta and Pizza Sauce
- Carbone Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
- Solspring Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
- Delicious & Sons
- Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce
- FODY Pasta Sauce
- Monte Bene
- Paesana Traditional Marinara Pasta Sauce
- Dei Fratelli Arrabbiata Spicy Pasta Sauce
- Due Amici Marinara Pasta Sauce
- Michaels Of Brooklyn Sauce
- Barilla Premium Pasta Sauce
- Organico Bello
- Sonoma Gourmet
- Heinz Spaghetti Sauce
- Hunt’s Tomato Sauce
- Ragu Pasta Sauce
- Rao’s Tomato Sauce
- Contadina Tomato Sauce
Thrive Market, Organic Pasta Sauce
Thrive Market, Organic Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly.
This staple item is excellent to keep in the home and be sure to enjoy the other gluten-free options they have available.
To shop for Thrive Market, Organic Pasta Sauce, visit Thrive Market here.
La Dee Da Gourmet Pasta Sauce
La Dee Da Gourmet Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, plant-based, low carb, low sodium, and has no sugar added.
This pasta sauce is perfect for any occasion, give it a try today!
Shop La Dee Da Gourmet Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Yo Mama’s Keto Marinara and Pizza Sauce
Yo Mama’s Keto Marinara and Pizza Sauce are gluten-free, paleo-friendly, low carb, and low sodium.
This marinara sauce will surprise you with its fresh taste and seasoning.
Find Yo Mama’s Keto Marinara and Pizza Sauce on Amazon.
Carbone Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Carbone Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and a low-carb pasta sauce.
This just might be the best pasta sauce you’ve ever tried!
You can shop for Carbone Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Solspring Organic Pasta Sauce
Solspring Organic Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, soy-free, and certified organic.
This pasta sauce is a real treat with its great flavor and thickness.
To shop for Solspring Organic Pasta Sauce, visit Amazon here.
Delicious & Sons
Delicious & Sons is gluten-free, non-GMO, keto and paleo, and organic.
This pasta sauce is made with high-quality natural ingredients that everyone can enjoy.
Shop Delicious & Sons on Amazon.
Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce
Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce is a canned sauce that's both gluten-free and vegetarian.
This tomato sauce is free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Find Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce on Amazon.
FODY Pasta Sauce
FODY Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, vegan, and certified LOW FODMAP for people needing a low fodmap diet.
This pasta sauce is absolutely delicious and you won’t miss the garlic flavor.
You can shop for FODY Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Monte Bene
Monte Bene is gluten-free, non-GMO, and has no added sugars.
Are you tired of making your own pasta sauce? Give Monte Bene a try!
To shop for Monte Bene, visit Amazon here.
Paesana Traditional Marinara Pasta Sauce
Paesana Traditional Marinara Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and made with 100% imported Italian tomatoes.
This pasta sauce is excellent in every way. It is delicious and the next best to homemade pasta sauce.
Shop Paesana Traditional Marinara Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Dei Fratelli Arrabbiata Spicy Pasta Sauce
Dei Fratelli Arrabbiata Spicy Pasta Sauce is gluten-free and non-GMO.
Quality you can trust. This pasta sauce is great for the lasagna-making season.
Find Dei Fratelli Arrabbiate Spicy Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Due Amici Marinara Pasta Sauce
Due Amici Marinara Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, low carb, and low sodium with no additives.
Looking for a little kick? This pasta is it! Enjoy all the flavors offered in the pasta sauce.
You can shop for Due Amici Marinara Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Michaels of Brooklyn Sauce
Michaels of Brooklyn Sauce is gluten-free.
It may not be grandma’s homemade sauce, but it’s a close second!
To shop for Michaels of Brooklyn Sauce, visit Amazon here.
Barilla Premium Pasta Sauce
Barilla Premium Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, kosher, and non-GMO.
Even the pickiest eater will agree that this gluten free tomato sauce is worth having in your pantry as a staple item,
Shop Barilla Premium Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Organico Bello
Organico Bello is gluten-free, whole30 approved, and non-GMO.
Made with clean and simple ingredients, this pasta sauce is delicious and has that homemade taste you are looking for.
Find Organico Bello on Amazon.
Sonoma Pasta Sauce
Sonoma Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, organic, whole30-approved, keto-approved, and non-GMO.
This product is great and has a flavor that will never leave your mouth and have you wanting more!
To shop for Sonoma Pasta Sauce, visit Amazon here.
Heinz Classic Spaghetti Sauce
Is Heinz tomato sauce gluten-free? Based on the ingredients label, Heinz Classis is a gluten-free sauce.
You will love this sauce. Thick and seasoned is just the right taste.
Shop Heinz Classic Spaghetti Sauce on Amazon.
Hunt’s Tomato Sauce
Is Hunt’s tomato sauce gluten-free?
Most of Hunt’s Tomato & Pasta sauce is gluten-free. When purchasing you will want to look at the label for ingredients that contain wheat.
It’s better than you think and you will love the taste!
Find Hunt’s Tomato Sauce on Amazon.
Ragu Pasta Sauce
Is Ragu Tomato Sauce gluten-free?
Most Ragu sauces are gluten-free but they are not labeled gluten-free. Before purchasing, double-check the ingredients on the packaging.
Make this your go-to sauce base and enjoy its great taste.
Find Ragu Pasta Sauce on Amazon.
Rao’s Homemade Marinara Tomato Sauce
If you’ve been wondering, is Rao’s gluten-free? Then you’re in luck, though this sauce is not labeled gluten-free, Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce is gluten-free.
A great versatile sauce that is a wonderful base sauce for all your needs.
To shop for Rao’s Homemade Marinara Tomato Sauce, visit Amazon here.
Contadina Tomato Sauce
Is Contadina tomato sauce gluten-free? Based on the ingredients list it only contains gluten-free ingredients, however, the company does not state that its products are gluten-free.
This sauce is great tasting with a consistency that will not disappoint.
Find Contadina Tomato Sauce on Amazon.
If you're looking for a delicious recipe to make using tomato sauce, try this cheesy hamburger helper that's 100% gluten free!
As you can see, for all of you wondering: Is there gluten in spaghetti sauce, there are actually really great options available for you to enjoy gluten-free spaghetti sauce.
Do you have a specific fav that's missing from this list? If so, comment below and let me know.
Did you find this post on gluten-free tomato sauce helpful?
If so, be sure to share this gluten free pasta sauce post on social using the share buttons below or pin it to Pinterest to save it for later!
What's they key to loving your gluten free life? Get your personalized plan with the guide you need to thrive!
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Plastic and cosmetic surgery can have benefits and drawbacks. Plastic surgery addresses areas of dysfunction or irregularity, such as congenital disabilities or trauma. Cosmetic surgery enhances appearance for aesthetic reasons.
Plastic surgeons carry out plastic surgery, while surgeons or other physicians, such as dermatologists, may also carry out cosmetic surgery.
People may need to consider whether the potential risks of plastic or cosmetic surgery outweigh the benefits, as well as how the surgery may affect their physical and mental health.
This article looks at why people may undergo plastic or cosmetic surgery, the pros and cons, and how to seek help for concerns such as body dysmorphia.
Plastic and cosmetic surgery are neither good nor bad. Both types of surgery have pros and cons.
For example, they can benefit people medically or psychologically and help improve a person’s confidence and self-esteem.
However, they also come with physical risks and may have a negative effect on mental health if people are not happy with the results or have untreated mental health conditions.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery notes that plastic surgery aims to treat areas of the body that are not functioning as they should or to enhance appearance.
For example, a person may wish to undergo plastic surgery to help treat severe burns or congenital disabilities or to reconstruct the breast after a mastectomy.
Cosmetic surgery focuses on enhancing appearance for aesthetic reasons rather than medical ones. People may have cosmetic surgery to change the appearance of the face or body, such as a nose surgery or a face-lift.
Cosmetic surgery is elective, meaning that a person chooses to undergo the procedure rather than doing so at the recommendation of a healthcare professional.
The following sections outline the benefits of plastic and cosmetic surgery.
Improved body confidence and mental health
Plastic and cosmetic surgery can help people align their bodies with the way they want to look.
For example, a 2022 study suggests that cosmetic surgery can help improve body confidence, self-esteem, and symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Increasing body confidence may help improve emotional and social health and overall quality of life.
Improved function
Plastic surgery focuses on improving function and correcting areas of irregularity or dysfunction, which may help enhance a person’s quality of life.
Gender affirmation
In people who seek gender affirming plastic surgery, these procedures may help reduce gender dysphoria and improve overall well-being and mental health.
The following are potential drawbacks to cosmetic and plastic surgery.
Unrealistic expectations
People may have unrealistic expectations for the results of cosmetic or plastic surgery.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) states that a surgical procedure may be able to fix a specific issue, but it cannot make a person look like someone else or reach the level of perfection people may be seeking.
Unregulated practitioners
It is usually up to an individual to find a suitable cosmetic surgeon, and it is not always clear whether a doctor has the necessary training and skill set to perform certain procedures.
Costs
Plastic surgery can be expensive, and health insurance may not cover cosmetic surgery without proven medical reasons.
However, health insurance may cover reconstructive plastic surgery, depending on the procedure.
Body dysmorphia
If people have an underlying mental health condition, such as body dysmorphia, physical changes may not change the way they see themselves.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition that causes excessive anxiety related to how a person views and thinks about their appearance.
The ASPS advises that people should be in a clear state of mind before they undergo any surgery that could permanently change their body.
Even if the results of a procedure meet the person’s expectations, they may still not be happy with their appearance after surgery and may look to have repeat procedures.
According to a 2018 article published in the
The article authors state that surgeons need to use a refined decision-making process when determining whether to perform cosmetic surgery on this population.
This decision may be based on:
- the severity of BDD
- the person’s level of functioning
- the involvement of mental health professionals
Recovery and downtime
Major procedures will require recovery and downtime. People may need to take time off from work and may need assistance from others with everyday tasks.
Like any other surgery, cosmetic and plastic surgery have risks and possible complications that may negatively affect a person’s health.
All types of surgical procedures, including reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, have risks. Potential risks include:
- infection
- anesthetic complications
- fluid buildup around incisions
- delayed healing of incisions
- blood clots
- excessive bruising or bleeding
- numbness, which may be temporary
- dissatisfaction with the outcome
- non-permanent results
- significant scarring
Seeking help for body dysmorphia
People who believe they may have BDD can find support by speaking with a healthcare professional or consulting online resources such as the following:
People can use the following resources to find a certified plastic or cosmetic surgeon:
Plastic and cosmetic surgery are neither good nor bad. Both types of surgery have benefits and drawbacks.
For example, plastic or cosmetic surgery may help improve a person’s confidence and mental well-being. However, surgery can also come with risks, and people may not be satisfied with the results.
Before undergoing cosmetic or plastic surgery, people should take some time to consider the risks and benefits of the procedures.
If a person is considering surgery, it is advisable that they speak with a healthcare professional, look for surgeons with extensive experience and training, and have realistic expectations of the results.
If someone thinks they may have BDD or another mental health condition, it is important that they address this condition before undergoing cosmetic surgery.
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Harvard Business School (HBS) Case Method, a renowned approach to business education, using business case studies in the field of
marketing,
sales,
leadership,
technology,
finance, enterpreneurship,
human resource management, and more .
Core Principles:
- Real-World Dilemmas: HBS cases delve into genuine business challenges faced by companies, exposing students to the complexities and uncertainties of real-world decision-making.
- Active Participation: Students are not passive recipients of knowledge. The case method emphasizes active participation through case discussions, fostering critical thinking and analysis.
- Developing Judgment: There are often no single “correct” answers in case studies. The focus is on developing sound judgment by weighing evidence, considering various perspectives, and making well-supported recommendations.
- Diversity and Collaboration: Diverse backgrounds and experiences enrich case discussions. Students learn from each other as they analyze the case from different viewpoints.
Structure and Implementation:
- Pre-Class Preparation: Effective case study learning hinges on thorough preparation. Students are expected to read and analyze the case beforehand, identifying key issues, conducting research, and formulating potential solutions.
- Case Discussion: The case discussion in class is the heart of the method. The instructor facilitates a dynamic discussion, encouraging active participation from all students.
- Open-Ended Questions: Instead of spoon-feeding answers, instructors pose open-ended questions that stimulate critical thinking and analysis.
- Cold Calling: The HBS method is known for its “cold calling” technique, where professors randomly call on students to respond, promoting active engagement and preparation.
- Socratic Dialogue: Instructors often employ the Socratic method, asking probing questions to challenge assumptions, encourage deeper analysis, and draw out student reasoning.
Benefits of the HBS Case Method:
- Develops Critical Thinking Skills: Grappling with complex business problems and analyzing diverse perspectives strengthens critical thinking abilities.
- Enhances Communication Skills: Active participation and clear articulation of ideas within case discussions hone communication skills.
- Sharpens Analytical Abilities: Students learn to dissect complex situations, identify key drivers, and weigh evidence effectively.
- Promotes Decision-Making Confidence: The case method fosters the ability to make well-reasoned decisions under uncertainty.
- Builds Leadership Skills: Active participation in discussions and persuasively advocating for solutions develops leadership potential.
- Prepares Students for Real-World Business: The case method equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of real-world business environments.
Business Case Study Assignment Help
-
Academic Excellence
- Tailored solutions for MBA students and business school courses.
- Specialized content for capstone projects and dissertations.
-
Corporate Training
- Custom case studies for executive education and corporate training programs.
- Industry-specific solutions for employee development.
-
- Case studies focused on startup challenges and innovation strategies.
- Solutions for incubators and accelerators.
-
Industry-Specific Case Studies
- Healthcare, technology, finance, and retail sector case studies.
- Customized solutions addressing sector-specific issues.
-
Consulting Firms
- Case solutions to support consulting practice and client presentations.
- Detailed analyses for strategic recommendations.
-
International Business
- Case studies addressing global market entry, cross-cultural management, and international strategy.
- Solutions for multinational corporations and global business programs.
-
Social Impact and Sustainability
- Case studies on corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and ethical business practices.
- Solutions for NGOs and social enterprises.
How to Write a Great Case Study Solution | HBR Case Study Assignment Help
A top-tier Harvard Business School (HBS) case study solution comprises a thorough analysis, strategic insights, and actionable recommendations. The solution is not just an academic exercise but a practical approach to solving real-world business problems. Here’s an illustration of what the best Harvard case study solutions comprise, along with a detailed checklist to ensure excellence.
Key Components of a Harvard Case Study Solution
Comprehensive Understanding of the Case
- Summary of the Case: Provide a concise summary that outlines the key issues, stakeholders, and objectives. This sets the stage for deeper analysis.
- Problem Identification: Clearly define the main problem or decision point that the case presents. This includes understanding the underlying causes and the broader business context.
Detailed Analysis
- Qualitative Analysis: Evaluate qualitative factors such as organizational culture, leadership styles, and market conditions. This helps in understanding the non-quantifiable aspects that impact the business scenario.
- Quantitative Analysis: Use data and financial metrics to analyze the business performance. This includes profit margins, cost structures, revenue streams, and other relevant financial indicators.
- SWOT Analysis: Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to provide a structured view of the internal and external factors affecting the business.
Strategic Alternatives
- Generation of Alternatives: Develop multiple strategic alternatives to address the identified problem. Each alternative should be feasible and align with the company’s goals and resources.
- Evaluation of Alternatives: Assess each alternative based on criteria such as cost, feasibility, impact, and alignment with the company’s strategic objectives. Use quantitative data where possible to support the evaluation.
Recommended Solution
- Selection of the Best Alternative: Choose the most viable solution from the generated alternatives. Justify the choice with clear, logical reasoning and supporting evidence.
- Implementation Plan: Develop a detailed implementation plan that includes steps, timelines, resources required, and potential risks. This ensures the recommended solution is actionable and practical.
- Contingency Plan: Outline a contingency plan to address potential challenges or risks that may arise during the implementation phase.
Reflection and Learning
- Lessons Learned: Reflect on the case study process and the key lessons learned. This includes insights into decision-making, strategic thinking, and the application of business concepts.
- Future Implications: Discuss the broader implications of the case study for the industry and future business scenarios.
Checklist for a Great Harvard Case Study Solution
Comprehensive Understanding
- Clearly summarized the case
- Identified the main problem and stakeholders
- Understood the broader business context
Detailed Analysis
- Conducted qualitative analysis (organizational culture, market conditions, etc.)
- Performed quantitative analysis (financial metrics, data analysis)
- Completed a SWOT analysis
Strategic Alternatives
- Generated multiple feasible alternatives
- Evaluated alternatives based on relevant criteria
- Supported evaluations with data and logical reasoning
Recommended Solution
- Selected the most viable alternative with a strong justification
- Developed a detailed and practical implementation plan
- Created a contingency plan to manage potential risks
Reflection and Learning
- Reflected on the case study process
- Identified key lessons learned
- Discussed future implications for the industry and business practices
At Fern Fort University creating a top-tier Harvard case study solution involves a methodical approach to understanding the case, performing detailed analysis, generating and evaluating strategic alternatives, and providing actionable recommendations. By following this structured process, our case solution writing experts deliver solutions that are best in class.
Hire Someone To Do My Case Study | Pay Someone To Solve My Case Study
Hiring an expert to handle your case studies solutions can significantly elevate the quality and impact of your business analyses. Fern Fort University specializes in crafting comprehensive, insightful case study solutions that deliver tangible benefits for businesses and academic success.
Expertise and Precision
Fern Fort University’s team comprises seasoned professionals with extensive experience in analyzing complex business scenarios. They bring a wealth of industry knowledge and academic rigor to every case study, ensuring that the solutions are not only theoretically sound but also practically relevant. This expertise guarantees that your case studies solutions will be insightful, well-structured, and reflective of the latest industry trends.
Time and Resource Efficiency | Express Delivery
Creating high-quality case studies solutions is a time-consuming process that requires meticulous research and analysis. By outsourcing this task to Fern Fort University, you can save valuable time and resources. This allows you to focus on your core business activities while ensuring that your case studies are handled by experts who can deliver superior results efficiently.
Comprehensive Analysis
Fern Fort University provides a thorough analysis of each case, considering all relevant factors such as market conditions, financial data, competitive landscape, and organizational dynamics. This comprehensive approach ensures that the solutions are robust and well-rounded, providing a deep understanding of the business challenges and opportunities.
Tailored Solutions
Every business is unique, and Fern Fort University recognizes this by offering customized case study solutions tailored to your specific needs. Our team works closely with clients to understand their objectives and constraints, ensuring that the final product aligns perfectly with your strategic goals and academic requirements.
Enhanced Learning and Application
For academic clients, Fern Fort University’s case study solutions are designed to enhance learning and application. Our detailed, step-by-step analyses provide students with clear insights into complex business problems, helping them develop critical thinking and decision-making skills. For businesses, these solutions offer actionable recommendations that can be directly applied to improve performance and drive growth.
High Standards of Quality
Fern Fort University is committed to delivering top-quality work that meets the highest academic and professional standards. Our case studies solutions are thoroughly researched, well-written, and meticulously reviewed to ensure accuracy and coherence. This commitment to quality guarantees that you receive a product that can withstand rigorous scrutiny and provide valuable insights.
Competitive Advantage
By leveraging Fern Fort University’s expertise, you gain a competitive advantage. Our insightful analyses and strategic recommendations can help you identify new opportunities, mitigate risks, and make informed decisions that drive success. This can be particularly beneficial in a competitive business environment where having a well-crafted case study can set you apart from your peers.
Hiring Fern Fort University to write your case studies solutions is a strategic investment that delivers exceptional results. Our combination of expertise, efficiency, comprehensive analysis, and tailored solutions ensures that your case studies solutions will be of the highest quality, providing valuable insights and a competitive edge. Focus on your core activities and leave the complex task of case study analysis to the experts at Fern Fort University, ensuring academic excellence and business success.
Custom Case Study Writing Service Process | Affordable
The case study writing process at Fern Fort University is meticulously designed to ensure clients receive comprehensive, high-quality solutions tailored to their specific needs. Below is a detailed breakdown of the process:
Step 1: Fill the Form and Upload Guidelines
The first step involves clients filling out a detailed form to provide necessary information about their case study solution needs. This form includes fields for essential details such as the topic, objectives, scope, and any specific guidelines or instructions that need to be followed. Uploading comprehensive guidelines is crucial as it sets the foundation for a well-aligned and accurate case study solution. This ensures that the case study writer fully understands the client’s requirements and expectations from the outset.
Step 2: Upload the Case Study PDF
Once the guidelines are uploaded, clients are required to upload the case study PDF. This document contains the case study that needs to be analyzed and solved. Providing the case study in its PDF format allows the writer to thoroughly review and understand the context, background, and specifics of the problem at hand. This step ensures that the writer has all the necessary materials to begin the in-depth analysis.
Step 3: Converse with the Case Study Solution Writer
After the initial submission of guidelines and the case study, the next step involves direct communication between the client and the case study solution writer. This conversation is pivotal as it allows for clarification of any ambiguities and discussion of project deliverables. The writer can ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the client’s needs, while the client can provide additional insights or preferences. This step ensures that both parties are on the same page and that the writer can tailor the analysis and solution to meet the client’s exact expectations.
Step 4: Delivery of the Case Study Solution
Upon completion of the analysis and drafting of the case study solution, the writer delivers the final product to the client. The delivery includes a comprehensive report that outlines the problem, detailed analysis, proposed solutions, and actionable recommendations. The case study solution is presented in a clear, structured format that is easy to understand and implement. This step marks the culmination of the writer’s efforts and provides the client with a well-crafted solution that addresses all the guidelines and expectations .
Step 5: Improvements (If Required)
After the delivery of the case study solution, clients have the opportunity to review the document and request any necessary improvements. This step ensures that the final product meets the client’s satisfaction and adheres to all specified requirements. The writer makes the required adjustments based on the client’s feedback, fine-tuning the analysis and recommendations as needed. This iterative process guarantees that the case study solution is of the highest quality and fully aligned with the client’s expectations.
Importance of Each Step in the Process
Filling the Form and Uploading Guidelines
This initial step is critical as it sets the direction for the entire project. Clear and detailed guidelines ensure that the writer understands the scope, objectives, and specific requirements, reducing the risk of misalignment and ensuring a focused approach.
Uploading the Case Study PDF
Providing the case study in its original format ensures that the writer has all the necessary context and background information. This step is crucial for a thorough understanding of the problem and accurate analysis.
Communication with the Writer
Direct communication allows for clarification of any doubts and ensures that both the client and the writer have a mutual understanding of the project deliverables. This interaction is essential for tailoring the solution to meet the client’s specific needs.
Delivery of the Solution
Delivering a comprehensive and well-structured case study solution provides the client with actionable insights and recommendations. This step showcases the writer’s expertise and ensures that the client receives a valuable product that addresses the case study’s challenges effectively.
Requesting Improvements
The opportunity for revisions ensures that the final product meets the client’s expectations and adheres to all requirements. This step adds a layer of quality assurance, ensuring client satisfaction.
The case study writing service process at Fern Fort University is designed to deliver high-quality, tailored solutions through a structured and client-focused approach. Each step in the process is carefully crafted to ensure clarity, thorough analysis, and client satisfaction. By following this comprehensive process, Fern Fort University guarantees that clients receive insightful and actionable case study solutions that meet their specific needs and contribute to their academic or business success.
Professional Case Study Writers | Business Case Study Writing Service
Fern Fort University’s professional case study solution writers have the following attributes that can help you to boost your academic and professional growth --
1. Analytical Skills : Professional case study solution writers at Fern Fort University possess exceptional analytical skills. They can break down complex problems into manageable parts, identify key issues, and understand the underlying factors influencing the situation. This enables them to provide a deep and insightful analysis that addresses the core of the problem.
2. Research Proficiency : Our writers excel in conducting thorough and rigorous research. They are adept at gathering relevant data from credible sources, including academic journals, industry reports, and case-specific documents. Their research proficiency ensures that the case study solutions are well-informed and supported by solid evidence.
3. Critical Thinking : Critical thinking is a hallmark of Fern Fort University’s writers. They evaluate information from multiple perspectives, assess the validity of sources, and develop logical, well-reasoned conclusions. This skill allows them to craft nuanced solutions that consider various possible outcomes and implications.
4. Writing Clarity : Our writers are known for their clear and concise writing style. They present complex ideas in an understandable manner, ensuring that the case study solutions are accessible to a broad audience. This clarity helps communicate the findings and recommendations effectively.
5. Industry Knowledge : Writers at Fern Fort University have a deep understanding of the industries they write about. Whether it’s finance, healthcare, technology, or any other sector, they bring industry-specific insights that enrich the case study analysis and make the solutions relevant and practical.
6. Attention to Detail : Attention to detail is critical in case study writing, and our writers excel in this area. They meticulously ensure the accuracy of data, adherence to guidelines, and completeness of the analysis. This thoroughness prevents errors and enhances the credibility of the solutions.
7. Problem-Solving : Our writers are skilled problem-solvers. They go beyond identifying issues by proposing actionable and realistic solutions. Their recommendations are practical and tailored to the specific context of the case study, providing clients with clear steps to address the challenges.
8. Communication Skills : Effective communication is vital for conveying complex ideas and solutions. Writers at Fern Fort University are adept at communicating their findings and recommendations clearly and persuasively. They can articulate their points in a way that resonates with stakeholders.
9. Time Management : Delivering high-quality case study solutions within tight deadlines is a standard practice at Fern Fort University. Our writers are efficient and organized, managing their time effectively to meet deadlines without compromising on the quality of their work.
10. Adaptability : Our writers are highly adaptable, capable of tailoring their approach to meet the unique needs of different cases and clients. Whether it’s a change in scope, new information, or specific client preferences, they adjust their strategies to deliver customized and relevant solutions.
Fern Fort University’s professional case study solution writers deliver comprehensive, insightful, and actionable case study solutions that meet the highest academic and professional standards.
Where Can I Find a Case Solution for Harvard Business Cases or HBR Cases? | Pre-written Solutions
At Fern Fort University, you can find comprehensive case analysis solutions for Harvard Business School (HBS) or Harvard Business Review (HBR) cases. These solutions are different from custom case study solutions. They are provided to help clients to prime their research and analysis. These pre-written HBR case study solutions are designed to help you in several ways:
- Thorough Analysis: Each solution includes a detailed examination of the case, identifying key issues, challenges, and opportunities.
- Structured Approach: The solutions are organized in a clear, logical manner, making it easier for you to follow and understand the analysis process.
- Actionable Recommendations: Practical and realistic recommendations are provided, offering clear steps to address the case’s problems.
- Insightful Learning: By studying these solutions, you gain insights into effective problem-solving techniques and strategic thinking.
How Pre-Written Solutions Can Help You:
- Time-Saving: Access to pre-written solutions saves significant time that you would otherwise spend on researching and writing.
- Learning Tool: These solutions serve as excellent learning tools, helping you understand how to approach case analysis methodically.
- Enhanced Understanding: You gain a deeper understanding of various business scenarios and how to address them.
- Quality Reference: High-quality solutions can act as a benchmark for your own case study analyses, ensuring you maintain a high standard.
- Academic Success: Using these comprehensive and well-researched solutions can improve your academic performance by providing clear examples of successful case analyses.
- Professional Development: These solutions also help in professional settings by demonstrating how to tackle real-world business challenges effectively.
By leveraging the pre-written case study solutions from Fern Fort University, you can enhance your academic and professional capabilities, ensuring that you are well-prepared to address complex business problems.
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The NSLTCP includes a mixed mode (mail, web, telephone) survey of approximately 17,000 residential care facilities and adult day services centers in the U.S. The survey is planned to be conducted biennially, and its analytic goal is to... more
Multiple imputation provides us with efficient estimators in model-based methods for handling missing data under the true model. It is also well-understood that design-based estimators are robust methods that do not require accurately... more
The rapid expansion of digital banking is now increasingly attractive, as evidenced by the significant increase in the number of global users, including in Indonesia. Attitude formation is shaped by factors such as perceived benefits and... more
The current growth of digital banks is accelerating. This can be seen from the number of users experiencing significant growth throughout the world, including Indonesia. Perceived Usefulness and Religiosity are the important things to... more
A intervencao no edificado corrente da cidade historica nao envolve, em grande parte dos casos,equipas pluridisciplinares ou inspeccoes aprofundadas, devido a manifesta falta de recursoseconomicos para operacoes desta escala. Tal facto,... more
PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the role and importance of the annual report as a source of information about public sector entities.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a survey methodology to access users... more
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the appropriateness of a general‐purpose financial reporting model derived from a “decision‐useful” framework for government departments.Design/methodology/approachThis research in this... more
Background: Dementia is a life-limiting disease with high symptom burden. The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale for Dementia (IPOS-Dem) is the first comprehensive person-centered measure to identify and measure palliative care... more
This paper presents the first installation produced with the data collected on the ancient roman city of Colonia Dacica Sarmizegetusa: it can be considered a concrete example of a full workflow, from photogrammetric 3D acquisition to... more
The purpose of this research is to find out; 1) MISYKAT Program Activities Community Development) of Dompet Cares Ummat Daarut Tauhiid Branch (DPU DT) East Priangan to the surrounding areas in carrying out activities; 2) The impact of... more
We build a life-cycle model of household consumption and saving decisions, where long term care (LTC) expenditures are endogenous. We use an LTC-state dependent utility function where regular consumption and LTC are valued differently.... more
Over the last century, remote sensing has proven effective in recognizing and studying cultural heritage in various geographic and chronological contexts, and the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) has become an integral... more
This study includes the prison projects prepared for the Greek cities of Didymoteicho (Dimetoka), Kavala, Xanthi (İskeçe), Kozani (Kozana), Serres (Siroz), Alexandroupolis (Dedeağaç), Drama, Komotini (Gümülcine), Thessaloniki (Selanik),... more
Central to the “beyond nuclear deterrence” research agenda is a question rarely treated as legitimate in most nuclear-armed states: Under what conditions can perceived international and state security rest on something other than nuclear... more
Resultados del registro: la caracterización del emplazamiento y su visibilidad, .
Do survey reference periods impact labor market reporting? The Ghana High Frequency Labor Market Data Experiment demonstrates that shorter reference periods in labor market surveys result in reporting of a significantly higher incidence... more
Web based information collection becomes important for statistical analysis, because of the offered advantages and by the information technology progress. The paper analyzes web based information collection organization and implementation... more
Background: Patient satisfaction is of growing importance to providers of emergency medical services (EMS). Prior reports of patient satisfaction have frequently used resource-intensive telephone follow-up to assess satisfaction. We... more
Identifying the overhang, progressive changes of inclination, differential movements of the structure and detailing the study of structural elements are just some examples of the many fundamental information for structural engineers.... more
Inflation expectations surveys are receiving increasing attention. There is no optimal approach and often limited discussion of key characteristics of individual surveys. We use a South African dataset to argue that survey design should... more
Manuscrito recibido el 22 de Julio del 2011. Aceptado para publicación, tras revisión, el 23 de Septiembre del 2011.Cabanilla, E. Autor. 2011. Tendencias de consumo de alimentos y bebidas en Cumbaya-Tumbaco, RICIT N° 2.. pp.53-72.
Материалы XIV Всероссийской научной конференции с международным участием (г. Ростов-на-Дону, 12-17 мая 2025 г.) Ростов-на-Дону -Таганрог Издательство Южного федерального университета 2025 УДК 327:94(3)(262.5)(063) ББК 66.4+63.3(0)(99)я431... more
Aberdare Cisticola is classified as endangered in the IUCN red list of threatened species. The species is endemic to central Kenya where it is locally common in suitable habitat on both sides of the Rift Valley, at Molo, Mau Narok and the... more
Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and... more
The few examples of archaeological surface survey conducted in ancient urban centers in Greece and the Mediterranean have employed a variety of methods and yielded results of disproportionate breadth and resolution. The Sikyon Survey... more
WebDataNet was created in 2009 thanks to the support of the European Union programme for the Coordination of Science and Technology. It is comprised of a group of researchers who aim to explore Web-based data Collection methods for... more
lf you explore Morocco as a tourist, as we did, on a round trip, to start in the fertile green plains of the north, visit the imperial cities, and, little by little, advance south into the High Atlas. The roads gradually lead over the... more
This research centers around the following questions. What influences intent to participate in Internet surveys? More specifically, does any of education, Internet usage, and social participation do so? The 2009 Social Survey by... more
Natural methods of contraception were widely used in developed countries until the late 1960s to space and limit childbirth. In France, when the first contraceptive surveys were conducted, researchers noticed that the use of natural... more
El presente trabajo consiste en un esfuerzo tanto teórico como empírico en conceptualizar y tipificar la localización productiva y sus relaciones con el poder público, utilizando el caso específico de la Enseñanza de Español como Lengua... more
It has been discovered that individuals from different cultures often think and emote in ways very different from one another. These differences, at all levels of analysis, have been captured in a number of different constructs by... more
Il cielo stellato del Mausoleo di Galla Placidia ha affascinato i visitatori di ogni epoca per i suoi significati mistici, simbolici e scientifici. Dietro questa straordinaria testimonianza artistica si celano doti creative ed espressive,... more
Denizli Hierapolis Antik Kenti'nde yer alan Plutonion kutsal alanı, antik dünyada doğa olaylarının mitolojik ve dini yorumlarla nasıl anlamlandırıldığını gösteren özgün bir örnektir. Bu çalışma, Plutonion'un tarihsel, jeolojik ve kültürel... more
Cave floor mapping plays a vital role across various scientific disciplines by enabling the identification and interpretation of features shaped by both natural processes and human activity. In cave archaeology, floor mapping is crucial... more
Domestic violence remains a pervasive issue in Pakistan, deeply rooted in cultural, social, and structural inequalities. This study analyzes empirical evidence to explore the prevalence and patterns of domestic violence against women... more
The rise of real-time information communication through smartphones and wireless networks enabled the growth of ridesharing services. While personal rideshare services (individuals riding alone or with acquaintances) initially dominated... more
The evaluation of landslide hazards in seismic areas is based on a deterministic analysis, which is unable to account for various uncertainties in the analysis process. This paper focuses on the probabilistic local seismic hazard analysis... more
This study aims to find out how much influence PR and MPR have on Menantea's consumer buying interest on Youtube, to find out what is the influence of PR and MPR on buying interest of UEU students, and to analyze whether there is a... more
This paper discusses the current state-of-the-art for generating high-volume, near-real-time event data using automated coding methods, based on re-cent efforts by the Penn State Event Data Project and its precursors. Political event... more
The continuing global expansion of the traffic infrastructure network has a detrimental impact on bats and other wildlife through indirect effects such as loss of habitats and roost sites, increased habitat fragmentation, avoidance of... more
Over the last quarter century, increasing bee colony losses motivated standardized large-scale surveys of managed honey bees (Apis mellifera), particularly in Europe and the United States. Here we present the first large-scale... more
La molta i la trituració al poblat de l'Edat del Bronze de Closos de can Gaià (Felanitx, Mallorca).
| 9,901
|
[
"education",
"health",
"science"
] |
education
|
length_test_clean
|
scientific paper methodology
| false
|
0c75b8af854f
|
https://jokul.doku.com/docs/docs/jokul-direct/e-money/ovo-guide/
|
OVO Push Payment Guide
DOKU has partnered with various e-money providers and one of them is OVO to provide E-Money Payment. Learn more about how DOKU can help you integrate with OVO here.
Integration steps
Here is the overview of how to integrate with OVO:
- Request push payment
- Wait for 70s for the API response (wait customer to pay via OVO application)
- Receive the response with the transaction status
Direct API - OVO Sequence Diagram
1. Request push payment
To request push payment, you will need to hit this API through your Backend:
API Request
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HTTP Method | POST |
| API endpoint (Sandbox) | https://api-sandbox.doku.com/ovo-emoney/v1/payment |
| API endpoint (Production) | https://api.doku.com/ovo-emoney/v1/payment |
Here is the sample of request body to make the push payment:
{
"client": {
"id":"MCH-0001-10791114622547"
},
"order": {
"invoice_number":"INV-20210115-0001",
"amount": 10000
},
"ovo_info": {
"ovo_id": "081211111111"
},
"security":{
"check_sum":"c3cad18f3fcac29d44165fa6b7a01b09e305d1e75caec163181cf5101b91e18e"
}
}
What is security.check_sum?
security.check_sum
is a security parameter that needs to be generated on your Backend and placed to your request body to ensure that the request is coming from you. To generate CheckSum, simply append the value of order.amount
, client.id
, order.invoice_number
, ovo_info.ovo_id
, your secret key
and then hash it with SHA256 function.
sha256(order.amount + client.id + order.invoice_number + ovo_info.ovo_id + your-secret-key)
From the request body sample above and assuming your secret key is SK-9sCrJ1kdYUJAYlsJKlqz
, here is what you need to do to generate the CheckSum:
sha256(10000MCH-0001-10791114622547MINV20201231468081211111111SK-9sCrJ1kdYUJAYlsJKlqz)
Request Body Explanation
| Parameter | Type | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
client.id | string | Mandatory | Client ID retrieved from DOKU Back Office |
order.invoice_number | string | Mandatory | Generated by merchant to identify the order and must unique per request Allowed chars: alphabetic, numeric, special chars Max length: 64 |
order.amount | number | Mandatory | In IDR Currency and without decimal Allowed chars: numeric Max length: 12 |
ovo_info.ovo_id | string | Mandatory | Phone number of the OVO Customer Allowed chars: numeric |
security.check_sum | string | Mandatory | Security parameter that must be generated by merchant to validate the request Allowed chars: alphabetic, numeric, special chars Max length: 64 |
2. Wait for 70s for the API Response (wait customer to pay via OVO application)
70s
Timeout
The timeout from OVO is 70 seconds
so there will be proper time for your customers to complete the payment process on their OVO application.
Please wait for 70s
for the API response because we need to wait your customers make the payment through their OVO application, you will receive an API response that you can parse to handle your business logic.
3. Receive the response with the transaction status
If the customer make the payment through their OVO Application. You wil get the following response:
API response
Here is the sample of response body:
{
"client": {
"id": "MCH-0001-10791114622547"
},
"order": {
"invoice_number": "INV-20210115-0001",
"amount": 10000
},
"ovo_info": {
"ovo_id": "081211111111",
"ovo_account_name": "Anton Budiman"
},
"ovo_configuration": {
"merchant_id": "00000179",
"store_code": "000000000000179",
"mid": "000000000000179",
"tid": "00000179"
},
"ovo_payment": {
"date": "20201014162928",
"batch_number": 4,
"trace_number": 987654,
"reference_number": 38,
"approval_code": "19832",
"response_code": "00",
"cash_used": 10000,
"cash_balance": 90000,
"ovo_points_used": 0,
"ovo_points_balance": 100000,
"ovo_points_earned": 0,
"status": "SUCCESS"
},
"security": {
"check_sum": "5df88427628952ac65fee1d01aa163cdd26a1cf806c7e80d770fa307db180930"
}
}
Response Body Explanation
| Parameter | Type | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
client_id | string | Mandatory | Same as the request |
order.invoice_number | string | Mandatory | Same as the request |
order.amount | number | Mandatory | Same as the request |
ovo_info.ovo_id | string | Mandatory | Same as the request |
ovo_info.ovo_account_name | string | Mandatory | Name of the OVO customer |
ovo_configuration.merchant_id | string | Mandatory | Merchant ID by OVO Allowed chars: numeric Max length: 7 |
ovo_configuration.store_code | string | Mandatory | Store code by OVO Allowed chars: alphabetic, numeric Max length: 15 |
ovo_configuration.mid | string | Mandatory | MID by OVO Allowed chars: alphabetic, numeric Max length: 15 |
ovo_configuration.tid | string | Mandatory | TID by OVO Allowed chars: numeric Max length: 8 |
ovo_payment.date | string | Mandatory | Payment date generated by DOKU with the format of yyyyMMddHHmmss UTC+7 time |
ovo_payment.batch_number | number | Mandatory | Batch number of transaction for settlement. Value increment on daily basis, except if the Reference Number already reached maximum value |
ovo_payment.trace_number | number | Mandatory | Generated by OVO Max length: 6 |
ovo_payment.reference_number | number | Mandatory | Transaction ID for every transaction generated by OVO. Increment for each Push to Pay Transaction Maximum value: 999999 |
ovo_payment.approval_code | string | Mandatory | Generated by OVO |
ovo_payment.response_code | string | Mandatory | Generated by OVO. Please refer to the section below for the response_code mapping |
ovo_payment.cash_used | number | Mandatory | OVO Cash that being charged for the transaction |
ovo_payment.cash_balance | number | Mandatory | OVO Cash remaining balance after the transaction |
ovo_payment.ovo_points_used | number | Mandatory | OVO Points that being charged for the transaction |
ovo_payment.ovo_points_balance | number | Mandatory | OVO Points remaining balance after the transaction |
ovo_payment.ovo_points_earned | number | Mandatory | OVO Points earned after the transaction |
ovo_payment.status | string | Mandatory | Payment status generated by DOKU Possible value: SUCCESS , FAILED , TIMEOUT |
security.check_sum | string | Mandatory | Security parameter that validated by DOKU |
OVO Response Code Mapping
OVO Response Code Mapping
| Code | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | Success / Approved | Success / Approved Transaction |
| 13 | Invalid Amount | Amount is missing ( less than Rp 1 ) |
| 14 | Invalid Mobile Number / OVO ID | Phone number / OVO ID not found in OVO System |
| 17 | Transaction Decline | OVO User canceled payment using OVO Apps |
| 25 | Transaction Not Found | Payment status not found when called by Check Payment Status API |
| 26 | Transaction Failed | Failed push payment confirmation to OVO Apps |
| 40 | Transaction Failed | General Error from OVO, please check to OVO |
| 54 | Transaction Expired (More than 7 days) | Transaction details already expired when API check payment status called |
| 56 | Card Blocked. Please call 1500696 | Card is blocked, unable to process card transaction |
| 58 | Transaction Not Allowed | Transaction module not registered in OVO Systems |
| 61 | Exceed Transaction Limit | Amount / count exceed limit, set by user |
| 63 | Secutiry Violation | Authentication Failed |
| 64 | Account Blocked. Please call 1500696 | Account is blocked, unable to process transaction |
| 65 | Transaction Failed | Limit transaction exceeded, limit on count or amount |
| 67 | Below Transaction Limit | The transaction amount is less than the minimum payment |
| 68 | Transaction Pending / Timeout | OVO Wallet late to give respond to OVO JPOS |
| 73 | Transaction has been reversed | Transaction has been reversed by API Reversal Push to Pay in Check Payment Status API |
| 94 | Duplicate request params | Duplication on merchant invoice or reference number |
| 96 | Invalid Processing Code | Invalid Processing Code inputted during Call API Check Payment Status |
| ER | System Failure | There is an error in OVO Systems, Credentials not found in OVO Systems |
| EB | Terminal Blocked | TID and/or MID not registered in OVO Systems |
| TO | Timeout | Request has expired due to invalid usage of unix timestamp (5 minutes max.) |
| BR | Bad request | Incorrect JSON Format setup |
| BR | Invalid format request | Invalid store code, empty storecode, or invalid appsource |
| - | No response | User did not give any response within the remaining time to finish the transaction |
What's next?
You can test your payment through our Payment Simulator. Here is the steps to simulate the OVO payment:
- Go to the OVO Payment Simulator
- Copy one of the Active phone number on the OVO Payment Simulator to the
ovo_info.ovo_id
in your request body - Copy the
order.invoice_number
that you will be hitting and paste it to the OVO Payment Simulator - Hit the API and while the API is waiting for response, go to the OVO Payment Simulator
- Click the Inquiry button and you should see the Payment details
- Choose which payment you wish, OVO Cash or OVO Points
- Click the Pay Now button
- You should receive the API response
Learn more here.
| 9,098
|
[
"technology",
"business and industrial",
"computers and electronics"
] |
technology
|
length_test_clean
|
technical documentation guide
| false
|
f3b1b73c7c20
|
https://docs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/guides/technical-docs-seo-guide.html
|
How to do search engine optimization (SEO) for documentation projects
This article explains how documentation can be optimized to appear in search results, ultimately increasing traffic to your docs.
While you optimize your docs to make them more friendly for search engine spiders/crawlers, it’s important to keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to make your docs more discoverable for your users.
By following our best practices for SEO, you can ensure that when a user types a question into a search engine, they can get the answers from your documentation in the search results.
See also
This guide isn’t meant to be your only resource on SEO, and there’s a lot of SEO topics not covered here. For additional reading, please see the external resources section.
SEO basics
Search engines like Google and Bing crawl through the internet following links in an attempt to understand and build an index of what various pages and sites are about. This is called “crawling” or “indexing”. When a person sends a query to a search engine, the search engine evaluates this index using a number of factors and attempts to return the results most likely to answer that person’s question.
How search engines “rank” sites based on a person’s query is part of their secret sauce. While some search engines publish the basics of their algorithms (see Google’s published details on PageRank), few search engines give all of the details in an attempt to prevent users from gaming the rankings with low value content which happens to rank well.
Both Google and Bing publish a set of guidelines to help make sites easier to understand for search engines and rank better. To summarize some of the most important aspects as they apply to technical documentation, your site should:
Use descriptive and accurate titles in the HTML
<title>
tag. For Sphinx, the<title>
comes from the first heading on the page.Ensure your URLs are descriptive. They are displayed in search results. Sphinx uses the source filename without the file extension as the URL.
Make sure the words your readers would search for to find your site are actually included on your pages.
Avoid low content pages or pages with minimal original content.
Avoid tactics that attempt to increase your search engine ranking without actually improving content.
Google specifically warns about automatically generated content although this applies primarily to keyword stuffing and low value content. High quality documentation generated from source code (eg. auto generated API documentation) seems OK.
While both Google and Bing discuss site performance as an important factor in search result ranking, this guide is not going to discuss it in detail. Most technical documentation that uses Sphinx or Read the Docs generates static HTML and the performance is typically decent relative to most of the internet.
Best practices for documentation SEO
Once a crawler or spider finds your site, it will follow links and redirects in an attempt to find any and all pages on your site. While there are a few ways to guide the search engine in its crawl for example by using a sitemap or a robots.txt file which we’ll discuss shortly, the most important thing is making sure the spider can follow links on your site and get to all your pages.
Avoid unlinked pages ✅️
When building your documentation, you should ensure that pages aren’t unlinked, meaning that no other pages or navigation have a link to them.
Search engine crawlers will not discover pages that aren’t linked from somewhere else on your site.
Sphinx calls pages that don’t have links to them “orphans” and will throw a warning while building documentation that contains an orphan unless the warning is silenced with the orphan directive.
We recommend failing your builds whenever Sphinx warns you,
using the fail_on_warnings
option in .readthedocs.yaml.
Here is an example of a warning of an unreferenced page:
$ make html
sphinx-build -b html -d _build/doctrees . _build/html
Running Sphinx v1.8.5
...
checking consistency... /path/to/file.rst: WARNING: document isn't included in any toctree
done
...
build finished with problems, 1 warning.
MkDocs automatically includes all .md
files in the main navigation 💯️.
This makes sure that all files are discoverable by default,
however there are configurations that allow for unlinked files in various ways.
If you want to scan your documentation for unreferenced files and images,
a plugin like mkdocs-unused-files does the job.
Avoid uncrawlable content ✅️
While typically this isn’t a problem with technical documentation, try to avoid content that is “hidden” from search engines. This includes content hidden in images or videos which the crawler may not understand. For example, if you do have a video in your docs, make sure the rest of that page describes the content of the video.
When using images, make sure to set the image alt text or set a caption on figures.
For Sphinx, the image and figure directives support both alt texts and captions:
.. image:: your-image.png
:alt: A description of this image
.. figure:: your-image.png
A caption for this figure
The Markdown syntax defines an alt text for images:
{ width="300" }
Though HTML supports figures and captions, Markdown and MkDocs do not have a built-in feature. Instead, you can use markdown extensions such as md-in-html to allow the necessary HTML structures for including figures:
<figure markdown>
{ width="300" }
<figcaption>Image caption</figcaption>
</figure>
Redirects ✅️
Redirects tell search engines when content has moved.
For example, if this guide moved from guides/technical-docs-seo-guide.html
to guides/sphinx-seo-guide.html
,
there will be a time period where search engines will still have the old URL in their index
and will still be showing it to users.
This is why it is important to update your own links within your docs as well as redirecting.
If the hostname moved from docs.readthedocs.io to docs.readthedocs.org, this would be even more important!
Read the Docs supports a few different kinds of user defined redirects that should cover all the different cases such as redirecting a certain page for all project versions, or redirecting one version to another.
Canonical URLs ✅️
Anytime very similar content is hosted at multiple URLs, it is pretty important to set a canonical URL. The canonical URL tells search engines where the original version your documentation is even if you have multiple versions on the internet (for example, incomplete translations or deprecated versions).
Read the Docs supports setting the canonical URL if you are using a custom domain under Admin > Domains in the Read the Docs dashboard.
Use a robots.txt file ✅️
A robots.txt
file is readable by crawlers
and lives at the root of your site (eg. https://docs.readthedocs.io/robots.txt).
It tells search engines which pages to crawl or not to crawl
and can allow you to control how a search engine crawls your site.
For example, you may want to request that search engines
ignore unsupported versions of your documentation
while keeping those docs online in case people need them.
By default, Read the Docs serves a robots.txt
for you.
To customize this file, you can create a robots.txt
file
that is written to your documentation root on your default branch/version.
See the Google’s documentation on robots.txt for additional details.
Use a sitemap.xml file ✅️
A sitemap is a file readable by crawlers that contains a list of pages and other files on your site and some metadata or relationships about them (eg. https://docs.readthedocs.io/sitemap.xml). A good sitemaps provides information like how frequently a page or file is updated or any alternate language versions of a page.
Read the Docs generates a sitemap for you that contains the last time your documentation was updated as well as links to active versions, subprojects, and translations your project has. We have a small separate guide on sitemaps.
See the Google docs on building a sitemap.
Measure, iterate, & improve
Search engines (and soon, Read the Docs itself) can provide useful data that you can use to improve your docs’ ranking on search engines.
Search engine feedback
Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are tools for webmasters to get feedback about the crawling of their sites (or docs in our case). Some of the most valuable feedback these provide include:
Google and Bing will show pages that were previously indexed that now give a 404 (or more rarely a 500 or other status code). These will remain in the index for some time but will eventually be removed. This is a good opportunity to create a redirect.
These tools will show any crawl issues with your documentation.
Search Console and Webmaster Tools will highlight security issues found or if Google or Bing took action against your site because they believe it is spammy.
Analytics tools
A tool like Google Analytics, along with our integrated Read the Docs analytics, can give you feedback about the search terms people use to find your docs, your most popular pages, and lots of other useful data.
Search term feedback can be used to help you optimize content for certain keywords or for related keywords. For Sphinx documentation, or other technical documentation that has its own search features, analytics tools can also tell you the terms people search for within your site.
Knowing your popular pages can help you prioritize where to spend your SEO efforts. Optimizing your already popular pages can have a significant impact.
External resources
Here are a few additional resources to help you learn more about SEO and rank better with search engines.
| 9,738
|
[
"computers and electronics",
"internet",
"education"
] |
computers and electronics
|
length_test_clean
|
technical documentation guide
| false
|
13cafd53a23a
|
https://shardaassociates.in/detailed-project-report/
|
Introduction
At Sharda Associates, we specialize in preparing bank-approved CMEGP Project Reports with speed, accuracy, and complete compliance. Our expert-prepared reports strictly follow government and banking norms, reducing queries and approval delays. You receive an accurate, bank-acceptable project report that fulfills your business purpose—starting at just ₹3,499/-. With proven experience in subsidy-based loans, we help entrepreneurs secure faster CMEGP loan approvals and government subsidies with confidence and trust
What is a CMEGP loan?
CMEGP (Chief Minister Employment Generation Programme) is a flagship subsidy-based loan scheme launched by the Government of Maharashtra to promote self-employment and small businesses.
Under CMEGP:
- Financial assistance is provided through banks
- Government subsidy reduces loan burden
- Focus is on manufacturing, service, and small trading units
- Both new and existing entrepreneurs can apply
A CMEGP Loan Project Report is mandatory to evaluate project viability and subsidy eligibility.
Why Should You Need a CMEGP Project Report?
- Many applicants assume CMEGP loan approval is automatic after online application. In reality, the project report is the core document on which approval depends.
- Key Reasons a CMEGP Project Report Is Required:
- To clearly explain your business idea and operations
- To justify project cost and loan amount
- To calculate government subsidy correctly
- To show realistic income and profit potential
- To assess repayment capacity and risk
- To satisfy bank and government department norms
- Without a proper CMEGP project report, banks cannot assess feasibility, leading to rejection or long delays.
Generate CMEGP Project Report in Just 3 Simple Steps
Introduction
Getting a PMEGP loan approved from a bank largely depends on the quality of your PMEGP loan project report. A professionally prepared, bankable project report clearly explains your business idea, project cost, profitability, and eligibility for government subsidy. Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), entrepreneurs can avail a credit-linked subsidy of 15% to 35% of the total project cost, provided the report is prepared strictly as per KVIC, MSME Ministry, and bank norms.
At Sharda Associates, we specialize in preparing PMEGP Loan Project Reports that are accepted by banks and KVIC, helping applicants get faster loan approval and maximum subsidy benefits.
What is a PMEGP loan?
PMEGP (Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme) is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of MSME, implemented through KVIC, KVIBs, and DICs. The scheme aims to promote self-employment by providing financial assistance to individuals for setting up new micro-enterprises in the manufacturing, service, and trading sectors.
Under PMEGP:
- Loans are provided by nationalized and private banks
- Subsidy ranges from 15% to 35%
- The remaining amount is financed as a bank loan
- Margin money subsidy is adjusted after successful project implementation
- A PMEGP loan project report is mandatory to evaluate feasibility, profitability, and subsidy eligibility.
Requirements oF loan
A PMEGP-compliant project report must be prepared in a bank-acceptable format and include:
- Executive summary of the business
- Promoter profile & background
- Detailed business model
- Project cost & means of finance
- Plant & machinery details
- Working capital assessment
- Market analysis & demand potential
- Manufacturing or service process
- Financial projections (5 years)
- Profit & loss statement
- Cash flow statement
- Break-even analysis
- Employment generation details
- Subsidy calculation as per PMEGP norms
Important: Any mismatch in cost, subsidy percentage, or financials can lead to rejection or delay.
Eligibility Criteria of PMEGP Loan
To apply for a PMEGP loan, the applicant must meet the following eligibility conditions:
- Age should be 18 years or above
- Only new projects are eligible (existing units not allowed)
- Applicant must have passed minimum 8th standard (for projects above ₹10 lakh in manufacturing and ₹5 lakh in services)
- Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Institutions, and Trusts are eligible
- No prior PMEGP subsidy should have been availed
The following entities can apply for a PMEGP loan:
- Individual entrepreneurs
- Proprietorship firms
- Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- Cooperative societies
- Trusts and registered institutions
Eligible Entities Under PMEGP Scheme
Eligible Entities Under PMEGP Scheme
The following entities can apply for a PMEGP loan:
- Individual entrepreneurs
- Proprietorship firms
- Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- Cooperative societies
- Trusts and registered institutions
Project Cost & Loan Limit Under PMEGP
Documents Required for PMEGP Loan
To apply for a PMEGP loan, the applicant must meet the following eligibility conditions:
- Age should be 18 years or above
- Only new projects are eligible (existing units not allowed)
- Applicant must have passed minimum 8th standard (for projects above ₹10 lakh in manufacturing and ₹5 lakh in services)
- Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Institutions, and Trusts are eligible
- No prior PMEGP subsidy should have been availed
What Is a Detailed Project Report?
A Detailed project report is a thorough document that covers every detail of your proposed business or project. It comprises the business idea, market research, project cost, machinery specifications, financial projections, estimated earnings, working capital requirements, and repayment capacity.
Banks and financial institutions utilize a DPR to determine whether your project is feasible, financially viable, and capable of providing regular cash flow. A well-prepared DPR improves your chances of loan acceptance by presenting your business plan in a structured, professional way.
Project Cost & Loan Limit Under PMEGP
Contact Us
FAQ's
Most CMEGP loans are delayed due to an improper or unclear project report. Banks need complete clarity on project cost, subsidy eligibility, income potential, and repayment capacity. If your report has unrealistic figures or missing details, the bank will keep raising queries. A professionally prepared CMEGP project report reduces confusion and speeds up approval.
Yes, a project report is compulsory. Banks cannot process CMEGP loans without evaluating business feasibility, employment generation, and financial projections. The project report acts as the foundation for loan approval and subsidy release.
Yes. Inflated profits, incorrect expenses, or wrong subsidy calculations often lead to rejection. Banks prefer realistic and conservative projections. A properly structured CMEGP project report ensures financial accuracy and compliance with guidelines.
Yes. Government subsidy is released only after verifying the project report. Errors in cost structure, subsidy percentage, or employment details can delay or cancel subsidy benefits. A compliant report ensures smooth subsidy processing.
No. Generic or copied reports are commonly rejected. CMEGP requires scheme-specific formatting and justification. A customized CMEGP project report aligned with your business activity is essential.
Yes. Even small projects must show income generation and repayment ability. Banks evaluate risk, not business size. A clear project report improves approval chances for all businesses.
- Bank query resolution support
- Financial or cost revisions if required
- Subsidy-related clarifications
- Re-submission assistance
This post-submission support helps speed up loan approval.
Repeated queries mean the bank is not satisfied with clarity or numbers. A strong CMEGP project report answers most questions in advance, reducing follow-ups.
Yes. Professionally prepared reports follow bank norms, reduce objections, and build lender confidence, resulting in faster approvals.
What is a CMEGP loan?
CMEGP (Chief Minister Employment Generation Programme) is a flagship subsidy-based loan scheme launched by the Government of Maharashtra to promote self-employment and small businesses.
Under CMEGP:
- Financial assistance is provided through banks
- Government subsidy reduces loan burden
- Focus is on manufacturing, service, and small trading units
- Both new and existing entrepreneurs can apply
A CMEGP Loan Project Report is mandatory to evaluate project viability and subsidy eligibility.
Why Should You Need a CMEGP Project Report?
- Many applicants assume CMEGP loan approval is automatic after online application. In reality, the project report is the core document on which approval depends.
- Key Reasons a CMEGP Project Report Is Required:
- To clearly explain your business idea and operations
- To justify project cost and loan amount
- To calculate government subsidy correctly
- To show realistic income and profit potential
- To assess repayment capacity and risk
- To satisfy bank and government department norms
- Without a proper CMEGP project report, banks cannot assess feasibility, leading to rejection or long delays.
Generate CMEGP Project Report in Just 3 Simple Steps
Contents of Our CMEGP Loan Project Report
A professionally prepared CMEGP project report includes all sections required by banks and government authorities:
- Executive summary of the project
- Promoter profile and background
- Nature of business and activity details
- Detailed project cost (machinery, infrastructure, working capital)
- Means of finance (loan, subsidy, own contribution)
- CMEGP subsidy calculation
- Employment generation details
- Market analysis and demand study
- Production or service process flow
- Pricing and revenue model
- Five-year financial projections
- Profit & loss statement
- Cash flow statement
- Break-even analysis
- Repayment capability assessment
Each section is structured as per CMEGP and bank appraisal guidelines.
Why Choose Sharda Associates for the CMEGP Project Report?
Choosing the right consultant plays a crucial role in CMEGP loan approval. Sharda Associates offers:
- CMEGP & bank-compliant project reports
- Customized DPR based on business type and location
- Accurate subsidy and financial calculations
- Experience with CMEGP, PMEGP & Mudra schemes
- Quick turnaround time
- Post-submission bank support
Our focus is not just documentation, but successful loan and subsidy approval.
Common Reasons for CMEGP Loan Rejection
Understanding common mistakes helps avoid rejection:
- Incorrect or inflated project cost
- Wrong subsidy percentage or category mismatch
- Unrealistic profit projections
- Copy-paste or generic project reports
- Missing employment generation details
A professionally prepared CMEGP loan project report helps eliminate these issues.
Get Your CMEGP Loan Project Report Today
If you are planning to apply for a CMEGP loan, avoid rejection due to poor documentation. Get a professionally prepared CMEGP Loan Project Report that meets bank and government expectations.
📞 Contact Sharda Associates today for expert guidance and fast delivery.
FAQ's
Most CMEGP loans are delayed due to an improper or unclear project report. Banks need complete clarity on project cost, subsidy eligibility, income potential, and repayment capacity. If your report has unrealistic figures or missing details, the bank will keep raising queries. A professionally prepared CMEGP project report reduces confusion and speeds up approval.
Yes, a project report is compulsory. Banks cannot process CMEGP loans without evaluating business feasibility, employment generation, and financial projections. The project report acts as the foundation for loan approval and subsidy release.
Yes. Inflated profits, incorrect expenses, or wrong subsidy calculations often lead to rejection. Banks prefer realistic and conservative projections. A properly structured CMEGP project report ensures financial accuracy and compliance with guidelines.
Yes. Government subsidy is released only after verifying the project report. Errors in cost structure, subsidy percentage, or employment details can delay or cancel subsidy benefits. A compliant report ensures smooth subsidy processing.
No. Generic or copied reports are commonly rejected. CMEGP requires scheme-specific formatting and justification. A customized CMEGP project report aligned with your business activity is essential.
- Financial calculations
- Subsidy percentage
- Cost breakup
can lead to rejection or delays. Most applicants prefer experienced PMEGP consultants for higher approval chances.
Yes. Even small projects must show income generation and repayment ability. Banks evaluate risk, not business size. A clear project report improves approval chances for all businesses.
Repeated queries mean the bank is not satisfied with clarity or numbers. A strong CMEGP project report answers most questions in advance, reducing follow-ups.
- Service-based projects: 2–3 working days
- Manufacturing projects: 3–5 working days
Delays usually occur due to incomplete documents or unclear cost planning.
Yes. Professionally prepared reports follow bank norms, reduce objections, and build lender confidence, resulting in faster approvals.
Sharda Associates prepares bank-acceptable CMEGP project reports and assists with revisions and bank queries to ensure a smooth process.
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https://learningjewelry.com/reviews/james-allen/return-policy/
|
Wondering if Blue Nile’s return policy and/or their warranty is any good?
Coming from one of our other Blue Nile diamond reviews and want to learn more?
Perfect, you’re in the right place!
In this guide we cover:
- What is Blue Nile’s return policy and is it any good?
- How does Blue Nile’s warranty work?
- What are the qualifications and things to know for each policy?
All of that is covered and more. Let’s jump in!
What Is Blue Nile Return Policy?
Blue Nile offers a full return and refund on many items shipped from their facility within 30 days of purchase. Items must be in original condition and include all original documentation. Additionally, all returns must be accompanied with a valid Blue Nile Return Merchandise Authorization number that can be obtained through the online return portal or from a Blue Nile Diamond and Jewelry Consultant.
Any return that is not accompanied by all appropriate documentation will not be processed and will be returned to the sender. Additionally, the return window of 30 days will not be reset during this exchange. Therefore, failure to include all the necessary items and RMA may result in extending beyond the return window. For any questions regarding where to find the appropriate documentation, please contact a Blue Nile Diamond and Jewelry Consultant or refer to the return policy on the Blue Nile website.
What Are You Allowed to Return?
Returns are allowed for all items within 30 days of purchase except some personalize items. Items that are not eligible for a refunded return include:
- Personalized engraved items
- Diamond and gemstone specialized eternity rings
- Special orders that are part of a final closeout sale
- Exchanged items
- Items that have been repaired or resized
Some items such as engraved rings may be returned for credit, however, engraving fees with not be credited.Original shipping fees will not be refunded. Although many items are available for free shipping already. Additionally, any item returned through the online return portal or by contacting a Blue Nile Diamond and Jewelry Consultant will be emailed a prepaid shipping label from FedEx, that will also include adequate insurance on all items.Blue Nile has also partnered with Mondiamo for their Diamond Buyback Option. This allows customers to receive a cash offer for loose diamonds or diamond jewelry that are 0.30 carat or larger outside the 30-day return window. Mondiamo offers a site unseen guaranteed offer on all qualifying diamonds and diamond jewelry. They also provide a simple kit to ship the item to them fully insured. Additionally, every diamond must be accompanied by a current and valid GIA report.Items under $500 can be processed online and all returns must be accompanied with a Blue Nile Return Merchandise Authorization which can be found through the online return portal. Purchases that exceed $500 must be processed by contacting a Blue Nile Diamond and Jewelry Consultant at 1-800-242-2728.
How Many Days?
Returns are only available for 30 days from the date the item is shipped. However, Blue Nile does offer a number of exchange options for customers. Diamonds purchased through the Blue Nile Upgrade Program can be exchanged within 30 days, however, they are not eligible for a refunded return.
Where Do You Send Returns?
Returns should be sent via a prepaid FedEx shipping label be emailed to you once you have initiated a qualified return. Affix the label to the package and use any reputable FedEx drop-off location or contact FedEx to arrange for pickup. Blue Nile also suggests purchasing insurance for your return for the full purchase value if you choose to use another shipping service. Any FedEx printed return labels will include the appropriate insurance.
What Does It Cost To Return Jewelry (is it free)?
Returns processed within the 30-day window will be free of charge as long as all return requirements detailed in Blue Niles Return Policy are properly followed, including making sure all original paperwork is the included with your return and a Blue Nile Return Merchandise Authorization has been processed. All returns processed through the online portal for items under $500 or a Blue Nile Diamond and Jewelry Consultant for items exceeding $500 will be issued the appropriate authorization.
Items returned for resizing, cleaning, or repairs can be processed using expedited shipping available at the customer’s expense through Parcel Pro. The partnership between Parcel Pro and Blue Nile will give you shipping and insurance at discounted rates.
You can easily track your return status easily through the online return status portal by using your email address and Blue Nile Return Merchandise Authorization number.
What Is Blue Nile Warranty?
Blue Nile offers a Lifetime Warranty for protection against defects associated with manufacturing. The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear or other damages that may occur include trauma, loss, or theft.
Does The Warranty Cost Extra Or Is It Free?
The Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty is included on all Blue Nile merchandise. There is not currently an option for purchasing additional warranties through the Blue Nile website. In-store customers may be able to purchase an additional warranty or other service plans. Online customers may consider purchasing outside warranty coverage or adding additional protections to their insurance coverage for protection against damage, loss, or theft of their jewelry.
Does The Warranty Cover Resizing?
The Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty does NOT cover resizing.
Does The Warranty Cover Cleaning/Polishing?
Blue Nile offers complimentary cleaning and maintenance of all products. Take advantage of this service by returning your jewelry to Blue Nile regularly. Blue Nile does not cover the cost of shipping or insurance for jewelry that is shipped for cleaning or maintenance, however, you can take advantage of the Parcel Pro discounted shipping and insurance rates mentioned above.
Taking advantage of the complimentary service can help avoid potential loss or damage as the jewelry will be examined for any signs of excessive wear, loose prongs, or anything that may appear damaged as part of normal wear and you can have the item preemptively repaired.
Does The Warranty Cover Repairs?
The Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty only covers repairs for damage that was a result of a manufacturer defect. Repairs required as a result of initial delivery may need to be processed differently than other repairs. Please contact a Blue Nile Diamond and Jewelry Consultant for items that you receive already damaged.
Does The Warranty Cover Lost or Stolen Jewelry?
The Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty does NOT cover lost or stolen jewelry. Blue Nile suggests contacting an independent jewelry insurer or add the appropriate coverage to your homeowners or renter’s insurance policy.
Blue Nile has partnered with Jewelers Mutual to provide valuable information, quotes, and competitive insurance rates to its customers. Visit the Blue Nile Insurance Services page for more information or to get a free quote from Jewelers Mutual.
Does The Warranty Cover Loose Stones?
As with lost or stolen merchandise, the Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty does NOT cover loose stones. However, loose stones can be repaired at reasonable rates through the complimentary cleaning and inspection services available for any item purchased from Blue Nile. You will be contacted directly if this complimentary service does not cover the necessary repairs to items that have loose stones.
Does The Warranty Cover Re-Dipping?
The Lifetime Manufacturer’s Warranty also does NOT cover re-dipping.
How Long is the Warranty?
The complimentary warranty is a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty against manufacturer defects. However, it should be noted that maintenance, repair, or other services such as resizing my anyone other than certified Blue Nile consultants will automatically void the manufacturer’s warranty. Making sure to always have your items cleaned, repaired, or resized with Blue Nile will help to ensure you maintain the warranty against any defect that is a result of the manufacturing process.
Additional Considerations
It is important to know that all of the included policies, such as 30-day return policy, manufacturer’s warranty protection, and complimentary cleaning and inspection services are only available to the original purchaser. All communications should go through the original purchaser to ensure that all included policies and Blue Nile customer service benefits can be easily accessed.
Due to the limited return, warranty, and refund options, it is extremely important that care is taken to order the appropriate ring or band size. For assistance in finding the correct size, please refer to the online sizing tool.
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https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/research-assistance/subject/business/annual-reports
|
On this page
Introduction
This guide is intended as a brief introduction to various methods of obtaining annual reports.
An annual report outlines an organisation's financial and corporate conditions. Publicly traded companies are required by law to publish an annual report. Universities, government bodies, and non-profit organisations also produce annual reports.
Annual reports as research tools
Annual reports are good sources of information about an organisation's history and current performance. They can be used to learn about an organisation's financial health or patterns of spending or growth, and they often describe new programs or initiatives undertaken by the organisation. Indirectly, annual reports indicate what is important to the organisation through the topics included in the report and the way in which the information is presented.
A few sites with basic tips on reading annual reports:
- How to read annual reports (YouTube video from The Investor Channel)
- How to efficiently read an annual report (via Investopedia)
- How to quickly and effectively read an annual report (via HBR blog))
And we have many ebooks that will help you learn to read such reports and statements. For example:
- Reading between the lines of corporate financial reports
- The story underlying the numbers : a simple approach to comprehensive financial statements analysis
- Financial statement analysis
- Financial statement analysis : a practitioner's guide
- Financial statement analysis workbook : a practitioner's guide
- Analyzing financial statements for non-specialists
- How to read nonprofit financial statements: a practical guide
Obtaining an organisation's annual report
The following sections of this guide list resources for finding annual reports. Most of these resources focus on the reports generated by publicly-traded companies.
Not all organisations are required by law to make their annual reports available to the public. If you are researching a private company, especially one in North America where the public filing requirements are very weak, you will likely not be able to find a published annual report. Privately-held companies are not legally required to publish such information.
In such cases, check to see if a significant portion of the private company is owned by a publicly-traded company as you can sometimes uncover partial information through a parent company's annual reports.
Finding annual reports and financial statements
Always start by searching the organisation's site to find the most recent annual reports published by corporations, government departments and agencies and nonprofit organisations.
Some older reports for government departments and nonprofit organisations are also available in the Library collection. Search using the organisation's name as the author in the Library Catalogue.
For registered Canadian Charities, see this Canada Revenue Agency site.
For corporate annual reports and/or financial data, try the following resources:
All regions
- Mergent Archives
Includes the Mergent Historical Annual Reports collection: over 1 million annual reports from 1844 to the present, including 150,000+ from Canadian organisations, 370,000+ from the US, and the remainder from a wide range of countries. - Bloomberg
Available on one standalone computer near the scanners and photocopiers on the main (3rd) floor of the W.A.C. Bennett Library (SFU Burnaby). See these FAQs for help guides and for details on how to log into this database. - S&P Capital IQ
Includes annual reports (and much more) from most publicly-traded firms worldwide and is remotely accessible. You must register for an account for access. - Refinitiv Eikon + Datastream
Available on one computer in each SFU Library branch. Provides detailed financial information on over 70,000 companies from around the world. Includes filings such as annual reports.
Canada
- SEDAR+
Annual reports of publicly-traded Canadian companies. All such companies are required to file with the Canadian Depository for Securities, the creators of this site, so the selection is extensive. Click on "Company Profiles" to start your search.
United States
- EDGAR - Search and Access
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) database of corporate filings. Contains annual reports, press releases, and other public documents for most public companies in the US. Note that annual reports are "10-K" forms for the SEC. - There are also many sites such as SecInfo that offer access to the same EDGAR information with different search and display options.
- Nexis Uni
Start by searching within the Edgar Online (AKA: SEC EDGAR Filings, Combined) section of Nexis Uni, and search for your target company name along with terms such as 10-K (an annual financial filing).
A small selection of annual reports on the web
This short list of annual reports is intended only as a set of examples (Canadian and American) that you can use to get a better idea of the nature of annual reports. Use the resources and search tips within this guide to look for a specific organisation's report.
- Air Canada
- Ballard Power Systems
- Bank of Canada
- BCE Inc.
- Canada Post Corp.
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- Canadian Tire
- Microsoft
- Rogers Inc.
- Starbucks Coffee Company
- Telus
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https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-warren-commission-report-findings.html
|
Warren Commission | Definition, Report & Findings
Table of Contents
- What was the Warren Commission?
- The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
- Warren Commission Establishment and Structure
- Membership: Who was in the Warren Commission?
- What Did the Warren Commission Determine?
- The Warren Commission Report
- Warren Commission: Significance and Impact
- Lesson Summary
Table of Contents
- What was the Warren Commission?
- The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
- Warren Commission Establishment and Structure
- Membership: Who was in the Warren Commission?
- What Did the Warren Commission Determine?
- The Warren Commission Report
- Warren Commission: Significance and Impact
- Lesson Summary
The Warren Commission was a committee formed after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It published a report with its findings on how the president was assassinated and who had killed him. The commission lasted about a year. It convened shortly after the president's assassination at the end of 1963 and ended in December 1964. The world was shocked at the president's death and demanded answers. Politics in the mid-1960s were affected by the event. The public had many questions about how this could have happened. They wondered if there was a greater conspiracy. Trust the public had put in the government could quickly evaporate if it provided no answers on the assassination. The Warren Commission formed to do exactly this.
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On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy visited Dallas, Texas while on the campaign trail. While riding in a motorcade, seated next to his wife, he was suddenly shot in the head at 12:30 pm. The assassination was broadcast live on TV, as the event was being recorded by local news stations. This shook the public. Kennedy was young and well loved by many. Lee Harvey Oswald was quickly arrested for the assassination the same day. However, two days later, he himself was killed. The news was constantly publishing stories and updates about the assassination, drawing the public's interest. The public began demanding answers. How did this happen? Why was the president killed? Was Lee Harvey Oswald really the killer? The government needed to launch an investigation to find these answers.
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Why did the U.S. government create the Warren Commission? The push to establish a commission to investigate the assassination began immediately. Lyndon B. Johnson, the former vice president, now the acting president, began trying to form a team to investigate. He appointed the Chief Justice Earl Warren to lead the committee. He also appointed four congressmen and a former leader of the CIA to investigate. The team was to be called the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but it was popularly nicknamed the Warren Commission. After less than two weeks, the Warren Commission was officially established on December 5, 1963.
What was the Purpose of the Warren Commission?
The commission was formed to investigate not only the death of President Kennedy but also the death of Lee Harvey Oswald. The Secret Service had been tasked with protecting the president at his campaign event and had failed to do so. The commission needed to find out how this could have happened. This was done both to prevent it from happening again and to inform the public of the true nature of the event. Many Americans were interested in the details of the assassination, and many more were outraged. They were hungry for details of the event.
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The following men were the Warren Commission members:
- Earl Warren: He was the leader of the commission, and it was named after him. He was Chief Justice, and so was appointed to the role.
- Two Senators: Richard B. Russell was from Georgia and John Sherman Cooper was from Kentucky.
- Two Representatives: Hale Boggs represented Louisiana and Gerald Ford represented Michigan.
- Two Citizens: Allen Dulles, who was a past director of the CIA, and John J. McCloy, who had once been president of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, rounded out the commission.
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The Warren Commission did not want to come to a rushed conclusion. They were well aware of the importance of their work and wanted to consider all of the facts. A hurried investigation would result in public outrage. They investigated for nearly a year and debated the facts of the case. They interviewed over 500 witnesses and combed through over 3,000 reports to the FBI. The commission finally submitted its extensive report to President Johnson on September 24, 1964.
Meetings
The commission held closed meetings. However, although they were closed, they were not secret. Witnesses who came to the meetings to testify did not have to keep the fact that they appeared before the committee a secret. Despite this, the exact dates of the meetings are difficult to find. According to one newspaper, the Lodi News Sentinel on December 6, 1963, the first meeting was held in the National Archives building on December 5th for two hours and 40 minutes. They agreed to meet again the next Friday to continue their work, with members of the public barred from entry. They would meet regularly to hear testimonies and debate evidence.
Conclusions
The Commission's final report was incredibly long. It included a full timeline of the day, as well as many eyewitness testimonies. The Commission came to two general conclusions. The first was that John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald. The second was that Lee Harvey Oswald was not in a conspiracy with the man who shot Oswald himself or with anyone else.
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The report was extensive and detailed, coming in at over 800 pages long. It was published for the public. Here are some of its contents:
- John F. Kennedy was confirmed to have been shot by Lee Harvey Oswald out of the Texas School Book Depository building, from a sixth-floor window.
- The man who had shot Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, a man who had Mafia connections, was found to be in no conspiracy or connection with Oswald.
- No one conspired with Lee Harvey Oswald to kill the president. He acted alone.
- The Secret Service did not take enough steps to protect the president's security.
- It also explored details of Oswald's personal history. It included the fact that he had recently visited the Soviet Union and had worked at the building from where he had shot the president.
The Commission also included two recommendations.
- The Secret Service should be strengthened.
- The assassination of the president or vice president should be a federal crime.
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The report had a mixed impact on the public. This was the first in-depth investigation of the death of a president. A committee had convened for nearly a year to investigate and consider all of the evidence. The public had been desperate for more details about the assassination, and the report gave them some more information. However, for many, the report did not satisfy all of their questions. It led many to question the committee's authority, and what motives it may have had for covering up the murder of the president. Many critiqued the theories presented in the report.
Criticism
The findings of the Warren Commission left members of the public with questions. Many challenged the findings. The main reason the report was controversial was because they claimed there was no greater conspiracy to assassinate the president. The case was again reopened in the 1970s by the House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations. They mostly agreed with the Warren Commission's findings. However, they disagreed with the original committee that Oswald had acted alone. They thought that perhaps one of the three shots fired at Kennedy may have come from another gunman. Here are some of the critiques made of the Warren report:
- It was unlikely that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone.
- Oswald's quick assassination after killing the president was incredibly suspicious.
- Many questioned if Oswald had ties to the Soviet Union.
- Some wondered if the Soviet Union was somehow involved in the assassination of the president.
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The Warren Commission was formed to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was named after Chief Justice Earl Warren, who served as the chairperson of the committee. After nearly a year of investigating, the Commission published its report to the public. The report first explored Lee Harvey Oswald, the main suspect, and his personal history. The committee found that Oswald had fired three shots from the sixth-floor window of a building, that he had worked alone, and that he had visited the Soviet Union before JFK's assassination.
They recommended in their conclusion to the report that the Secret Service be made stronger and that the assassination of a president or vice president be made a federal offense. The report was critiqued by many. The main criticism came from the commission's assertion that there was no greater conspiracy to assassinate the president.
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Additional Info
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Nearly every generation experiences a major event that defines an era. For millennials, that event was the terrorist attack on 9/11. Ask anyone born before 1993 where they were on 9/11. Odds are, they can tell you exactly what they were doing and how the event affected them personally.
For most Americans living during the early 1960s, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 was the defining event. JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime and brought into police custody just hours after Kennedy was shot. To the nation's amazement, Oswald was himself assassinated two days later by a man named Jack Ruby.
The Warren Commission
As you can imagine, the country was shocked. Kennedy was the young and exciting president that shook up American politics. He represented the voice of change. To lose someone so young and so promising shook the United States to its very core. Within a week of Kennedy's death, the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson, created the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Also known as the Warren Commission (named after its chairman Chief Justice Earl Warren), Johnson tasked the seven-man committee with investigating the deaths of both Kennedy and Oswald.
The Warren Commission conducted its investigations for nearly ten months. During that time, the investigators heard countless testimonials from people who witnessed the assassination or who had a connection to Lee Harvey Oswald. They also traveled to Dallas on several occasions to gather information. By September of 1964, the Warren Commission was ready to issue its report.
Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
The 888-page Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy was published for the public almost immediately after it was released. In the massive document, the Warren Commission presented two key findings:
- Lee Harvey Oswald shot John F. Kennedy from a sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository
- There was no conspiracy or connection between Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby (the man who assassinated him)
- Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he killed the president
- The Secret Service did not do enough to make sure that the president was secure
The Warren Commission's report also detailed Lee Harvey Oswald's background and personal history. According to the commission, Oswald had visited the Soviet Union and was just recently employed by the Texas School Book Depository. Because Oswald was dead, it was difficult to determine why he shot the president. As a result, the report did not investigate Oswald's motives.
In addition to presenting information about the assassination, the report also made two recommendations:
- Make the Secret Service stronger
- Make the assassination of a president or vice president a federal offense
Outcome of the Warren Commission
After the Warren Commission released its report, many people challenged the findings. Did Lee Harvey Oswald really work alone to assassinate the president? How was it that Oswald was assassinated just two days after the president? Did his political connections or trip to the Soviet Union play a role in the assassination? In the years following, conflicting evidence from the Warren Commission's report added to new conspiracy theories and questions about the accuracy of the information shared with the public.
During the 1970s, the House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations (HSAC) reopened the investigation. Ultimately, the HSAC agreed with many of the Warren Commission's original findings. They agreed that two bullets shot by Oswald were responsible for killing the president. Unlike the Warren Commission, however, the HSAC confirmed that it was highly unlikely that Oswald had acted alone. In fact, it was very possible that one of the three shots fired on November 22, 1963 came from a second gunman. The HSAC also claimed that it was probable that Kennedy's assassination was the result of a conspiracy, and that Oswald did not act alone.
Lesson Summary
On November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Two days later, Oswald was himself assassinated by a man named Jack Ruby. Within a week of JFK's assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy (also known as the Warren Commission) to investigate the two assassinations.
After nearly a year of investigating, the Warren Commission released the Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy in September of 1964. The report claimed that Oswald had fired three shots from a window of Texas School Book Depository, that Oswald had acted alone, and that there was no connection between Oswald and Jack Ruby. The Warren Commission investigated Oswald's background but did not explain his motives.
The Warren Commission's report was met with disbelief. During the 1970s, the House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations (HSAC) reopened the investigation. The second investigation confirmed that two shots fired by Oswald killed JFK. The HSAC claimed that it was likely a second shooter fired the third shot, and that JFK's death was the result of a conspiracy.
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Seat-belt failure did not cause the head injuries that killed NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt during February’s Daytona 500, a court-appointed medical expert who studied the racer’s autopsy photos reported Monday.
Dr. Barry Myers, a Duke University expert in crash injuries, said the nation’s most popular stock car driver died when his head whipped violently forward in the moments after his No. 3 Chevrolet struck a concrete wall at 150 mph.
Rejecting NASCAR’s theory of the crash, Myers said that, even assuming what he termed “a worst case scenario,” Earnhardt’s head probably would have suffered the same damage even if his lap belt had not torn on impact.
“As such,” Myers wrote, “the restraint failure does not appear to have played a role in Mr. Earnhardt’s fatal injury.”
Myers’ five-page report was the culmination of an agreement reached last month between the Orlando Sentinel and Teresa Earnhardt, the racer’s widow. He was asked to evaluate whether Earnhardt’s basilar skull fracture resulted from his head whipping forward, a blow on the top of the head or — as NASCAR had suggested, a broken seat belt that allowed the driver to strike his head on the steering wheel.
In his findings, Myers sided with other racing and medical experts who told the Orlando Sentinel that Earnhardt likely died because his head and neck were not held securely in place.
Although Earnhardt’s chin struck the steering wheel hard enough to bend it, Myers said he thought the racer succumbed to the sudden, wrenching forces that can kill anyone whose head is not restrained in a high-speed frontal crash.
Dr. Philip Villanueva, a University of Miami neurosurgeon originally hired by the paper to study the Earnhardt case, said he had reached the same conclusion as Myers from the autopsy report. But he wanted to examine the autopsy photos to be certain.
“My conclusion was that the patient definitely died of a whip injury and that the breaking seat belt did not significantly contribute to the patient’s death,” Villanueva said.
Dr. Steve Olvey, medical director for Championship Auto Racing Teams for the past 22 years who has done extensive research into crashes, also agreed with Myers’ findings.
“I think it’s very similar to what’s happened to other drivers in those type of cars,” said Olvey, also a University of Miami doctor.
Myers stopped short of saying that better head-and-neck protection would have saved Earnhardt. But he said such a device had the potential to prevent these injuries, which have claimed the lives of as many as five NASCAR drivers in the past 11 months.
Myers’ report, which proposed further study of head protection for NASCAR drivers, came only hours after the racing organization announced it had commissioned its own experts to reconstruct Earnhardt’s accident.
“Everyone involved in this process is committed to a sense of urgency, but we must also move forward in a thorough, careful and complete manner,” said a statement by NASCAR president Mike Helton. NASCAR had no comment on Myers’ report, which was released later Monday afternoon.
Earnhardt, a seven-time Winston Cup champion, crashed on the final turn of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 and could not be revived. In a news conference five days later, NASCAR officials announced that a seat belt had broken in Earnhardt’s car.
Daytona International Speedway Dr. Steve Bohannon, who worked on Earnhardt after the crash, said he thought the faulty belt allowed Earnhardt’s head to strike the steering wheel of his Chevrolet. He speculated that the force of the blow cracked the base of Earnhardt’s skull and caused massive head injuries.
The Orlando Sentinel went to court to gain access to Earnhardt’s autopsy photos after his wife persuaded a Volusia County judge to seal them. The newspaper, which vowed not to print the photos, sought permission for a medical expert to evaluate the pictures to see if better safety equipment might have saved the racer’s life and to evaluate NASCAR’s seat-belt theory.
Although the court challenge outraged NASCAR fans and prompted state lawmakers to remove autopsy photos from the list of Florida’s public records, it produced a settlement allowing Myers, an independent medical expert, to see the photos. His selection was agreed to by both sides.
Myers, an expert in head and neck injuries, reviewed the photos for about 30 minutes at the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office on March 26. In his report, he wrote that Earnhardt’s injuries reflected a very severe high-speed crash that resulted when he lost control of his speeding racecar and swerved first to his left and then to his right, sliding up the race track into the concrete wall.
The collision threw Earnhardt’s body in the same direction as the impact, hurling his head and neck toward the concrete wall. His head whipped forward and downward in a circular arc while the seatbelt held his body in place against the seat.
“This is the basis of the whip mechanism which occurs in right side angled frontal collision,” Myers wrote. “In crashes like Mr. Earnhardt’s, these inertial forces alone can be large enough to produce ring fractures of the skull base.”
When the skull cracks this way, it shears major blood vessels and damages the brain stem, which controls such basic body functions as breathing. Death can come instantly.
Examination of Earnhardt’s fracture helped Myers rule out several theories on how the driverdied.
For example, he determined that Earnhardt had not cracked his skull striking the top of his helmet against the roll cage of his car.
He also dismissed the idea that Earnhardt died as his head whipped backwards against the seat or roll cage.
What killed Earnhardt, Myers concluded, was the weight of his unrestrained head whipping forward beyond the ability of his neck muscles to keep it from snapping away the base of the skull.
The analysis appeared to exonerate Simpson Performance Products, the maker of Earnhardt’s seatbelt. NASCAR has said that the lap belt on Earnhardt’s left side failed, though no one outside the racing organization has acknowledged seeing the belt after the wreck.
While NASCAR officials publicly speculated that the seatbelt contributed to or caused Earnhardt’s death, Myers ruled that out as a significant factor.
Seat belt maker Bill Simpson called the report “the best news I’ve heard in seven weeks. I’ve been living in daily hell,” he said, his voice choking with emotion.
Teresa Earnhardt’s lawyer, Thom Rumberger, said the report helped provide more answers in the death. But he maintained that the report does not state that viewing the autopsy photos was crucial to Myers’ investigation.
Rumberger also blasted the Orlando Sentinel and the Sun-Sentinel for filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the newly passed law restricting access to autopsy photos.
The newspapers filed suit against the law on March 30, one day after it was signed into law by Gov. Jeb Bush.
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Table of Contents
In today’s world, every student prefers to have an academic career and for that, they need to have a better understanding of journal articles. Why? Because these kinds of careers are publication-dependent. Students need to have a good database or a good record of published articles or dissertations etc. The much high your publication is the more it helps you in your academics. In this blog by allassignmenthelp.com, we are going to explore more about what is a journal article, its types, how to structure it properly and the reason why it holds so much importance. Remember that once you start writing, you will day by day improve your writing skills. As one might think writing is easy but when you have a blank paper sometimes you get blank.
In academics writing journal articles is essential if you wish to pursue an academic career. This blog will help you to know what a is Journal article and show you some features of the journal article. So, first, it is important to know what is a journal article.
What is a Journal Article?
A journal article is a distinct thing as compared to a typical magazine piece. It’s not about fluff or trends but these articles dive deep into research and methodology for instance. They are articles that are written by professional experts. They also go by the name of peer-reviewed articles, scientific articles, or scholarly research articles. What sets journal articles apart is their role as primary research articles. They’re the pioneers that provide in-depth insights into specific subjects. Digging deep into one can be like opening the door to a whole world of knowledge, often guiding you to more articles closely tied to the topic at hand.
So, reading a journal article is not just a standalone experience – it’s an exploration that can lead you down a fascinating path of related information. It also helps you get a better understanding of the importance of academic research and writing. Journal articles are most often known as primary research articles. Reading a journal article may lead you to several other journal articles on closely related topics.
How to Structure Your Journal Article
Crafting an impactful journal article involves paying attention to crucial elements. For an insightful write-up, it is important to incorporate specific components that enhance its value. You can also take research paper help for a better understanding of how to frame it as the experts can frame the article for you.
Here’s a breakdown of key considerations when writing a research article as it is important to know what to do and why it matters:
Title and Subtitle
- Choose a title that clearly reflects your article’s main theme. Add a subtitle if it helps provide more context.
- A clear title helps readers understand what your article is about, making it easier for them to decide if it’s relevant to their interests.
Keywords
- Include keywords that people might use when searching for information on your topic.
- Using relevant keywords improves the visibility of your article in search engines, making it more accessible to readers.
Abstract
- Write a concise summary of your article, highlighting its key points and findings.
- The abstract is often the first thing readers see. A well-written abstract helps them quickly assess the article’s relevance and decide whether to read further.
Acknowledgements
- Acknowledge and thank individuals or organisations that contributed to your article.
- It’s a way to show appreciation and recognize the support you received during the writing process.
Structuring Your Article
Introduction
- Start by introducing your topic, explaining its significance, and outlining your approach.
- The introduction sets the stage for your article, providing context and helping readers understand your perspective.
Main Body
- Present detailed information, main arguments, and supporting evidence in a clear and organized manner.
- The main body is the heart of your article, where you present your ideas and support them with evidence, helping readers grasp the depth of your topic.
Conclusion
- Summarize key points, restate your main arguments, and end with a strong conclusion.
- A well-crafted conclusion reinforces your article’s main ideas, leaving a lasting impression on readers.
References and Citations
- Provide a comprehensive list of all the sources you referenced in your article.
- Proper referencing gives credit to the original sources and allows readers to explore further if they’re interested.
Also Read: Critically Analyse Two Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles on Human Resource Management
Tips & Tricks for Writing a Journal Article that Stands Out
Crafting a journal article is no easy feat. Before you embark on your own writing journey, it’s beneficial to read other journal articles. Here are some tips to guide you through the process:
Stick to Your Flow and Explain Your Points
- When composing a journal article, maintain a consistent flow.
- Back each point with supporting evidence, even if it seems obvious to you.
- Remember, clarity is key, as what’s apparent to you might be less obvious to your readers.
- Plan your article thoroughly, and consider using mindmaps to encapsulate a central theme, argument, or premise.
- Think of mindmaps as brainstorming sessions that allow for the free flow of ideas.
Make Your References Relevant
- Ensure your references are clear and pertinent to avoid confusion for your readers.
- For instance, avoid referencing “recent research” if you’re citing studies from the ’90s.
Be Original and Unique
- Strive to produce an original and unique journal paper.
- Even if your chosen topic already exists, your distinct perspective and ideas can set your work apart.
- Embrace your individuality and contribute fresh insights.
- If you get stuck, you can get assignment writing help from experts who can deliver you original and unique work.
- Remember, that originality always stands out.
Consult Figures and Tables
- Before delving into writing, create tables and figures.
- This step helps prevent confusion and ensures you have all the necessary data.
- Organising your paper becomes more straightforward, allowing you to present facts cohesively.
Outline the Paper
- This preliminary step assists you in navigating the most direct and logical route for your article.
- It clarifies the structure of your content, providing a roadmap for addressing each point.
Revise the Manuscript
- Take time to revise your manuscript thoroughly.
- Make significant adjustments, fill in gaps, restructure the document for optimal logical flow, and refine your text.
- Correct any spelling and grammatical issues using tools like Grammarly, which can assist you in ensuring the correctness of your writing.
Take Online Experts Assistance
- Mostly students practise writing as much as they can to polish their skills.
- But if they find themselves in trouble or have a head examination they also request an expert write paper for me because it is a time-consuming task.
- Remember, writing a journal article needs a good amount of time and focus.
By following these tips, you can enhance the quality and clarity of your journal article, making it a valuable contribution to your field of study.
Utilizing Online Research Journal Article Websites
Crafting a journal paper is a demanding task, necessitating extensive research and effort. Not all students find it easy to independently write a journal article, prompting the need for insights into the academic world with just a click. Below are websites that can significantly assist you in composing your journal article.
Academia.edu
Academia.edu stands out as one of the premier websites for crafting a research article. Its primary function is to facilitate the sharing of papers for free, offering you the opportunity to publish your work as well.
Elsevier
Elsevier stands as a leading platform for online research journals on the internet. This website provides comprehensive information on a wide range of topics, making it a particularly intriguing resource. For those engaged in rigorous research, Elsevier proves to be an invaluable aid.
Microsoft Academia
Microsoft Academia emerges as a reliable and comprehensive research tool. Its search engine sifts through content from over 120 million publications, conferences, and journals. Leveraging advanced technologies such as machine learning and knowledge discovery enhances its search capabilities.
Doaj.org
Doaj.org serves as an online directory of open-access research journals and papers. This platform offers high-quality research assistance, allowing users to explore diverse areas of science within its extensive database.
Accessing these online resources not only facilitates the writing process but also broadens your understanding of the subject matter. These websites provide a wealth of information, making your journey in the realm of academia more accessible and efficient. But you need to explore them better and we understand that with all the pressure of examinations and classes sometimes becomes hard for you to get time. The thoughts that revolve in students’ minds is that only if I could pay someone to take my online class, I would get the time to focus on my writing. Especially when students are dealing with subjects like Finance they always request experts, I’d like you to do my online finance class for me. Hence, taking expert help not only helps you in academics but also helps in overall career growth.
Also Read: Guidelines to Conduct Effective Academic Research Using the Internet
Last Thoughts!
So, to sum it all up, when you’re writing a journal article, it’s a bit fancier than your everyday writing. You’ve got to plan things out and make sure you include some evidence to back up what you’re saying. This way, your article looks more put together and reads well.
I’m hoping this blog helped you get the hang of writing a journal piece. Just remember, it’s all about staying organized and making your ideas flow smoothly. Good luck as you dive into the world of journal article writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Q. What is a Journal Article and why is it important in academic careers? A. A journal article is a scholarly piece of writing that delves deep into research and methodology. It is a primary research article written by experts and goes through peer-review. |
| Q. How should I structure my Journal Article for maximum impact? A. Structuring a journal article involves key elements such as a clear title, relevant keywords, a concise abstract, acknowledgements, introduction, main body, conclusion, and proper references. |
| Q. What are some tips and tricks for writing a standout Journal Article? A. Crafting a compelling journal article requires maintaining a consistent flow, supporting each point with evidence, and ensuring clarity for readers. |
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Not Annotum, with your favorite WordPress Theme or Theme Framework, you can setup WordPress as Academic Journal. Here are the details. Much criticized part of Academic Journal in Post Colonial, Open Market is the brutal and costly setup and impractical neutral Peer to Peer review in any Academic Journal. The process to ISSN is free, but maintaining a Journal website is quite difficult. Among us, who are blogging since past 5-6 years, management part is easy because we know various things which an ordinary person will not know.
Open Journal System can be free but it is like using WordPress version 2.0, may be worser. In 2014 such kind of outdated Open Journal System with very less user base, hefty charges for modification make Open Journal System out of the competitive game in Search Engine result. Definitely, one should target to rank in Search Engine as well – to keep the membership either to free or to very less, alternate method of revenue earning should be made, else the situation will become like Journal of Indian Medical Association – you can check, at the time of publishing this article; jima.in
domain is on sell by Sedo! The price tag is 7500 Euro. Obviously, there are lot of back links, Wikipedia page which makes the domain as good candidate for Sedo. It is quite obvious, to us buying such domain has very less return of investment. I have doubt, whether it will sell at even 100 Euro. It is not a top level domain. What I wanted to emphasize, opening a Journal Website by following our described method, but mind mapping must be done how to run it. So, what advantages we are gaining :
- WordPress has huge user base, from very basic service provider to developers from WordPress core is available
- All of us, who earns from Blogs, ourselves has some WordPress Plugins – we have enough knowledge about WordPress
- Open Journal System is worser than a PHP SQL script from Hotscript like sites. Their approach is appreciable but wrong. They deliberately avoided using any standard PHP MySQL software as skeleton.
- Open Journal System is risky from security point of view. There is no practical data available but keeping the main config file in the way is only found in the cloned scripts.
- Open Journal System is neither SEO friendly nor offers great Pretty Permalinks unlike WordPress
- In mid 2014, there are lot of WordPress Plugins, in combination can offer more features somewhat like a CRM, which fully makes WordPress King in the field.
- All Cache, CDN plugins, HTML5, schema.org markups are available
- We can easily tweak existing Plugins to get Academic Journal specific per post XML and/or Dublin Core meta data.
WordPress as Academic Journal : Initial Steps
Obviously to run WordPress, for the needed setup, you will possibly select Rackspace Cloud without the managed layer and follow our basic guide to install WordPress. You will need some identity management system of your own, although not mandatory, you can read our guide to install LDAP Server on Ubuntu on Rackspace Cloud Server. Using a SSL certificate, we think is mandatory today. You can search our website for SSL related tutorials.
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It is not mandatory to use Annotum theme, you can use the best theme you know with a light child theme. Light because there will be lot of Javascripts. You can expect glitches to combine them in W3C. You can apply for ISSN later. It is free, time taking and unfortunately I at least have not found any $1 – $5 dollar gig. The whole Academic system is closed source, how you can expect a fast work?
WordPress as Academic Journal : Needed Plugins
So, after installing WordPress and installing a proper theme, we suggest to use these Plugins to use WordPress as Academic Journal. Do not use these Plugins for normal blogs with the hope of better SEO. Google probably uses different set of logics to rank Journal sites. Obviously we will target for the best on page SEO like for normal blogs but we are using WordPress as Academic Journal, after installing WordPress, the WordPress Admin might appear like a cockpit to you. Funny thing is that, a Journal article was published only on ‘researching’ whether WordPress can be used as Journal software. But the most useful article we found was :
1 | http://www.darkmatter101.org/site/2009/12/06/wordpress-as-academic-journal-software/ |
Sanjay wrote in 6th December, 2009 – 5 years past since then. How much he is great, that article is an example. However, we found more better alternative plugins as much time has been past. We are using StudioPress Genesis and a Free HTML5 child theme. We expect, Woo Themes, Thesis, WordPress Default Theme will behave in the same way like Genesis. Do not use other complicated theme to avoid hundreds of problems and conflicts. Here is the list :
- Co-Authors Plus : Blog is written by one person, multiple authors can be assigned for Scholarly article
- Crayon Syntax Highlighter : Need for our Journal for Syntax Highlighting
- DOAJ Export : Well, take this as your XML Sitemap Plugin to generate DOAJ Article XML Schema. Do not redirect feed, do not use Feed Burner.
- Document Repository : Helps to convert WordPress into a revisioned document repository. You will get three extra plugins with it – Repository Custom Roles, Document Repository Network Extras and Document Repository Custom Taxonomies. Later two are buggy. They will ask you to update and get deactivated.
- Edit Flow : For the sake of better editorial workflow options.
- Email Post Changes : Automated Emails to the Authors for changes.
- Genesis Co-Authors Plus : Genesis specific top up for Co-Authors Plus Plugin.
- Select Genesis Staff Bio Grid : A nice plugin to add grid of staff member profiles with popup lightboxes.
- GoogleOAuth : Allows autologin against Google Apps OAuth service
- Kblog Include : Important.
- Kblog Metadata : Opens the bibliographic metadata of academic posts to manipulate.
- Kcite : Add bibliography with shortcode.
- Mathjax Latex : Transform latex equations in javascript
- Mendeley-profile : Optional. Displays the profile information, publications and curriculum vitae from Mendeley.
- Mendeley Plugin : Offers the possibility to load lists of document references from Mendeley (shared) collections.
- Post Forking : Adds git like Forking to create an alternate version of content.
- Post Revision Display : Show list of post-publication revisions like diff
- WP OAuth2 Complete Provider : Use OAuth2 structure and become a provider
- YAFootnotes Plugin : To add foot notes.
- Table of Contents Plus : Add nice TOC.
- Plugin for PDF output : There are many, use what you want.
- Owark : You will find it here :
1 | http://owark.org/trac/browser/wordpress/plugins/owark |
Some Plugins might need to be tweaked. Total cost of setup is near zero. There is a Plugin for adding Dublin core metadata. You need to tweak it a bit to add Journal Article specific Dublin core metadata.
Tagged With https://thecustomizewindows com/2014/06/wordpress-academic-journal-needed-plugins/ , scientific journal management plugin wordpress , wordpress academic journal , plugin academic journal wordpress , online academic journal wordpress templates , medical journal wordpress , journal APP WORDPRESS THEME , hubble academic wordpress theme , wordpress themes for academic journal , free journal plugins for wordpress
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Entry
Reader's guide
Entries A-Z
Subject index
Pre-experimental Designs
Pre-experimental designs are research schemes in which a subject or a group is observed after a treatment has been applied, in order to test whether the treatment has the potential to cause change. The prefix pre- conveys two different senses in which this type of design differs from experiments: (1) pre-experiments are a more rudimentary form of design relative to experiments, devised in order to anticipate any problems that experiments may later encounter vis-à-vis causal inference, and (2) pre-experiments are often preparative forms of exploration prior to engaging in experimental endeavors, providing cues or indications that an experiment is worth pursuing. Because pre-experiments typically tend to overstate rather than understate the presence of causal relations between variables, it is sometimes useful to run a pre-experiment (or more commonly, to observe the results of an existing one) in order to decide whether an experiment should be undertaken.
Experimental evidence is defined in contrast to observational evidence: Although the former involves some form of intervention, the latter is limited to recordings of events as they naturally occur, without controlling the behavior of the object being studied. An experiment is normally used to create a controlled environment to aid in establishing valid inferences about the behavior of the object being studied; typically, the control involved in the experiment is used to infer causality among variables. In the case of a pre-experiment, although there is some intervention in the object, the level of intervention does not provide the control required for valid inferences regarding the causal processes involved. Thus, pre-experiments differ from observational data because they are based on some form of intervention. At the same time, they are different from experiments because not enough control is achieved to ensure valid causal inferences.
Types of Pre-Experimental Designs
The category of pre-experimental designs is necessarily an open one because it is defined negatively, in opposition to true experimental designs. Yet, three types of designs are normally considered standard pre-experiments and are used routinely by researchers: the one-shot case study, the single-group before and after, and the static group comparison.
One-Shot Case Study
Also referred to as a single-group posttest design, this type of research involves a single group of subjects being studied at a single point in time after some treatments have taken effect, or more broadly, after some relevant intervention that is supposed to cause change has taken place. In order to make inferences about the treatment, the measurements taken in the one-shot case study are compared to the general expectations about what the case would have looked like if the treatment had not been put in place because there is no control or comparison group involved.
In the standard representational language of experimental research design, a one-shot case study is represented as follows:
where the X represents the treatment or intervention and the O represents the observation by researchers of the variable of interest.
Single-Group Before and After
Also known as a one-group pretest–posttest design, this method involves a single case observed at two different points in time—before and after an intervention or treatment. Whatever changes happen in the outcome of interest are presumed to be the result of the intervention. Again, there is no control or comparison group involved in this type of study design.
...
- Assessment
- Assessment Issues
- Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing
- Accessibility of Assessment
- Accommodations
- African Americans and Testing
- Asian Americans and Testing
- Cheating
- Ethical Issues in Testing
- Gender and Testing
- High-Stakes Tests
- Latinos and Testing
- Minority Issues in Testing
- Second Language Learners, Assessment of
- Test Security
- Testwiseness
- Assessment Methods
- Ability Tests
- Achievement Tests
- Adaptive Behavior Assessments
- Admissions Tests
- Alternate Assessments
- Aptitude Tests
- Attenuation, Correction for
- Attitude Scaling
- Basal Level and Ceiling Level
- Benchmark
- Buros Mental Measurements Yearbook
- Classification
- Cognitive Diagnosis
- Computer-Based Testing
- Computerized Adaptive Testing
- Confidence Interval
- Curriculum-Based Assessment
- Diagnostic Tests
- Difficulty Index
- Discrimination Index
- English Language Proficiency Assessment
- Formative Assessment
- Intelligence Tests
- Interquartile Range
- Minimum Competency Testing
- Mood Board
- Personality Assessment
- Power Tests
- Progress Monitoring
- Projective Tests
- Psychometrics
- Reading Comprehension Assessments
- Screening Tests
- Self-Report Inventories
- Sociometric Assessment
- Speeded Tests
- Standards-Based Assessment
- Summative Assessment
- Technology-Enhanced Items
- Test Battery
- Testing, History of
- Tests
- Value-Added Models
- Written Language Assessment
- Classroom Assessment
- Authentic Assessment
- Backward Design
- Bloom’s Taxonomy
- Classroom Assessment
- Constructed-Response Items
- Curriculum-Based Measurement
- Essay Items
- Fill-in-the-Blank Items
- Formative Assessment
- Game-Based Assessment
- Grading
- Matching Items
- Multiple-Choice Items
- Paper-and-Pencil Assessment
- Performance-Based Assessment
- Portfolio Assessment
- Rubrics
- Second Language Learners, Assessment of
- Selection Items
- Student Self-Assessment
- Summative Assessment
- Supply Items
- Technology in Classroom Assessment
- True-False Items
- Universal Design of Assessment
- Item Response Theory
- Reliability
- Scores and Scaling
- T Scores
- Z Scores
- Age Equivalent Scores
- Analytic Scoring
- Automated Essay Evaluation
- Criterion-Referenced Interpretation
- Decile
- Grade-Equivalent Scores
- Guttman Scaling
- Holistic Scoring
- Intelligence Quotient
- Interval-Level Measurement
- Ipsative Scales
- Levels of Measurement
- Lexiles
- Likert Scaling
- Multidimensional Scaling
- Nominal-Level Measurement
- Norm-Referenced Interpretation
- Normal Curve Equivalent Score
- Ordinal-Level Measurement
- Percentile Rank
- Primary Trait Scoring
- Propensity Scores
- Quartile
- Rankings
- Rating Scales
- Reverse Scoring
- Scales
- Score Reporting
- Semantic Differential Scaling
- Standardized Scores
- Stanines
- Thurstone Scaling
- Visual Analog Scales
- W Difference Scores
- Standardized Tests
- Achievement Tests
- ACT
- Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development
- Beck Depression Inventory
- Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills
- Educational Testing Service
- Iowa Test of Basic Skills
- Kaufman-ABC Intelligence Test
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- National Assessment of Educational Progress
- Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers
- Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
- Programme for International Student Assessment
- Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
- Raven’s Progressive Matrices
- SAT
- Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
- Standardized Tests
- Standards-Based Assessment
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales
- Summative Assessment
- Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
- Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
- Wechsler Intelligence Scales
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Oral Language
- Validity
- Concurrent Validity
- Consequential Validity Evidence
- Construct Irrelevance
- Construct Underrepresentation
- Content-Related Validity Evidence
- Criterion-Based Validity Evidence
- Measurement Invariance
- Multicultural Validity
- Multitrait–Multimethod Matrix
- Predictive Validity
- Sensitivity
- Social Desirability
- Specificity
- Test Bias
- Unitary View of Validity
- Validity
- Validity Coefficients
- Validity Generalization
- Validity, History of
- Assessment Issues
- Cognitive and Affective Variables
- Data Visualization Methods
- Disabilities and Disorders
- Distributions
- Educational Policies
- Brown v. Board of Education
- Adequate Yearly Progress
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Coleman Report
- Common Core State Standards
- Corporal Punishment
- Every Student Succeeds Act
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
- Great Society Programs
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
- Inclusion
- Individualized Education Program
- Individuals With Disabilities Education Act
- Least Restrictive Environment
- No Child Left Behind Act
- Policy Research
- Race to the Top
- School Vouchers
- Special Education Identification
- Special Education Law
- State Standards
- Evaluation Concepts
- Evaluation Designs
- Appreciative Inquiry
- CIPP Evaluation Model
- Collaborative Evaluation
- Consumer-Oriented Evaluation Approach
- Cost–Benefit Analysis
- Culturally Responsive Evaluation
- Democratic Evaluation
- Developmental Evaluation
- Empowerment Evaluation
- Evaluation Capacity Building
- Evidence-Centered Design
- External Evaluation
- Feminist Evaluation
- Formative Evaluation
- Four-Level Evaluation Model
- Goal-Free Evaluation
- Internal Evaluation
- Needs Assessment
- Participatory Evaluation
- Personnel Evaluation
- Policy Evaluation
- Process Evaluation
- Program Evaluation
- Responsive Evaluation
- Success Case Method
- Summative Evaluation
- Utilization-Focused Evaluation
- Human Development
- Instrument Development
- Accreditation
- Alignment
- Angoff Method
- Body of Work Method
- Bookmark Method
- Construct-Related Validity Evidence
- Content Analysis
- Content Standard
- Content Validity Ratio
- Curriculum Mapping
- Cut Scores
- Ebel Method
- Equating
- Instructional Sensitivity
- Item Analysis
- Item Banking
- Item Development
- Learning Maps
- Modified Angoff Method
- Norming
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- Readability
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- Vertical Scaling
- Organizations and Government Agencies
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- National Science Foundation
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- Licensure
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- Teacher Evaluation
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- Auditing
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- Document Analysis
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- Field Notes
- Focus Groups
- Grounded Theory
- Historical Research
- Interviewer Bias
- Interviews
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- Transcription
- Trustworthiness
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- File Drawer Problem
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- Research Designs
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- Time Series Analysis
- Triple-Blind Studies
- Twin Studies
- Zelen’s Randomized Consent Design
- Research Methods
- Classroom Observations
- Cluster Sampling
- Control Variables
- Convenience Sampling
- Debriefing
- Deception
- Expert Sampling
- Judgment Sampling
- Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods
- Quantitative Research Methods
- Quota Sampling
- Random Assignment
- Random Selection
- Replication
- Simple Random Sampling
- Snowball Sampling
- Stratified Random Sampling
- Survey Methods
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- Amos
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- Theories and Conceptual Frameworks
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- Social Cognitive Theory
- Social Learning
- Socio-Emotional Learning
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Terman Study of the Gifted
- Transformative Paradigm
- Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
- True Score
- Unitary View of Validity
- Universal Design in Education
- Wicked Problems
- Zone of Proximal Development
- Threats to Research Validity
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https://www.statisticssolutions.com/dissertation-resources/theoretical-framework/
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The theoretical framework is typically presented early in a dissertation and serves to explain the rationale for investigating a particular research problem. In essence, consider it as a conceptual model that provides structure and direction for your research. Furthermore, it establishes the background that supports your investigation and justifies why studying the problem is important. It also outlines the variables you intend to measure and the relationships you seek to understand. Essentially, this section enables you to develop and present your theory, thereby providing a clear explanation for the problem at hand. Additionally, it sets the foundation for the investigation and interpretation of your findings. However, it is not solely based on your assumptions—there is more to explore, so continue reading.
The theoretical framework is a summary of your theory regarding a particular problem that is developed through a review of previously tested knowledge of the variables involved. It outlines a clear plan for investigating and interpreting the findings. Moreover, it involves a well-supported rationale and is organized in a way that enables the reader to understand and assess your perspective effectively. The purpose is to demonstrate that the relationships you propose are not based on your personal instincts or guesses, but rather formed from facts obtained from authors of previous research.
The development of the theoretical framework helps clarify your implicit theory, making it more clearly defined. Moreover, it encourages you to consider other possible frameworks, thus reducing biases that may sway your interpretation. As you continue to develop your theoretical framework, you will also consider alternative theories that could challenge your perspective. Additionally, you will evaluate the limitations of your theory and acknowledge that other theoretical frameworks might provide a better understanding of the problem at hand.
The theoretical framework, in essence, shapes how you conceptualize the nature of your research problem, its foundation, and the analysis you will choose to investigate it. As a result, this framework determines how you perceive, make sense of, and interpret your data. Furthermore, providing an explanation of the theoretical framework helps the reader better understand your perspective and the context in which the research is situated.
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The theoretical framework is developed from and connected to your review of the knowledge on the topic (the literature review). This knowledge is likely how you initially formulated your research problem. You reviewed the literature and found gaps in the explanation of some phenomenon. The theoretical framework allows you to present the research problem in light of a summary of the literature.
Your description of the variables of interest in context of the literature review allows the reader to understand the theorized relationships. You should begin by describing what is known about your variables, what is known about their relationship, and what can be explained thus far. You will explore other researchers’ theories regarding these relationships and, in doing so, identify a theory (or combination of theories) that best explains your major research problem. In particular, your goal is to demonstrate to the reader why you believe your variables are related. Furthermore, including previous research and theories that support your perspective is vital in defending your rationale. By applying the theory to your problem, you will then state your hypotheses or predictions about potential relationships. In doing so, you clarify to the reader what you expect to find in your research.
There is a clear link between the theoretical framework and quantitative research design. Specifically, the choice of research design is guided by the goals of the study and a thorough review of the literature. In addition, quantitative research design relies on deductive reasoning, which begins with identifying the theoretical framework that will provide structure and direction for the research project. Consequently, the theoretical framework is presented early in the quantitative research proposal to establish a solid foundation for the study.
The theoretical framework will direct the research methods you choose to employ. The chosen methodology should provide conclusions that are compatible with the theory.
Reducing this seemingly intimidating topic to two factors may help simplify the concept. The theoretical framework involves a discussion of (1) the research problem and (2) the rationale for conducting an investigation of the problem. These two factors form the basis of a theoretical framework section of the research proposal.
Additional Webpages Related to Theoretical Framework
References
Breakwell, G. Hammon, S., Fife-Schaw, C. & Smith, J. A. (Eds.). (2007). Research methods in psychology (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2005) Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: .Pearson Education, Inc.
Creswell, J. W. (2009) Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Leedy, P. D. & Ormrod, J. E. (2005). Practical research: Planning and design (8th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Pedhauzer, E. J. & Schmelkin, L.P. (1991). Measurement, design and analysis: An integrated approach. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
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Many university students who graduate, and even graduate students, have difficulty finding the conceptual framework and theoretical framework of their thesis, a mandatory section in thesis writing that serves as a map for students on their first adventure in research. The conceptual framework is almost always confused with the theoretical framework of the study.
Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework is a set of concepts and premises logically developed and connected to each other – developed from one or more theories – that a researcher creates to articulate a study. To create a theoretical framework, the researcher must define the concepts and theories that will provide the basis of the research, unite them through logical connections and relate these concepts to the study that is being carried out. In short, a theoretical framework is a reflection of the work that the researcher does to use a theory in a given study.
Conceptual Framework
A conceptual framework is the justification for why a particular study should be conducted. The conceptual framework (1) describes the state of known knowledge, usually through a literature review; (2) identifies gaps in our understanding of a phenomenon or problem; and (3) outlines the methodological foundations of the research project. It is constructed to answer two questions: “Why is this research important?” and “What contributions could these results make to what is already known?”
Importance of the Theoretical and Conceptual Framework in research
A theoretical or conceptual framework provides strong evidence of academic norms and school functions. It offers an explanation of why the study is meaningful, relevant, and valid, and how the scholar intends to fill in the gaps in the body of literature.
It provides a theoretical approach to current thinking when the research study is framed in theoretical considerations from a well-defined theoretical framework. Also, it allows to deliberate on the theoretical contributions to the current scholarship within the discipline in question. A formal theory provides a background framework for data collection, analysis and the outcome of events undertaken in the research study.
In fact, a research study that is impregnated with a theoretical framework makes the thesis solid and well structured, with a fluid and constant flow. In the absence of a well-thought-out theoretical framework, the structure and direction of research activity become uncertain, elusive and vague.
Similarities between the Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
The theoretical framework helps explain why the current research problem is present, using the lens of a relevant theory of existing literature. However, it is believed that the research paradigm determines the role of a theory in the research enterprise. That is why one must take account of one’s world view in research. In fact, both explain the future course of the research study by justifying the research undertaking with the aim of ensuring that the findings are more meaningful, acceptable and generalizable.
What is the difference between the Conceptual Framework and the Theoretical Framework?
According to Ravitch and Riggan (2012), the conceptual framework is the researcher’s idea of how the research problem should be explored. It is based on the theoretical framework, which is situated on a much wider scale of resolution. The theoretical framework is based on time-tested theories that embody the conclusions of numerous investigations into how phenomena occur. In this way, it provides a general representation of the relationships between things in a given phenomenon.
The conceptual framework, on the other hand, embodies the specific direction in which the research should go. From the statistical point of view, the conceptual framework describes the relationship between the specific variables identified in the study. It also describes the input, process, and output of all research. The conceptual framework is also called the research paradigm.
Example of Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
According to Miles and Huberman (1994), the difference between the theoretical framework and the conceptual framework can be clarified with the following example on both concepts:
Theoretical Framework: The stimulus provokes the response.
Conceptual Framework: The new teaching method improves the academic performance of students.
The theoretical framework describes a broader relationship between things. When a stimulus is applied, a response is expected. The conceptual framework is much more specific in defining this relationship. The conceptual framework specifies the variables to be explored in the research.
How can students develop their Theoretical and Conceptual Framework?
To develop their own theoretical and conceptual framework that will guide the conduct of the research, students have to review the literature related to the research topic they have chosen. Students have to read a lot and find out what has been studied so far in their respective fields and develop their own synthesis of literature. They must look for knowledge gaps and identify questions that need to be answered or problems that need to be solved. In this way, they will be able to formulate their own conceptual framework to guide them in their research enterprise.
Problems faced by novice researchers when conceptualizing theoretical or conceptual frameworks
PhD fellows and novice researchers always face problems because of their misconception of what constitutes a theoretical framework. Some of them believe that the theoretical framework is used for qualitative research, since this paradigm produces detailed and exhaustive information about an area from which a series of themes and patterns can be discerned. While the conceptual framework is used only for quantitative research studies developed subsequently, outlining the mental picture of the themes and patterns arising from the data.
What framework should a researcher use?
Following Joseph Maxwell’s critical point (Maxwell, 2013) that theoretical and conceptual frameworks are constructed by researchers and need a philosophical paradigm and methodological paradigm to inform a researcher’s work, and a formal theory is used to make sense of the events or events that a researcher sees or wants to illuminate in the study, a researcher building a solid study would include both a theoretical framework and a conceptual framework that would test and inform every aspect of data collection and analysis/interpretation.
The researcher uses the theoretical and conceptual frameworks in a critical way to situate the work in order to obtain knowledge, discrepancies and alternatives by shaping the methodology and design of the study in association with the research question and the philosophical and paradigmatic dispositions of the researcher. When used well together, a theoretical framework and a conceptual framework provide the researcher with sufficient support to explain the need and relevance of the study in the field. In addition, the researcher who chooses to have a theoretical framework and a conceptual framework in the research study demonstrates adequate academic rigor in preparing a solid study.
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Bibliographic References
Maxwell, J.A. (2013) Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Miles, M.B. & Huberman, M.A. (1994) Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Ravitch, S.M. & Riggan, M. (2012) Reason & rigor: How conceptual frameworks guide research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE..
You may also be interested in: The Theoretical Framework in the Deductive and Inductive Approaches
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Artificial Intelligence - Architecture, Design, and Implementation
Program: AIDI
Credential: Ontario College Graduate Certificate
Delivery: Full-time + Part-time
Length: 2 Semesters
Duration: 1 Year
Effective: Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Summer 2027
Location: Barrie
Description
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing paradigm radically changes the functionality and capabilities of computer systems. This greatly increases the possibilities of what businesses can do with this exciting new technology and is causing disruption across all industry sectors. Artificial Intelligence systems can think, learn and take self-directed action in order to maximize the chance of successfully achieving a goal without having to be explicitly programmed or human intervention.
This program provides students with the necessary background to become Artificial Intelligence (AI) system designers, programmers, implementers, or machine learning analysts. With a strong focus on applied skills, students learn how to design and implement supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning solutions for a variety of situations and solve AI challenges for a diverse set of industries.
Advanced study in AI infrastructure, architecture, machine learning frameworks, reinforcement learning, neural networks, vision system, conversational AI and deep learning help students understand how to select, configure and apply the right technology tools to build the correct AI solution to solve a given challenge.
Career Opportunities
Graduates from this program are prepared to fulfill a wide-range of entry-level roles related to Artificial Intelligence which may include Artificial Intelligence (AI) system designers, programmers, implementers, or machine learning technologists. Graduates could find themselves working independently or as a member of a team to analyze, design, enhance, and maintain AI systems.
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- collect, manipulate and mine data sets to meet organizational need;
- recommend different systems architectures and data storage technologies to support data analytics;
- design and apply data models that meet the needs of a specific operational/business process;
- develop software applications to manipulate data sets, correlate information and produce reports;
- design and present data visualizations to communicate information to business stakeholders:
- apply data analytics, business intelligence tools and research to support evidence-based decision making;
- identify and assess data analytics business strategies and workflows to respond to new opportunities or provide project solutions;
- implement artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in compliance with corporate policies, ethical standards, and industry regulations;
- develop artificial intelligence (AI) models and agents that use enterprise data to identify patterns, provide insights, recommend actions or perform tasks autonomously on behalf of stakeholders;
- analyze, design, and implement artificial intelligence (AI) systems through the application of systematic approaches and methodologies to meet organizational needs.
Program Progression
The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.
Fall - Barrie
- Sem 1: Fall 2026
- Sem 2: Winter 2027
Winter - Barrie
- Sem 1: Winter 2027
- Sem 2: Summer 2027
Summer - Barrie
- Sem 1: Summer 2027
- Sem 2: Fall 2027
Admission Requirements
Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma, degree or equivalent with a focus in computer studies, technology, engineering, analytics, mathematics or statistics, or equivalent work experience, is required.
Selection Process
Applicants may be asked to submit a current resume and a letter of interest to the Program Coordinator in order to assess their prior academic and experiential learning.
Additional Information
To be successful in this program, students are required to have a Windows-based personal notebook computer prior to the start of the program that meets or exceeds the following hardware specifications:
- Intel I7, AMD A10 processor or better
- 16 GB of RAM
- 1 TB hard drive
- Ethernet Network Card (Can be USB)
- Wireless Network Card
- 2 USB 3.0 ports
Graduation Requirements
14 Program Courses
Graduation Eligibility
To graduate from this program, a student must attain a minimum of 60% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester. The passing weighted average for promotion through each semester and to graduate is 60%.
Program Tracking
The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Program Courses | ||
| AIDI 1000 | Artificial Intelligence Algorithms and Mathematics | 56 |
| AIDI 1001 | Conversational Artificial Intelligence | 42 |
| AIDI 1002 | Machine Learning Programming | 42 |
| AIDI 1003 | Machine Learning Frameworks | 42 |
| AIDI 1004 | Issues and Challenges in Artificial Intelligence | 42 |
| AIDI 1005 | Artificial Intelligence for Business Decision Making | 42 |
| BDAT 1000 | Data Manipulation Techniques | 42 |
| Hours | 308 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Program Courses | ||
| AIDI 1006 | Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure and Architecture | 42 |
| AIDI 1007 | Vision Systems | 42 |
| AIDI 1008 | Reinforcement Learning Programming | 42 |
| AIDI 1009 | Neural Networks | 42 |
| AIDI 1010 | Emerging Artificial Intelligence Technologies | 42 |
| AIDI 1011 | Artificial Intelligence Project | 56 |
| AIDI 1012 | Artificial Intelligence Robotics and Automation | 42 |
| Hours | 308 | |
| Total Hours | 616 |
Graduation Window
Students unable to adhere to the program duration of one year (as stated above) may take a maximum of two years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.
Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs.
Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.
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Study Tracking and Analysis for Research (STAR) - Penn State College of Medicine Research Skip to content
A Penn State Nittany Lion statue is seen in the courtyard of Penn State College of Medicine in Summer 2016. The statue is in focus toward the right side of the image. Out of focus in the background, green plants and trees are visible in the courtyard.
Study Tracking and Analysis for Research (STAR)
See all COVID-19 research updates, including updated human-subjects research guidance and participant screening script, here.
The Study Tracking and Analysis for Research (STAR) system is a comprehensive online tool designed to facilitate the submission, approval and management of select clinical research studies within Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine.
STAR is part of Penn State’s Centralized Application Tracking System (CATS) and is integrated with CATS IRB.
Log in to STAR See system status
Working with STAR
A horizontal banner includes Penn State's logo, the word STAR and the phrase study tracking and analysis for research.
What studies require a STAR submission? Expand answer
A STAR submission is required for:
• Any clinical research study where it is possible for items and services to be captured in the hospital billing system and potentially by billable to a study sponsor, a third-party payer and/or the participant. (This includes, but is not limited to, investigator-initiated/sponsored research studies funded by departmental monies, the federal government, non-profit or for-profit entities.)
• Any clinical research study in which there will be invoices generated to a sponsor/funding agency for services provided.
A STAR submission is optional for non-billable/non-invoiceable clinical studies for which the research team may choose to use the STAR system for study participant and financial tracking functionality.
Optional studies may include:
• Chart reviews
• Survey studies
• Educational/training studies
• Biospecimen collection/analysis
• Interview procedures or focus groups
• Data collection/data analysis
• Patient registry
• Long-term follow-up
• Observational studies
Investigators who are considering the use of STAR for an optional study should contact the Clinical Trials Office at 717-531-3779 or
[email protected].
STAR Account Requests Expand answer
Access to STAR
Access to STAR is done via the Penn State Health electronic Account Request Form, which is completed online.
Complete electronic Account Request Form (in ServiceNow; Penn State Health ePass login required).
eARF completion tips:
• Much of the information on the eARF will self-populate at login.
• For the STAR-specific portion:
• Scroll to the Research section and check the box next to STAR. This will expose additional options.
• Select “Add.” This will expose a field for Penn State Access ID.
• The Penn State Access ID is three letters followed by up to four numbers (e.g., xyz987). Enter this ID.
• Select the appropriate STAR Access Level(s). Study staff should select “study staff.” Ancillary reviewers should select their specific ancillary role. Those uncertain of their role should email the STAR Team at
[email protected].
Once submitted, each request is reviewed for accuracy by the STAR team, which will approve or reject the request. This will trigger IS to begin to process the account activation, and users will be notified by IS via email upon authorization.
Penn State Access ID information
A Penn State Access ID is required to log in to STAR.
This account ID is created for all Penn State employees automatically. However, the account is not activated until the user completes an account request. Those who have not already activated their Penn State accounts will need to do so before using STAR.
Complete the Penn State Access ID activation here.
The Penn State Access ID also requires enrollment in two-factor authentication via Duo. Users who have already authorized Duo for Penn State Health will still need to add an additional validation for the University system.
Complete the Penn State two-factor enrollment here.
Logging In to STAR Expand answer
Access the STAR system here
STAR requires logging in with Penn State Access ID and Duo two-factor authentication.
More about STAR
Benefits and Key Advantages of STAR Expand answer
As a clinical research management system, STAR connects and empowers teams with 24/7 online access to study, budget, participant and visit information. STAR replaces time-consuming paper processes, facilitates communication, eliminates redundant steps that burden both researchers and administrators and reduces compliance risk exposure.
The backbone of STAR is its skillful tracking of study participants and intelligent management of invoices for all the visit procedures performed.
Key advantages of STAR include:
• Facilitating study form submission to the Clinical Trials Office and Office of Research Affairs
• Generating automated email notifications to support communication and inform the research team of key status changes
• Reducing multiple, isolated, informal environments for managing and tracking study data
• Tracking established research participants throughout their course of treatment/participation
• Improving cost recovery through timely and complete sponsor billing and collections
Integration with CATS IRB and Other Systems Expand answer
Because STAR is part of CATS IRB, it will be automatically populated with some of the information already entered into IRB. An IRB submission does not need to be completed/approved to begin a STAR submission. STAR studies will display a direct link to their IRB counterpart and vice versa. To avoid duplication, some documents (such as the protocol, informed consent forms and investigator’s brochure) reside only in CATS IRB, while others reside in STAR.
Note that Internal Approval Forms (IAFs) are part of the Strategic Information Management System (SIMS), which is associated with University Park. IAFs are unrelated to STAR and, at the present time, the systems are not integrated.
STAR Security Expand answer
STAR is a secure system. All those who access STAR must do so using their Penn State Access ID. Once
in STAR, users will only see studies to which they are specifically assigned. In addition, access to view
and/or edit information is strictly controlled based on user role (study team, ORA, financial contact,
ancillary reviewer, etc.).
STAR requires patient names in order to create invoices, bill sponsors, pay stipends, etc. Like any system that stores HIPAA data such as patient name, STAR is regularly scanned for vulnerabilities, as are all systems in IT’s data center.
STAR Future Enhancements and Limitations Expand answer
• Reporting: The reporting feature of STAR is under construction. As STAR matures, the STAR team will begin creating reports based on the needs and requests of those who are using the system.
• Other integrations: STAR does not yet have an integrated solution to support the enterprise-wide needs of those conducting clinical research. It is presently unable to integrate with existing EMR, financial and grants/contracts systems.
Users who wish to submit a suggestion for future STAR enhancements or training sessions should complete the online suggestion form.
Training Resources
One-on-One Zoom Training Expand answer
Personalized, one-on-one STAR training is currently available online via Zoom. Email STAR at
[email protected] for information and scheduling.
Hands-On Training Sessions Expand answer
All research studies that require a STAR submission will be initiated by the study team as part of the IRB submission process. STAR offers hands-on training sessions for all those who will be using the system.
STAR training sessions are available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Anyone who needs new user or refresher training should email
[email protected] with preferred date and time.
Before submission of their first research study into STAR, study team members should complete the following two hands-on training sessions with the STAR team:
Getting STAR-ted, an Introduction to STAR
This one-hour session covers the following topics:
• What is STAR?
• What studies require a STAR submission?
• Benefits of STAR
• Tour of STAR
• Uploading documents
Creating/Submitting a New Study in STAR
This one-hour session covers the following topics:
• STAR submission through IRB
• Editing a study
• Submitting a study
• Centralized communication
Once a study is “Active” in STAR and the study team has at least one participant to enter into the system, new users should contact the STAR Team to arrange the following training session:
Participant Tracking in STAR
This one-and-a-half-hour session covers the following topics:
• Entering new participants
• Consenting, recording eligibility and placing participants on study
• Completing visits
• Logging invoiceable events
Video Tutorials Expand answer
STAR video tutorials are short screen-capture videos that demonstrate a particular feature or function in STAR. Click each link to view the video in Mediasite (Penn State Health ePass login required).
Getting started
Ancillary review
Navigating in STAR
Participant tracking
Fast Facts and User Guides
STAR fast facts and user guides have been developed to assist users and accompany each of the hands-on training sessions.
Printable PDF versions of these guides are available in OneDrive
(Penn State Access ID login required)
Ancillary Review Process Expand answer
A guide has been developed to help users complete an Ancillary Review.
See the Ancillary Review Process guide
Getting STARted Guide Expand answer
A full Getting STARted guide has been developed to walk users through the details of working in STAR.
See the Getting STARted guide here
Contact the STAR team
General Contact Information
For details on STAR, call 717-531-STAR (7827) or email
[email protected].
Suggestions
Users are invited to submit STAR suggestions via the “Suggestion Box” form.
Submit STAR suggestions here
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https://www.professays.com/research-papers/objectives-for-research-paper-methodology/
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The Importance of Correct Objectives for Research Paper Methodology
The research paper is not just a set of opinions and personal thought on topics the researcher wishes to examine and dissect. It is a study done in a manner that requires thorough research using legitimate references such as books study materials, and past work from experts to come up with a reliable and accurate dissertation of the selected topic. There is also a research paper format and research paper outline to follow. It is not enough that the researcher scans a single Essay methodology example to have an idea what to write. The general requirements of a Research paper will include the topic, sources, and of course, the Methodology.
Some may ask: “what is a research methodology? And what are the research methodology objectives?” The research methodology is an integral part of the paper. The research methodology objectives include ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the document to be presented by using the appropriate data gathering resources and the formulas or statistical tools that will be employed.
Quick Navigation through the Research Paper
Methodology Page
- Download Free Research Paper Methodology Sample
- How to Do a Good Research Methodology
- How Can We Help
- Formulate Your Research Objectives
- Your Research Paper Parts
- Formatting a Research Paper
Download Free Sample of Research Paper Methodology
How to Do a Good Research Methodology
Novices would often ask about what is a research methodology. To come up with a good research methodology, the researcher needs to be able to describe the different research methods used. The term Research Methods refers to the techniques one employed to collect all needed data for the selected project. Looking at a number of Essay methodology examples, research methodology samples, scientific research methodology, and some interesting research paper topics that makes use of different research paper format as reference may also help, but then again, research methodology have more specific needs that will necessitate the researcher to look for several possible research paper topics.
Prior to writing the Dissertation Methodology part, the researcher needs to have a concise concept of the different steps and methods of gathering data. The researcher may make use of some of the following research methods to come up with a more scientific research methodology:
- Experimental Research
- Action Research
- Participant Observation
- Statistical Analysis
- Classification Research
To determine the best scientific research methodology to utilize, it is best to seek the advice and work with the Research Advisor to verify the kind of research technique employed specifically within one’s field of expertise or discipline. It also helps to see a research methodology sample and a research paper outline as a guide. Also, the researcher needs to elaborate on the reasons behind selecting a specific method as well as the rationale as to why the other methods were vetoed, this is best done by assessing and presenting the pros and cons because this also needs to be stated in the dissertation methodology section.
To assist the novice researcher, the following rules may be considered when writing one’s dissertation methodology:
- The paper’s dissertation methodology should not be limited to a general description or overview of the methods employed. One should initially discuss the problem that needs to be addressed and a more specific inquiry that the researcher aims to answer.
- The Dissertation methodology must be written in a manner that is concise, clear, and precise. The researcher needs to provide all the information on the methods used; making sure that it can be duplicated by the reader in a separate setting.
- The researcher needs to justify the Research Methods utilized and described in the material. Again, emphasize the pros and cons of the various research methods with respect to the discipline of the research topic.
How Can We Help
Do you need help with your research methodology format? Often asking “what is a research methodology” and “ what is a research paper format”?
Then you are at the right place!
We are ProfEssays.com and we provide you with the most professional service rendered by our professional writers. We can present you with a research methodology sample, an essay methodology example, or a descriptive research paper based on whatever format you’ll need, whether it’s an MLA format research paper or an APA style research paper, we got it all here!
Here at ProfEssays.com, we provide you with concepts on what is a research methodology, your research methodology objectives, some research methodology sample using scientific research methodology on various research paper topics with credible research paper formats, cover page, research paper components that employs either MLA format research paper or an APA style research paper.
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Formulate Your Research Objectives
The next step is making research methodology objectives. In making the research objectives, one may contemplate on the following tips:
- Make sure that the research objectives being formulated are clear and concise; also, they need to be related to the topic of the research. One of the things that need to be assessed in the Research Material is the consistency and congruency of the topic with the objectives and questions presented. Also, constructing the right question will ensure that the correct information regarding the topic can be obtained.
- Establish the aim of the Research material, making sure that the objectives jive with it. It serves to emphasize the purpose of the research material and address the long- term results, meaning, they need to mirror the expectations of the Research. Once again, with regards to consistency, the aims of the project should be connected to the objectives
- Employ Measurable, Attainable, and Realistic principles in the constructing the objectives. The Objectives should provide the researcher and the Research Assessors with indicators as to how the researcher will tackle the Related Literature, Essay methodology example and theories on the selected topic
- It should grant the researcher with a plan or strategy on how to handle the collection and processing of the research information.
Your Research Paper Parts
Outline for Your Research Paper
The Research paper outline generally follows the following parts:
TITLE PAGE– the title page reflects the research paper topics and the specific issue the researchers wishes to discuss and examine. The researcher may forego the cover page of the research paper unless otherwise indicated by the Adviser or Teacher. This is also known as the cover page
ABSTRACT– It serves as a summary or overview of the Research material and usually follows the cover page, It may be written in a single paragraph where the reader/ assessor will be presented with the reason behind the research, the approach to the existing problem, the results of the study, and the conclusion of the study. One can safely say that the Abstract is the sum total of the material.
INTRODUCTION– research paper components in any reference book will never be approved without an Introduction. This enables the reader to understand the rationale behind the research work, and should not be more than 2 pages in length.
BODY– This may be further subdivided in to two or more sections and contains the bulk of the collected information, the manner in which they were acquired, the references, and the research methods used to some up with a solution/ conclusion.
CONCLUSION– it showcases the results of the study based on the treatment of the collected data. It is the summary of the Research work and highlights the solution of the presented problem and the more specific sub- problems.
APPENDICES– this refers to the collection of supplementary books or other legitimate sources of information used in the research paper which may be statistical or explanatory in nature.
BIBLIOGRAPHY– Is the list of writings utilized by the researcher, it includes information like the title of the books used, the name of the author(s), the publisher, date of issue, etc.
Formatting a Research Paper
To come up with a descriptive research paper that meets the needs of the assessor, the research paper format may make us of the two most commonly employed format and the research paper components may vary. These are The American Psychological Association (APA) format or the Modern Language Association (MLA) format.
The APA style research paper is a descriptive research paper most often used when a research topic is within the discipline of the social sciences or when the researcher needs to cite social sciences sources. The guidelines of an APA format will include encoding the material double- spaced on 8.5”x11” paper with I inch margins on every side. APA style research paper also recommends the use of Times New Roman, font size 12. The APA format also has 4 major parts, the research paper components will include:
- Title page -it has the title of the research material (which should only be around 12 words), the name of the researcher (excluding the degrees and titles like Engr., Dr.), and the academic institution the researcher is affiliated with.
- Abstract- Contains the summary or overview of the whole research
- Body- contains the bulk of the study.
- References- the list of books the researcher used.
On the other hand, the MLA format is most often used to write research papers within the field of Humanities and Liberal Arts.
The MLA format research paper is a descriptive research paper that provides very specific rules on the formatting of materials/ documents and enables the writers to cite their references or sources through a system that makes use of parenthetical citations, through this system, the writer/ researcher is able to build his credibility by showcasing their references, gives credit to the author of their source, and protects the researcher from any allegations of plagiarism
The MLA format research paper is as follows:
- Encoding the material and printing it out on a letter- sized paper (8.5”x11”)
- Double- spacing the texts of the material using the Times New Roman Font, font size 12.
- Margins should be 1” on all the sides and making use of the tab bar
- Creating headers in the upper right hand corner that number the pages one after the other
- Title page is not a necessity unless otherwise indicated by the Adviser, and if the title is required, Use the Title Case or Standard Capitalization
Tags: apa research paper, custom essay, custom research paper, interesting topics for research paper, mla research paper, research paper, research paper methodology, research paper outline, research paper topics
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https://ivypanda.com/essays/historical-methodologies/
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The credibility and accuracy of any historically account depends on the type of approach that the historians use in the course of their work. Historians must be conversant with available methodologies and approaches in order for them to handle evidence collection and interpretation in the best way possible (Green, 1999). Historical research and analysis is not an easy task as it seems due to the technicalities involved.
Historical methodologies and approaches consist of concepts and techniques used by historians to explore and highlight different types of historical events (Green, 1999). Each historical approach tends to challenge previous approaches as it attempts to improve historical research and analysis. This paper will discuss different types of types of historical approaches used by historians and the contribution that each approach makes to the general field of historical studies.
Empiricism is a historical methodology that is based on the theory that human knowledge is gained through knowledge and experience. This approach refutes the argument that human beings possess some innate ideas that can not be imparted through experience (Green, 1999).
According to the empiricism approach, history can only be retrieved through sensory perception and scientific experiments. The empiricism historical approach emphasizes the fact that historians must test their theories and hypotheses through physical observation of events and other natural phenomena rather than mere intuition. The empiricism approach is widely used in philosophy and history when conducting a theoretical inquiry.
The hypotheses used in this approach must be testable using scientific methods. Empiricism completely opposes rationalism which emphasizes on intuition and reason as definite sources of knowledge. The use of human senses to perceive and conceive historical knowledge and other types of knowledge is what the empiricism approach focuses on (Green, 1999). The Empiricism approach was widely developed by Aristotle and is among the early historical approaches.
Historical materialism is a concept developed by Karl Marx and has become a very important methodological approach in the conception of history. This approach is used in the study of economic history and the general society.
The historical materialism approach emphasizes the fact that the economic activities that human beings engage in give rise to the non-economic features of the society (Howell, 2001). Political structures and social classes come as result of economic activity. The original argument of the materialism approach was that human beings have to produce the fundamental necessities of life to guarantee survival.
Despite this methodological approach being used to understand historical developments and the society in general, it also emphasizes on the importance of production relations in sustaining economic production. Division of labor is key to maintaining the production network where human beings perform different duties in the production of the various necessities of life (Howell, 2001).
The ability to use means of production such as human knowledge and raw materials characterize the success of the Marxist ideology. The materialism approach tries to highlight the modes of production that the society has employed over time. This approach sets to highlight the economic history of the society by examining the modes of production used in the society through time (Howell, 2001). In the course of interacting with nature, human beings are able to produce their material needs in different ways.
According to Marx, the productive forces in the society determine the mode of production to be adopted by that society. Some of the modes of production that Marx came up with include communism, feudalism and capitalism as they follow each other in chronological order (Green, 1999). Materialism is a methodological approach that helps historians to fully comprehend the basis of change that constantly takes place in the human society.
According to Marx, the human history is coherent in the manner that productive forces and modes of production are inherited from one generation to another as they continue to be improved and developed in tandem with technological advances and changing human needs. The struggle between different social classes for economic resources is what makes history (Green, 1999).
The materialism approach is against the idea of human history being perceived as a series of accidents. The materialism approach emphasizes the fact that the present can only be understood by studying the past. Past events and activities shape the present both socially and economically.
There are various observations through which history can be developed using the Marxist ideologies. To begin with, the social development of a society is entirely dependent on the amount of productive forces that the society has (Green, 1999). Social relationships within the society stem from production relations which human beings have no choice but to get involved.
Productive forces determine whether production relationships develop or not. The mode of production plays a critical role in determining the rate at which the production forces develop. According to Marxist beliefs, the society is founded on its relations of production and modes of production. Economic exploitation in the society is brought about by a particular social class that uses the state as an instrument of forming and protecting their production relations (Green, 1999).
The materialism approach also disputes the fact that the historical process is predetermined. Social classes within the society struggle and in the process form the actual historical process. The society goes through various stages of economic transformation as a natural way of sustaining itself.
The social science approach is one of the major methodologies used by sociology historians in an attempt to try and understand the sociological history of a particular society. Social science uses scientific method to analyze and understand the past social life. The field of social science is very wide and handles a lot of disciplines including historical research and analysis of social history (Howell, 2001).
This approach does not deal with natural sciences but it employs the same methods used in studying natural science to explain and analyze the social life of a particular society. The social science approach uses both quantitative and qualitative techniques to interpret and come up with a definite historical account of the social life in a particular society. According to this approach, history can just be studied the same way mathematics and other natural sciences are studied.
The social science approach was largely influenced by the industrial revolution that emphasized moral philosophy (Howell, 2001). This methodology employs the use of data and theory depending on what discipline the historian intents to study. Empirical observations and logic are the major components of the social science historical methodology. This approach differs with the materialism theory in the sense that the evidence collected is thoroughly studied using scientific methods.
The social actions of a particular society are studied using statistical techniques such as open-ended interviews and questionnaires that are administered to a sample population. This approach is very comprehensive compared to the previous methodologies in the sense that it explains and describes historical findings rather than just predicting (Howell, 2001). The social science approach tests all hypotheses to establish the truth in them. All the possible explanations of a particular social action are provided by this approach.
The study of social and cultural issues of the society has led to the development of new methodologies and approaches in order to increase the chances of coming up with more accurate results (Tosh, 2000). Social history has been replaced by cultural history due to the fact that the culture of the society preserves all the aspects of a particular society. Anthropology is a social science discipline that tends to explain the cultural orientation of different societies.
The study of social and cultural histories of a particular community is very vital in the sense that it helps give a particular sense of identity to the community. Anthropology uses scientific and statistical methods to explain how the society is set up socially and culturally.
This new approach aims at describing the society in detail since the social science approach only deals with social life. This new approach bases it explanations on real facts rather than predictions and imagination. Social trends in the society are what forms social history which is established by using scientific methods.
Social history explores how ordinary people within a society live (Tosh, 2000). Both political and intellectual histories are justified by the findings in the social field. The new social history approach explores the social history of a society in detail including labor history, family history, ethnic history, educational history together with demographic history. The new social approach is extended by the cultural approach that was established recently.
The new cultural approach focuses more on cultural traditional customs, arts, languages and cultural interpretation of historical experiences (Tosh, 2000). The new cultural approach challenges the materialism approach which only highlights economic changes as a source of history. The cultural approach takes a lot of time because of the many cultural elements explored during research and analysis.
Gender history is another type of historical approach that specifically explores the past from the gender perspective. This method tends to focus on the history of women and their changing roles in the society (Tosh, 2000).
This type of historical approach has only been in place for a very short time but the impact it has made to the general field of history can not be underestimated. The gender approach faced a lot of challenges in its initial stages as many people were reluctant to accept women history as a historical discipline. This made the proponents of this approach to change its name from women history to gender history.
This approach has gained a lot of support because many women are now getting interested in the historical profession. Women historians have been accused of being biased as they tend to highlight feminine issues rather than the general gender issues (Howell, 2001). The gender approach is categorized under supplementary history because women were conspicuously missing in the majority of previous historical recordings.
This approach focuses on highlighting and position and role of women in history. Women play a very important role in the history of any community and the fact other historical methodologies do not highlight their contribution; the supporters of the gender approach have always challenged the credibility of previous historical approaches (Howell, 2001).
The post modern historical approach includes both post-structural and post-colonial histories. The postmodern historical approach completely challenges all other traditional approaches by stating that there is a very thin line between facts and fiction. Postmodernists perceive all historical accounts as fiction. The postmodern approach encourages historians to use history as a way of promoting an ideology (Tosh, 2000).
This methodology focuses on revising recorded history with an aim protecting social minorities from oppression. Postmodern history plays a major role in exposing past injustices with an aim of correcting them. The post-modern approach is always criticized for being radical and generalizing all historical events as fiction. Some of the injustices exposed by postmodern history include slavery, colonialism and other forms of oppression.
The postmodern approach retells histories so that the oppressed groups in the society are empowered (Tosh, 2000). According to postmodernists, there is no way that the society can correct past mistakes if in the first place the people are not aware of the mistakes that were committed in the past. Postmodern historians argue that it is inevitable to avoid bias in history (Tosh, 2000).
In conclusion, historical methodologies help historians a great deal in exploring the past. New historical approaches have been developed in order too explore the past in detail. The discovery of many historical disciplines has contributed to the changes experienced in historical approaches.
Each historical approach has got its theories and ideologies which gives historians the freedom to choose an approach that is relevant to their areas of specialization. Historical methodologies have completely change the way historical studies are conducted and as a result enabling the society to understand its past and at the same time use the historical knowledge to shape the present and the future.
References
Green, A. (1999). The houses of history: a critical reader in the twentieth century history and theory. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Howell, M. (2001). From reliable sources: an introduction to historical methods. New York, NY: Cornell University Press.
Tosh, J. (2000). The pursuit of history: aims, methods and new directions in the study of modern history (5th ed.). London: Longman.
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https://slite.com/learn/technical-documentation
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What is technical documentation?
Technical documentation describes what a product can do. It's mainly created by software development and product teams and helps different parts of a company support the product.
Technical documentation is a broad term. It refers to everything from your first PRD to your API docs for other makers. Let’s define it a bit more.
Different types of Technical Documentation - what’s included v/s what’s not
10 common types of documents that are considered as technical documentation, are:
1. User Manuals
These are booklets or online guides that show you how to use something, like a camera or software. They're full of step-by-step directions.
- Who uses it: Anyone trying to figure out how to use a product
- When it’s made: After the product is made but before it's sold
2. API Documentation
These documents explain how computer programs can talk to each other. If you're building an app, this tells you how to connect it with other software.
- Who uses it: Programmers and app developers
- When it’s made: While the tool for programmers is being made or right after it's finished
3. System Administrators’ Manuals
This is a handbook for the tech pros who set up, fix, and make sure computer systems run smoothly.
- Who uses it: Tech support and IT folks
- When it’s made: After the computer system is ready to go
4. Installation Guides
These guides give you the steps to get a piece of software or hardware up and running.
- Who uses it: Anyone setting up new tech, from everyday users to IT staff
- When it’s made: After making the product but before it hits the market
5. Troubleshooting Guides
Got a problem with your tech? These guides help figure out what's wrong and how to fix it.
- Who uses it: Users having trouble, help desks, IT pros
- When it’s made: After the product is out, with updates when new problems pop up
6. White Papers
Think of these as deep dives into a specific tech topic, offering solutions to tech challenges or explaining how a product can help.
- Who uses it: Decision-makers and experts looking for detailed info
- When it’s made: Anytime, often to explain the benefits of a product or technology
7. Release Notes
When software gets an update, release notes tell you what's new, what's better, and what issues are still around.
- Who uses it: Anyone using the software
- When it’s made: Along with software updates
8. Product documentation
You will need a lot of writing to streamline your product development. And all your project plans are a part of technical documentation. This detailed list tells you exactly what a product can do and its features.
- Who uses it: Product managers and other team members usually champion this.
- When it’s made: At the start of making a product
9. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Here you'll find answers to common questions about using a product or service.
- Who uses it: Customer support teams and users looking for quick answers
- When it’s made: Starts with most commonly asked questions in demo/discovery calls. It’s expanded by adding most likely questions that other people will ask. FAQs are highly volatile based on your ICP, their journey milestones, etc.
These start small and evolve with time, as most user documentation does. As your product and ICP evolves, its FAQs will change. Technical writers usually are the ones that take this up.
10. Developer Guides
These guides are for the coders, giving them the nitty-gritty on how to use a technology or work with a programming tool.
- Who uses it: Coders and software builders
- When it’s made: While creating the tech and updated as it changes
So, who uses technical documentation?
Technical documentation is used by internal devs, IT staff, CXOs, PMs, CS teams, end-users, and external devs.
And, what’s NOT Technical Documentation?
Sometimes people get mixed up and think some documents are technical guides when they're really not. While some of it - like your HR handbook - is obviously non-technical documentation, some documents fall in a grey area. Here's a quick look:
- Marketing Materials: Stuff like brochures and websites that might use tech talk but are really trying to get you to buy something. They're not for teaching you how to use or fix the product.
- Business Plans and Reports: These papers talk about the tech side of a business or new product ideas but are mostly about making plans, guessing future money, and checking out the market.
- Internal Policies and Procedures: Important for running a company, but they're more about rules, doing things right, and what employees should do, not about how to use tech stuff.
- Technical Proposals: They suggest new tech projects or solutions, talking about the good stuff that can come from it, if it's possible, and how much it might cost, instead of step-by-step guides.
- User Stories and Use Cases: Used a lot when making software to explain what a feature should do from a user's point of view. They help figure out what users need but aren't detailed tech instructions. Don’t get us wrong, user stories and use cases help teams decide on what to build next. But, it still counts market research, not technical documentation.
Summarising, here’s a nifty list on what is technical documentation and what isn’t:
How to create Technical Documentation
Step 0: Put down your technical writing style guide
Your technical writing style guide will help all contributors keep a consistent tone and vision for writing. The best example is the Apple Style Guide. The beloved brand works hard to keep a similar style of writing everywhere.
And so should you.
While it may not matter right now, it will matter months from now when your team and user base scales up. This includes defining fonts, to step-by-step instructions for document creation, and workflow details.
Step 1: Figure out what you need right now
You don’t need all 10 types of documentation right off the bat. Different needs evolve and come up across your development lifecycle:
1. Day 0 to Day 30: Ideation stage
- Product Specifications: Start with the core idea of your product. Outline features, capabilities, and user needs.
2. Month 1 to Month 6: Development stage
- API Documentation: If your product includes APIs, start drafting the documentation as development progresses.
- Developer Guides: Begin work on guides if your product is aimed at developers, updating as features are finalised.
- Technical Proposals: Continue refining these documents if adjustments are needed based on stakeholder feedback or evolving project scope.
3. Month 7 to 12: Launch prep stage
- System Administrators’ Manuals: Start drafting as the system's architecture is solidified.
- Installation Guides: Draft these guides once the installation process is defined.
- User Manuals and Troubleshooting Guides: Outline and draft user guides based on the developed features and anticipated common issues.
- FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions): Compile questions based on beta testing or anticipated user inquiries.
- Release Notes: Prepare for the initial launch, detailing features, bug fixes, and known issues.
4. Month 13 to 24: Post-Launch and Growth stage
- Update all previous documentation: Reflect changes, updates, and feedback from real-world use.
- Continuous Updates:
- Product Specifications: Update as new features are added or significant product changes occur.
- API Documentation and Developer Guides: Keep these documents current to encourage developer engagement and ease of use.
- System Administrators’ Manuals and Installation Guides: Revise based on software updates or changes in system requirements.
- User Manuals and Troubleshooting Guides: Regularly update these documents to incorporate new solutions and address additional user questions.
- FAQs: Continually add new questions as users interact more with the product.
- Release Notes: With each new version or update, provide detailed release notes to inform users of changes.
As you can see, if you’ve just started building your product, you might just have different iterations of your PRD. However, if you’ve launched already and are in the growth stage, you will most likely already have created all types of different technical documentation by now but it may be scattered.
Based on this, start a new workspace in Slite, and create different channels/pages for only the type of documentation you have/need. In case you’re looking for our template, directly copy it to your Slite workspace here.
Step 2: Collect your existing docs in one place.
Once you’ve structured your homebase, you will have a clear picture on all the documentation you should have at this stage.
Since you might have some of it already, start importing from other sources. Rather than staring at a blank page, start importing the documentation you already have. Right now, this may be loose meeting notes, product roadmap, or PRDs from your brainstorming calls. Usually, this type of documentation is created in meetings as quickly created ad-hoc Google docs, Miro boards, Figjam boards, etc.
Most knowledge base tools let you import docs from Google Docs, Notion, or any other popular knowledge base you’re using right now. Once imported, start organising them across categories and name them properly. If your knowledge base software has a verification status feature like Slite, use it to verify the stuff like technical specs, dev guidelines, etc.
Step 3: Start writing the docs that don’t exist yet, but should.
By step three, it’s time to get started with the actual content creation process. Knowledge creation is never a one-person job. It’s a collaborative process and that’s why you should start involving your team at this stage.
This has 2 benefits:
- It’ll get done faster if everyone contributes by sticking to their timelines.
- It kickstarts the culture of documentation in your team
The best technical documentation is usually produced when:
- Every document has an owner and contributors
- Writers are thoroughly briefed on what to write
- Writers use simple language, headings, and a lot of images to make their documentation extremely readable.
- Writers know who all will be reading the document
- Every completed document is reviewed at least once by someone else.
- Most documents are allotted a verification status so your team knows which documentation is relevant, and when they need to update it.
This will ensure that the content is not only clear, well written, and grammatically correct, but also that it will be effective for users.
If your technical documentation includes any how-to guides or steps to follow, make sure your team members actually test out those steps and confirm that they accomplish what they’re supposed to accomplish.
Step 4: Review the readability of your docs
Since devs, PMs, and other technical folks write your technical documentation, it’s important to double-check it for simplicity. If your documentation can’t be understood by other stakeholders, it’s worthless to have.
This is why, ensure that your documentation:
- Has images, videos, etc. to break down complex SOPs/how-to’s (if any)
- Has internal links to related/relevant articles
- Is broken down by multiple subheadings
- Uses extremely simple language
- Is skimmable (people prefer to skim content, not read chunks of paragraphs word-to-word)
It’s important to put it through a testing phase and check for organisational issues, confusing information, and usability problems.
In order to accomplish this step, you can also look for external users to test out your documentation. Have them read through it, use it to help them in completing the tasks it’s supposed to, and provide you with their honest feedback. It’s important to ensure that your testers are external because they will be looking at your documentation with a fresh pair of eyes and won’t have any bias that will affect their evaluation.
Step 5: Ship, collect feedback, iterate.
You know this product philosophy. You just gotta apply it to your documentation too.
Once you’ve published your technical documentation, promote it and proactively ask users for feedback.
Secondly, put down maintenance and hygiene protocols for your documentation. Technical documents are dynamic and go through updates and changes in accordance with the products they cover. As such, it’s a good idea to establish a protocol that details what needs to be done when new information needs to be added, changes need to be integrated or general maintenance needs to be made.
Many companies choose to implement a maintenance schedule for their documentation. They set specific dates where they evaluate whether any changes need to be made, so all their information is always up to date and modifications never get overlooked.
Examples/Inspiration of the best technical documentation
Here’s 7 good examples of developer documentation loved by internal and external stakeholder alike:
Example 1: Stripe - The Benchmark for API Documentation
What's Good
- Sticky Sidebar for Navigation: Stripe's documentation features a sticky sidebar/table of contents, greatly enhancing user navigation by providing easy access to different sections without scrolling. The sidebar structures all their documentation like a textbook would. So you can jump from any document to another just via the navbar.
- Sticky Interactive Sandbox: The preview/live sandbox code section allows developers to write, test, and view code in real-time, making it an invaluable tool for learning and experimentation.
- Code Copying Feature: This functionality enables users to easily copy code snippets for use in their projects, streamlining the development process.
What's Bad
- Nothing, really. Stripe’s documentation does everything right. It’s simple to read, the code is easy to copy for devs, and the UI is very intuitive.
The clear, concise, and interactive nature of Stripe's documentation has made it the go-to favourite integration among developers, particularly when compared to PayPal’s software documentation.
Example 2: MDN Web Docs - An extremely close runner-up
What's Good
- AI Help: It’s the only technical documentation example in this list that has added AI for technical documentation search. It provides MDN-sourced answers complete with consulted links, making information retrieval efficient and effective.
- Comprehensive Content: Offers an exhaustive range of topics, making it more comprehensive than many of its competitors. It has docs created by their internal teams, subject matter experts, technical writers, etc.
- Dedicated Playground: Allows users to experiment with code directly within the documentation, enhancing the learning experience.
What's Bad
- Despite its comprehensive coverage, MDN lacks a singular master URL for easy jumping across different sections, which some users find inconvenient.
However, it’s worth noting that their AI Help feature more than makes up for the lack of master navigation.
Example 3: Twilio - The closest to Stripe, and the best at process documentation
What's Good
- Interactive Sandbox: Like Stripe, Twilio offers a sandbox for live code previews, enhancing hands-on learning.
- Page Rating Option: Users can rate documentation pages, offering direct feedback to improve the resources.
What's Bad
- Navigation Challenges: Some users find it slower to navigate through the documentation, possibly due to its comprehensive nature.
Twilio's documentation is extremely detailed and is most comparable to Stripe in terms of user experience. Though, some devs do find Stripe's layout cleaner and easier to navigate.
Example 4: Django - Gets the job done
What's Good
- Extensive Coverage: Django's documentation covers everything from the basics for beginners to advanced topics for experienced developers, making it a one-stop-shop for Django users.
- Well-Organized: The documentation is logically organised, making it easy for developers to find the specific information they need.
What's Bad
- Due to its comprehensiveness, new users might find it daunting to navigate through the vast amount of information available.
Key Thing to Note
- Django's documentation is a gold standard for framework documentation, offering detailed guides and tutorials that are crucial for both novice and seasoned developers.
Example 5: Laravel - Minimal but comprehensive
What's Good
- Minimalistic Navigation: A minimal sticky sidebar simplifies navigation, making it easy for users to find what they need without distraction.
- Dark Mode Toggle: The option to switch between light and dark modes caters to different user preferences, enhancing readability.
What's Bad
- While its simplicity is a strength, some users might seek more interactive elements similar to those found in Stripe or Twilio's documentation.
Laravel's documentation primarily stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness, especially in how it uses tables, images, and simple language to convey complex topics.
Example 6: DigitalOcean - Redefines the meaning of comprehensive
What's Good
- Community Engagement: Features like a comment section at the end of tutorials foster a strong sense of community.
- One-Click Copy Buttons: Enhances usability by allowing users to easily copy code snippets.
- They have an article for everything: They’ve covered all their bases to even the smallest of use cases.
What's Bad
- While comprehensive, some tutorials may assume a level of pre-existing knowledge, potentially making them less accessible to absolute beginners.
DigitalOcean's documentation excels in engaging the community, providing a platform not just for learning but also for discussion and knowledge sharing.
Example 7: Arch Wiki - A familiar layout
What's Good
- Simplicity: Offers a Wikipedia-like simplicity in its design, focusing on delivering information in the most straightforward manner.
- Interlinking: Excellent interlinking between pages aids in navigation and provides a comprehensive web of information.
What's Bad
- The minimalist approach might not cater to users who prefer more guided, tutorial-based documentation with interactive elements.
The Arch Wiki is renowned for its accuracy, up-to-date information, and no-nonsense structure, making it a favourite among users who prefer precision and depth in documentation.
Making software documentation actually useful: solving the interruption problem
Here's the reality: even with great documentation, developers still get constantly interrupted by customer success, product managers, support teams, and new developers who can't find what they need. Your API docs might be perfect, but if they're buried in Swagger while related implementation examples live in GitHub and troubleshooting discussions are scattered across Slack, people will just ping the developers instead.
This creates a vicious cycle where developers spend hours each week answering questions that are already documented somewhere - they just can't be found easily. Customer support escalates issues that could be self-resolved, product managers repeatedly ask for technical specifications, and new developers struggle through onboarding that should be straightforward.
This problem led our team to build Super.work - an AI-powered enterprise search platform that makes all your documentation instantly discoverable alongside related context. Instead of hunting through Swagger, GitHub, Confluence, Slack, and Linear separately, teams can ask natural language questions like "How do I handle API rate limiting errors?" or "What's the authentication flow for mobile apps?" and get comprehensive answers with source citations from across all platforms.
The result? Customer success teams find implementation guides without bothering developers. Support teams resolve technical issues using existing documentation and past Slack discussions. New developers onboard faster by discovering not just the docs, but the context around why decisions were made. Product managers access technical specifications without scheduling yet another meeting.
At $15 per user per month, Super transforms your scattered documentation into a unified knowledge system that actually gets used, finally giving your developers back their deep work time. Book a demo to see how unified search stops the documentation interruption cycle.
Do’s and don’ts of good documentation
What to Do
- Make It Easy to Navigate: Use a sidebar or a clear contents page so people can find what they need quickly, just like Stripe does.
- Add Interactive Examples: Let users try out code or see it in action. Stripe and Twilio are great at this, making learning more fun and hands-on.
- Keep It Simple and Clear: Write in a way that's easy to understand. Laravel is good at this, turning complex ideas into simple explanations. Technical writing should be accessible to everyone.
- Let Users Talk to Each Other: Have a place for feedback or discussions. DigitalOcean's tutorials are more helpful because they include user comments and discussions.
- Cover relevant information: Talk about both simple and complex topics to help both new and experienced users. MDN Web Docs does this well by offering lots of detailed guides on web technologies.
- Update Often: Always keep your documentation current to ensure users have the latest information. The Arch Wiki is always up to date, which is super helpful.
What to Avoid
- Don’t Overload Users: Too much information all at once can be overwhelming. It's better to organise content so it's easy to digest.
- Don’t Skip Examples: Users need examples to understand how things work. Make sure your documentation includes practical, real-life examples. Go the extra mile and add things like screenshots, or screen recordings to your technical content.
- Don’t Ignore Design: A messy or hard-to-read documentation site can push users away. Make sure your site is tidy and easy to use.
- Don’t Ignore Feedback: User suggestions can help improve your documentation. Pay attention to what users say.
- Don’t Assume Everyone Knows Everything: Remember, not everyone will be an expert. Include basic guides for beginners and more in-depth information for those who need it.
- Don’t Forget Search: A good search function makes it easier for users to find exactly what they need without wasting time.
- Don’t bombard acronyms: Be mindful of using acronyms. While they speed up the writing process, ensure you put down the full-form of acronyms for those who might not know them.
Final takeaway - Structure like a textbook, have a functional design, and keep improving it.
Remember, the best documentation grows and adapts with its users. It listens to their struggles and triumphs, evolving to meet their needs better. It's not just about having all the answers but about making those answers accessible and engaging for everyone, from the curious beginner to the seasoned expert.
So, take a page from the playbooks of Stripe, MDN, Laravel, and others who lead by example. Aim to create documentation that doesn't just inform but inspires and empowers your users.
Simply put,
Good technical documentation is a selling point of your product.
Great technical documentation means everyone ships faster. That’s why developers internally vouch to use apps for great documentation. Be one of them.
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https://www.netsparker.com/support/detailed-scan-report/
|
Detailed scan report
The Detailed scan report provides both a summary and an in-depth look at the security state of your scanned website.
Invicti offers comprehensive vulnerability testing on any platform. The scanner crawls and attacks your website or web application to identify vulnerable points. While Invicti scans your web application, it also starts to display its findings. This shows the security state of your system, including how many vulnerabilities there are and how severe they are.
- With a few clicks, you can see all the technical details such as HTTP Request, HTTP Response, and proofs on each identified issue. Moreover, for any issue, Invicti provides additional information on the Impact, Actions to Take, Remedy, References, Classification, and CVSS Score.
- If you want to see all that information within a single document, you can generate the Detailed scan report in HTML or PDF formats. This report presents both general and detailed information about your scan. You can share this report with others, such as support departments or developers so that they can start fixing these vulnerabilities.
- Both Invicti products allow you to generate this Detailed scan report. As the Detailed scan report includes all technical details, it mainly addresses the needs of developers and IT personnel.
The report primarily presents the Scan Metadata to provide information such as the Target URL and Scan Time/Duration. Following this metadata, you can view your overall security posture. This summary displays numerical information and doughnut charts so that you can easily identify the severity level of your web application and how many of these vulnerabilities are identified and confirmed.
Click to view a sample Detailed scan report.
For more information, refer to the Overview of reports, Report templates, and Built-in reports documents.
Detailed scan report sections
There are five sections in the Detailed scan report:
- Scan metadata
- Vulnerabilities
- Vulnerability summary
- Vulnerability names and details
- Show/hide scan details
Each is explained in the following sections.
Scan metadata
This section provides details on the following items:
- Scan Target: the target URL or web application being scanned.
- Scan Time: when the scan was initiated.
- Scan Duration: how long the scan took to complete.
- Description: additional notes or description of the scan.
- Total Requests: number of HTTP requests made during the scan.
- Average Speed: the average scanning speed.
- Tags: labels applied to the scan for organization.
- Risk Level: the overall risk assessment of the target.
Vulnerabilities
This provides a numerical and graphical overview of:
- Numbers: the numbers of issues detected at various vulnerability severity levels.
- Identified Vulnerabilities: the total number of detected vulnerabilities.
- Confirmed Vulnerabilities: the total number of vulnerabilities that Invicti verified by taking extra steps such as extracting some data from the target.
Vulnerability summary
This section provides a summary of information about each discovered vulnerable URL and categorizes them based on severity. For example, if Invicti determines a vulnerability as Critical, it requires immediate attention.
If you click an identified vulnerability, you access detailed information—such as HTTP request and response codes and body—along with, if available, a Proof of Exploit. If Invicti finds a vulnerability but can't provide a proof of exploit, it presents a certainty score, which reflects how confident the system is that the issue is valid. This score is based on the heuristics built into Invicti's security checks, which evaluate patterns and conditions during the scan to determine the likelihood of a true positive.
The following list explains the columns in the Vulnerability summary:
- CONFIRM: this shows whether Invicti has verified a vulnerability.
- VULNERABILITY: this displays the name of the issue and provides a link to a detected issue that attackers can exploit.
- METHOD: this is the HTTP method of the request in which Invicti sent the payload. It demonstrates what Invicti deployed to identify an issue.
- URL: this is a reference to a resource that contains the issue.
- PARAMETER: this is the variable used to identify the issue.
For more information, refer to the Vulnerability severity levels document.
Vulnerability names and details
This section describes all identified issues and vulnerabilities, along with their Impact and Proof of Exploit. It also explains what Actions to Take and a Remedy for each one, including External References for more information.
The following list explains the headings in the Vulnerability names and details section:
- Name: this is the name of the identified issue.
- Tag: this is the label to group, organize, and filter issues in the target web application.
- Proof of Exploit: this is a piece of evidence supplied to prove that the vulnerability exists, showing information that's extracted from the target using the vulnerability. For more information, refer to the Benefits of Proof-based scanning™ technology document.
- Vulnerability Details: this displays further details about the vulnerability.
- Certainty Value: this indicates how much Invicti is sure about the identified issue.
- Impact: this shows the effect of the issue or vulnerability on the Target URL.
- Required Skills for Successful Exploitation: this gives details on how malicious hackers could exploit this issue.
- Actions to Take: these are the immediate steps you can take to decrease the impact or prevent exploitation.
- Remedy: this offers further steps to resolve the identified issue.
- External References: this provides links to other websites where you can find more information.
- Classification: this includes multiple classification standards:
- PCI DSS 3.2: this provides further information to help you comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Saving Standard requirements.
- OWASP 2013: this provides further information about this vulnerability according to the 2013 Edition of the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 list.
- OWASP 2017: this provides further information about this vulnerability according to the 2017 Edition of the OWASP Top 10 list.
- SANS Top 25: this provides further information on which of Top 25 Software Errors compiled by SANS have been detected.
- CWE: this stands for Common Weakness Enumeration. This information shows under which category of CWE, a community-developed list of common software and hardware weakness, classification this issue can be categorized.
- CAPEC: this stands for the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification and provides further information about the issue.
- WASC: this stands for the Web Application Security Consortium and provides further information on the issue.
- HIPAA: this set of requirements is determined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
- Remedy References: this provides further information on the solution for identified issues.
- Proof of Concept Notes: these notes demonstrate in principle how a system may be compromised.
- Request: this is the whole HTTP request that Invicti sent to detect the issue.
- Response: this is the reply from the system against the payload.
Show/hide scan details
This section provides some profile and policy settings that Invicti uses to adjust its scanning to achieve a better scan coverage. For example, it lists all enabled security checks.
It provides information on your preference in choosing this scan so that developers have more details on how the scan was run.
For more information, refer to the Security checks document.
Generate a detailed scan report in Invicti Enterprise
- Select Scans > Recent Scans from the left-side menu.
- Next to the relevant scan, choose Report.
- On the Scan Summary page, choose Export.
- From the Report drop-down, choose Detailed Scan Report.
- From the Format drop-down, choose an option.
- If required, choose one of the following to configure your report:
- Exclude Addressed Issues excludes those issues on which you've already taken action. (All Information level findings are marked as Accepted Risk automatically by default. To change this behavior, see Do not mark Information issues as accepted risks in the General Settings document).
- Exclude History of Issues excludes the issue history from the report. If unselected, only the last 10 history items appear in the report. For more information, refer to the Viewing issues in Invicti Enterprise document.
- Export Confirmed includes only those issues that are confirmed.
- Export Unconfirmed includes only those issues that are unconfirmed.
- Choose Export.
You can view the Report in the saved location.
Generate a detailed scan report in Invicti Standard
- Click the File tab in the ribbon. Local Scans are displayed. Double-click the relevant scan to display its results.
- From the Reporting tab, choose Detailed Scan Report. The Save Report As dialog box is displayed.
- Choose a save location, then Save.
- The Export Report dialog is also displayed at this point, with the Path field already populated from the previous dialog.
- From the Export Report dialog, you can decide on:
- Policy: choose the default report policy or customized report policy. For more information, refer to the Custom Report Policies document.
- Format: choose HTML and/or PDF format.
- Vulnerability Options (choose one or all):
- Export Confirmed: when selected, the report includes confirmed vulnerabilities.
- Export Unconfirmed: when selected, the report also includes unconfirmed vulnerabilities.
- Export All Variations: variations mean that if Invicti identified some passive or Information level issues in more than one page, it does not show all these variations. However, users can change this by enabling or disabling this option.
- Header and Footer: enter relevant information that appears in the header and footer section of the report.
- Open Generated Report: when selected, your reports are shown when you choose Save.
- Choose Save.
You can view the Report in the saved location.
The HTML Report format is interactive thanks to the Severity Filter. For example, if you prefer not to see Best Practice or Information details, you can deselect them. When you click the plus sign under Vulnerabilities, you can access more information on the issue. Also, you can Hide or Show Remediation.
Need help?
Invicti Support team is ready to provide you with technical help. Go to Help Center
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ENEFIRST reports and publications will be published over the lifetime of the project.
Check the list below, follow #Enefirst on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to get all the latest updates!
This is the final report of the enefirst project. It highlights the main lessons learned as well as the recommendations for operationalising EE1st at national level.
Introducing EE1st as an overarching principle is not sufficient to secure its execution: its implementation needs to be carefully planned. Adjustments to decision-making, governance structures and the right incentives in investment frameworks need to be introduced across all areas, including in building policies, the power sector, climate action, governance systems, etc. Implementing EE1st is not necessarily about adopting new policies: it is firstly about ensuring that the existing policies and regulations are in line with the EE1st principle.
National and local specificities, including complex governance structures, must be taken into consideration to avoid unsuitable ‘one-fits-all’ approaches that will not grasp and address the complexity of a system originally designed to serve different needs and secure supply first. Whatever the governance structure in the country, a clear definition of the main roles according to the jurisdiction levels is essential to enable cooperation, and thereby bring about integrated approaches.
This report summarises the ENEFIRST outputs, and the monitoring of the stakeholder engagement.
The report starts by providing an overview of the ENEFIRST outputs that form a coherent set of resources. ENEFIRST outputs have enabled a variety of knowledge and resources to be extracted such as implementation maps, guidelines for integrated approaches, the Scenario Explorer and Report on quantifying Energy Efficiency First in EU Scenarios, Recommendations on how to operationalise EE1st implementation in the EU, An in-depth analysis of how to implement the EE1st principle in Germany, Hungary, Spain and more!
This report also gathers information on the main stakeholder consultation activities and ensures there was a proper measurement of intangible results along the project.
Finally, the report highlights testimonies and feedback on the project from the stakeholders and experts who took part in the ENEFIRST activities and contributed to making the ENEFIRST outputs as useful and relevant as possible, by integrating stakeholders’ and experts’ views. Two outstanding points from their feedback are that ENEFIRST provided an ideal platform to discuss why and how EE1st can be implemented in practice, that the project provided a coherent and broad understanding of the principle from conceptual level to policy implications.
This was particularly timely in view of the update of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) due by Member States in June 2023 (draft) and June 2024 (final). The process of the NECPs is indeed a major opportunity for getting EE1st further integrated in the strategy, planning and policies of Member States.
Putting the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle into practice requires quantitative evidence on the extent to which demand-side resources (e.g. building retrofits) in various contexts can be preferable over supply-side resources (e.g. networks). These contexts range from municipal heat planning, to electricity network investment and the development of high-level policy strategies for Member States and the European Union (EU) at large.
In previous quantitative research, the ENEFIRST project demonstrated with EU scenarios for the EU building sector that end-use energy efficiency measures can effectively reduce the need for energy supply infrastructures in transitioning to net-zero emission levels, while also bringing a variety of co-benefits or multiple impacts.
The present report provides additional quantitative evidence on EE1st by investigating five model-based case studies. The scope of these case studies is deliberately narrower compared with the EU-wide analysis, providing opportunity for a detailed evaluation of demand- and supply-side resource options in different contexts of building types (residential, non-residential), infrastructures (electricity, district heating, gas) and local conditions (weather, costs, etc.):
Case #1: Cumulated energy savings based on cost-optimal analysis, what can we learn about optimal building stock decarbonization strategies.
Case #2: The role of district heating solutions towards deep retrofitting of buildings in different urban settlements structures.
Case #3: Heat pumps, efficiency, CO2 emissions and the value of flexible heat pumps.
Case #4: Strategic energy planning in commercial areas, balancing local heat supply with building retrofit measures.
Case #5: The trade-off between energy efficient household appliances and new electricity generation.
Implementing the EE1st principle has proved to be a difficult task for Member States, at least partly because EE1st is still a relatively new concept. This report provides a set of recommendations for Member States (MS) to support the implementation of EE1st in their policies. The analysis builds on previous work done in the ENEFIRST project, where policy approaches for each main policy area (buildings, the power sector, district heating) were analysed in detail (ENEFIRST, 2021a and 2021b), providing the basis for guidelines for integrated approaches (ENEFIRST, 2021c). It takes the lessons learnt from the analysis of three countries (Germany, Hungary and Spain) and translates them into recommendations that are applicable to all MS.
The ENEFIRST project contributed to provide policy makers, stakeholders, researchers and analysts with resources to make the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle operational. It was focused on buildings and their energy supply (especially the power sector and district heating). The project combined policy analysis and quantitative assessments about the implementation of EE1st, with a process of continuous exchanges with stakeholders.
This booklet gathers the abstracts of the peer-reviewed papers summarizing the main findings from the projects, and submitted to scientific journals (Part 1 of the report) or presented at international conferences (Part 2 of the report).
The full reports presenting all the details of the research done in ENEFIRST can be found at: https://enefirst.eu/reports-findings/
The recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive proposed by the European Commission as part of the Fit-for-55 package (July 2021) clarified in its new Article 3 that the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle should apply to all planning, policy and major investment decisions related to energy systems as well as non-energy sectors that have an impact on energy consumption and energy efficiency.
Member States provided limited, if any, information in their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) in 2019-2020 on what EE1st means in their national context and how they plan to operationalise it. EE1st was then a relatively new concept, and implementing it has proved to be a difficult task for Member States. Acknowledging this, the European Commission developed further guidelines for the implementation of EE1st in the energy, end-use, and finance sectors.
To support the implementation of EE1st in the Member States, this report offers a deep–dive analysis of the implementation of EE1st in three different countries: Germany, Hungary, and Spain. Under consideration are the different policy frameworks in these countries, with a focus on buildings and their energy supply (more specifically, power and district heating sectors). The main policies relevant for EE1st implementation, potential, gaps and national specificities are analysed. The policy assessment is based on the combination of literature review and semi-structured interviews.
Energy Efficiency First (E1st) is now an established principle of EU energy policy. Energy efficiency is one of the five dimensions of the Energy Union. To emphasise the prominent role of energy efficiency, the E1st principle has been embedded in various legislative pieces of the Clean Energy for All package adopted in 2018-2019 (European Commission 2016), especially with an official definition included in the overarching Governance Regulation of the Energy Union ((EU) 2018/1999).
In line with the approach of the Governance Regulation, the E1st principle is about a more integrated view of the energy systems, considering options on the supply side and demand side with a level playing field. While it might look straightforward at first sight, it requires a paradigm shift to consider more systematically the multiple impacts of investment decisions related to energy systems, as well as multiple timeframes (from short to long term). To address this, there is a clear need of resources to help policy makers and stakeholders walk the talk.
The ENEFIRST project aims at developing such resources and at showing how the E1st principle can be implemented in practice. We started by analysing the background of the E1st principle and developing a definition that can be used to operationalize the concept. The next step was to review 16 “real-life” examples where the E1st principle, or similar approaches, have been implemented.
The non-comprehensive collection of examples shows that the benefits from implementing E1st can occur at various scales and time horizons. From short-term flexibility in the energy demand (e.g. with Time-of-Use tariffs or demand response) to long term reductions in GHG emissions by avoiding lock-in effects for energy savings in buildings. From limiting the needs of on-site heat generation (as done with the Fabric first approach developed in Ireland) to avoiding building a new power plant (as done in California).
This review of examples and a first general analysis of barriers show that implementing E1st goes beyond adapting the frameworks for investment decisions to accommodating demand-side resources. It requires to have a broader view of the possible solutions to meet the energy needs, to break the silos, favour more interactions and coordination among actors of the supply-side and demand-side, and take the entire energy system and its implications on society into account.
Paper presented at WSED 2021 – click here to view the presentation slides.
This report set out to provide quantitative evidence on the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle by investigating the level of end-use energy efficiency in the building sector that would provide the greatest benefit for the European Union in transitioning to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Three scenarios are modelled and compared in terms of energy system cost to determine the extent to which society is better off – in pure monetary terms – if end-use energy efficiency in buildings was systematically prioritized over energy supply.
The report emphasizes that at least moderate levels of energy efficiency in buildings are needed to cost-efficiently achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Even such relatively moderate levels will have to go much beyond business-as-usual trends. In addition, the study presents ample reason to support higher levels of ambition. Most notably, end-use energy efficiency in buildings reduces the capacities and associated cost of generators, networks, storage and other energy supply technologies. In addition – as demonstrated in a follow-up report – energy efficiency in buildings brings a variety of multiple impacts, including gains in indoor comfort, reductions in local air pollution, and others.
As a supplement to this report, the ENEFIRST SCENARIO EXPLORER provides detailed model outputs by indicator (e.g., final energy demand) and Member State (e.g., Austria). It also contains an interactive dashboard that allows for a detailed appraisal of the outputs. Note that the SCENARIO EXPLORER does not allow to simulate variants of the scenarios (e.g., with different energy prices) or to perform sensitivity analysis.
It is frequently argued that taking thorough account of the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle in energy-related investment and policymaking means to incorporate multiple impacts (MI) in the decision-making process to ensure a fair comparison of resource options. However, a theoretical account of how the two concepts fit together is still missing. Moreover, there is an ongoing lack of quantitative evidence on individual MI. The objective of this report is twofold. First, based on an expert workshop and a literature review, it aims to integrate the state of knowledge on the concepts of EE1st and MI. This concerns the theoretical interlinkages between the two concepts as well as the possible role of different decision-support frameworks (e.g. cost-benefit analysis) and evaluation perspectives. Second, the report provides evidence on the magnitude of selected MI from a model-based assessment for the EE1st principle in the EU-27. Three scenarios are compared for the MI of air pollution and indoor comfort. We find that factoring in MI certainly affects the trade-off between demand-side and supply-side resources, making it critical to include them in model-based assessments in the scope of EE1st.
Implementing Energy Efficiency First requires looking at the entire energy system and using an integrated approach for energy planning and investment. This means considering jointly the possible evolutions in the energy demand and supply to find the optimal balance which takes into account all societal benefits and risks, with a long-term perspective. Discover how to implement the EE1st principle through an integrated approach with a focus on energy planning and energy-related investments in our new infographic.
For more details about policy guidelines for integrated approaches, see the latest ENEFIRST report.
This report adds a holistic perspective to the concept of Energy Efficiency First (E1st) and provides guidelines to promote integrated approaches for implementing E1st across different policy areas within the energy system.
This contribution aims to break the silos in policymaking and implementation, with a focus on energy planning and investment schemes in the buildings and related energy sectors, where supply-side and demand-side options can be considered jointly to provide long-term benefits to society and the energy system as a whole.
The report also provides a targeted review of the Fit-for-55 package proposed by the Commission in July 2021, analysing the new or revised provisions that can be connected with the implementation of the E1st principle. It is complementary to the Recommendation and guidelines on Energy Efficiency First published by the European Commission in September 2021.
This report presents a methodological concept for a model-based analysis of the E1st principle for the EU-27. It describes the scope and objectives of this modelling approach, the scenarios developed and the models and assumptions used. It also discusses the added value and limitations of the approach. The implementation and results of these scenarios will be presented in subsequent reports of the ENEFIRST project.
The main objective of this energy system analysis is to investigate what level of demand and supply-side resources should be deployed to provide the greatest value to the EU’s society in transitioning to net-zero GHG emissions for the building sector by 2050. On the demand side, the analysis focuses on the resource option of end-use energy efficiency in buildings, investigating the contributions of thermal retrofits, efficient appliances, and other measures towards the net-zero target. On the supply side, the analysis quantifies the possible deployment and costs of various generation, network and storage options for the provision of electricity, district heat and gas products for the building sector.
The approach used is in line with the guidance for quantitative assessments of demand and supply side resources in the context of the Efficiency First principle, previously developed in the project.
The research in this report builds on the report ‘Priority areas for implementing Efficiency First’ which identified policy approaches for implementing the E1st principle in the policy areas of buildings and related energy systems (power sector and district heating) with the potential to be fully implemented across the EU.
This report analyses in three steps the barriers and success factors specific to nine of these policy approaches.
The first step was a systemic identification of barriers and success factors specific to each policy approach (the details of this step can be found in the Annex I).
The main factors hampering and enabling these E1st policies were then discussed in an expert consultation (minutes can be found in Annex II, and the presentation files on the workshop webpage).
The results are visualised in so-called ‘implementation maps’, which summarise the main barriers and possible solutions to the implementation of the E1st concept as well as the related legislative and non-legislative changes required. These implementation maps are presented altogether in this report. They can also be found separately here.
These analyses emphasise that adaptation of EU legislation is needed to overcome (some of) the barriers but that many institutional barriers require interventions by national and local authorities to enable capacity building and additional resources in regulatory agencies and implementing organisations to realise the concepts and policy approaches. The consultation with EU and national experts confirmed that more specific guidance is needed and that the implementation of the E1st principle also requires close cooperation between national and regional levels, especially in the buildings and district heating sectors where most decision-making takes place locally.
This report identifies promising policy approaches as regards Efficiency First (E1st) in several EU policy areas: buildings, power markets/networks, gas markets/networks, district heating, energy efficiency, climate, and EU funds.
The report screened the policy areas and approaches for each policy area by reviewing the EU policy context; conducting interviews and using the examples of existing implementation of the E1st principle; discussing the most important strategic and legislative documents where E1st is relevant. For each policy area, a selection of policy approaches to implement E1st is highlighted.
The objectives of the report are to facilitate the implementation process in Member States and to guide the next steps of the project including more detailed analyses about barriers and success factors specific to the selected policy approaches, as well as the development of policy guidelines.
This report provides modellers and policymakers with guidance on conceptual implications and on existing quantitative approaches for assessing demand and supply side resources in light of the Efficiency First (E1st) principle.
It identifies existing modelling approaches associated with the concept of E1st, distinguishing the normative and exploratory approaches and considering different levels of analysis: national, utility, and buildings. There is no universal model for representing E1st and each model-based assessment is nested in a trade-off between data needs and computational complexity versus robustness and credibility of the model outcomes.
Finally, the report discusses three challenges to modelling the trade-off between demand and supply side resources with respect to the E1st principle: (1) to capture a broad array of multiple impacts and to monetise them, where possible; (2) to apply social discount rates, unless a model aims to simulate actual technology adoption behaviour; (3) to ensure sufficient model detail to represent the true costs of supply-side resources and the value of demand-side flexibility options.”
The ENEFIRST project compiled and characterised a set of 16 case studies about international experiences with implementing the E1st principle. The objective of this report is to systematically assess to what extent the previously international experiences identified are transferable to the political and legal system of the European Union and its Member States.
A targeted literature review provided the basis for the framework to analyse the examples. It suggests that eight of the 16 experiences feature a high level of transferability, seven are found to feature a medium transferability and one is assessed with a low level of transferability.
In conclusion, policymakers in the EU and its Member States can certainly learn from their counterparts to establish a level playing field between demand and supply side resources and thus help embed the E1st principle. However, this reports also points out that embedding the E1st principle in the EU, and truly putting demand side resources on equal footing with supply side infrastructures in all relevant instances, will require a custom set of policy and regulatory instruments that go beyond fragmented international practices.
Discover the project and its first outcomes.
This report is focused on barriers to implementing “Efficiency First” (E1st) in the EU in several policy areas that are linked to energy use in the buildings sector (such as network codes, renewable energy policy, building regulations and others). These range from legal and regulatory, institutional and organisational capacity-related barriers, which consider the way that energy planning and policy operate including multilevel governance, to economic and social/cultural barriers (in relation to buildings, heating systems, etc.). The scope is deliberately wider than just buildings policy; for example, deciding whether to invest in energy network upgrades or demand-side responses is an application of the E1st principle that also relates to the building sector.
This report reviews examples of policies, regulatory frameworks, utility programmes or other initiatives that have implemented the Efficiency First (E1st) principle in practice. Its objective is to analyse why and how E1st has been implemented, and what lessons can be learned from these experiences. These examples also show policymakers, regulators and energy policy actors in general that the concept of E1st can be implemented and can provide various benefits to the energy transition.
This report reviews the background of this concept and existing definitions in order to draw a definition that can serve as a basis for the ENEFIRST project and its specific objectives, that is, making E1st operational for the building sector and related energy systems.
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https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/915/oil-analysis-interpretation
|
Oil analysis is a powerful condition monitoring tool and an important contributor to plant reliability. This technology can be applied in both predictive maintenance and failure root cause investigation and is a keystone of proactive maintenance.
Unfortunately, even with established oil analysis programs, companies may not always realize the full benefits available to them. Oil analysis programs must overcome certain challenges such as incorrect sample port locations, incorrect sampling procedures, dirty sample bottles, incorrect sample labeling, delays in sending samples to the lab, mishandling of samples, contaminated test solvents/reactants, noncalibrated instruments and incorrect/misleading interpretation of oil analysis results - which lead to a waste of time, energy, administration and resources.
This article focuses on interpreting oil analysis results. Even if every task is performed correctly, the success of the oil analysis program hinges on accurate interpretation of test data. The objective is to provide a method of translating data into useful information through a disciplined, systematic approach, such as the SACODE Method.
This methodology allows you to get the most from your program while preventing you from jumping to conclusions too early in the process, thereby reducing errors in interpretation.
Background on the SACODE Method
The SACODE method is a systematic method of oil analysis interpretation, where:
-
“sa” stands for individual oil properties
-
“co” stands for contaminant materials in the oil, and
- “de” stands for wear metals
-
Salus – The Latin word “salus” is defined as health and well-being. The Spanish word “salud” has a similar meaning. In oil analysis, “salus” includes all oil properties such as viscosity, additive content (phosphorous, zinc, calcium, barium, magnesium, etc.), AN, oxidation, nitration, base number (BN), viscosity index, etc.
-
Comtangere – “Contamination” in English and “contaminación,” a Spanish translation. Both words derive from the Latin root “comtangere,” meaning all the contaminant materials present in oil such as dirt, land dust, silica, solvents, water, solid particles, fuels, process materials (cement, coal), soot, coolant and other oils.
-
Defessus - “Wear” in English and “desgaste” in Spanish are both derivatives of the Latin term “Defessus”. This refers to wear metals such as iron, copper, chromium, tin, nickel, aluminum, lead and others.
The proposed methodology follows this same order when interpreting oil analysis results.
The SACODE Method, Step by Step
When reviewing an oil analysis report, people often focus on the wear metal data. While wear-related information is important, focusing on this alone is not recommended because more attention is generally paid to the effects of the problem rather than the causes. This is similar to viewing an iceberg (Figure 1), in which a person will likely reach the wrong conclusions when considering only what can be seen on the surface.
It is better to use oil analysis as a proactive maintenance tool to investigate the root causes (the hidden part of the iceberg), which are oil health and contamination.
Table 1. Setting Oil
Analysis Limits and Targets
(click here to enlarge)
The following 12 steps should be followed when using the SACODE method:
1. Read carefully - Consider all the information in the oil analysis report concerning the equipment, operation conditions, sample date, recent maintenance performed between samples, etc.
2. Take into consideration all sample details -
-
Where was the sampling point (before the filter, from the return line, etc.) ?
-
Was the machine running?
-
How was the sample taken?
Not all information may be available; nevertheless, it is important to consider all available data/information to make the best recommendations.
3. General observations – Include type of machinery, type of industry, equipment work environment, etc.
4. Normalization - Normalize the data if necessary. See “Terminology” at the end of this article for details.
5. Identification of oil properties – Identify and label each property measured by the SACODE categories: S for health, C for contamination and D for wear. An example of this is shown in Table 2.
6. Baseline and last sample data analysis – Compare oil analysis results with baseline information. Refer to previous oil analysis results and review data of historical samples, then identify trends.
7. Setting limits - Based upon baseline data, determine caution and critical limits for each property. These will vary based on factors such as machine type and criticality. Some guidelines are provided in Table 1. Write the calculated caution and critical limits next to each property.
8. Review data - Review the oil analysis report, beginning with health properties (properties designated with the letter S). Next, review the contamination-related data (properties designated with the letter C). Finally, review the wear data values (properties designated with the letter D).
9. Data qualification – Use the following terms to qualify the data.
-
Normal: when data value is less than or between caution limits.
-
Trend data: these values are between set limits but follow a particular trend (such as continuously decreasing or increasing, cyclic behavior, etc.).
-
Abnormal or critical values: these values are termed “pivots” and are used as reference points to qualify the report. Pivots are points that are out of critical limits (when there are three consecutive values over the caution limit, they are also considered pivots).
Mark the first abnormal value as Pivot No. 1. Review historical data to better understand what happened to that particular property/characteristic. Continue this process to review all health properties (those noted with an S), contamination data (values noted as C), and finally, the wear data (values noted as D). Depending upon sample condition, it is possible to designate several pivots in each SACODE category.
10. Partial conclusions - Note partial conclusions for each property.
11. Pivot analysis, conclusions and recommendations - Upon completion, assemble all the notes together. If pivots (or trend data) indicate a relationship, analyze and summarize the findings. Avoid making early conclusions, and conduct a field investigation if necessary.
12. Proactive and environmental actions - Define a plan of action for handling the oil and equipment. Use a color coding system to indicate conditions such as:
-
Green – Normal condition, no action required
-
Yellow – Abnormal condition, action required
- Red – Critical condition, immediate action required
Example of Applying the SACODE Method
The following example in Table 2 illustrates how the SACODE method is used to systematically interpret oil analysis results.
Table 2
(click here to enlarge)
Steps 1 – 3: Known sample and equipment conditions are provided in Table 2.
Step 4: Normalization of the data is not required because all of the samples were taken approximately every 1,000 hours.
Step 5: The following measured properties can be categorized relating to oil health (S), contamination (C) and wear (D).
- Viscosity (S)
- Acid Number (S)
- Water (C)
- Oil Cleanliness (C)
- Zinc (additive) (S)
- Silicon (both additive and contaminant) (S/C)
- Copper (wear metal) (D)
- Iron (wear metal) (D)
- Viscosity Index (S)
- Flash Point (S)
Step 6: Baseline data is provided in Table 2.
Step 7: Example limits are set for each property in Table 2.
Step 8: Data review is shown in the final column of Table 2.
Steps 9 – 10:
-
Salus, oil health - Viscosity (abnormal, out of critical limits), AN (normal), additive content (normal), viscosity index (normal) and flash point (possible abnormal result indicates increasing trend)
-
Comtangere, contamination - Particles (normal), water (under limits), dirt/dust (normal, no silicon increase)
-
Defessus, wear - Normal, no increase in wear metals
Step 11: In this example, the first pivot is the change in viscosity and the second pivot is the change in flash point. Concentrating on these items, review the common causes for viscosity increase, which include:
- Polymerization
- Oxidation
- Evaporation losses
- Insoluble materials increase (such as soot and some oxidation products)
- Emulsions due to water contamination
- Incorrect oil (such as higher viscosity)
Oxidation signals may be an increase of color and a higher acid number than the baseline reference. If the sample is clear and bright and AN value is under the limit, oxidation is not the cause of viscosity increase. Contamination with a higher viscosity oil is a possible cause for viscosity increase. Operational temperature is not high, despite an increase of 9°F (5°C).Therefore, evaporation of lighter base oils may not be the reason for the viscosity increase. There are no insoluble materials, no sediment observed and water content is under limits.
Also, current AN value is similar to baseline AN and antiwear additives (zinc).
Flash point is higher than the baseline reference. The temperature has increased to 9°F (5°C), which may happen when the viscosity of fluids in hydraulic systems is increased due to fluid friction.
In the plant, it is recommended to verify if a higher viscosity fluid (such as hydraulic oil brand X ISO 68) has been added to the reservoir.
Step 12: The following actions are recommended based on the available information:
-
Investigate the root cause of the viscosity increase, systematically verifying the causes of viscosity increase listed above. Pay attention to the possibility of contamination with a similar hydraulic oil with higher viscosity.
-
Once the root cause has been identified, eliminate the possibility of recurrence.
-
Flush out the reservoir when oil viscosity is out of critical limits (refer to Note at the end of the article).
-
There is no evidence of high wear. Add oil within specifications and continue to monitor for wear metals to make sure the equipment is not adversely affected.
-
Color-code qualification is shown in Table 2.
NOTE: As an exemption action, and considering that oil is within additive content and acidity limits, it is not oxidized and is not contaminated with water or dirt particles. An environmental and economical option is to add a lower viscosity oil (ISO 46, there are viscosity tables for oil blending) in calculated doses to lower the contaminated oil to original viscosity specifications. It is necessary to verify with the oil supplier if both oils (ISO 46 and presumably ISO 68 or higher ISO grade) share the same additive formulation. If not, this option is not recommended unless a compatibility assessment is made.
Terminology
Baseline – This represents the original characteristics and properties of the new oil to be applied in the equipment (viscosity, AN, BN, additive content, oxidation stability, RPVOT for turbine oils). It is important to measure the baseline data from the beginning when implementing an oil analysis program. Note that the data in product data sheets (PDS) is not useful for defining baselines because the lubricant manufacturer includes only general data. Changes in formulation (such as additive changes) are not always printed in PDS, which may lead to confusion and errors when interpreting results. All new oil should be analyzed.
Caution Limits - Exceeding caution limits results in abnormal conditions and requires corrective actions.
Critical Limits - Exceeding critical limits indicates a critical situation and requires immediate action.
Goal-based Limits - These limits are set as predetermined values of properties (such as ISO code cleanliness, maximum water content, etc.).
Aging Limits - These limits are a result of the oil’s normal aging process. For example: the highest permissible limit of acidity, oxidation or nitration; the lowest additive concentration, etc.
Statistical Limits - These limits are statistically determined. Data average and standard deviation are obtained. Caution limit is set at an average of +/-1 standard deviation, and critical limit is set at an average of +/-2 standard deviations. Statistical limits may be applied to wear metals.
Normalization - When collecting samples with different time intervals in reference to set frequency, it is easy to make mistakes and come to the wrong conclusions. Consider the following example: If the objective is to monitor iron wear every 500 hours and the data is 40 ppm (400 hours), 55 ppm (580 hours), 30 ppm (450 hours) and 68 ppm (500 hours), then the analyst observes which samples were taken at different time intervals Therefore, the data should be normalized in the following manner: For the first data, if during 400 hours the iron wear was 40 ppm, then what would the iron wear be in 500 hours? Answer: (40 ppm iron) (500 hours) / 400 hours = 50 ppm iron. This is the normalized iron wear data. For the other examples, values would be (in respective order): 47.4 ppm, 33.3 ppm, 68 ppm. NOTE: When taking samples, if time intervals vary less than +/-10 percent versus set frequency, normalization may not be necessary.
References
-
Oil Analysis I and II Seminar. Instructor Gerardo Trujillo, Noria Corp.
-
Fitch, Jim. Sourcebook for Used Oil Elements. Noria Corp.
-
Fitch, Jim and Troyer, Drew. Handbook of Used Oil Analysis. Noria Corp.
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https://www.vedantu.com/chemistry/systematic-analysis-of-cations
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Key Procedures in Systematic Cation Analysis Explained
Cation – A cation is an ion carrying positive charge which is attracted to the cathode during the process of electrolysis.
A systematic analysis of cations is performed to separate and recognise cations which are commonly known from a mixture of salt. This experiment helps analyse the properties of cations and understand the concept of precipitation and formation of the complex at equilibrium. This qualitative analysis has been included in Class 12 practical syllabus of Chemistry to impart students with the knowledge of analysis of metallic elements and chemical research.
Aim of the Experiment
To recognise or identify cations from an inorganic salts mixture with the use of several tests and experiments.
Theory
The systematic analysis of salt mixture results in the removal of cations followed by precipitation reaction. You will see that the various experiments performed using different test reagents will have a varied set of reactions on cations. You will be able to determine the reasons for their separation from the salts.
Further, the qualitative analysis of cations is performed using a few preliminary tests. These tests are included in the following table.
It is to note that these don’t solidify evidence about the ions yet provide necessary insight regarding the cations involved in the salt mixture.
You can perform a systematic qualitative analysis of cations in three steps, as mentioned below.
Stage 1 – Segregation of Cations
Cations are segregated in 5 groups depending upon their solubility with the help of various precipitating reagents.
(Image to be added soon)
Stage 2 – Here, the process of selective dissolution is used for separating the various cations precipitated in a group.
Stage 3 – Various test for cations are performed to identify and verify the cations present in them.
Equipment Needed For The Experiment –
Since the qualitative analysis of cations and anions require you to perform various tests, you will need several instruments. Here are the instruments you will need.
Test tube
Test tube stand
Test tube holder
Corks
Boiling tubes
Delivery tube
Filter paper
Measuring cylinder
Reagents
Procedures And Observation For Various Identification Tests –
Preliminary Test To Identify Cations
Procedure –
This is the step of physical examination. You can look at the precipitation or salt’s colour and infer the ions it could possibly have. Look at the table mentioned below to understand this.
Observation –
Charcoal Cavity Test
The cation is converted to metal carbonate first and then heated so that it decomposes to produce metal oxide. You can detect the cation present in the salt by observing the colour of bead or the residue in charcoal cavity.
Procedure –
A charcoal cavity is taken for the experiment.
A little cavity is made on the charcoal bar using a borer.
Put a small amount of salt inside the charcoal cavity and mix it with Sodium carbonate. If needed, pour some water.
With the use of a reducing flame and a mouth blowpipe, heat the mixture present in the charcoal cavity and observe the changes.
Observation –
Borax Bead Test
Borax bead test is performed to observe manganese, nickel, copper, or iron ions in the salt mixture by heating it in oxidised as well as reduced flame and observing the change in its colour.
Procedure –
Take a platinum wire and twist it to make a small loop.
Take a Bunsen burner and heat it till the wire is red hot.
Put some Borax powder over a watch glass and dip the looped wire on it before heating it yet again.
The dipped Borax will fuse to give a transparent and colourless, glass-like bead.
Make sure to touch the bead (hot) with Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and immerse it in salt. Then, heat the bead in oxidising and reducing flames and observe the change in bead colour.
Observation –
Flame Test
It is an important test for systematic analysis of cations as the 5th group cations show characteristic colour when exposed to flame in this experiment. These ions in their chloride form can impart heat energy which is released in the form of light energy when exposed to non-luminous flame. The reason various ions exhibit different colours is due to the reason that every metal ion has a different level of light energy.
Procedure –
Put some concentrated HCl on a watch glass.
Take the platinum wire and dip it in the Concentrated HCl solution and heat it by putting on the flame.
You will have to repeat this step unless the platinum wire shows any colour in the flame.
Subsequently, dip it in the solution of concentrated HCl followed by dipping in salt. Observe the colour it imparts in the flame.
Observation –
Now that you are aware of the systematic analysis of cations, you will be able to perform the experiments quickly and observe the results. These will prepare you for the viva questions and practical examination in a better way. To improve your knowledge and understanding, you can refer to Vedantu’s study material prepared by professional and skilled tutors. Download the Vedantu app or refer to the website.
FAQs on Systematic Analysis of Cations: A Stepwise Guide
1. What is meant by the systematic analysis of cations in chemistry?
Systematic analysis of cations is a method used in qualitative analysis to identify the positively charged ions (cations) in an unknown salt. The process works by separating cations into different groups based on their selective precipitation using specific chemical reagents in a fixed order.
2. Why must the analysis of cations follow a strict sequence of groups?
The strict sequence is crucial because the group reagents are designed to precipitate only one specific group of cations at a time under certain conditions. For instance, the reagent for Group 3 would also precipitate cations from Group 4 if Group 3 ions were not removed first. Following the order ensures that tests for one group are not interfered with by cations from later groups, preventing false results.
3. Which cations belong to Group II, and what is the principle of their precipitation?
Group II cations include ions like Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, and As³⁺. The principle for their precipitation is based on their very low solubility product (Ksp). The group reagent is H₂S gas passed through a solution made acidic with dilute HCl. The acid limits the concentration of sulphide ions, which is just enough to precipitate Group II sulphides but not the sulphides of cations in later groups.
4. How is the test for the ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) different from other cation tests?
The test for the ammonium ion is done separately on the original salt before starting the group analysis. This is because reagents used later, like ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH), would add NH₄⁺ ions to the solution. To test for it, the salt is warmed with NaOH solution. If ammonium is present, it releases pungent ammonia gas, which can be identified by its smell or by its ability to turn moist red litmus paper blue.
5. What is the purpose of using concentrated HCl when performing a flame test?
Concentrated HCl is used to convert the salt into its metal chloride form. Metal chlorides are much more volatile than other salts like sulphates or carbonates. This means they turn into vapour more easily in the heat of the flame, allowing the metal atoms to get excited and emit their characteristic colour more intensely, making the test result clear and vibrant.
6. Which cations are included in Group IV, and what is their group reagent?
Group IV contains the cations Barium (Ba²⁺), Strontium (Sr²⁺), and Calcium (Ca²⁺). The group reagent used to precipitate them is a solution of (NH₄)₂CO₃ (Ammonium Carbonate), which is added in an alkaline medium (in the presence of NH₄Cl and NH₄OH). This causes the cations to precipitate as white carbonates.
7. What would happen if a student accidentally added the Group IV reagent before testing for Group II?
If the Group IV reagent, (NH₄)₂CO₃, were added before the Group II reagent (H₂S in acid), it would cause a major error. The cations from Group IV (Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ca²⁺) would precipitate out of sequence. This would make the subsequent test for Group II invalid because the solution's composition would be wrong, and it would be impossible to correctly identify the remaining ions.
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A systematic review is a form of analysis that medical researchers carry out to synthesize all the available evidence on a particular question, such as how effective a drug is.
A meta-analysis is a type of systematic review. Instead of basing conclusions on a single study, a meta-analysis looks at numerous studies for the answer.
It pools numerical analyses from studies of similar design. A meta-analysis can also form part of a further systematic review.
A panel of experts usually leads the researchers who carry out a systematic review. There are set ways to search for and analyze the medical literature.
A systematic review is a high form of evidence. The conclusions help medical experts to form an agreement on the best form of treatment.
The findings also inform policies set by state healthcare systems, such as whether they should fund a new drug.
The
Researchers carry out systematic reviews of all the available medical evidence and specifically of primary research. Primary research is data that researchers have collected from patients or populations.
Experts then base recommendations, or guidelines, on these findings. These guidelines lay out the treatment choices that health care providers and professionals should follow.
Researchers must carry out these reviews in a specific way, because they must ensure the recommendations that follow will result in the best healthcare for patients.
There are step-by-step instructions for conducting systematic reviews.
The Cochrane Library is a collection of systematic reviews that the international medical community respects. It follows a scientifically rigorous protocol to produce robust reviews.
The 2011 Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions lays out the guidelines that Cochrane require scientists to follow.
The Cochrane Library asks researchers to follow the steps below when producing a review. They provide a meticulous process through which researchers can synthesize data from a range of studies.
1: Define the research question
Researchers must first decide what research question they need an answer for. The aim could be, for example: “To assess the effects of a new drug for a particular health problem in certain types of people.” The question needs to be very specific.
2: Decide which studies to include in the review
The research question will partly decide this, but further “eligibility criteria” will define in advance which studies the team will include or exclude. The studies must have a rigorous design, for example, a randomized control trial (RCT).
3: Search for the studies
Step 3 outlines which sources the researcher will consult and the search terms they will use to search for them. In a Cochrane review, specially trained search coordinators do this. The researchers should also try to identify unpublished studies.
4: Select the studies and collect the data
Researchers take data from studies that meet the predetermined eligibility criteria. The data may have to come from a variety of formats.
5: Assess the risk of bias in the included studies
This ensures that all the studies reviewed are relevant and reliable.
For example:
- Was the randomization in the trial double-blinded?
- Was there a risk of bias, for example, in selecting participants for treatment or comparison?
It is acceptable to include some studies of a lower quality, as long as the researchers take this kind of bias into account.
6: Analyze the data and undertake meta-analyses
This is the core process of a systematic review. It is the main step toward synthesizing conclusions. The previous steps must be complete before carrying out this step.
7: Address any publication bias
Publication bias is when researchers specifically choose, or cherry-pick, a study for inclusion. This can lead to a misrepresentation of the true effects of treatment.
Researchers should avoid cherry-picking and usually sign an agreement that they have no vested interest in the work. For instance, if they work for a pharmaceutical company and are supporting a drug made by that company they must disclose it.
8: Present the final results of the review
The team publishes the work, with a table showing a summary of findings. Decision makers can use this published outcome.
A systematic review is a synthesis or overview of all the available evidence about a particular medical research question. Based on the evidence currently available, it can give a definitive answer on a particular question about therapy, prevention, causes of disease, or harm.
The
The BMJ list the following as key advantages of a systematic review:
- The methods that scientists use to find and select studies reduce bias and are more likely to produce reliable and accurate conclusions.
- A review summarizes findings from multiple studies. This makes the information easier for the end user to read and understand.
It is helpful for establishing whether a certain technique or drug works and is safe.
A review can also:
- give an idea of how well findings might apply to everyday practice
- identify knowledge gaps that call for more research
- reduce bias when drawing conclusions, as it takes in a range of views and findings
Systematic reviews also offer practical advantages. They are less costly to carry out than a new set of experiments, and they take less time.
A systematic review may have some disadvantages.
Study design
It can be hard to combine the findings of different studies, because the researchers have carried out their investigation in different ways.
The number of participants, the length of the original study, and many other factors can make it hard to compare the findings of two or more studies.
Authors of a review must decide whether the quality of a source is “high” or “low,” in other words how reliable each one is. The decision usually depends the design of the study.
For instance, a randomized controlled trial is considered the highest of the primary studies. Other recommendations include transparency and reproducibility of judgments.
The role of unpublished research
If researchers only use published or readily available studies, it could be a threat to the validity of a review. This occurs because researchers tend to publish studies that show a significant effect and may not take the time to write up negative findings.
Unpublished studies can be hard to find, but using published literature alone may lead to misrepresentation because it does not include findings from all the existing research.
The term gray literature refers to articles or books not formally published and may include government reports, conference proceedings, graduate dissertations, unpublished clinical trials and more.
As previously mentioned, results that are negative or inconclusive, for example, may remain unpublished. Publication bias can cause positive results to become exaggerated, because the findings do not incorporate neutral or negative results.
Medical researchers are less likely to submit bad results, so systematic reviews could have a bias towards good results.
The role of editors and peer reviewers
The decisions of journal editors and peer reviewers can also lead to publication bias.
Sometimes, results do not reach the publication stage because there is funding for research, but this does not cover the cost of analyzing and publishing the results.
This can limit the motivation to write up and submit any negative or neutral findings for publication.
In 2011, the
However, they added that systematic reviews can also be “uncertain or poor quality,” due to a lack of universal standards, especially when it comes to bias, conflicts of interest, and how authors evaluate evidence.
In an attempt to counter this, the IOM recommend some standards for authors to follow at each stage.
They provide guidelines for a number of areas, including:
A meta-analysis uses a statistical approach to summarize the results of other studies, all of which must have a similar design. It aims to provide reliable evidence.
Using statistical analysis, researchers combine the numbers from previous studies, and they use this information to calculate an overall result.
The BMJ
As with a review, authors must follow certain steps.
A meta-analysis can stand alone, or it can be part of a wider systematic review. A wider review can include results from studies of various scientific designs.
A meta-analysis can provide more reliable evidence than other investigations, but still the results may not always apply directly to the everyday treatment of disease.
Simple numerical answers cannot solve complex clinical problems, however, and they cannot tell a clinician how to treat a person.
A meta-analysis may also conclude, for example, that antibiotics are effective in treating a disease, but they are unlikely to specify the type, dosage, or how a specific antibiotic will affect an individual.
More studies and trials are necessary before healthcare providers can make these kinds of decision.
Medical research is crucial for understanding what works, what does not work, and whether a strategy or a drug is safe.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses bring together the findings of several investigations. In theory, this makes the findings more reliable.
However, even this type of report has its pitfalls.
Whether they look at the findings of an investigation, a review, or a meta-analysis, healthcare professionals must always interpret the findings with care.
In the case of drugs and new medical techniques, clinical trials are necessary to get a better view of their safety and effectiveness.
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https://www.formpl.us/blog/experimental-research
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Experimental research is the most familiar type of research design for individuals in the physical sciences and a host of other fields. This is mainly because experimental research is a classical scientific experiment, similar to those performed in high school science classes.
Imagine taking 2 samples of the same plant and exposing one of them to sunlight, while the other is kept away from sunlight. Let the plant exposed to sunlight be called sample A, while the latter is called sample B.
If after the duration of the research, we find out that sample A grows and sample B dies, even though they are both regularly wetted and given the same treatment. Therefore, we can conclude that sunlight will aid growth in all similar plants.
Experimental research is a scientific approach to research, where one or more independent variables are manipulated and applied to one or more dependent variables to measure their effect on the latter. The effect of the independent variables on the dependent variables is usually observed and recorded over some time, to aid researchers in drawing a reasonable conclusion regarding the relationship between these 2 variable types.
The experimental research method is widely used in physical and social sciences, psychology, and education. It is based on the comparison between two or more groups with a straightforward logic, which may, however, be difficult to execute.
Mostly related to a laboratory test procedure, experimental research designs involve collecting quantitative data and performing statistical analysis on them during research. Therefore, making it an example of quantitative research method.
The types of experimental research design are determined by the way the researcher assigns subjects to different conditions and groups. They are of 3 types, namely; pre-experimental, quasi-experimental, and true experimental research.
In pre-experimental research design, either a group or various dependent groups are observed for the effect of the application of an independent variable which is presumed to cause change. It is the simplest form of experimental research design and is treated with no control group.
Although very practical, experimental research is lacking in several areas of the true-experimental criteria. The pre-experimental research design is further divided into three types
In this type of experimental study, only one dependent group or variable is considered. The study is carried out after some treatment which was presumed to cause change, making it a posttest study.
This research design combines both posttest and pretest study by carrying out a test on a single group before the treatment is administered and after the treatment is administered. With the former being administered at the beginning of treatment and later at the end.
In a static-group comparison study, 2 or more groups are placed under observation, where only one of the groups is subjected to some treatment while the other groups are held static. All the groups are post-tested, and the observed differences between the groups are assumed to be a result of the treatment.
The word “quasi” means partial, half, or pseudo. Therefore, the quasi-experimental research bearing a resemblance to the true experimental research, but not the same. In quasi-experiments, the participants are not randomly assigned, and as such, they are used in settings where randomization is difficult or impossible.
This is very common in educational research, where administrators are unwilling to allow the random selection of students for experimental samples.
Some examples of quasi-experimental research design include; the time series, no equivalent control group design, and the counterbalanced design.
The true experimental research design relies on statistical analysis to approve or disprove a hypothesis. It is the most accurate type of experimental design and may be carried out with or without a pretest on at least 2 randomly assigned dependent subjects.
The true experimental research design must contain a control group, a variable that can be manipulated by the researcher, and the distribution must be random. The classification of true experimental design include:
The first two of these groups are tested using the posttest-only method, while the other two are tested using the pretest-posttest method.
Experimental research examples are different, depending on the type of experimental research design that is being considered. The most basic example of experimental research is laboratory experiments, which may differ in nature depending on the subject of research.
During the semester, students in a class are lectured on particular courses and an exam is administered at the end of the semester. In this case, the students are the subjects or dependent variables while the lectures are the independent variables treated on the subjects.
Only one group of carefully selected subjects are considered in this research, making it a pre-experimental research design example. We will also notice that tests are only carried out at the end of the semester, and not at the beginning.
Further making it easy for us to conclude that it is a one-shot case study research.
Before employing a job seeker, organizations conduct tests that are used to screen out less qualified candidates from the pool of qualified applicants. This way, organizations can determine an employee’s skill set at the point of employment.
In the course of employment, organizations also carry out employee training to improve employee productivity and generally grow the organization. Further evaluation is carried out at the end of each training to test the impact of the training on employee skills, and test for improvement.
Here, the subject is the employee, while the treatment is the training conducted. This is a pretest-posttest control group experimental research example.
Let us consider an academic institution that wants to evaluate the teaching method of 2 teachers to determine which is best. Imagine a case whereby the students assigned to each teacher is carefully selected probably due to personal request by parents or due to stubbornness and smartness.
This is a no equivalent group design example because the samples are not equal. By evaluating the effectiveness of each teacher’s teaching method this way, we may conclude after a post-test has been carried out.
However, this may be influenced by factors like the natural sweetness of a student. For example, a very smart student will grab more easily than his or her peers irrespective of the method of teaching.
Experimental research contains dependent, independent and extraneous variables. The dependent variables are the variables being treated or manipulated and are sometimes called the subject of the research.
The independent variables are the experimental treatment being exerted on the dependent variables. Extraneous variables, on the other hand, are other factors affecting the experiment that may also contribute to the change.
The setting is where the experiment is carried out. Many experiments are carried out in the laboratory, where control can be exerted on the extraneous variables, thereby eliminating them.
Other experiments are carried out in a less controllable setting. The choice of setting used in research depends on the nature of the experiment being carried out.
Experimental research may include multiple independent variables, e.g. time, skills, test scores, etc.
Experimental research design can be majorly used in physical sciences, social sciences, education, and psychology. It is used to make predictions and draw conclusions on a subject matter.
Some uses of experimental research design are highlighted below.
The changes observed during this period are recorded and evaluated to determine its effectiveness. This process can be carried out using different experimental research methods.
The other person is placed in a room with a few other people, enjoying human interaction. There will be a difference in their behaviour at the end of the experiment.
For example, when finding it difficult to choose how to position a button or feature on the app interface, a random sample of product testers are allowed to test the 2 samples and how the button positioning influences the user interaction is recorded.
Data collection methods in experimental research are the different ways in which data can be collected for experimental research. They are used in different cases, depending on the type of research being carried out.
This type of study is carried out over a long period. It measures and observes the variables of interest without changing existing conditions.
When researching the effect of social interaction on human behavior, the subjects who are placed in 2 different environments are observed throughout the research. No matter the kind of absurd behavior that is exhibited by the subject during this period, its condition will not be changed.
This may be a very risky thing to do in medical cases because it may lead to death or worse medical conditions.
This procedure uses mathematical, physical, or computer models to replicate a real-life process or situation. It is frequently used when the actual situation is too expensive, dangerous, or impractical to replicate in real life.
This method is commonly used in engineering and operational research for learning purposes and sometimes as a tool to estimate possible outcomes of real research. Some common situation software are Simulink, MATLAB, and Simul8.
Not all kinds of experimental research can be carried out using simulation as a data collection tool. It is very impractical for a lot of laboratory-based research that involves chemical processes.
A survey is a tool used to gather relevant data about the characteristics of a population and is one of the most common data collection tools. A survey consists of a group of questions prepared by the researcher, to be answered by the research subject.
Surveys can be shared with the respondents both physically and electronically. When collecting data through surveys, the kind of data collected depends on the respondent, and researchers have limited control over it.
Formplus is the best tool for collecting experimental data using surveys. It has relevant features that will aid the data collection process and can also be used in other aspects of experimental research.
1. In experimental research, the researcher can control and manipulate the environment of the research, including the predictor variable which can be changed. On the other hand, non-experimental research cannot be controlled or manipulated by the researcher at will.
This is because it takes place in a real-life setting, where extraneous variables cannot be eliminated. Therefore, it is more difficult to conclude non-experimental studies, even though they are much more flexible and allow for a greater range of study fields.
2. The relationship between cause and effect cannot be established in non-experimental research, while it can be established in experimental research. This may be because many extraneous variables also influence the changes in the research subject, making it difficult to point at a particular variable as the cause of a particular change
3. Independent variables are not introduced, withdrawn, or manipulated in non-experimental designs, but the same may not be said about experimental research.
Experimental research enables you to control variables and identify how the independent variable affects the dependent variable. Causal-comparative find out the cause-and-effect relationship between the variables by comparing already existing groups that are affected differently by the independent variable.
For example, in an experiment to see how K-12 education affects children and teenager development. An experimental research would split the children into groups, some would get formal K-12 education, while others won’t. This is not ethically right because every child has the right to education. So, what we do instead would be to compare already existing groups of children who are getting formal education with those who due to some circumstances can not.
| Property | Experimental Research | Causal-Comparative |
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When experimenting, you are trying to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between different variables. For example, you are trying to establish the effect of heat on water, the temperature keeps changing (independent variable) and you see how it affects the water (dependent variable).
For correlational research, you are not necessarily interested in the why or the cause-and-effect relationship between the variables, you are focusing on the relationship. Using the same water and temperature example, you are only interested in the fact that they change, you are not investigating which of the variables or other variables causes them to change.
| Property | Experimental Research | Correlational Research |
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With experimental research, you alter the independent variable to see how it affects the dependent variable, but with descriptive research you are simply studying the characteristics of the variable you are studying.
So, in an experiment to see how blown glass reacts to temperature, experimental research would keep altering the temperature to varying levels of high and low to see how it affects the dependent variable (glass). But descriptive research would investigate the glass properties.
| Property | Experimental Research | Descriptive Research |
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Experimental research tests for causal relationships by focusing on one independent variable vs the dependent variable and keeps other variables constant. So, you are testing hypotheses and using the information from the research to contribute to knowledge.
However, with action research, you are using a real-world setting which means you are not controlling variables. You are also performing the research to solve actual problems and improve already established practices.
For example, if you are testing for how long commutes affect workers’ productivity. With experimental research, you would vary the length of commute to see how the time affects work. But with action research, you would account for other factors such as weather, commute route, nutrition, etc. Also, experimental research helps know the relationship between commute time and productivity, while action research helps you look for ways to improve productivity
| Properties | Experimental Research | Action Research |
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Experimental research designs are often considered to be the standard in research designs. This is partly due to the common misconception that research is equivalent to scientific experiments—a component of experimental research design.
In this research design, one or more subjects or dependent variables are randomly assigned to different treatments (i.e. independent variables manipulated by the researcher) and the results are observed to conclude. One of the uniqueness of experimental research is in its ability to control the effect of extraneous variables.
Experimental research is suitable for research whose goal is to examine cause-effect relationships, e.g. explanatory research. It can be conducted in the laboratory or field settings, depending on the aim of the research that is being carried out.
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https://my.vanderbilt.edu/toolsofthemindevaluation/homepage/researchdesign/
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Research Design, Methods, and Measures
Design and Randomization:
Theory of Change
In order to benefit from preschool and master the literacy, math, and social skills they will need to participate in formal schooling, young children must be able to think, attend, and remember in an intentional and purposeful way. Tools of the Mind is designed to initiate and support the change from reactivity to active and focused thinking. This change is facilitated through specific teacher practices that should help children move from assisted to independent learning. Tools of the Mind is based on an interactive sequence of change whereby teachers use assessment and scaffolding to tailor their use and modeling of specific tactics. These tactics are internalized by their students as cognitive tools, which are then used independently and manifested in observable behaviors in the classroom. These learning-related self-regulatory skills then become the foundation that supports the learning of the preschool “target skills” and the academic content that follows preschool. Below is a graphical representation of the Theory of Change model used to guide the selection of child assessment and classroom observation measures used in this study.
Click to view a pdf of the Theory of Change
Study Design
The research sample from the 2010-11 school year was drawn from five school districts representing a range of urban, rural and suburban locations and serving demographically diverse children in two states (60 classrooms, 32 implementing Tools). A sixth school district provided a 2nd cohort during the 2011-12 school year (20 classrooms, 10 implementing Tools). Experimental condition was randomized at the school level. This scheme helped minimize interactions between experimental and control teachers that might compromise the comparison. The schools were blocked by district, with the largest district divided into two blocks. Within each block, approximately half the schools were assigned to the Tools condition and half to the practice as usual control condition. The teachers in the classrooms assigned to the control condition continued to practice as usual with whatever curriculum they were using and whatever professional development was typical in their setting. The teachers in the Tools condition began the professional development sequence for Tools and implementation of the curriculum during the first year of the study (school year 2009-10 for cohort 1 and school year 2010-11 for cohort 2). The first year was a training and practice year for the teachers and no study data was collected. The research team used this period to develop and practice the classroom observational scheme for collecting fidelity data on the Tools curriculum. Evaluation of the Tools curriculum took place the following school year. Replacement teachers for any of the original teachers that left were trained and their classrooms remained in the study. During the third year of the study (2011-12), training on Tools was offered to each school system in cohort 1 for the control teachers with 3 of the 5 systems choosing to participate in this opportunity. The following year, training on Tools was offered to cohort 2 for the control teachers and this system choose to participate in this opportunity.
Child outcome measures were collected at the beginning and end of the pre-k year, at the end of kindergarten, and at the end of first grade.
Randomization
Random assignment was successful at producing condition groups that did not differ significantly on any demographic variable (ethnicity, gender, IEP status, ELL status, age, teacher education level, years teaching, etc.) as well as entering self regulation and academic achievement scores for cohort 1.
Participants:
Children
During the 2010-11 school year, 828 children (Tools = 477) were seen at the beginning of pre-k and 821 children (Tools = 472) at the end of pre-k. The table below provides demographic information about the participant children from cohort 1.
During the 2011-12 school year, 267 children (Tools=147) were seen at the beginning of pre-k and 257 children (Tools=142) at the end of pre-k. The table below provides demographic information about the participant children from cohort 2.
| Note: Cohort 2 participants are from Alamance-Burlington School System in North Carolina. |
Teachers
During the 2010-11 school year, 60 classrooms (Tools = 32) in 45 schools (Tools = 25) participated in the study. The table below provides demographic information about the participating classroom teachers from cohort 1.
During the 2011-12 school year, 20 classrooms (Tools = 10) in 12 schools (Tools = 5) participated in the study. The table below provides demographic information about the participating classroom teachers from cohort 2.
Procedures:
Overall Data Collection
All child assessment and classroom observational data for this project were collected using a paperless tablet data collection system. This system allowed assessors to record children’s responses on the direct assessment measures while administering the items. The system had built in checks to notify assessors instantly of missed items, stop rules, ceiling errors, etc. Similarly, the system for classroom observation measures featured built in access to manuals and allowed observers to navigate quickly to specific portions of the measure depending on what was occurring in the classroom at any given moment. Assessors/Observers saved their data onto thumb drives and the data was then imported into a main database. This paperless system eliminated the need for data entry and double entry which allowed for quicker access to the dataset at the conclusion of the assessment and observation cycles.
Click to view more information regarding the Paperless Data Collection System
Direct Assessments
Direct assessments with the participant children were administered in two sessions with each session lasting approximately 25-35 minutes. The assessments were administered to the participant children individually inside a quiet room within their school.
A team of 16 assessors was utilized to complete the collection of the child level data during the 2010-11 school year, 24 during the 2011-12 school year, 26 during the 2012-13 school year, and 5 during the 2013-14 school year. Most assessment staff were trained to administer one session of the assessment battery with 3 trained in both sessions. Assessors participated in formal in office training sessions to learn the measures and were required to practice with each other as well as in office staff prior to administering the session to a consented non-study child at a non-study school. Assessors were required to submit a video of their session with a consented non-study child in order to become certified in the administration of that assessment session. Videos were scored using a scoring rubric and assessors had to obtain a minimum score of 85 in order to become certified.
Click to view an example of the Assessment Video Scoring Rubric
To measure educational achievement, the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) was used. To measure self regulatory skills, a battery of self regulation measures was used.
Session 1 (in order as given):
Navy Blue text denotes SR measures, Black text denotes WJ-III subtests
- Peg Tap
- Head Toes Knees Shoulders
- Copy Design
- Oral Comprehension
- Applied Problems
- Quantitative Concepts A & B
- Picture Vocabulary
- Passage Comprehension (only administered during the 1st grade followup)
Session 2:
- Dimensional Change Card Sort
- Corsi Blocks
- Letter Word
- Academic Knowledge A, B, & C
- Spelling
Classroom Observations
Participating pre-k classrooms were observed three times during the 2010-11 (cohort 1) and 2011-12 (cohort 2) school years. During each classroom observation, two observers were present. One observer completed the Narrative Record form, Tools of the Mind Fidelity, and Environmental Scan. The other observer completed the Teacher Observation in Preschool (TOP) and Child Observation in Preschool (COP). Both observers met together immediately following the observation to complete the Post Observation Rating Scale (PRS).
Classroom observers were trained in one set of the classroom observations (either the COP and TOP or the Narrative Record, Fidelity, and Environmental Scan) by attending in-office training over multiple days. Observers were then required to observe in non-study classrooms with experienced project staff to solidify the material discussed in training and ensure coding reliability. Once reliable in a non-study classroom, observers were certified to observe in study classrooms. At the beginning of each of the three observation cycles, reliability was established among all observers in the field.
Cohort 1, 2010-11 Observation Schedule:
Observation 1 Window:
TN (N=30): 10/11/10 through 12/9/10
NC (N=30): 11/8/10 through 12/14/2010
Observation 2 Window:
TN (N=30): 1/18/2011 through 2/18/2011
NC (N=30): 1/19/2011 through 2/25/2011
Observation 3 Window:
TN (N=30): 3/8/2011 through 4/14/2011
NC (N=30): 3/8/2011 through 4/14/2011
Cohort 2, 2011-12 Observation Schedule:
Observation 1 Window:
NC (N=20): 10/25/2011 through 12/2/2011
Observation 2 Window:
NC (N=20): 1/20/2012 through 2/6/2012
Observation 3 Window:
NC (N=20): 3/13/2012 through 3/29/2012
Measures:
Academic Achievement Assessments
Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III):
Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (Woodcock, McCrew, & Mather, 2001). The WJ-III is a standardized measure with established reliability and validity and applicability to a wide age range, beginning at age 3. The selected scales for language/literacy focus on emergent literacy and span the areas of decoding letters and words, vocabulary, and comprehension. The selected measures for math/numeracy span number recognition, simple problem solving, and simple math concepts.
WJ subtests used in this study: Letter Word, Spelling, Picture Vocabulary, Oral Comprehension, Applied Problems, Quantitative Concepts, Academic Knowledge, and *Passage Comprehension (*1st gr only)
Self Regulation Assessments
Peg Tapping:
Peg Tapping (Diamond & Taylor, 1996). In this game, children are asked to tap a peg twice when the experimenter taps once and vice versa. The task requires children to inhibit a natural tendency to mimic the experimenter while remembering the rule for the correct response. Sixteen trials are conducted with 8 one-tap and 8 two-tap trials in random sequence.
Click to view more information regarding the Peg Tapping task
Head Toes Knees Shoulders (HTKS):
Head-to-Toes Task (Cameron et al., in press). In this task, which requires inhibitory control, attention, and working memory (though inhibitory control is the main focus) children are asked to play a game in which they must do the opposite of what the experimenter says. The experimenter instructs children to touch their head (or their toes), but instead of following the command, the children are supposed to do the opposite and touch their toes. The measure is available from Claire Cameron, who gave permission for us to use the measure for this project.
Click to view more information regarding the HTKS task
Copy Design:
Copying Designs Test (Osborn et al., 1984). Children must copy “exactly” a series of simple geometric designs. Error scores are used to assess attention.
Click to view more information regarding the Copy Design task
Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS):
Dimensional Change Card Sort (Zelazo, 2006). In this reverse categorization task, children must sort a set of cards based on different sorting criteria given by the examiner. For example, the first sort involves color, the second sort involves shape, and the final sort is a mix of color and shape depending on whether a card has a border or not. An additional level was added during the first grade follow up that involved reversing the rules on the final sort listed above. This task is used to assess attention-shifting.
Click to view more information regarding the DCCS task
Corsi Blocks:
Corsi Blocks Task (Corsi, 1972). The Corsi Blocks task is a visuospatial short-term memory task. Children point to a series of blocks in a pattern both forward and backward. The task has two forward series of patterns and two backward series of patterns. The length of the block pattern increases until the recalled pattern is no longer correct.
Click to view more information regarding the Corsi Block task
Classroom Observations
Narrative Record:
Narrative Record (Bilbrey & Farran, 2004). The Narrative Record Form is an open-ended format for recording narrative data notes and rating the activities occurring in the classroom as a whole. The Narrative Record is an accounting of the content, activity type, duration, engagement, and instructional level of each segment over the full observational period.
Click to view more information regarding the Narrative Record
Tools of the Mind Curriculum Fidelity:
Tools of the Mind Curriculum Fidelity (Vorhaus & Meador, 2010). The Tools Fidelity captures the specific Tools curriculum activities that occur within a classroom observation period along with information about the specific implementation steps that occur, and mediators that are used. In addition, the curriculum developers furnished a list of behaviors that “should not” happen during each activity that are also captured by observers. The Tools Fidelity Measure provides an in-depth look at the degree of curriculum implementation across the year within experimental classrooms. Although this instrument was used in both Tools and comparison classrooms, relatively few Tools activities were ever coded in comparison rooms.
Click to view more information regarding the Tools of the Mind Fidelity measure
Environmental Scan:
Environmental Scan (Vorhaus, Meador, & Farran, 2010). The Environmental Scan is an observational tool to gauge a classroom’s environment and materials. It is derived from a list of early childhood materials the Tools of the Mind developers indicate should be available in the classroom. The scan focuses on the play centers and materials accessible to children.
Click to view more information regarding the Environmental Scan
POST Observation Rating Scale (PRS):
Post Observation Rating Scale (Yun, Farran, Lipsey, Vorhaus, & Meador, 2010). The PRS is completed immediately after a classroom is observed and is a 5-point Likert-type researcher-developed scale for rating classroom-level characteristics. This instrument was developed following extensive discussions with the Tools of the Mind developers during which they identified classroom attributes that were most likely to be different between Tools classrooms and other early childhood classrooms. The PRS includes items regarding general classroom characteristics as well as teacher practices, classroom activities, and children’s social and academic behaviors. Both observers complete the PRS together following the visit.
Click to view more information regarding the PRS
Teacher Observation in Preschool (TOP):
Teacher Observation in Preschool (Bilbrey,Vorhaus, & Farran, 2007). The TOP is a system for observing teacher/assistant’s behavior in preschool classrooms and is based on a series of snapshots of the teacher’s and assistant’s behavior across a period of time. Each snapshot may be by itself an unreliable piece of information but collectively they combine to provide a picture of how the teacher and assistant are spending their time in a classroom. The teacher’s behavior is observed for a 3 second window before scoring. Once scoring has been completed for the teacher, the same procedure is followed for the assistant in the classroom. Teacher and assistant are coded at the beginning of a “sweep” with children coded immediately afterward. At the end of an observation, 20 sweeps have been collected on the teacher and the assistant.
Click to view more information regarding the TOP
Child Observation in Preschool (COP):
Child Observation in Preschool (Farran et al. (2006, 2008 revision). The COP is a system for observing children’s behavior in preschool classrooms and is based on a series of snapshots of children’s behavior across a period of time. Each snapshot may be by itself an unreliable piece of information but collectively they combine to provide a picture of how children are spending their time in a classroom (as an aggregate) as well as information about individual differences among children in their preferences. A specific child is observed during a 3 second window and then coded across 9 dimensions before the observer moves to the next child. At the end of an observation, 20 sweeps were collected on each child in the classroom. Consented children are indentified by name; all others are identified as “Extra boy” or “Extra girl.”
Click to view more information regarding the COP
Child Report Forms (completed by each teacher)
Teachers were asked to complete a child report form on each of their consented children during fall and spring of the prekindergarten year, spring of the kindergarten year, and spring of the first grade year (cohort 1 only).
Cooper-Farran Behavior Rating Scales (CFBRS):
Cooper-Farran Behavior Rating Scales (Cooper & Farran, 1991). The Cooper-Farran is composed of 37 items in two subscales. The Interpersonal Skills subscale (IPS) includes 21 items and the Work-Related Skills (WRS) subscale includes 16 items. The IPS subscale measures how well children get along with peers and the teacher. The WRS subscale includes items about independent work, compliance with instructions, and memory for instructions. Items are rated on a 1-7 scale with descriptive phrases to “anchor” points 1, 3, 5, and 7.
Click to view more information regarding the CFBRS
Adaptive Language Inventory (ALI):
Adaptive Language Inventory (Feagans & Farran, 1983; Feagans, Fendt, & Farran, 1995). The ALI focuses on children’s comprehension and use of language in classroom settings in comparison to their peers and has been used both at the preschool and elementary levels. The measure consists of 18 items that focus on comprehension, production, rephrasing, spontaneity, listening, and fluency. Children are rated on a 1-5 scale.
Click to view more information regarding the ALI
Academic Classroom Behavior Record (ACBR):
Academic Classroom Behavior Record (Farran, Bilbrey & Lipsey, 2003). The Academic Classroom Behavior Record is composed of 9 items. This scale includes items about school readiness, liking of school, and behavior problems. The first six items are rated on a 1-7 scale with descriptive phrases to “anchor” points 1,3,5,7. Items 7 and 9 are multiple choice items. Item 8 is an item in which the rater checks all answers that apply. This instrument was only used with participating kindergarten and first grade teachers.
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https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Theoretical+approach
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theory
(redirected from Theoretical approach)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.
the·o·ry
(thē′ə-rē, thîr′ē)n. pl. the·o·ries
1. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
2. The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice: a fine musician who had never studied theory.
3. A set of theorems that constitute a systematic view of a branch of mathematics.
4. Abstract reasoning; speculation: a decision based on experience rather than theory.
5. A belief or principle that guides action or assists comprehension or judgment: staked out the house on the theory that criminals usually return to the scene of the crime.
6. An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.
[Late Latin theōria, from Greek theōriā, from theōros, spectator : probably theā, a viewing + -oros, seeing (from horān, to see).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
theory
(ˈθɪərɪ)n, pl -ries
1. a system of rules, procedures, and assumptions used to produce a result
2. abstract knowledge or reasoning
3. a speculative or conjectural view or idea: I have a theory about that.
4. an ideal or hypothetical situation (esp in the phrase in theory)
5. a set of hypotheses related by logical or mathematical arguments to explain and predict a wide variety of connected phenomena in general terms: the theory of relativity.
6. a nontechnical name for hypothesis1
[C16: from Late Latin theōria, from Greek: a sight, from theōrein to gaze upon]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
the•o•ry
(ˈθi ə ri, ˈθɪər i)n., pl. -ries.
1. a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena: Darwin's theory of evolution.
2. a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural.
3. a body of mathematical principles, theorems, or the like, belonging to one subject: number theory.
4. the branch of a science or art that deals with its principles or methods, as distinguished from its practice: music theory.
5. a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it.
6. a guess or conjecture.
7. contemplation or speculation.
Idioms: in theory, under hypothetical or ideal conditions; theoretically.
[1590–1600; < Late Latin theōria < Greek theōría observing, contemplation, theory =theōr(eîn) to observe (see theorem) + -ia -y3]
syn: theory, hypothesis are used in non-technical contexts to mean an untested idea or opinion. A theory in technical use is a more or less verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or phenomena: Einstein's theory of relativity. A hypothesis is a conjecture put forth as a possible explanation of phenomena or relations, which serves as a basis of argument or experimentation to reach the truth: This idea is only a hypothesis.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
the·o·ry
(thē′ə-rē, thîr′ē) A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena. Most theories that are accepted by scientists have been repeatedly tested by experiments and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena. See Note at hypothesis.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | theory - a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory" reductionism - a theory that all complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components explanation - thought that makes something comprehensible law of nature, law - a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics" hypothesis, theory, possibility - a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices" blastogenesis - theory that inherited characteristics are transmitted by germ plasm preformation, theory of preformation - a theory (popular in the 18th century and now discredited) that an individual develops by simple enlargement of a tiny fully formed organism (a homunculus) that exists in the germ cell scientific theory - a theory that explains scientific observations; "scientific theories must be falsifiable" field theory - (physics) a theory that explains a physical phenomenon in terms of a field and the manner in which it interacts with matter or with other fields economic theory - (economics) a theory of commercial activities (such as the production and consumption of goods) atomist theory, atomistic theory, atomic theory, atomism - (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles; "the ancient Greek philosophers Democritus and Epicurus held atomic theories of the universe" holism, holistic theory - the theory that the parts of any whole cannot exist and cannot be understood except in their relation to the whole; "holism holds that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"; "holistic theory has been applied to ecology and language and mental states" structural sociology, structuralism - a sociological theory based on the premise that society comes before individuals structural anthropology, structuralism - an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena |
| 2. | theory - a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices" concept, conception, construct - an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances hypothetical - a hypothetical possibility, circumstance, statement, proposal, situation, etc.; "consider the following, just as a hypothetical" gemmule - the physically discrete element that Darwin proposed as responsible for heredity framework, model, theoretical account - a hypothetical description of a complex entity or process; "the computer program was based on a model of the circulatory and respiratory systems" conjecture, speculation - a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence); "speculations about the outcome of the election"; "he dismissed it as mere conjecture" supposal, supposition, assumption - a hypothesis that is taken for granted; "any society is built upon certain assumptions" theory - a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory" historicism - a theory that social and cultural events are determined by history | |
| 3. | theory - a belief that can guide behavior; "the architect has a theory that more is less"; "they killed him on the theory that dead men tell no tales" belief - any cognitive content held as true egoism - (ethics) the theory that the pursuit of your own welfare in the basis of morality |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
theory
noun
1. hypothesis, philosophy, system of ideas, plan, system, science, scheme, proposal, principles, ideology, thesis He produced a theory about historical change.
hypothesis fact, experience, practice, reality, certainty
hypothesis fact, experience, practice, reality, certainty
2. belief, feeling, speculation, assumption, guess, hunch, presumption, conjecture, surmise, supposition There was a theory that he wanted to marry her.
in theory in principle, on paper, in an ideal world, in the abstract, hypothetically, all things being equal School dental services exists in theory, but in practice there are few.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
theory
noun1. Abstract reasoning:
2. A belief used as the basis for action:
3. Something taken to be true without proof:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مَبادئ نَظَرِيَّهنَظَرِيَّةنَظَرِيَّه
teorie
teori
teoria
teorija
fræîilegur grundvöllurkenning
理論見解学説定理憶測
이론
teoretikasteoretizuotiteorinisteoriškaiteoriškas
teorija
teória
teoretičnoteorija
teoriidé
ทฤษฎี
lý thuyết
theory
[ˈθɪərɪ] N (= statement, hypothesis) → teoría fin theory → en teoría, teóricamente
it's my theory or my theory is that → tengo la teoría de que ..., mi teoría es que ...
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
theory
[ˈθiːəri] n (set of ideas explaining something) → théorie f
Darwin's theory of evolution → la théorie de l'évolution de Darwin
Darwin's theory of evolution → la théorie de l'évolution de Darwin
(= hypothesis) → théorie f
I have a theory that ... → ma théorie, c'est que ...
there was a theory that ... → on croyait que ...
I have a theory that ... → ma théorie, c'est que ...
there was a theory that ... → on croyait que ...
in theory (= theoretically) → théoriquement
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
theory
n → Theorie f; in theory → theoretisch, in der Theorie; theory of colour/evolution → Farben-/Evolutionslehre or -theorie f; he has a theory that … → er hat die Theorie, dass …; well, it’s a theory → das ist eine Möglichkeit; he always goes on the theory that … → er geht immer davon aus, dass …
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
theory
(ˈθiəri) – plural ˈtheories – noun1. an idea or explanation which has not yet been proved to be correct. There are many theories about the origin of life; In theory, I agree with you, but it would not work in practice.
2. the main principles and ideas in an art, science etc as opposed to the practice of actually doing it. A musician has to study both the theory and practice of music.
ˌtheoˈretical (-ˈreti-) adjectiveˌtheoˈretically (-ˈreti-)
adverb.
ˈtheorize, ˈtheorise verb to make theories. He did not know what had happened, so he could only theorize about it.
ˈtheorist nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
theory
→ نَظَرِيَّة teorie teori Theorie θεωρία teoría teoria théorie teorija teoria 理論 이론 theorie teori teoria teoria теория teori ทฤษฎี kuram lý thuyết 理论Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
the·o·ry
n. teoría.
1. conocimientos relacionados con un tema sin verificación práctica de los mismos;
2. especulación u opinión que no ha sido probada científicamente.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
theory
n (pl -ries) teoríaEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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A research design is important for ensuring the research objectives are met by properly structuring data collection and analyzing it.
Understand Research Design
What is Research Design?
A research design, also called study design, is the plan and structure specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing data to answer research questions and meet the study’s objectives.
Guide or Approaches to Research Design
By plan, we mean the overall scheme or program of research, a plan that describes how, when, and where the data are to be collected and analyzed.
By structure, we mean the conceptual framework used to specify the relationships among the study variables and answer the research questions.
The nature and objectives of a study determine, to a large extent, the research design to be employed to conduct a study.
The design of a study defines the study type (e.g., descriptive, correlational, pre-experimental, truly experimental, or quasi-experimental), research problem, hypothesis, data collection methods, and analysis plan.
Questions Research Design Must Answer
A research design will answer – what technique or techniques will be used to gather data.
This question raises the issue of whether a survey, an experiment or any other method will be employed to conduct a study.
Properties of a Good Research Design
We enumerate below a few desirable properties of good research design. These are as follows:
- A good research design is an ethical research design.
- A good research design can obtain the most reliable and valid data.
- A good research design can measure any odd events in any circumstances.
- A good research design helps an investigator avoid making mistaken conclusions.
- A good research design can adequately control the various threats to validity, both internal and external.
Guidelines for Selecting a Good Research Design
The researchers often encounter problems in selecting an appropriate research design. Here are some guidelines one can follow when choosing a research design for his or her study.
- Try to create experimental and control groups by assigning cases randomly from a single population study group.
- When a random assignment is not possible, try to find a comparison group nearly equivalent to the experimental group.
- When neither a randomly assigned control group nor a similar comparison group is available, try to use a time-series design that can provide information on trends before and after a program intervention (X)
- If a time series design cannot be used, as a minimum, and before a program starts, try to obtain baseline (pretest) information that can be compared against post-program information (a pretest-posttest design).
- If baseline (pretest) information is unavailable, be aware that we will be limited in the type of analysis we can conduct. We should consider using multivariate analytic techniques.
- Always keep in mind the issue of validity. Are the measurements true? Do they do what they are supposed to do? Are there possible threats to validity (history, selection testing, maturation, mortality, or instrumentation) that might explain the results?
The experimenter must consider ethical, practical, administrative, and technical issues in all cases.
Types of Research Design
Although no simple classification of research design covers the variations found in practice, several classifications of the research designs are possible depending on the type of studies adopted.
From the standpoint of research strategies, two broad classifications of research designs are infrequent.
Non-Experimental Study
A non-experimental study is one in which the researcher just describes and analyzes researchable problems without manipulating or intervening in the situations.
Non-experimental studies include, among others, the following types of studies:
- Exploratory studies.
- Descriptive studies.
- Causal studies.
Exploratory Studies / Exploratory Research
An exploratory study(also called exploratory research) is a small-scale study of relatively short duration, undertaken when little is known about a situation or problem. An exploratory study helps a researcher to
- Diagnose a problem;
- Search for alternatives;
- Discover new ideas;
- Develop and sharpen his concepts more clearly;
- Establish priority among several alternatives;
- Identify variables of interest;
- Set research questions and objectives;
- Formulate hypotheses;
- Develop an operational definition of variables;
- Improve his final research design.
The exploratory study helps to save time and money. If the problem appears not as important at first sight, a research project may be abandoned at the initial stage.
Exploratory study progressively narrows the scope of the research topic and transforms the undefined problems into defined ones, incorporating specific research objectives.
An exploratory study ends when the researcher is fully convinced that he has established the major dimension of the research, and no additional research is needed to conduct the larger study.
Descriptive Studies / Descriptive Research
The objective of a descriptive study is to focus on ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘when,’ and ‘how’ questions. The simplest descriptive study aims at
- Describing phenomena or characteristics associated with a population by univariate questions;
- Estimating the proportions of a population that has the characteristics outlined above and
- Discovering association (but not causation) among different variables.
Descriptive studies may be carried out on a small or large scale. Such a study may often be completed within a few months or weeks or even within a few hours.
Causal Studies / Causal Research
A causal research/study, also called an explanatory or analytical study, attempts to establish causes or risk factors for certain problems.
Our concern in causal studies is to examine how one variable ‘affects’ or is ‘responsible for changes in another variable. The first variable is the independent variable, and the latter is the dependent variable.
Experimental Research / Experimental Study
An experimental study/experimental research design is one in which the researcher manipulates the situation and measures the outcome of his manipulation. This contrasts with a correlational study, which has very little control over the research environment.
The experimental study exercises considerable control over the environment. This control over the research process allows the experimenter to attempt to establish causation rather than mere correlation. Thus, the establishment of causation is the usual goal of the experiment.
FAQs
What are the two main classifications of research designs based on research strategies?
The two main classifications of research strategies based on research strategies are non-experimental and experimental designs.
What is a non-experimental study?
A non-experimental study is one where the researcher describes and analyzes researchable problems without manipulating or intervening in the situations. It includes exploratory studies, descriptive studies, and causal studies.
What is the purpose of an exploratory study?
An exploratory study, also called exploratory research, is a small-scale study undertaken when little is known about a situation or problem. It helps diagnose problems, search for alternatives, discover new ideas, establish research priorities, identify variables of interest, and improve the final research design.
How does a descriptive study differ from a causal study?
Descriptive research describes the characteristics of a population or phenomena, focusing on ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘when,’ and ‘how’ questions. In contrast, a causal study, also known as an explanatory or analytical study, attempts to establish causes or risk factors for certain problems by examining how one variable affects another.
What is an experimental research design?
An experimental research design is one where the researcher manipulates the situation and measures the outcome of this manipulation. It exercises considerable control over the research environment, allowing the experimenter to attempt to establish causation rather than mere correlation.
What are some properties of a good research design?
A good research design should be ethical, obtain the most reliable and valid data, measure any odd events in any circumstances, help avoid making mistaken conclusions, and adequately control various threats to both internal and external validity.
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...precise documentation of every single important process, and action that takes place. This will also allow us to have a strong reference point whenever anything is in question. “Real programmers don't comment their code, if it was hard to write, it should be hard to understand and harder to modify.” Programmers don’t just stay on what they have learned, they continuous educating themselves by exploring innovative ideas and modify systems to a better ones. Statement from the owner of a small industrial control software company: "We do not want our (end-user) documentation to be too clear. We make a lot of money doing training." For me, this attitude gives the software industry a bad name. A lot companies does this kind of wrong methodologies these day. They took advantage on end-users by making complicated end-user documentation and make the end-users who doesn’t really understand the documentation drop a call on the help centers and ask for a technical assistance. Or sometimes, they do trainings on how to use the software. And all of it has certain amount of charges. In short, they earn a lot of money in a wrong and corrupt...
Words: 306 - Pages: 2
...Rooter: A Methodology for the Typical Unification of Access Points and Redundancy Jeremy Stribling, Daniel Aguayo and Maxwell Krohn A BSTRACT Many physicists would agree that, had it not been for congestion control, the evaluation of web browsers might never have occurred. In fact, few hackers worldwide would disagree with the essential unification of voice-over-IP and publicprivate key pair. In order to solve this riddle, we confirm that SMPs can be made stochastic, cacheable, and interposable. I. I NTRODUCTION Many scholars would agree that, had it not been for active networks, the simulation of Lamport clocks might never have occurred. The notion that end-users synchronize with the investigation of Markov models is rarely outdated. A theoretical grand challenge in theory is the important unification of virtual machines and real-time theory. To what extent can web browsers be constructed to achieve this purpose? Certainly, the usual methods for the emulation of Smalltalk that paved the way for the investigation of rasterization do not apply in this area. In the opinions of many, despite the fact that conventional wisdom states that this grand challenge is continuously answered by the study of access points, we believe that a different solution is necessary. It should be noted that Rooter runs in Ω(log log n) time. Certainly, the shortcoming of this type of solution, however, is that compilers and superpages are mostly incompatible. Despite the fact that similar methodologies visualize...
Words: 2615 - Pages: 11
...INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ASSIGNMENT - I Submitted to: Submitted by: Prof. Dinesh Khurana Sweta Singh 14PGDMHR44 2014-2016 Q.1. Does the opening vignette in the beginning of this chapter require research? Why/why not? In case your answer is yes, what type of research would you advocate to EEE? Yes, it does require research and explanatory research is required for EEE as a detailed and thorough findings are to be aimed at. Q.2. You are a business manager with the ITC group of hotels. You receive a customer satisfaction report on your international hotels from the research agency to which you had outsourced the work. What or how will you evaluate the quality of work done in the study? Customer satisfaction report should focus on issues like what are the services with which customers are not very satisfied. So this can be seen through the revenue generated from various services. Also which hotel among the group of hotels customers find the best. Whether the revenues generated from the hotels match the results of the survey. If research shows any particular aspect that customers feel is missing in the group of hotels. Q.3. A lot of business magazines conduct surveys, for example the best management schools in the country; the top ten banks in the country; the best schools to study in, etc. What do you think...
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...Q.1 Discuss the various bases or criteria for segmenting consumer markets. Explain Tanishqssegmentation and positioning strategy.Tanishq from the house of Tata entered the jewellery market as a national retail chain that providedmade the audience with jewellery of high design value and reliable worth. it its consumers believein the purity of their jewellery by introduction of Karat meters. These instruments helped theconsumer measure the purity in a non- destructive manner. Another positioning strategy used byTanishq were promotions by fashion shows to increase the shopping experience. It also catered tothe mass by their differentiated designs for everyone be it contemporary, tradition, Indian orInternational audience. It also created exclusive Tanishq outlets and also launched its new collectionat a quicker rate than its competitor. Tanishq also came up with new marketing promotions withevery new collect to attract consumer. Tanishq overall segmented its consumers in differentpromotional manners and focused more on in-store promotions than advertising to make the brandmore accessible.Q.2 What are Tanishqs key brand values or brand strengths? Explain. y Tanishq has a range of differentiated designs like contemporary, tradition, Indian orInternational to suit everyones needs and demands. y Tanishq established itself as reliable in terms of purity by introducing Karat meters in theIndian market for the first time. y The Tanishq portfolio comprises of a wide...
Words: 255 - Pages: 2
...CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design This chapter presents the methodology of the study by which the research activities were undertaken. This included the research design, the subject of the study, the locale, the research instruments, data gathering procedure and statistical treatment of data. Method of Study This study used the descriptive correlation method since its purpose was to determine the existing condition of the students’ study habits and their academic achievement. Moreover, it also described the existing relationship between students’ academic achievement and their learning environment. According to Good and Scales, a descriptive investigation includes all the studies that support to present facts concerning the nature and status of anything – a group of persons, a number of objects, a set of conditions, a class of events, a system of thought, or any kind of phenomena which one may wish to study. Subjects of the Study The subjects of the study were the Fourth Year High School students from Public and Private schools in Taguig. See Table 1 for the breakdown of sample. Table 1 School Type Male Female Total Total This study focused on the study habits and learning environment in relation to the academic achievement of Fourth Year level students of President Diosdado Macapagal High School, Signal Village National High School, Athens Academy and Royal Era which were utilized as the samples of the study. It was composed of...
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...DEVELOPMENT OF HOSTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM METHODOLOGY It is the systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study. It comprises the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles associated with a branch of knowledge. System development methodology in software engineering is a framework that is used to structure, plan, and control the process of developing an information system. There are several methodologies and tools used in software or system development. Some of which are , Agile, crystal methods, dynamic systems development(DSDM), Feature driven development (FDD), Joint application development(JAD)etc. Since we are aiming at developing hostel management system to solve the problems in manual ways of hostel management which in now common even with the current technological advancement. The following steps are how we intend to go about with the study or the project work with regards to hostel management system. Interviews According to Gary Dessler, an interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person’s oral response to oral inquires and it can also be described as two-way conversations that the parties involve have some sort of objectives or goals to accomplish. So basically we will have some kind of oral conversation with the some Hostel managers, students and others who have knowledge in relation to our study in order to have a detailed overview on how the manual system is run with regards to record keeping...
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...Soft Systems Methodology A report by Dale Couprie Alan Goodbrand Bin Li David Zhu Department of Computer Science University of Calgary Table of Contents. Abstract. Introduction Map Stage 1. Problem situation unstructured. Stage 2. Problem Situation expressed. Rich Pictures Illustration of Stage 1 and Stage 2 as a whole in SSM Pitfalls that must be avoided. Stage 3: Naming of Relevant Systems Root Definitions CATWOE Stage 4: Conceptual Models Systems Thinking Formal Systems Model Monitoring a System Stage 5: Comparing Conceptual Models with Reality Using Conceptual Models as a Base for Ordered Questioning Comparing History with Model Prediction General Overall Comparison Model Overlay Stages 6 and 7. Implementing Feasible and Desirable Changes Case Study - Rethinking a Service Function in the Shell Group Stages 1 and 2 Stage 3: Naming of Relevant Systems Stage 4: Conceptual Models Stage 5: Comparing Conceptual Models with Reality Stages 6 and 7. Implementing Feasible and Desirable Changes Observations and Conclusions Exercise References Figures. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. Soft Systems Methodology map. Transformation process for producing Rich Picture. The routing of Systems Thinking. Shell's MF Rich Picture. Shell's MF world view of training. Shell's MF training conceptual model. Tables. Table 1. One to one transformations involving different world views. Table 2. Shell's Comparison with reality. Abstract This document deals with...
Words: 6553 - Pages: 27
...to absorbed knowledge. The difference between the terminal performance of the learner and his/her base level performance is normally attributed to effective teaching by means of teaching methodologies use by the teacher. Teacher factor is one of the strongest determinants of successful learning that contribute to the study habits of students. Study habits and teaching methodologies performed a very important role in the learning process. Through the advancement in our technology some changes occur in teaching procedures, the help of printed materials learning become complex. The skill in selecting methodologies in the context of certain lesson is critical. The teacher has mastered this ability through sharp and intensive observation of how students learn. Choosing on what teaching methodologies to be used can contribute on the study habits of the students. It is expected that when teachers used the best teaching method, students might study lessons easily. Psychologists and educational experts are aware of this situation and use their knowledge about learning, about techniques and procedures to study and apply it to teaching process. How can we obtain learnings by means of study habit? Salandanan (2005) asserts that, “[i]t includes the teachers’ to implement a particular methodology in presenting a lesson” (p. 50). Formulation of instructional objectives lead to good study habits. Students find this situation as an interrelated to each one. Study habit is affected...
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...Magisteruppsats i Informatik Master thesis in Informatics REPORT NO. 2008:034 ISSN: 1651-4769 Department of Applied Information Technology Soft Systems Methodology in action: A case study at a purchasing department Using SSM to suggest a new way of conducting financial reporting at a purchasing department in the automotive industry OLLE L. BJERKE IT Universtiy of Göteborg Chalmers University of Technology and Universtiy of Gothenburg Göteborg, Sweden 2008 1 Using Soft Systems Methodology at a purchasing department to conduct a study of financial reporting needs Olle L. Bjerke Department of Applied Information Technology IT University of Göteborg Göteborg University and Chalmers University of Technology SUMMARY The aim of this essay has been to try out Soft Systems Methodology on financial reporting at Volvo Cars Corporation (VCC). VCC saw a possible opportunity to improve their reporting processes, and SSM was chosen to deal with this possible problematic situation. Action Research became the natural way of conducting the study since it is almost a mandatory way of conducting SSM. A delimitation was made due to limited resources and only a small part of the purchasing department was involved, namely electrical purchasing. The result of the study is the artifacts from the different SSM steps that points upon how the participants would like the reporting system to be as well as many issues with the current reporting process. These outputs from the method...
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...AND MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION MEI 2015 CDAD2103 METHODOLOGY OF INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT Contents 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Methodology 1 1.3 Types of Software developing life cycles (SDLC) 2 1. Waterfall Model 2 2. V-Shaped Model 4 3. Evolutionary Prototyping Model 5 4. Spiral Method (SDM) 7 5. Iterative and Incremental Method 8 6. Extreme programming (Agile development) 10 1.4 CASE (computer-aided software engineering) 11 1.5 Conclusion 16 Introduction System development methodology is a standard process followed in an organization to conduct all the steps necessary to analyze, design, implement, and maintain information systems. Organizations use a standard set of steps, called system development methodology to develop and support their information systems. Like many processes, the development of information systems often follows a life cycle. For example, a commercial product such as a Nike sneaker or a Honda car follows a life cycle; it is created, tested and introduced to the market. Its sales increase, peak and decline. Finally, the product is removed from the market and is replaced with something else. Many options exist for developing information systems, but the most common methodology for system development in many organizations is system development life cycle. However, it is important to know other alternative development methodology available in order to maximize the development process....
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...the publication of Ball and Brown’s seminal work in 1968, accounting research moved into positive research (i.e., examining what is rather than what should be). Although this change has had its critics, it has resulted in a significant increase in research output (and many new journals). A cynical definition of research is: any paper that cites a lot of other accounting papers must be accounting research. This “quick and dirty” definition restricts accounting research to topics and methodologies that are well established in the literature; it is “safe” but somewhat limiting. More rigorously, Oler, Oler, and Skousen (2009) attempt to characterize accounting research by looking at the topics, research methodologies, and citations made by papers published in a set of six top accounting journals (AOS, CAR, JAE, JAR, RAST, and TAR). Their work can be criticized, though, because they do not consider all accounting journals, and because their categorizations of topics (6 of them) and research methodologies (7 of them) are broad. In spite of shortcomings, their paper appears to be the first that attempts to characterize and define accounting research, which they define as follows: “accounting research is research into the effect of economic events on the process of summarizing, analyzing, verifying, and reporting standardized financial information, and on the effects of reported information on economic events.” Professors typically will...
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...In his 1989 article Mouck cites Morgan (1988) who observed that: “The idea that accountants represent reality ‘as is ‘ through the means of numbers that are objective and value free, has clouded the much more important insight that accountants are always engaged in interpreting a complex reality, partially, and in a way that is heavily weighted in favor of what the accountant is able to measure and chooses to measure…” (p. 480). Required: Discuss the extent to which the “scientific” world-view of mainstream accounting researchers, is grounded on a belief that “reality” exists independently of thee human subject and the possible implications this has for accounting theory development. Introduction Accounting is a subject that is guided with principles and regulations. Thus, it is often regarded as a rigid, rigorous, and highly analytical discipline with very precise interpretations. However, this is far from the truth. For instance, two organizations that are otherwise homogeneous can apply different valuation methods giving entirely distinct but equally correct answers. One may argue that a choice between accounting schemes is merely an “accounting construct” the sorts of “games” accountants play that are exclusively of relevance to them but have no pertinent in the “real world.” Once again this is entirely false. For example, valuation of inventory using either LIFO (Last-in-last-out) or FIFO (First-in-first-out) has an impact on income tax, especially in the US...
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...Guido L. Geerts, author of “A Design Science Research Methodology and Its Application to Accounting Information Systems Research,” asserts most of research currently conducted in the accounting information systems (AIS) and information systems (IS) areas focuses on understanding why things work the way they do, also known as “natural science (Geerts, 2011).” The primary goal of the paper was to introduce the design science research methodology (DSRM) into accounting information systems (AIS) literature by discussing the DSRM, applying the DSRM to different AIS design science papers, and then integrating the DSRM as part of the operational AIS literature (Geerts, 2011). “Currently, integration is increasingly needed in the business environment. This need emerges from the efficiency and synergy requirements necessary in a complex and turbulent environment. In other words, integration is needed to facilitate coordination, which is again related to the building of competitive advantage.” (Granlund & Malmi, 2002, p. 305). Detail Geerts’ introduction gives definitions and history of the concept of DSRM and AIS so that the reader may transition along with the article. There is discussion of each methodology giving the history and the science behind it and then he moves into how the application of DSRM was discussed in the AIS area. According to Geerts the DSRM has three objectives and aims at improving the production, presentation, and evaluation of design science research...
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...EMSE 6850 Introduction to Management Science Year 2013 – 2014 First deadline is 31st December 2013 Absolute deadline is 5th January 2014 Assessment You are required to prepare a business report on a Management Science related problem of your choice. The report should be a self-contained (3000 words max) document explaining the problem; the method of your choice with justification; application analysis and outcomes. The maximum number of words is 3000 words but you are allowed to add any appendices should you deem necessary. The contents should be as follows: Executive Summary One page description of the business problem tackled, the MS approached used, and outcomes. Document signposts Table of contents and tables of figures and tables (if needed). Use of citation and references as appropriate. Introduction A description of the business problem faced and the objectives as laid down by the management group. You may refer to Hillier and Hillier for help in describing the problem. Method used Present the MS method used and why you thought it was the most appropriate amongst other methods. Your justification of the choice is an important part of your assessment Implementation A description of how the raw problem is converted into a spreadsheet model. Please provide details of the raw data and the steps followed for populating it in Excel Analysis Provide alternative solutions and scenarios and their respective outcomes. This should be accompanied by a...
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...se BSG – 306 – Fall Semester / 2012 - 2013 [pic] Progress Report / Project / Presentation Course Title: Business Communication Course Number: BSG – 306 Number of Credits: 3 – 3 – 0 Pre-requisites: BSG – 201 and ENL – 102 Name of the Professor: Dr. Naseer Khan, [email protected] Class Timing: 13.30 to 14.45 hours on Monday and Wednesday 19.30 to 20.45 hours on Sunday and Tuesday Sections: 51 Morning and 1 Evening Hand in date: Progress Report – 24.10.2012 Final Project – 31.10.2012 and Presentation – 28.11.2012 Hand out date: 23rd September, 2012 Hand in time of presentation: Hard copy Project Number: ONE Allocation of Marks: 15 (Progress Report 5marks, Final Project 5marks and Presentation 5 marks) Note: Copying from any source will be awarded zero Name of the student: Id. #: Name of the Project: “Business Communication Issues in an Organization” Introduction: The aim of this Project is to introduce you to the subject of Business Communication and how it is practiced in the real business / organization. Business Communication...
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...Q.1 Discuss the various bases or criteria for segmenting consumer markets. Explain Tanishqssegmentation and positioning strategy.Tanishq from the house of Tata entered the jewellery market as a national retail chain that providedmade the audience with jewellery of high design value and reliable worth. it its consumers believein the purity of their jewellery by introduction of Karat meters. These instruments helped theconsumer measure the purity in a non- destructive manner. Another positioning strategy used byTanishq were promotions by fashion shows to increase the shopping experience. It also catered tothe mass by their differentiated designs for everyone be it contemporary, tradition, Indian orInternational audience. It also created exclusive Tanishq outlets and also launched its new collectionat a quicker rate than its competitor. Tanishq also came up with new marketing promotions withevery new collect to attract consumer. Tanishq overall segmented its consumers in differentpromotional manners and focused more on in-store promotions than advertising to make the brandmore accessible.Q.2 What are Tanishqs key brand values or brand strengths? Explain. y Tanishq has a range of differentiated designs like contemporary, tradition, Indian orInternational to suit everyones needs and demands. y Tanishq established itself as reliable in terms of purity by introducing Karat meters in theIndian market for the first time. y The Tanishq portfolio comprises of a wide...
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...CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design This chapter presents the methodology of the study by which the research activities were undertaken. This included the research design, the subject of the study, the locale, the research instruments, data gathering procedure and statistical treatment of data. Method of Study This study used the descriptive correlation method since its purpose was to determine the existing condition of the students’ study habits and their academic achievement. Moreover, it also described the existing relationship between students’ academic achievement and their learning environment. According to Good and Scales, a descriptive investigation includes all the studies that support to present facts concerning the nature and status of anything – a group of persons, a number of objects, a set of conditions, a class of events, a system of thought, or any kind of phenomena which one may wish to study. Subjects of the Study The subjects of the study were the Fourth Year High School students from Public and Private schools in Taguig. See Table 1 for the breakdown of sample. Table 1 School Type Male Female Total Total This study focused on the study habits and learning environment in relation to the academic achievement of Fourth Year level students of President Diosdado Macapagal High School, Signal Village National High School, Athens Academy and Royal Era which were utilized as the samples of the study. It was composed of...
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...INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ASSIGNMENT - I Submitted to: Submitted by: Prof. Dinesh Khurana Sweta Singh 14PGDMHR44 2014-2016 Q.1. Does the opening vignette in the beginning of this chapter require research? Why/why not? In case your answer is yes, what type of research would you advocate to EEE? Yes, it does require research and explanatory research is required for EEE as a detailed and thorough findings are to be aimed at. Q.2. You are a business manager with the ITC group of hotels. You receive a customer satisfaction report on your international hotels from the research agency to which you had outsourced the work. What or how will you evaluate the quality of work done in the study? Customer satisfaction report should focus on issues like what are the services with which customers are not very satisfied. So this can be seen through the revenue generated from various services. Also which hotel among the group of hotels customers find the best. Whether the revenues generated from the hotels match the results of the survey. If research shows any particular aspect that customers feel is missing in the group of hotels. Q.3. A lot of business magazines conduct surveys, for example the best management schools in the country; the top ten banks in the country; the best schools to study in, etc. What do you think...
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...RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. 3.0. Introduction. Research methodology is concerned with the explanation of all the techniques and methods of carrying out specific research, how data will be gathered and collected from the various sources of data and the analysis of the collected data and how the data is processed together with other adopted strategies with the purpose of arriving at valid conclusions. In this chapter, the research design, method of study, subjects, instruments used and the procedures for administration of the instrument and the data collection are presented. 3.1. Research Design. The research design is concerned with the structuring of an investigation for the purpose of identifying the relevant...
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...RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ( For Private Circulation Only) Reference: 1. Dawson, Catherine, 2002, Practical Research Methods, New Delhi, UBS Publishers’Distributors 2. Kothari, C.R.,1985, Research Methodology- Methods and Techniques, New Delhi, Wiley Eastern Limited. 3.Kumar, Ranjit, 2005, Research Methodology-A Beginners,(2nd.ed.),Singapore, Pearson Education. Step-by-Step Guide for RESEARCH: a way of examining your practice… Research is undertaken within most professions. More than a set of skills, it is a way of thinking: examining critically the various aspects of your professional work. It is a habit of questioning what you do, and a systematic examination of the observed information to find answers with a view to instituting appropriate changes for a more effective professional service. DEFINITION OF RESEARCH When you say that you are undertaking a research study to find answers to a question, you are implying that the process; 1. is being undertaken within a framework of a set of philosophies ( approaches); 2. uses procedures, methods and techniques that have been tested for their validity and reliability; 3. is designed to be unbiased and objective . Philosophies means approaches e.g. qualitative, quantitative and the academic discipline in which you have been trained. Validity means that correct procedures have been applied to find answers to a question. Reliability refers to the quality of a measurement procedure that provides repeatability and accuracy. Unbiased...
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...simple terms methodology can be defined as, it is used to give a clear cut idea on what the researcher is carrying out his or her research. In order to plan in a right point of time and to advance the research work methodology makes the right platform to the researcher to mapping out the research work in relevance to make solid plans. More over methodology guides the researcher to involve and to be active in his or her particular field of enquiry. Most of the situations the aim of the research and the research topic won’t be same at all time it varies from its objectives and flow of the research but by adopting a suitable methodology this can be achieved. Right from selecting the topic and carrying out till recommendations research methodology drives the researcher in the right track. The entire research plan is based on the concept of right methodology. More over through methodology the external environment constitutes the research by giving a depth idea on setting the right research objective, followed by literature point of view, based on that chosen analysis through interviews or questionnaires findings will be obtained and finally concluded message by this research. On the other hand from the methodology the internal environment constitutes by understanding and identifying the right type of research, strategy, philosophy, time horizon, approaches, followed by right procedures and techniques based on his or her research work. In other hand the research methodology acts as the...
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...means identification and description of the history and well def and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to the existing literature. He added that background information in your introduction should indicate the root of the problem being studied, its scope and the extent to which previous studies have successfullyinvestigated the problem, where the gaps exist that your study attempts to address. Introductory background information differs from a literature review because it places the research problem in proper context rather than thoroughly examining pertinent literature. In recent years, the use of social networking sites has grown tremendously especially among the teens and high school students. However, very little is known about the scale of use, the purpose, how students use these sites and, more specifically, whether these sites help or harm their academic progress, (Miah, Omar and Golding, 2012) Kumar (2005) asserts that research objectives refer to what researcher studies for. The research objectives are categorized into two categories that are the main or general objective and sub objectives or specific objectives. Kumar says main objectives are what the research has thrust to conduct research while sub objectives identify the specific issues researcher proposes to examine. The objective should be clear stated the main aim of the researcher to conduct research as well as...
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...3.1 Introduction: Research methodology is a means to determine the research dilemma systematically. This consists of the several means to collect data and analyze them. It is a plan that describes the process in which the research will determine, and this will determine the way that will apply in the research. The methodology will determine how the data will be collected and what the design is, and ways will be applied(AL-Moqbali,2017). In addition, it describes the actions of the research and how they are progressed to research to the research outcomes. "Methodology is the systematic, theoretical analysis of the processes applied to a field of research. It includes the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles associated with...
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...Research Methodology The previous chapters presented an overview of the research which have a direct relationship with the objectives of this research. Choosing an appropriate research methodology is an essential part in defining the steps to be taken to answer the research questions. Therefore, this chapter explains in depth the methodology that has been used to carry out this research. The main objective for this research is to build an equalization for MDM to compensate for the channel's imperfections and recover the original data. Therefore, this research is considered is one of exploratory research. Basically the main purpose of this chapter is to show the approaches that used executing this research and demonstrating of how the approaches...
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...When doing research it is very important to have a logical framework that will be used to examine the question without this framework the research question is destined to fail. This framework is the methodology that is chosen. The methodology that is chosen will steer the direction that the research will take. There are 3 basic types of methodology that can be used; qualitative, quantitative, and mixed. Qualative research methodology is observing and analyzing behaviors, trends, and patterns by using focus groups, seminars, surveys, interview, and forums (AIU, 2012). That data that is collected is generally nonnumeric and focuses on groups of people or objects (Editorial Board, 2011). Quantitative research uses relationships between variables, both independent and dependent. This type of research can be used in observational and experimental research. The difference between qualitative and quantitative research is that quantitative research focuses on hypothesis testing (2012). Quantitative data is generally a numeric measurement (2011). The mixed methodology is a combination of qualative and quantitative research because of this it is thought to be the most powerful methodology (2012). The data collection tool (direct observation, interviews, survey, questionnaires, and experiments) used depends on the type of data being collected, the amount of data being collected, the quality of the data being collected, the time frame in which the data needs to be collected, and the cost...
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...Research Methodology | Name: PeterKungeke | Student Number: 25353365 Assignment Number: 1Course Code: PBSC 811 PECDue Date: 16th June 2014 | | Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction 2 Section 2: Identify a topic of interest 4 Section 3: The problem statement and literature review 5 Section 4: Formulating research questions, research objective and hypothesis 6 References: 8 Section 1: Introduction 1.1 Scientific vs non-scientific knowledge This observation is based on non-scientific knowledge. The researcher seems to have just observed the situation and based his hypothesis without quantified evidence. Its seems his hypothesis is an observation from a small group of people and it is elevating his perceptions that employees from North West tender CV ‘s with limited information when they apply for jobs in Gauteng. The statement lacks a systematic way of observation; it’s not derived from a controlled observation and might be difficult to replicate. The statement sounds to be very peer opinionated or tradition (Welman, 2011: 3). 1.2 Ethics in research This study will not adhere to the principles of research according to William (2011: 42-50) as below; * The researcher is not honest; she is copying the American study which could also amount to plagiarism. * She blames the managers prior to doing the research by saying that their work is below average and gives them an upfront fact that they experience burn out. * She has no respect...
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...Research Methodology Name Institutional Affiliations Chapter III: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction The methodology chapter will identify and discuss the methods of research applied in the current study and justify their ability to achieve the predetermined objectives and aims. The principal concepts for discussion in the chapter will include the type of research, time and location of research, sampling and data collection, measures of variables, data analysis, and the ethical consideration in the order. The selection of the research methodology is crucial in the achievement of the aims and objectives and, as a result, it should have a significant level of priority and consideration of the expectations and most viable options. A reflection of the reality and practicability of abstract ideas are key concepts in the development of a realistic and highly performing approach to research that will reach the laid expectations through the use of the available instruments and knowledge (Creswell, 2014). The methodology adopted for a study should always be the one with the potential to provide the best results with the input of the least resources, especially with the consideration of the value of time. The introduction and literature review chapters of the dissertation provide the foundation for the current section as they provide the definitions and relationships of the subjects. The hypotheses developed from the cumulated knowledge are the principal measurements necessary...
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...Dictionary definitions provide a useful basis for the operationalization or measurement of your concepts in the data collection stage of the research process. B in Scientific research we can't depends on too general unspecialized sources of definitions such as dictionary, encyclopedias, newspaper, we should carefully choose guiding definitions of variables/ concepts, because they will help in explanation for the relationships between variables in the chosen model, in addition, these definitions will serve as a basis for the operationalization or measurement of our concepts in the data collection stage of the research process, so we must choose the relevant definition from reliable specialized source of knowledge, such as peer-reviewed scientific journals. for example the definition of absenteeism varies widely in the literature reviews, some counts the temporary workers, other doesn't, so I have to choose the one that matches my local setting (9 elements), and the definition should be derived from a reliable scientific peer-reviewed sources. A. true B. false "What cannot be seen as purpose of a causal study? " C Making sure that all relevant variables are included in the study, is not from the purpose of the causal study, as it doesn't imply a cause and effect relationship a. Understanding the dependent variable. b. Predicting the dependent variable. c. Making sure that all relevant variables are included in the study. d. Explaining...
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...INTRODUCTION Welcome to Research Rundowns, a blog intended to simplify research methods in educational settings. I hope this site can serve as a quick, practical, and more importantly, relevant resource on how to read, conduct, and write research. The contents are an expansion and revision of my class materials, intended for use as a refresher or as a free introductory research methods course. Topics are organized into five main sections, with subsections (in parentheses): * Introduction (INTRO)–a brief overview of educational research methods (3) * Quantitative Methods (QUANT)–descriptive and inferential statistics (5) * Qualitative Methods (QUAL)–descriptive and thematic analysis (2) * Mixed Methods (MIXED)–integrated, synthesis, and multi-method approaches (1) * Research Writing (WRITING)–literature review and research report guides (5) Most subsection contains a non-technical description of the topic, a how-to interpret guide, a how-to set-up and analyze guide using free online calculators or Excel, and a wording results guide. All materials are available for general use, following the Creative Commons License. Introduction (INTRO)–a brief overview of educational research methods 1. What is Educational Research? (uploaded 7.17.09) 2. Writing Research Questions (uploaded 7.20.09) 3. Experimental Design (uploaded 7.20.09) ------------------------------------------------- Experimental Design The basic idea of experimental design involves...
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...is evident that monetary performance bonuses (moderating variable) provide employees with an initiative to produce more goods/services. This initiative creates efficient and effective production within the relationship thus aiding in overall increased productivity. Dependent Variable Intervening Variable Monetary performance bonus Independent Variable Moderating Variable Work design and remuneration and non-remuneration benefits Productivity levels QUESTION 2 2.1 Why is it important to spend time formulating and clarifying your research topic? Formulating your research topic is the first step taken at achieving success in your research. It is important that a good amount of time is provided to formulate this topic, and that enough research is done. Sufficient information is essential when formulating you research topic. When formulating your topic it is essential that you take into account the requirements of the research, in...
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View sample sociology research paper on quantitative methodology. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Feel free to contact our custom writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments for reasonable rates.
History of Sociological Quantification
Quantitative reasoning is widely applied in the discipline of sociology and quantification aids sociologists in at least seven main research areas: quantitative modeling, measurement, sampling, computerization, data analysis, hypothesis testing, and data storage and retrieval. But sociologists differ widely in their views of the role of quantification in sociology. This has apparently always been true to some degree. While Durkheim was a proponent of quantification, Weber was less enthusiastic. However, while Weber advocated the nonquantitative method Verstehen, both Weber and Durkheim saw the importance of method as well as theory, as both authored books on method (Weber 1949; Durkheim [1938] 1964). Today, the situation is much different, as a wide gulf exits between theory and method in twenty-first-century sociology, with only a few authors such as Abell (1971, 2004) and Fararo (1989) simultaneously developing theory and quantitative methodology designed to test theoretical propositions.
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The most vocal proponent of quantification in sociology may have been Lundberg (1939), who was known as the unabashed champion of strict operationalism. Operationalism, as originally defined in physics by Bridgman (1948), is the belief that “in general any concept is nothing more than a set of operations, the concept is synonymous with the corresponding set of operations” (Bridgman 1948:5–6). George Lundberg (1939, 1947) took the application of operationalism in sociology to an extreme. In Lundberg’s view, one did not approach an already existing concept and then attempt to measure it. The correct procedure in Lundberg’s view is to use measurement as a way of defining concepts. Thus, if one is asked what is meant by the concept of authoritarianism, the correct answer would be that authoritarianism is what an authoritarianism scale measures.
When he encountered objections to his advocacy of the use of quantification in sociology, Lundberg (1939, 1947) replied that quantitative concepts are ubiquitous in sociology, and need not even be symbolized by numerals, but can be conveyed verbally as well. For example, words such as “many,” “few,” or “several” connote quantitative concepts. In Lundberg’s view, quantification is embedded in verbal social research as well as in everyday thought and is not just an artificial construct that must be added to the research process by quantitative researchers.
After Lundberg (1939, 1947) and others such as Goode and Hatt (1952) and Lazarsfeld (1954) laid the foundation for quantitative sociology in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, the field surged in the 1960s and 1970s. The 1960s saw increased visibility for quantitative sociology with the publication of books and articles such as Blalock’s (1960) Social Statistics, Kemeny and Snell’s (1962) Mathematical Models in the Social Sciences; White’s (1963) An Anatomy of Kinship; Coleman’s (1964) Introduction to Mathematical Sociology, Foundations of Social Theory; Duncan’s (1966) “Path Analysis: Sociological Examples”; Land’s (1968) “Principles of Path Analysis”; Blalock’s (1969) Theory Construction: From Verbal to Mathematical Formulations; and White’s (1970) Chains of Opportunity.
Quantitative methods became even more visible in the 1970s and 1980s with the publication of a host of mathematical and statistical works, including Abell’s (1971) Model Building in Sociology; Blalock’s (1971) Causal Models in the Social Sciences; Fararo’s (1973) Mathematical Sociology; Fararo’s (1989) Meaning of General Theoretical Sociology; Bailey’s (1974b) “Cluster Analysis”; and Blalock’s (1982) Conceptualization and Measurement in the Social Sciences.
Quantitative Data Collection
Specific quantitative techniques make rigorous assumptions about the kind of data that is suitable for analysis with that technique. This requires careful attention to data collection. For data to meet the assumptions of a quantitative technique, the research process generally entails four distinct steps: hypothesis formulation, questionnaire construction, probability sampling, and data collection.
Hypothesis Formulation
A hypothesis is defined as a proposition designed to be tested in the research project. To achieve testability, all variables in the hypothesis must be clearly stated and must be capable of empirical measurement. Research hypotheses may be univariate, bivariate, or multivariate, and some may contain auxiliary information, such as information about control variables. The vast majority of hypotheses used by quantitative sociologists are bivariate. The classical sequence is to formulate the hypotheses first, before instrument construction, sample design, or data collection. Hypotheses may be inductively derived during prior research (Kemeny and Snell 1962) or may be deductively derived (Bailey 1973). Increasingly, however, quantitative sociologists are turning to the secondary analysis of existing data sets. In such a case, hypothesis formulation can be a somewhat ad hoc process of examining the available data in the data bank or data set and formulating a hypothesis that includes the existing available variables.
For example, Lee (2005) used an existing data set and so was constrained to formulate hypotheses using the available variables. He presented three hypotheses, one of which stated that democracy is not directly related to income inequality (Lee 2005:162). While many quantitative studies in contemporary sociology present lists of formal hypotheses (usually five or less), some studies either leave hypotheses implicit or do not present them at all. For example, Torche (2005) discusses the relationship between mobility and inequality but does not present any formal hypotheses (p. 124).
Questionnaire Construction
In the classical research sequence, the researcher designed a questionnaire that would collect the data necessary for hypotheses testing. Questionnaire construction, as a middle component of the research sequence, is subject to a number of constraints that are not always well recognized. First and foremost is the necessity for the questionnaire to faithfully measure the concepts in the hypotheses. But other constraints are also imposed after questionnaire construction, chiefly sampling constraints, data-collection constraints, and quantitative data-analysis constraints. The questionnaire constrains the sampling design. If the questionnaire is very short and easily administered, this facilitates the use of a complicated sample design.
However, if the questionnaire is complex, then sample size may need to be reduced. The construction of a large and complex questionnaire means that it is difficult and time-consuming to conduct a large number of interviews. It also means that money that could otherwise be spent on the sample design must now be used for interviewer training, interviewing, and codebook construction. In addition to such sampling and data-collection constraints, the chief constraint on instrument design is the type of quantitative technique to be used for data analysis.
That is, the questionnaire must be designed to collect data that meet the statistical assumptions of the quantitative techniques to be used. Questionnaires can quickly become long and complicated. Furthermore, there is a tendency to construct closed-ended questions with not more than seven answer categories. While such nominal or ordinal data are often used in regression analyses, they are marginally inappropriate for ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and other quantitative techniques that assume interval or ratio data. Clearly, one of the great advantages of conducting a secondary analysis of data that has already been collected is that it avoids dealing with the many constraints imposed on the construction of an original datacollection instrument.
Probability Sampling
Many extant quantitative techniques (particularly inductive statistics) can only be used on data collected with a rigorous and sufficiently large probability sample, generally a random sample of some sort. One of the questions most frequently asked of research consultants is, “What is the minimum sample size acceptable for my research project?” Based on the law of large numbers and other considerations, some researchers permit the use of samples as small as 30 cases (Monette, Sullivan, and DeJong 2005:141). There is clearly a trend in the sociological literature toward larger sample sizes, often achieved through the use of the secondary analysis of existing samples and the pooling of multiple samples.
Sociology had few if any research methods books of its own prior to the publication of the volume by Goode and Hatt (1952). Before 1952, sociological researchers relied primarily on psychology research books, such as Jahoda, Deutsch, and Cook (1951), which de-emphasized sampling by relegating it to the appendix. Psychology emphasized the experimental method, with a small number of research subjects (often 15 or less), and de-emphasized surveys. Furthermore, in the mid-twentieth century, it was common for both psychology and sociology to use a “captive audience” sample of students from the researcher’s classes.
The chief research models for sociology before 1952 were psychology and (to a lesser degree) medicine. While psychology routinely used a small sample of subjects in experiments, samples in medical research were often quite small as well. If a researcher is conducting medical research, such as a study of pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder, it may be difficult to obtain more than 8 or 10 cases, as the onset of this syndrome is usually later in life. With psychology and medicine as its chief models before 1952, sample sizes in sociology tended to be small.
Over time, sample sizes in sociology have grown dramatically. The present emphasis is on national samples and multinational comparisons, as sociology moves away from the psychological model and toward the economic model. For example, Hollister (2004:669, table 1) did not collect her own data, but used secondary data with an N of 443, 399 to study hourly wages.
Data Collection
During the period 1950 to 1980 when social psychology was dominant in sociology, data collection was often a matter of using Likert scales of 5–7 categories (see Bailey 1994b) to collect data on concepts such as authoritarianism or alienation from a relatively small sample of persons.
Now that economics is becoming the dominant model (see Davis 2001), there are at least two salient ramifications of this trend. One is that an individual researcher is unlikely to possess the resources (even with a large grant) to collect data on 3,000 or more cases and so must often rely on secondary data, as did Joyner and Kao (2005). Another ramification is that researchers wishing to use these large economic data sets that are relatively prevalent must obviously use a different kind of data, and different quantitative techniques, than researchers did in an earlier era when psychology predominated. The psychological orientation resulted in data collection more conducive to analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and factor analysis, in addition to multiple regression (OLS). Today things have changed, and the technique of choice for the large economic data sets is logistic regression.
Mathematical Sociology
It is useful to divide the extant quantitative techniques in twenty-first-century sociology into inferential statistics (probability-based techniques with tests of significance) and mathematical models (techniques that lack significance tests and are often nonprobabilistic). Rudner (1966) makes a distinction between method and methodology. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably in sociology and elsewhere, there is an important difference between them. According to Rudner, methods are techniques for gathering data, such as survey research, observation, experimentation, and so on. In contrast, methodologies are criteria for acceptance or rejection of hypotheses. This is a crucial distinction. Some mathematical models lack quantitative techniques for testing hypotheses, as these are not built into the model.
In contrast, inductive statistics, in conjunction with statistical sampling theory, provides a valuable means for sociologists not only to test hypotheses for a given sample but also to judge the efficacy of their inferences to larger populations. Tests of significance used in sociology take many forms, from gamma to chi-square to t-tests, and so on. Whatever the form or level of measurement, significance tests yielding probability, or “p,” values provide not only a way to test hypotheses but also a common element for community with researchers in other disciplines that also use significance tests.
Mathematical sociology has traditionally used methods such as differential and integral calculus (Blalock 1969: 88–109). Differential equations are frequently used to construct dynamic models (e.g., Kemeny and Snell 1962; Blalock 1969). However, one of the problems with mathematical models in sociology (and a problem that is easily glossed over) is that they are sometimes very difficult to apply and test empirically. Kemeny and Snell (1962) state that mathematical models are used to deduce “consequences” from theory, and that these consequences “must be put to the test of experimental verification” (p. 3). Since experimental verification in the strictest sense is relatively rare in sociology, this seems to be an Achilles heel of mathematical sociology.
To verify the predictions by comparing them with the experimental data, Kemeny and Snell (1962) use the statistical test chi-square. That is, the mathematical model proves inadequate for hypothesis testing and must be augmented by a statistical test (p. 62). Kemeny and Snell (1962) then “improve” the model by stating that there may be some subjects to which the model does not apply and “adding the assumption that some 20 per cent of subjects are of this type” (p. 62). Unfortunately, such “model simplification,” achieved by simply excluding a proportion of the population from the analysis, is rather common in quantitative sociology. Yamaguchi (1983) explains his failure to include women in the analysis by writing, “In this paper, I limit my analysis to non-black men to simplify the model” (p. 218).
The dilemma is real. If the sociological phenomenon is too complex, then the mathematical sociologist will not be able to solve all the inherent computational problems, even with a large computer. Fortunately, the future technological advances in computer hardware and software, along with the continued development of new mathematical techniques such as blockmodeling (Doreian, Batagelj, and Ferligoj 2005), ensure a bright future for mathematical sociology. While the challenges of social complexity are real, the rewards for those who can successfully model this complexity with mathematics are great. For additional commentary and references on mathematical sociology in the twenty-first century, see Edling (2002), Iverson (2004), Lewis-Beck, Bryman, and Liao (2004), Meeker and Leik (2000), and Raftery (2005).
Statistical Sociology
While statistical methods extant in sociology can all be classified as probability based, they can be divided into tests of significance (such as gamma) and methods used for explanation (often in terms of the amount of variance explained), prediction, or the establishment of causality. Among these techniques, the most commonly used are multiple correlation, multiple regression, logistic regression, as well as analysis of variance (the dominant method in psychology) or analysis of covariance. Other methods used less frequently by sociologists include cluster analysis, factor analysis, multiple discriminant analysis, canonical correlation, and smallest space analysis (Bailey 1973, 1974a), and latent class analysis (Uggen and Blackstone 2004).
Which statistical technique is appropriate for a given analysis can depend on a number of factors, one of which is the so-called level of measurement of the quantitative data involved. S. S. Stevens (1951) divided data into four distinct levels—nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. It is important to stress consistent measurement at all four levels, as lack of attention to consistent measurement across studies in sociology is problematic for the field.
Nominal
The reality is that nominal variables can be very important in both sociological theory and statistics, but unfortunately they have been badly neglected by sociologists and often are created and treated in a haphazard fashion. This is unfortunate because discussions of classification techniques are readily available to sociologists in the form of work on cluster analysis and various classification techniques for forming typologies and taxonomies (McKinney 1966; Bailey 1973, 1994a). Carefully constructed classification schemas can form the foundation for all “higher” levels of measurement. A sociological model lacking adequate nominal categories can be the proverbial house of cards, ready to collapse at any moment.
The nominal level of measurement deals with nonhierarchical categories. Many of the most theoretically important and frequently used sociological variables lie at this level of measurement, including religion, sex, political affiliation, region, and so on. Much of the statistical analyses at the nominal level consist of simple frequency, percentage, and rate analysis (Blalock 1979). However, the chi-square significance test can be used at the nominal level, as can a number of measures of association, such as Tschuprow’s T, V, C, Tau, and Lambda (Blalock 1979:299–325). Sociologists often dislike nominal categorical variables because it is felt that they are merely descriptive variables that do not possess the explanatory and predictive power of continuous variables, such as interval and ratio variables. But more important, nominal (and also ordinal) categorical variables are disliked because they generally do not fit into the classical multiple regression (OLS) models that (until the recent dominance of logistic regression) have been widely used in sociology.
In univariate cases with a large number of categories, or especially in multivariate cases with a large number of variables, and with each containing a large number of categories, the analysis can quickly become very complex, so that one is dealing with dozens if not hundreds of categories. As Blalock (1979) notes, there is often a tendency for researchers to simplify the analysis by dichotomizing variables (p. 327). Unfortunately, such attenuation results in both loss of information and bias.
Another problem with categorical data is that the printed page is limited to two dimensions. Thus, if one has as few as five categorical variables, and wishes to construct a contingency table showing their interrelations, this requires a five-dimensional table, but only two dimensions are available. The customary way to deal with this, even in computer printouts, is to print 10 bivariate tables, often leading to an unmanageable level of complexity.
Ordinal
Nominal and ordinal variables share some similarities and problems. Measures of association such as Spearman’s rs and tests of significance such as the Wilcoxon test are also available for ordinal variables (Blalock 1979). As with nominal variables, ordinal variables cannot be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided (one cannot add rank 1 to rank 2 to obtain rank 3).
The ordinal level shares with the nominal level the problem of the desire to simplify. Sociologists often wish to reduce the number of ordered categories to simplify the research project, but unfortunately they often conduct this simplification in an ad hoc manner, without any statistical or theoretical guidelines for reducing the number of categories. Again, this leads to problems of attenuation and bias, as noted for the nominal level.
Interval and Ratio
A sea change has occurred in sociology in the last 40 years, as shown later in the review of American Sociological Review (ASR). During the 1950s and 1960s, American sociologists relied primarily on percentage analysis, often using nominal and ordinal measurement. Later in the twentieth century, quantitative researchers stressed the use of interval and ratio variables to meet the assumptions of OLS multiple regression analysis. Now, as seen below, there has been a major shift back to the use of nominal and ordinal variables in logistic regression.
Interval variables are continuous, with “arbitrary” zero points, while ratio variables have absolute or “nonarbitrary” zero points. Theoretically, only ratio variables, and only those found in nonattenuated fashion with a wide range of continuous values, should be used in multiple regression models, either as independent or dependent variables. Although textbooks such as Blalock (1979) say that only interval measurement is needed, in my opinion ratio is preferred and should be used whenever possible (p. 382). In reality, continuous variables are routinely used in regression without testing to see whether they can be considered ratio or only interval.
Furthermore, while such continuous variables may theoretically or potentially have a wide range of values, they often are empirically attenuated, with extremely high and low values (or perhaps even midrange values) occurring infrequently or rarely. Also, attenuated variables that are essentially ordinal, and contain only five values or so, are often used in surveys (e.g., Likert scales). While these Likert variables do not meet the technical requirements of multiple regression, either as dependent or independent variables, they are often used in regression, not only as independent variables but also as dependent variables.
As noted earlier, sociologists have traditionally struggled to meet the requirements of OLS regression, especially when encountering so many nominal and ordinal variables in everyday theory and research. For example, Knoke and Hout (1974) described their dependent variable (party identification) by saying, “The set of final responses may be coded several ways, but we have selected a fivepoint scale with properties close to the interval scaling our analysis requires” (p. 702). While this dependent variable may indeed be “close” to interval, it remains severely attenuated, possessing only five “points” or values compared with the hundreds or even thousands of potential values in some interval variables. In addition to using attenuated ordinal scales in regression (even though they clearly do not meet the assumptions of regression), sociologists often use nominal variables in regression. These are often used as predictors (independent variables) through the technique of “dummy variable analysis” involving binary coding.
As shown later by my review of ASR, the most common statistical technique in contemporary sociology is multiple regression in some form, including OLS and logistic regression. However, many of the variables used in sociology are nominal or ordinal. Those that are interval or ratio are often recoded as ordinal variables during data collection. The result is that between the existence of “naturally occurring” nominal and ordinal variables and the (often unnecessary) attenuation of nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio variables, the range of empirical variation is greatly attenuated.
A common example is when an income variable with potentially dozens or even hundreds of values is reduced to five or so income categories to make it more manageable during the survey research process (see Bailey 1994b).
While it is true that respondents are often reluctant to provide their exact income, other alternatives to severe category attenuation are available. These include the use of additional categories (up to 24) or even the application of techniques for dealing with missing data. In addition, some common dependent variables, when studied empirically, are found to have small empirical ranges, but the adequacy of correlation and regression is formally assessed in terms of the degree of variance explained. Considering the cumulative effect of variables that are empirically attenuated, added to those variables that are attenuated by sociologists during the course of research, it is not surprising that explained variance levels are often disappointing in sociology.
A generic multiple regression equation for two independent variables is shown in Equation 10.1.
Y = a + b1X1 + b2X2 [10.1]
The model in Equation 10.1 is quite robust and adaptable but should not be abused by using it with severely attenuated data. Although one cannot add additional dependent variables, additional independent variables are easily added. Also, the model can easily be made nonlinear by using multiplicative predictors such as X1X2 or Xn.
Assume that the dependent variable (Y) is annual income, and the predictors are, respectively, age and educational level. One could conduct an OLS regression analysis for a large data set and experience a fairly small degree of attenuation if the data were collected properly and the variables were not attenuated through unnecessary categorization. But now assume that a second regression analysis is computed on Equation 10.1, but this time the dependent variable is whether the person attends college or not, coded 1 or 0, and the independent variables are sex (coded 1 for female and 0 for male) and age (coded 1 for 20 or younger and 0 for 21 or older). Running OLS regression on this will yield very little in terms of explained variance. The analysis can be converted to logistic regression by computing the odds ratio and taking the natural log (logit) to make it linear. The limitations of this model are that little variance exists to be explained and the predictors are inadequate.
Implications
While many of the logistic regressions one sees in the sociological literature have many more predictors, many of these are often dummy variables (ordinal or ratio), and the wisdom of running regression on such data remains debatable. What accounts for the tremendous popularity of logistic regression, when many times the degree of variance explained remains decidedly unimpressive (see the discussion below)? Perhaps logistic regression is now a fad, or perhaps users do not see an adequate alternative. Why do they not just present correlation matrices? Why is regression needed? Perhaps because typologies using nominal variables are said to provide description, correlation is said to provide explanation, and regression is said to provide prediction, with prediction considered to be the highest form of analysis (Blalock 1979).
The implications of the analysis to this point are clear: Sociologists have long struggled to deal with the analytical problems posed by the different levels of measurement, and they continue to do so. While the recent widespread adoption of logistic regression has surely changed the way that sociologists deal with nominal (and to a lesser extent ordinal) variables, for example, it is not clear that the fit between theory and method, or between empirical data and method, has been drastically improved. Changes are still needed, and some recommendations are presented below.
Method and Theory
As previously noted, method and theory have become sharply bifurcated within sociology over the past 40 years. While the ASR once published methods articles, now these articles are routinely segregated into journals, such as Sociological Methodology, Sociological Methods and Research, or the Journal of Mathematical Sociology. Thus, quantitative methods are not only separated from qualitative sociology (which has its own journals such as Qualitative Sociology) but also are separated from sociological theory (with its own American Sociological Association journal, Sociological Theory).
Kemeny and Snell (1962) state that one first inductively derives a theory through observation and empirical research and then uses quantitative models to deduce testable hypotheses from the theory. The procedure suggested by Kemeny and Snell (1962) is a sound one. The obvious problem with successfully using such an integrated theory/method research process in contemporary sociology is that the theory and quantitative methods knowledge segments are so segregated and widely divided that it is increasingly difficult for the individual researcher to have access to all of this separated literature. By segregating sociology into largely verbal theory (Sociological Theory) and quantitative sociology (the Journal of Mathematical Sociology), the process of developing theories and testing them is made more difficult than it should be.
In spite of the wide degree of artificial separation of theory and method in sociology, the quantitative area has changed in a manner that makes it more consistent with the needs of theory. To meet the goal of operationalizing sociological theory, the quantitative method area should minimally provide three main services:
- Quantitative sociology must provide both diachronic (dynamic) models dealing with process and synchronic (cross-sectional) models dealing with structure. Until the last decade or so, statistical sociology provided mainly synchronic or cross-sectional models via OLS. Now many logistic regression models are longitudinal as in event history analysis (Allison 1984).
- The second service that quantitative method (including both statistical sociology and mathematical sociology) must provide is to talk increasingly in terms of actors rather than primarily in terms of equations or variables. While theory talks in terms of action by individuals or groups (agency), quantitative method talks in terms of change in variables (mathematics) or relationships among sets of variables (regression). A good example of the use of actor-oriented dependent variables in logistic regression is provided by Harknett and McLanahan (2004) who predict whether the baby’s mother will take a certain action or not (marry the baby’s father within 30 days).
- Quantitative sociology must do a better job of raising R2s as variance explained in many regression analyses in sociology (whether OLS or logistic regression) remains unacceptably low. A lot of this may be due to attenuation of variables, both dependent and independent. As seen above, some of the attenuation is avoidable, and some unavoidable. Until recently, the dominant regression model was OLS regression, which did a poor job of incorporating nominal and ordinal variables. Logistic regression includes nominal variables aggressively, thus making it more compatible with theory that is replete with such nominal variables and providing a welcome means of bridging the theory-method gap. However, it is unclear that the incorporation of nominal variables (both dependent and independent) in logistic regression has raised the variance explained by any meaningful degree. It is important that we pay more attention to this problem and that we focus on R2 values, not just on p That is, it is likely that there is actually more variance that can be explained empirically, but the techniques in use are not picking it all up. Perhaps sociology has lost sight of whether sociological models fit the data well, which is the primary point of prediction. To say it another way, if logistic regression is used in virtually every analysis in the ASR, it seems obvious that this method will fit the data better in some cases than in others. In the cases where it can be determined that the fit is not good, perhaps an alternative method of analysis should be considered.
Historical Comparisons
Perhaps most sociologists are at least vaguely aware of changes in quantitative techniques that have appeared in the sociological literature in the last 40 years, particularly the shift toward logistic regression. I decided that it would be helpful to illustrate these changes by conducting a review of the ASR over the last 40 years. While a full review of all issues was impossible due to time constraints, it seemed that a partial review would be illuminating. I compared the last full volume of the ASR that was available (2004) with the volumes 40 years before (1964), and 30 years before (1974), as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 shows the presence or absence of quantitative analysis in every article of ASR in 1964 (Volume 29), 1974 (Volume 39), and 2004 (Volume 69). These volumes were not selected by scientific probability sampling but were arbitrarily chosen to reflect changes in quantitative methods. The first year (1964) shows the initial use of regression, 1974 shows the growth of OLS regression, and 2004 (the last full volume available) shows the dominance of regression, both the continuing presence of OLS and the predominance of logistic regression. Presidential addresses were omitted as they tended to be nonquantitative essays. I also omitted research notes, replies, and comments and included only the articles from the main research section of the journal.
The first row of Table 1 analyzes Volume 29 (1964) of ASR. It reveals that 70 percent of all articles (28 out of 40) were quantitative. The remaining 12 were verbal essays without any numbers. An article was counted as quantitative if it had raw scores or means. The predominant numerical method in 1964 was percentage analysis; however, there were two cases of regression analysis. These were OLS analyses with continuous dependent variables, although they were identified only as “regression analysis.” There were no instances of logistic regression. Although regression was soon to dominate sociological statistics, this trend was not yet evident in 1964.
However, by 1974, the trend toward the use of regression was clearly visible. The proportion of the articles that were quantitative in 1974 was 86 percent, up from 70 percent a decade earlier. Although there were still no logistic regression analyses in ASR in 1974 (regression with categorical dependent variables), fully 49 percent of all quantitative articles (and 42 percent of all articles in the entire volume) were OLS regressions showing clear evidence of its upcoming dominance in sociological analysis.
It should be noted that in 1974, many of the OLS regression analyses were presented in the form of “path analysis,” with the “path coefficients” presented in path diagrams. While 70 percent of all ASR articles were quantitative in 1964 and 86 percent in 1974, by 2004 the proportion of quantitative ASR articles had climbed to a startling 95 percent, with logistic regression in some form accounting for the majority of these. Out of a total of 37 articles in Volume 69, only two were entirely verbal, lacking any numerical analysis at all.
Even more startling was the fact that in 2004, out of the 35 quantitative articles in ASR, 32, or 86 percent of all articles in the volume, and 91 percent of all quantitative articles were regressions. Still more surprising, of the 32 articles with regressions, only three had OLS regression only. The remaining 29 had logistic regression, with 25 of these containing logistic regression only, and with four more articles presenting both OLS and logistic regression in the same article. Four additional articles (not shown in Table 1) contained “hybrid” models, which used various combinations of OLS and logged dependent variables, or presented models said to be “equivalent to OLS,” and so on. Of the three quantitative articles that contained no regression, one contained both analysis of variances and analysis of covariance, while the other two contained only percentage analysis.
When logistic regression occurs in 29 out of 35 (83 percent) of quantitative articles and 29 out of 37 total articles (78 percent), it obviously has an amazing degree of dominance for a single technique. In fact, in the last four issues of Volume 29 (Issues 3, 4, 5, and 6), 19 of the total of 20 articles contained logistic regression of some sort (the other article was entirely verbal, with no quantitative analysis of any kind). This means that fully 100 percent of the quantitative articles (and 95 percent of all articles) in the June through December issues of the 2004 ASR (Volume 69) contained at least one logistic regression analysis. This dominance prompts the rhetorical question of whether one can realistically hope to publish in ASR without conducting logistic regression. It appears possible, but the odds are against it. If one wishes to publish in ASR without logistic regression analysis, the article should include OLS regression.
What accounts for the fact that in 2004, 95 percent of all published ASR articles were quantitative, and of these, 83 percent contained at least one logistic regression analysis? Could it be that quantitative sociologists in general are taking over the field of sociology, and sociologists should expect a wave of mathematical sociology articles to be published in ASR? I did not see any publications in Volume 69 containing articles that I would classify as mathematical sociology. I did see two models in 1974 that I would classify as work in mathematical statistics (one stochastic model and one Poisson model), but none in 2004.
Comparing 1974 ASR articles with 2004 ASR articles, we see a sea change toward logistic regression. From the standpoint of quantitative methodology, I can certainly appreciate the heavy reliance that ASR currently has on logistic regression. While casual observers might say that “regression is regression” and that not much has changed in 30 years, in reality nothing could be farther from the truth. The 29 logistic regression analyses presented in Volume 69 of ASR differ from the 25 OLS regression analyses of Volume 39 in a number of important ways. The traditional OLS regression that was dominant in 1974 has the following features:
- It uses a continuous (internal or ratio) dependent variable.
- It uses predominantly continuous independent variables, perhaps with a few dummy variables.
- It uses R2 to evaluate explanatory adequacy in terms of the amount of variance explained.
- It uses about 5 to 10 independent variables.
- It usually reports values of R2 (explained variance) in the range of .20 to .80, with most values being in the intermediate lower part of this range.
In contrast, the logistic regression that dominates twenty-first-century sociology has these features:
- It uses categorical rather than continuous dependent variables (see Tubergen, Maas, and Flap 2004).
- It often uses rather ad hoc procedures for categorizing dependent and independent variables, apparently without knowledge of proper typological procedures (Bailey 1994a) and without regard to the loss of information that such categorization entails, as pointed out by Blalock (1979). Some of these decisions about how categories should be constructed may be theory driven, but many appear to be arbitrary and ad hoc categorizations designed to meet the specifications of a computerized model.
- It logs the dependent variable to “remove undesirable properties,” generally to achieve linearity, and to convert an unlogged skewed distribution to a logged normal distribution, more in keeping with the requirements of regression analysis (see Messner, Baumer, and Rosenfeld 2004).
- It uses more categorical or dummy variables as independent variables, on average, than does OLS regression.
- It uses larger samples.
- It uses more “pooled” data derived through combining different samples or past studies. This has the advantage of getting value from secondary data. While it is good to make use of data stored in data banks, in some cases this practice may raise the question of whether the data set is really the best one or is just used because it is available.
- It uses more models (often three or more) that can be compared in a single article.
- It uses more multilevel analysis.
- It uses more “corrections” of various sorts to correct for inadequacies in the data.
- It often does not report R2 because it is generally recognized to have “undesirable properties” (see Bailey 2004), thereby providing no good way for evaluating the efficiency of the explication in terms of the amount of variance explained.
- It generally reports statistically significant relationships with p values less than .05, and often less than .01, or even .001.
- It presents more longitudinal analysis.
While the trends toward multilevel analysis, longitudinal analysis, and actor orientation are welcome, the plethora of categorical variables and the complexity of the presentations (often spilling over into online appendixes) are of concern. Also, while all computerized statistical programs are vulnerable to abuse, the probability that some of the “canned” logistic regression programs will be used incorrectly seems high due to their complexity. But the chief concern regarding the dominance of logistic regression is that while the recent logistic regressions appear more sophisticated than their traditional OLS counterparts, it is not clear that they have provided enhanced explanatory power in terms of variance explained. In fact, logistic regression in some cases may have lowered the explanatory efficacy of regression, at least when interpreted in terms of explained variance.
The binary coding of dependent and independent variables can obviously lead to extreme attenuation and loss of explanatory power, as noted by Blalock (1979). One of the most undesirable properties of R2 for any dichotomous analysis is that the dichotomous dependent variable is so attenuated that little variance exists to be explained and so R2 is necessarily low. If nothing else, the large number of cases when no R2 of any sort is reported is certainly a matter of concern, as it makes it very difficult to compare the adequacy of OLS regressions with the adequacy of logistic regressions.
In lieu of R2, users of logistic regression generally follow one of three strategies: (1) They do not report any sort of R2 (Hollister 2004:670), relying solely on p values. The p values of logistic regression often are significant due (at least in part) to large sample size, such as Hollister’s (2004:669, sample N of 443,399 in table 1). While large sample sizes may not guarantee significant p values, they make them easier to obtain than with the smaller sample sizes previously used in many traditional sociological studies; (2) they report a “pseudo R2” (see Hagle 2004), such as those reported by McLeod and Kaiser (2004:646) for their table 3, ranging in value from .017 to .112 (the highest reported in the article is .245 in table 5, p. 648); or (3) they report some other R2 term, such as the Nagelkerke R2, as reported by Griffin (2004:551), in his table 4, with values of .065 and .079.
Summary
In the middle of the twentieth century, sociology relied on careful percentage analysis as the backbone of its quantitative methodology, augmented by relatively rudimentary statistics, such as measures of central tendency, correlation coefficients, and tests of significance such as chi-square. Although sociologists were aware of multivariate statistics such as factor analysis and multiple discriminant analysis, the onerous computation that these methods required before computerization limited their use.
With the advent of mainframe computers in the 1960s and 1970s, sociologists could go to their universitycomputing center and run a variety of multivariate statistical analyses. Thus, by 1974, OLS regression became the dominant method. A major problem with OLS regression was that it could accommodate only a single intervaldependent variable, and the independent variables had to be intervally measured as well, except for “dummy” variables. Thus, many important theoretical variables, such as religion, race, gender, and so on, could not be properly accommodated in the dominant regression model.
But by 2004, all had changed. The sea change to logistic regression facilitated the use of multiple regression, as one no longer needed to limit the analysis to interval or ratio dependent variables. Also, the dependent variable could be logged. The advantages of logistic regression are great. These advantages include the facilitation of multilevel analysis (such as use of the individual and country levels) and the ease with which data can be pooled so that many surveys are used and sample sizes are large. Logistic regression makes good use of existing data sets and does a much better job of longitudinal analysis than OLS. Furthermore, the published logistic regressions are replete with categorical variables that were previously missing from OLS regression.
While the advantages of logistic regression are obvious, it may be debatable whether the dominance of this technique indicates that theory and method have merged in an ideal fashion in contemporary sociology. There are several reasons why. First, much sociological theory is not stated in terms of the binary-coded dichotomies favored in logistic regression. While the prediction of dichotomies is certainly theoretically significant in some cases, it would not seem to match the general significance of predicting the full range of values in an interval or ratio variable. That is, why limit the analysis to predicting 1 or 0, when it is possible to predict age from birth to death. Second, since sociological theory is generally not written in terms of logged variables, it is difficult to interpret statistical analysis where the dependent variables are logged to normalize them.
In summary, the logistic regression analyses now dominating provide a number of benefits. These include, among others, advances in longitudinal analysis, in multilevel analysis, in the use of pooled data, in the presentation of more comparative models in each analysis, and in the presentation of more interaction analyses. But logistic regression sometimes appears to relinquish these gains by losing theoretical power when it is unable to provide impressive R2 values. This is due in part to the excessive attenuation resulting from the widespread use of binarycoded dependent variables (often dichotomies).
Prospects for the 21st Century
The future for quantitative sociology will include the continued use of logistic regression. There also will be further developments in blockmodeling and also in longitudinal methods, including event history analysis. There will also be continued interest in multilevel techniques (Guo and Zhao 2000) as well as in agent-based or actor modeling (Macy and Willer 2002). There will also be increased interest in nonlinear analysis (Meeker and Leik 2000; Macy and Willer 2002). In addition, there will be continued advances in regression analysis in such areas as fixed effects regression, including Cox regression (Allison 2005) and spline regression (Marsh and Cormier 2001).
Davis (2001) writes, “In sum, I believe the seeming technical progress of logistic regression (and its cousins) is actually regressive” (p. 111). In another analysis of the logistic regression model, Davis writes,
In short, despite the trappings of modeling, the analysts are not modeling or estimating anything; they are merely making glorified significance tests. Furthermore, these are usually merely wrong or deceptive significance tests because . . . they usually work with such large Ns that virtually anything is significant anyway. (P. 109)
Davis recommends a return to path analysis, in part because it is easier to measure the success or failure of path analysis (p. 110).
Sociologists rely on logistic regression because the variables used are conducive to this technique. Davis (2001) also notes the shift within sociology from using psychology as a model to the present reliance on economics. He writes that in the 1950s psychology was the “alpha animal,” but now economics is a “Colossus” (p. 105). Quantitative researchers have long favored economic variables because they are easier to quantify. Furthermore, inequality research has benefited from the wide availability of economic coefficients such as the Gini (Lee 2005). Nevertheless, sociologists are now more likely to be citing Econometrica or The World Bank Economic Review, and the future influence of economics on sociology seems clear.
While the advantages of logistic regression are clear, there are other methods that deserve consideration as well. It is clear that sociologists will increasingly employ the methods of epidemiology, such as hazard and survival models and Cox regression (Allison 2005), and the methods and data sets of economics. But in addition, sociologists will undoubtedly continue to collect their own data sets while employing the OLS regression and path analysis models. They will also use relatively neglected techniques such as factor analysis, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, multiple discriminate analysis, canonical correlation, and smallest space analysis.
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- Blalock, Hubert M., Jr. 1979. Social Statistics. 2d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Blalock, Hubert M., Jr. 1982. Conceptualization and Measurement in the Social Sciences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
- Bridgman, Percy W. 1948. The Logic of Modern Physics. New York: Macmillan.
- Cole, Stephen, ed. 2001. What’s Wrong with Sociology? New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
- Coleman, James S. 1964. Introduction to Mathematical Sociology. New York: Free Press.
- Davis, James A. 2001. “What’s Wrong with Sociology.” Pp. 99–119 in What’s Wrong with Sociology, edited by S. Cole. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
- Doreian, Patrick, Vladimir Batagelj, and Anuska Ferligoj. Generalized Blockmodeling. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
- Duncan, Otis D. 1966. “Path Analysis: Sociological Examples.” American Journal of Sociology 72:1–16.
- Durkheim, Émile. [1938] 1964. Rules of the Sociological Method. New York: Free Press.
- Edling, Christofer R. 2002. “Mathematics in Sociology.” Annual Review of Sociology 28:197–220.
- Fararo, Thomas J. 1973. Mathematical Sociology: An Introduction to Fundamentals. New York: Wiley.
- Fararo, Thomas J. 1989. The Meaning of General Theoretical Sociology: Tradition and Formalization. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
- Goode, William J. and Paul K. Hatt. 1952. Methods in Social Research. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Griffin, Larry J. 2004. “‘Generations and Collective Memory’ Revisited: Race, Region, and Memory of Civil Rights.” American Sociological Review 69:544–57.
- Guo, Guang and Hongxin Zhao. 2000. “Multilevel Modeling for Binary Data.” Annual Review of Sociology 26:441–62.
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- Harknett, Kristen and Sara S. McLanahan. 2004. “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Marriage after the Birth of a Child.” American Sociological Review 69:790–811.
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- Jahoda, Marie, Morton Deutsch, and Stuart W. Cook. 1951. Research Methods in Social Relations. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
- Joyner, Kara and Grace Kao. 2005. “Interracial Relationships and the Transition to Adulthood.” American Sociological Review 70:563–81.
- Kemeny, John G. and J. Laurie Snell. 1962. Mathematical Models in the Social Sciences. New York: Blaisdell.
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- Lazarsfeld, Paul F., ed. 1954. Mathematical Thinking in the Social Sciences. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
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- Lewis-Beck, Michael, Alan E. Bryman, and Tim F. Liao. 2004. The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Lundberg, George A. 1939. Foundations of Sociology. New York: Macmillan.
- Lundberg, George A. 1947. Can Science Save Us? New York: Longmans, Green.
- Macy, Michael W. and Robert Willer. 2002. “From Factors to Actors: Computational Sociology and Agent-Based Modeling.” Annual Review of Sociology 28:143–66.
- McKinney, John C. 1966. Constructive Typology and Social Theory. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
- McLeod, Jane D. and Karen Kaiser. 2004. “Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Problems and Educational Attainment.” American Sociological Review 69:636–58.
- Marsh, Lawrence C. and David R. Cormier. 2001. Spline Regression Models. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Meeker, Barbara F. and Robert K. Leik. 2000. “Mathematical Sociology.” Pp. 1786–92 in Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by E. F. Borgatta and R. J. V. Montgomery. 2d ed. New York: Macmillan.
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- Monette, Duane R., Thomas J. Sullivan, and Cornell R. DeJong. 2005. Applied Social Research. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
- Raftery, Adrian E. 2005. “Quantitative Research Methods.” Pp. 15–39 in The Sage Handbook of Sociology, edited by C. Calhoun, C. Rojek, and B. Turner. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Rudner, Richard. 1966. The Philosophy of the Social Sciences. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Stevens, S. S. 1951. “Mathematics, Measurement, and Psychophysics.” Pp. 1–49 in Handbook of Experimental Psychology, edited by S. S. Stevens. New York: Wiley.
- Torche, Florencia. 2005. “Social Mobility in Chile.” American Sociological Review 70:422–49.
- Tubergen, Frank van, Ineke Maas, and Henk Flap. 2004. “The Economic Incorporation of Immigrants in 18 Western Societies: Origin, Destination, and Community Effects.” American Sociological Review 69:704–27.
- Uggen, Christopher and Amy Blackstone. 2004. “Sexual Harassment as a Gendered Expression of Power.” American Sociological Review 69:64–92.
- Weber, Max. 1949. The Methodology of the Social Sciences. Translated by E. A. Shils and H. A. Finch. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
- White, Harrison C. 1963. An Anatomy of Kinship: Mathematical Models for Structures of Cumulated Roles. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- White, Harrison C. 1970. Chains of Opportunity: System Models of Mobility in Organizations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- Yamaguchi, Kazuo. 1983. “Structure of Intergenerational Occupational Mobility; Generality and Specificity in Resources, Channels, and Barriers.” American Journal of Sociology 88:718–45.
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Abstract
Pachymeningeal enhancement, synonymous with dural enhancement, is a radiological feature best appreciated on a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The vasculature of the dura mater is permeable, facilitating avid uptake of contrast agent and subsequent enhancement. Thin, discontinuous enhancement can be normal, seen in half the normal population. In patients complaining of postural headaches worse on sitting, gadolinium-enhanced MRI findings of diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement is highly suggestive of benign intracranial hypotension. In these cases, the process of pachymeningeal enhancement is explained by the Monro–Kellie doctrine as compensatory volume changes by vasocongestion and interstitial oedema of the dura mater due to decreased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. Focal and diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement can also be attributed to infectious or inflammatory, neoplastic and iatrogenic aetiologies. Correction of the underlying pathology often results in spontaneous resolution of the pachymeningeal enhancement. There have also been reports of pachymeningeal enhancement associated with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, temporal arteritis, baroreceptor reflex failure syndrome and arteriovenous fistulae.
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References
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Fuh JL et al (2008) The timing of MRI determines the presence or absence of diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Cephalalgia 28(4):318–322
George U et al (2011) Diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement and subdural and subarachnoid space opacification on delayed postcontrast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging in spontaneous intracranial hypotension: visualizing the Monro-Kellie hypothesis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 32(1), E16
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George Alexiou, Ioannina, Greece
This well-written and interesting article deals with the pachymeningeal enhancement from a neurosurgical perspective. The authors nicely point out the normal appearance of the dura, explain the role of the blood–brain barrier and vascularity and discuss the variations of pathological pachymeningeal enhancement patterns. Common pathological conditions, with these imaging findings, such as infections, malignancies and autoimmune disorders are nicely presented, and the authors provide clues to distinguish the different pathologic processes in the brain and meninges. They have provided us with a very helpful overview about the current concepts, which is also very well illustrated.
Sönke Langner, Greifswald, Germany
Dural or pachymeningeal enhancement seen on MR images obtained after contrast medium administration can be a normal imaging finding or an indicator of an underlying intracranial pathology. Precise knowledge of normal and abnormal enhancement patterns is the key to the correct interpretation of images and subsequent patient management. In their review, Antony et al. describe the normal MR appearance of the dura and typical patterns of abnormal enhancement. The authors cover a wide spectrum of abnormal conditions ranging from tumours to infectious diseases. The underlying diseases are discussed in light of the recent literature and thoroughly illustrated by images. This review will assist radiologists in image interpretation in the daily clinical setting and facilitate communication with other medical specialities and patient management.
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Antony, J., Hacking, C. & Jeffree, R.L. Pachymeningeal enhancement—a comprehensive review of literature. Neurosurg Rev 38, 649–659 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-015-0646-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-015-0646-y
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Cobra User Guide
Warning
Cobra batch job processing has ended on July 1st, 2024
Cobra login nodes have been decommissioned on July 19th, 2024
Contents
System Overview
The Supercomputer Cobra was installed in spring 2018, got expanded with NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPUs in Dec 2018 and with NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 GPUs in July 2019.
All compute nodes contain two Intel Xeon Gold 6148 processors (Skylake (SKL), 20 cores @ 2.4 GHz) and are connected through a 100 Gb/s OmniPath interconnect. Each island (~ 636 nodes) has a non-blocking, full fat tree network topology, while among islands a blocking factor of 1:8 applies. Therefore batch jobs are restricted to a single island. In addition there are 6 login nodes and an I/O subsystem that serves 5 PetaByte of disk storage with direct HSM access (via GHI).
Overall configuration
1284 compute nodes (2 × SKL), 96 GB RAM DDR4 each
1908 compute nodes (2 × SKL), 192 GB RAM DDR4 each
16 compute nodes (2 × SKL), 384 GB RAM DDR4 each
8 compute nodes (2 × SKL), 768 GB RAM DDR4 each
64 compute nodes (2 × SKL + 2 × NVIDIA Tesla V100-32)
120 compute nodes (2 × SKL + 2 × NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000)
24 compute nodes (2 × SKL), 192 GB RAM DDR4 each (dedicated to MPSD)
Summary
3424 compute nodes, 136,960 CPU-cores, 128 Tesla V100-32 GPUs, 240 Quadro RTX 5000 GPUs, 529 TB RAM DDR4, 7.9 TB HBM2, 11.4 PFlop/s peak DP, 2.64 PFlop/s peak SP
Access
Login
For security reasons, direct login to the HPC cluster Cobra is allowed only from within the MPG networks. Users from other locations have to login to one of our gateway systems first. Use ssh to connect to Cobra:
ssh cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de
You will be directed to one of the Cobra login nodes (cobra01i, cobra02i). You have to provide your (Kerberos) password and an OTP on the Cobra login nodes. SSH keys are not allowed.
Secure copy (scp) can be used to transfer data to or from cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de
Cobra’s (all login/interactive nodes) ssh key fingerprints (SHA256) are:
G45rl+n9MWi/TWQA3bYXoVxBI/wiOviJXe99H4SacWU (RSA)
KcGJxKBfrsVyexByJFgbuFDigfvGfrgZ5Urvmh/ZJLI (ED25519)
Using compute resources
The pool of login nodes cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de is mainly intended for editing, compiling and submitting your parallel programs. Running parallel programs interactively in production mode on the login nodes is not allowed. Jobs have to be submitted to the Slurm batch system which reserves and allocates the resources (e.g. compute nodes) required for your job. Further information on the batch system is provided below.
Interactive (debug) runs
If you need to test or debug your code, you may login to ‘cobra-i.mpcdf.mpg.de’ (cobra03i-cobra06i) and run your code interactively (2 hours at most) with the command:
srun -n NUMBER_OF_CORES -p interactive --time=TIME_LESS_THAN_2HOURS --mem=MEMORY_LESS_THAN_32G ./EXECUTABLE
But please, take care that the machine does not become overloaded. Don’t use more than 8 cores in total and do not request more than 32 GB of main memory. Neglecting these recommendations may cause a system crash or hangup!
Internet access
Connections to the Internet are only permitted from the login nodes in
outgoing direction; Internet access from within batch jobs is not possible.
To download source code or other data, command line tools such as
wget
, curl
, rsync
, scp
, pip
, git
, or similar
may be used interactively on the login nodes. In case the transfer is expected to
take a long time it is useful to run it inside a screen
or tmux
session.
Hardware configuration
Compute nodes
3240 compute nodes
Processor type: Intel Skylake 6148
Processor clock: 2.4 GHz
Theoretical peak performance per node: 2.4 GHz * 32 DP Flops/cycle * 40 = 3072 DP GFlop/s
Cores per node: 40 (each with 2 hyperthreads, thus 80 logical CPUs per node)
Node topology: 2 NUMA domains with 20 physical cores each
Main memory
standard nodes: 1284 × 96 GB
large memory nodes: 1932 × 192 GB
very large memory nodes: 16 × 384 GB, 8 × 768 GB
Accelerator part of Cobra:
64 nodes, each hosting 2 V100 GPUs (Tesla V100-PCIE-32GB: 32 GB HBM2, 5120 CUDA cores + 640 Tensor cores @ 1380 MHz, compute capability 7.0 / “Volta”)
120 nodes, each hosting 2 RTX5000 GPUs (Quadro RTX 5000: 16 GB GDDR6, 3072 CUDA cores + 384 Tensor cores + 48 RT units @ 1935 MHz, compute capability 7.5 / “Turing”)
Login and interactive nodes
2 nodes for login (Hostname
cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de
)4 nodes for interactive program development and testing (Hostname cobra-i.mpcdf.mpg.de)
Main memory: 4 × 192 GB
Batch access is possible via the Slurm batch system from the login nodes
cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de
and cobra-i.mpcdf.mpg.de
.
Interconnect
fast OmniPath (100 Gb/s) network connecting all the nodes
The compute nodes and GPU nodes are bundled into 6 domains (islands) with 636 nodes (or 64 nodes in case of GPU island), each. Within one domain, the OmniPath network topology is a ‘fat tree’ topology for highly efficient communication. The OmniPath connection between the islands is much weaker, so batch jobs are restricted to a single island, that is 636 nodes.
I/O subsystem
8 I/O nodes
5 PB of online disk space
File systems
$HOME
Your home directory is in the GPFS file system /u
(see below).
AFS
AFS is only available on the login nodes cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de
and on the
interactive nodes cobra-i.mpcdf.mpg.de
in order to access software that
is distributed by AFS. If you don’t get automatically an AFS token
during login, you can get an AFS token with the command
/usr/bin/klog.krb5
.
Note that there is no AFS on the compute nodes, so you have to avoid any
dependencies on AFS in your job.
GPFS
There are two global, parallel file systems of type
GPFS
(/u
and /ptmp
), symmetrically accessible from all Cobra cluster nodes,
plus the migrating file system /r
interfacing to the HPSS archive system.
File system /u
The file system /u
(a symbolic link to /cobra/u
) is designed for permanent
user data such as source files, config files, etc. The size of /u
is 0.6 PB
mirrored (RAID 6). Note that no system backups are performed. Your home
directory is in /u
. The default disk quota in /u
is 2.5 TB, the file
quota is 2 mio files. You can check your disk quota in /u
with the command:
/usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmlsquota cobra_u
File system /ptmp
The file system /ptmp
(a symbolic link to /cobra/ptmp) is designed for
batch job I/O (4.5 PB mirrored, RAID 6, no system backups). Files in
/ptmp
that have not been accessed for more than 12 weeks will be removed
automatically. The period of 12 weeks may be reduced if necessary (with prior
notification).
As a current policy, no quotas are applied on /ptmp
. This gives users the
freedom to manage their data according to their actual needs without
administrative overhead. This liberal policy presumes a fair usage of the
common file space. So, please do a regular housekeeping of your data and
archive/remove files that are not used actually.
Archiving data from the GPFS file systems to tape can be done using the
migrating file system /r
(see below).
File system /r
The /r
file system (a symbolic link to /ghi/r
) stages archive data. It
is available only on the login nodes cobra.mpcdf.mpg.de
and on the
interactive nodes cobra-i.mpcdf.mpg.de
.
Each user has a subdirectory /r/*initial*/*userid*
to store data. For
efficiency, files should be packed to tar files (with a size of about 1 GB to
1 TB) before archiving them in /r
, i.e., please avoid archiving small
files. When the file system /r
gets filled above a certain value, files
will be transferred from disk to tape, beginning with the largest files which
have not been used for the longest time.
For documentation on how to use the MPCDF archive system, please see the backup and archive section.
/tmp
Please, don’t use the file system /tmp
for scratch data. Instead, use
/ptmp
which is accessible from all Cobra cluster nodes. In cases where an application really depends on node-local storage, you can use the variables JOB_TMPDIR
and JOB_SHMTMPDIR
, which are set individually for each job.
Software
Access to software via environment modules
Environment modules are used at MPCDF to provide software packages and enable switching between different software versions.
Use the command
module avail
to list the available software packages on the HPC system. Note that you
can search for a certain module by using the find-module
tool (see
below).
Use the command
module load package_name/version
to actually load a software package at a specific version.
Further information on the environment modules on Cobra and their hierarchical organization is given below.
Information on the software packages provided by the MPCDF is available here.
Recommended compiler and MPI stack on Cobra
We currently (as of 2021/07) recommend to use the following versions on Cobra:
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9 mkl/2020.4
Hierarchical module environment
To manage the plethora of software packages resulting from all the relevant combinations of compilers and MPI libraries, we organize the environment module system for accessing these packages in a natural hierarchical manner. Compilers (gcc, intel) are located on the uppermost level, depending libraries (e.g., MPI) on the second level, more depending libraries on a third level. This means that not all the modules are visible initially: only after loading a compiler module, the modules depending on this will become available. And similarly, loading an MPI module in addition will make the modules depending on the MPI library available.
Starting with the maintenance on Sep 22 2021, no defaults are defined for the compiler and MPI modules, and no modules are loaded automatically at login. This forces users to specify explicit versions for those modules during compilation and in the batch scripts to ensure that the same MPI library is loaded. This also means that users can decide themselves when they use newer compiler and MPI versions for their code which avoids compatibility problems when changing defaults centrally.
For example, the FFTW library compiled with the Intel compiler and the Intel MPI library can be loaded as follows:
First, load the Intel compiler module using the command
module load intel/19.1.3
second, the Intel MPI module with
module load impi/2019.9
and, finally, the FFTW module fitting exactly to the compiler and MPI library via
module load fftw-mpi
You may check by using the command
module avail
that after the first and second steps the depending environment modules become visible, in the present example impi and fftw-mpi. Moreover, note that the environment modules can be loaded via a single ‘module load’ statement as long as the order given by the hierarchy is correct, e.g.,
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9 fftw-mpi
It is important to point out that a large fraction of the available software is
not affected by the hierarchy, e.g., certain HPC applications, tools such as git
or cmake, mathematical software (maple, matlab, mathematica), visualization
software (visit, paraview, idl) are visible at the uppermost hierarchy. Note
that a hierarchy exists for depending Python modules via the ‘anaconda’ module
files on the top level, and similarly for CUDA via the ‘cuda’ module files. To
start at the root of the environment modules hierarchy, run module purge
.
Because of the hierarchy, some modules only appear after other modules (such as compiler and MPI) have been loaded. One can search all available combinations of a certain software (e.g. fftw-mpi) by using
find-module fftw-mpi
Further information on using environment modules is given here.
Transition to no-default Intel modules in September 2021
Please note that with the Cobra maintenance on Sep 22, 2021, the default-related configuration of the Intel modules was removed, as announced by email on Aug 02, 2021. After that maintenance, no defaults are defined for the Intel compiler and MPI modules, and no modules are loaded automatically at login.
The motivation for introducing these changes is to avoid the accidental use of different versions of Intel compilers and MPI libraries at compile time and at run time. Please note that this will align the configuration on Cobra with the configuration on Raven where users have to specify full versions and no default modules are loaded.
What kind of adaptations of user scripts are necessary? Please load a specific set of environment modules with explicit versions consistently when compiling and running your codes, e.g. use
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9 mkl/2020.4
in your job scripts as well as in interactive shell sessions. Note
that you must specify a full version for the ‘intel’ and the ‘impi’
modules, otherwise the command will fail.
Please note that for your convenience, pre-compiled applications provided as
modules like ‘vasp’ or ‘gromacs’ will continue to load the necessary ‘intel’ and
‘impi’ modules automatically, i.e. no changes of the batch scripts are required
for these applications. We do, however, recommend to add a module purge
in
those cases.
Slurm batch system
The batch system on the HPC cluster Cobra is the open-source workload manager Slurm (Simple Linux Utility for Resource management). To run test or production jobs, submit a job script (see below) to Slurm, which will find and allocate the resources required for your job (e.g. the compute nodes to run your job on).
By default, the job run limit is set to 8 on Cobra, the default job submit limit is 300. If your batch jobs can’t run independently from each other, please use job steps or contact the helpdesk on the MPCDF web page.
The Intel processors on Cobra support the hyperthreading mode which might increase the performance of your application by up to 20%. With hyperthreading, you have to increase the number of MPI tasks per node from 40 to 80 in your job script. Please be aware that with 80 MPI tasks per node each process gets only half of the memory by default. If you need more memory, you have to specify it in your job script (see example batch scripts).
If you want to test or debug your code interactively on
cobra-i.mpcdf.mpg.de
(cobra03i-cobra06i), you can use the command:
srun -n N_TASKS -p interactive ./EXECUTABLE
For detailed information about the Slurm batch system, please see Slurm Workload Manager.
Overview of batch queues (partitions) on Cobra:
Partition Processor Max. CPUs Max. Memory Max. Nr. Max. Run
type per Node per Node of Nodes Time
std.| large
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
tiny Skylake 20 42 GB 0.5 24:00:00
express Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 32 30:00
medium Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 32 24:00:00
n0064 Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 64 24:00:00
n0128 Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 128 24:00:00
n0256 Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 256 24:00:00
n0512 Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 512 24:00:00
n0620 Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 85 | 180 GB 620 24:00:00
fat Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 748 GB 8 24:00:00
chubby Skylake 40 / 80 in HT mode 368 GB 16 24:00:00
gpu_v100 Skylake 40 / 80 (host cpus) 180 GB 64 24:00:00
gpu1_v100 Skylake 40 / 80 (host cpus) 90 GB 0.5 24:00:00
gpu_rtx5000 Skylake 40 / 80 (host cpus) 180 GB 120 24:00:00
gpu1_rtx5000 Skylake 40 / 80 (host cpus) 90 GB 0.5 24:00:00
Remote visualization:
rvs Skylake 40 / 80 (host cpus) 180 GB 2 24:00:00
The most important Slurm commands are
sbatch <job_script_name>
Submit a job script for executionsqueue
Check the status of your job(s)scancel <job_id>
Cancel a jobsinfo
List the available batch queues (partitions).
Sample Batch job scripts can be found below.
Notes on job scripts:
The directive
SBATCH --nodes=<nr. of nodes>
in your job script sets the number of compute nodes that your program will use.
The directive
SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=<nr. of cpus>
specifies the number of MPI processes for the job. The parameter tasks-per-node can not be greater than 80 because one compute node on Cobra has 40 cores with 2 threads each, thus 80 logical CPUs in hyperthreading mode.
The directive
SBATCH --cpus-per-task=<nr. of OMP threads per MPI task>
specifies the number of threads per MPI process if you are using OpenMP.
The expression
tasks-per-node * cpus-per-task
may not exceed 80.
The expression
nodes * tasks-per-node * cpus-per-task
gives the total number of CPUs that your job will use.
Jobs that need less than a half compute node have to specify a reasonable memory limit so that they can share a node!
A job submit filter will automatically choose the right partition/queue from the resource specification.
Please note that setting the environment variable ‘SLURM_HINT’ in job scripts is not necessary and discouraged on Cobra.
Slurm example batch scripts
MPI and MPI/OpenMP batch scripts
MPI batch job without hyperthreading
#!/bin/bash -l
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o ./tjob.out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./tjob.err.%j
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
# Job Name:
#SBATCH -J test_slurm
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=16
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=40
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# Wall clock limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
# Load compiler and MPI modules with explicit version specifications,
# consistently with the versions used to build the executable.
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9
# Run the program:
srun ./myprog > prog.out
Hybrid MPI/OpenMP batch job without hyperthreading
#!/bin/bash -l
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o ./tjob_hybrid.out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./tjob_hybrid.err.%j
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
# Job Name:
#SBATCH -J test_slurm
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=16
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=4
# for OpenMP:
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=10
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# Wall clock limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
# Load compiler and MPI modules with explicit version specifications,
# consistently with the versions used to build the executable.
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=$SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK
# For pinning threads correctly:
export OMP_PLACES=cores
# Run the program:
srun ./myprog > prog.out
Hybrid MPI/OpenMP batch job in hyperthreading mode
#!/bin/bash -l
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o ./tjob_hybrid.out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./tjob_hybrid.err.%j
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
# Job Name:
#SBATCH -J test_slurm
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=16
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=4
# Enable Hyperthreading:
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-core=2
# for OpenMP:
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=20
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# Wall clock Limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
# Load compiler and MPI modules with explicit version specifications,
# consistently with the versions used to build the executable.
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=$SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK
# For pinning threads correctly:
export OMP_PLACES=threads
# Run the program:
srun ./myprog > prog.out
MPI batch job in hyperthreading mode using 180 gb of memory per node
#!/bin/bash -l
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o ./tjob.out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./tjob.err.%j
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
# Job Name :
#SBATCH -J test_slurm
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=16
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=80
# Enable Hyperthreading:
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-core=2
#
# Request 180 GB of main memory per node in units of MB:
#SBATCH --mem=185000
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# Wall clock limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
# Load compiler and MPI modules with explicit version specifications,
# consistently with the versions used to build the executable.
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9
# enable over-subscription of physical cores by MPI ranks
export PSM2_MULTI_EP=0
# Run the program:
srun ./myprog > prog.out
OpenMP batch job in hyperthreading mode using 180 gb of memory per node
#!/bin/bash -l
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o ./tjob_hybrid.out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./tjob_hybrid.err.%j
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
# Job Name:
#SBATCH -J test_slurm
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=1
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=1
# Enable Hyperthreading:
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-core=2
# for OpenMP:
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=80
#
# Request 180 GB of main memory per node in units of MB:
#SBATCH --mem=185000
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# Wall clock Limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=$SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK
# For pinning threads correctly
export OMP_PLACES=threads
# Run the program:
srun ./myprog > prog.out
Batch jobs using GPUs
MPI batch job on GPUs
#!/bin/bash -l
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o ./tjob.out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./tjob.err.%j
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
#
#SBATCH -J test_slurm
#
# Node feature:
#SBATCH --constraint="gpu"
# Specify type and number of GPUs to use:
# GPU type can be v100 or rtx5000
#SBATCH --gres=gpu:v100:2 # If using both GPUs of a node
# #SBATCH --gres=gpu:v100:1 # If using only 1 GPU of a shared node
# #SBATCH --mem=92500 # Memory is necessary if using only 1 GPU
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=1
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=40 # If using both GPUs of a node
# #SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=20 # If using only 1 GPU of a shared node
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# wall clock limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
# Load compiler and MPI modules with explicit version specifications,
# consistently with the versions used to build the executable.
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9
module load cuda/11.2
# Run the program:
srun ./my_gpu_prog > prog.out
Batch jobs with dependencies
The following script generates a sequence of jobs, each job running the given
job script. The start of each individual job depends on its dependency, where
possible values for the --dependency
flag are, e.g.
afterany:job_id
This job starts after the previous job has terminatedafterok:job_id
This job starts after previous job has successfully executed
#!/bin/bash
# Submit a sequence of batch jobs with dependencies
#
# Number of jobs to submit:
NR_OF_JOBS=6
# Batch job script:
JOB_SCRIPT=./my_batch_script
echo "Submitting job chain of ${NR_OF_JOBS} jobs for batch script ${JOB_SCRIPT}:"
JOBID=$(sbatch ${JOB_SCRIPT} 2>&1 | awk '{print $(NF)}')
echo " " ${JOBID}
I=1
while [ ${I} -lt ${NR_OF_JOBS} ]; do
JOBID=$(sbatch --dependency=afterany:${JOBID} ${JOB_SCRIPT} 2>&1 | awk '{print $(NF)}')
echo " " ${JOBID}
let I=${I}+1
done
Batch job using a job array
#!/bin/bash -l
#SBATCH --array=1-20 # specify the indexes of the job array elements
# Standard output and error:
#SBATCH -o job_%A_%a.out # Standard output, %A = job ID, %a = job array index
#SBATCH -e job_%A_%a.err # Standard error, %A = job ID, %a = job array index
# Initial working directory:
#SBATCH -D ./
# Job Name:
#SBATCH -J test_array
#
# Number of nodes and MPI tasks per node:
#SBATCH --nodes=1
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=40
#
#SBATCH --mail-type=none
#SBATCH [email protected]
#
# Wall clock limit:
#SBATCH --time=24:00:00
# Load compiler and MPI modules with explicit version specifications,
# consistently with the versions used to build the executable.
module purge
module load intel/19.1.3 impi/2019.9
# The environment variable $SLURM_ARRAY_TASK_ID holds the index of the job array and
# can be used to discriminate between individual elements of the job array:
srun ./myprog $SLURM_ARRAY_TASK_ID >prog.out
Single-node example job scripts for sequential programs, plain-OpenMP cases, Python, Julia, Matlab
In the following, example job scripts are given for jobs that use at maximum one full node. Use cases are sequential programs, threaded programs using OpenMP or similar models, and programs written in languages such as Python, Julia, Matlab, etc.
The Python example programs referred to below are available for download.
Single-core job
#!/bin/bash -l
#
# Single-core example job script for MPCDF Cobra.
# In addition to the Python example shown here, the script
# is valid for any single-threaded program, including
# sequential Matlab, Mathematica, Julia, and similar cases.
#
#SBATCH -J PYTHON_SEQ
#SBATCH -o ./out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./err.%j
#SBATCH -D ./
#SBATCH --ntasks=1 # launch job on a single core
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=1 # on a shared node
#SBATCH --mem=2000MB # memory limit for the job
#SBATCH --time=0:10:00
module purge
module load gcc/10 impi/2019.9
module load anaconda/3/2021.05
# Set number of OMP threads to fit the number of available cpus, if applicable.
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=1
# Run single-core program
srun python3 ./python_sequential.py
Small job with multithreading, applicable to Python, Julia and Matlab, plain OpenMP, or any threaded application
#!/bin/bash -l
#
# Multithreading example job script for MPCDF Cobra.
# In addition to the Python example shown here, the script
# is valid for any multi-threaded program, including
# Matlab, Mathematica, Julia, and similar cases.
#
#SBATCH -J PYTHON_MT
#SBATCH -o ./out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./err.%j
#SBATCH -D ./
#SBATCH --ntasks=1 # launch job on
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=8 # 8 cores on a shared node
#SBATCH --mem=16000MB # memory limit for the job
#SBATCH --time=0:10:00
module purge
module load gcc/10 impi/2019.9
module load anaconda/3/2021.05
# Set number of OMP threads to fit the number of available cpus, if applicable.
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=${SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK}
srun python3 ./python_multithreading.py
Python/NumPy multitheading, applicable to Julia and Matlab, plain OpenMP, or any threaded application
#!/bin/bash -l
#
# Multithreading example job script for MPCDF Cobra.
# In addition to the Python example shown here, the script
# is valid for any multi-threaded program, including
# plain OpenMP, parallel Matlab, Julia, and similar cases.
#
#SBATCH -o ./out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./err.%j
#SBATCH -D ./
#SBATCH -J PY_MULTITHREADING
#SBATCH --nodes=1 # request a full node
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=1 # only start 1 task via srun because Python multiprocessing starts more tasks internally
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=40 # assign all the cores to that first task to make room for multithreading
#SBATCH --time=00:10:00
module purge
module load gcc/10 impi/2019.9
module load anaconda/3/2021.05
# set number of OMP threads *per process*
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=${SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK}
srun python3 ./python_multithreading.py
Python multiprocessing
#!/bin/bash -l
#
# Python multiprocessing example job script for MPCDF Cobra.
#
#SBATCH -o ./out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./err.%j
#SBATCH -D ./
#SBATCH -J PYTHON_MP
#SBATCH --nodes=1 # request a full node
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=1 # only start 1 task via srun because Python multiprocessing starts more tasks internally
#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=40 # assign all the cores to that first task to make room for Python's multiprocessing tasks
#SBATCH --time=00:10:00
module purge
module load gcc/10 impi/2019.9
module load anaconda/3/2021.05
# Important:
# Set the number of OMP threads *per process* to avoid overloading of the node!
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=1
# Use the environment variable SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK to have multiprocessing
# spawn exactly as many processes as you have CPUs available.
srun python3 ./python_multiprocessing.py $SLURM_CPUS_PER_TASK
Python mpi4py
#!/bin/bash -l
#
# Python MPI4PY example job script for MPCDF Cobra.
# Plain MPI. May use more than one node.
#
#SBATCH -o ./out.%j
#SBATCH -e ./err.%j
#SBATCH -D ./
#SBATCH -J MPI4PY
#SBATCH --nodes=1
#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=40
#SBATCH --time=00:10:00
module purge
module load gcc/10 impi/2019.9
module load anaconda/3/2021.05
module load mpi4py/3.0.3
# Important:
# Set the number of OMP threads *per process* to avoid overloading of the node!
export OMP_NUM_THREADS=1
srun python3 ./python_mpi4py.py
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https://selfpublishing.com/self-publishing-school-review/
|
If you’re looking for a Self-Publishing School review, it’s probably because you’re an aspiring author looking for a self-publishing course on how to write and publish a book.
As you research how to write a book, you’ll come across several self-publishing companies. And more than likely, one of them will be Self-Publishing School. So, now you’re here for the Self-Publishing School review. You want to know, “How much does Self-Publishing School cost? Does it work? Is it worth it?”
A quick Google search that includes the term “self-publishing” will likely land you on one of the company’s resources, whether it be a blog article, a YouTube video, or an advertisement. Or even other Self-Publishing School reviews! So, let’s take an honest look at this self-publishing education company so you can determine if it’s right for you.
A note about this Self-Publishing School review…
We’ll review other self-publishing companies in a different article. For this particular post, we’re only focusing on a Self-Publishing School review, simply because wanted to provide a detailed report on each program offering.
First off, it’s important to understand that this isn’t an in-depth review of one specific Self-Publishing School program.
We want you to make informed decisions when it comes to how and where to invest your money. That’s why our mission is to help educate authors on the various self-publishing companies and services that are on the market today.
Our reviews are meant to be unbiased, 3rd party reviews, but we will speak up if there is a scam or a clearly better option.
What Self-Publishing School offers
What are Self-Publishing School’s product and service offerings? There are a few! And we’ll cover each one in depth in this Self-Publishing School review.
If you didn’t know already, the company has a variety of author education programs, all geared towards authors, including:
- Become a Bestseller – Where nonfiction-specific authors can write, market, and publish their books within 90 days, all with 1-on-1 coaching from expert bestselling authors.
- Fundamentals of Fiction – Aspiring fiction authors will learn the ropes of fiction writing and publish their first fiction book with 1-on-1 coaching from a bestselling fiction author.
- Children’s Book School – Aspiring children’s book writers will learn how to write and produce a quality children’s book that parents, teachers, and kids love.
- Author Advantage Accelerator – The Author Advantage Accelerator is the ultimate program. This bundled package of programs also includes a whole buffet of done-for-you services to make the production, publishing, and marketing easier.
- Author Advantage Live – A writer’s conference specifically for self-published and independent authors where you will learn, strategize, and network to build a book business.
With that said, this Self-Publishing School review is a collective review of all the company’s online offerings, so that you can decide which program might be right for you.
Is Self-Publishing School legit?
Yes, Self-Publishing School is a credible online self-publishing company that offers comprehensive training and services for authors.
This online education company is geared toward aspiring authors, and those that are already self-published. The programs are built around Amazon self-publishing.
If you’ve decided to go with self-publishing vs traditional publishing but aren’t sure where to start, Self-Publishing School is worth checking out.
The team’s mission is to help you bring life to the book you’ve always wanted to write.
And to help you start doing the work needed to share your book with the world.
Self-Publishing School takes an interesting angle with their inclusive approach. Their message is that you don’t need to be the world’s best writer to publish a bestseller.
In fact, Chandler Bolt, Self-Publishing School’s CEO, makes it clear that he used to hate writing. Yet today, he’s a six-time bestselling self-published author.
In a booming self-publishing industry, Self-Publishing School was listed as one of INC 5000’s fastest-growing private companies in America. Small but mighty, Self-Publishing School may be on track to dominate the industry amidst other self-publishing companies.
Here’s a peek at the company’s “About Us” page:
How is Self-Publishing School different from other self-publishing companies?
When considering self-publishing companies and which program to take, it’s important to understand the different types of business out there. You can scour the internet to find a list of the best self-publishing programs in the industry, but chances are, each will serve a different purpose.
In an effort to clear up some of the confusion, we’ll explain the difference between the various company types on the market today.
These are the main types of self-publishing companies:
- Self-publishing platforms: This is where self-published authors actually upload their books to. Think Amazon self-publishing (KDP) and Apple’s iBooks.
- Self-published author services: These are self-publishing services that provide authors with the services needed to publish a book. Think of it like a one-stop shop for book editing, designing, and illustration services.
- Self-publishing education: These are companies that teach authors the skill of how to self-publish a book successfully. Self-Publishing School falls under this category.
Who is Self-Publishing School for?
If you want to learn a tried-and-true method of how to write and publish a bestselling book with Amazon self-publishing, then Self-Publishing School might be right for you.
If you have the drive to finish your book, but want a bit of handholding and mentorship, then you can definitely benefit from one of their programs. And if you want someone to handle the tough processes of book production for you, they can handle that too.
Types of people that can use Self-Publishing School programs are:
- Entrepreneurs wanting to level up their business and gain new leads
- Writers who want to publish multiple books and build passive income
- Authors who want to create a sustainable business
- Anyone who wants to share their story
Self-Publishing School Review: The Programs
As mentioned above in this Self-Publishing School review, the company offers a variety of programs geared toward helping authors expand their personal book businesses. Let’s dive a little deeper into each of the Self-Publishing School programs.
Become a Bestseller
Hailed as the company’s flagship program, this guides you through the entire self-publishing process. It includes step-by-step tutorials and personalized coaching sessions.
This self-paced program is most similar to other online programs from other self-publishing companies on the market today in the sense that it is introductory for beginners new to the self-publishing scene.
With its three phases (Writing, Book Production, and Launching), it’s a comprehensive program that covers the nuts and bolts of writing and publishing a book. And it’s geared towards non-fiction writers who want to do it in as little as 90 days.
By the end of it, you’ll know how to write a book, and how to publish an eBook and physical book on Amazon.
The Self-Publishing School coaches, regarded as industry experts and authors, help support you with individualized, private sessions throughout the duration of your publishing processes.
An additional perk included is access to the company’s private Facebook group community, where you can connect with a robust self-published author community. There are also weekly live sessions, and members lean on each other for support and encouragement.
This program recently received a facelift, so it’s been updated with new content and features.
For example, depending on which program you enroll in, a goodie box will arrive on your doorstep shortly after. This includes a physical workbook full of guided exercises, which really sets the company apart in this Self-Publishing School review.
If you want to write a nonfiction book, this comprehensive starter program might be valuable to you.
Fundamentals of Fiction
Like the Become a Bestseller program, Fundamentals of Fiction is an online introductory program that will guide you through the self-publishing process from start to finish.
However, this one is particularly for aspiring fiction authors.
This self-paced program includes components that make it suitable for novel writing, as opposed to non-fiction writing. Tutorials on storytelling fundamentals and development can be found in the course content.
If you need fiction development lessons, such as writing the setting of a story, and using figurative language, then this might be the program for you.
Like Become a Bestseller, this program also includes personalized coaching sessions, and access to the Mastermind Community along with a private Facebook group for only the fiction authors.
If you want to write a fiction novel, be it fantasy, romance, mystery, or thriller, this program will cover what you need to write a great story and it will be especially beneficial for you.
Children’s Book School Program
This new Self-Publishing School program is specifically for aspiring children’s book authors.
It includes the online course, 1-1 expert coaching with a bestselling children’s book author, and a mastermind community.
If you want to learn the entire process of how to write, publish, and launch an award-winning book for children, this program might be for you.
Full-Time Fiction Marketing Program
The newest program from Self-Publishing School, this content is specifically for published fiction authors who want to create and implement an advanced marketing plan to generate a full-time income.
It includes the online course, 1-1 coaching with an expert fiction author, and complete guidance on building out your marketing plan.
Author Advantage Accelerator
Think of this program as having “all the bells and whistles.” It’s the next level up from the starter programs.
The Author Advantage Accelerator program is designed as a white glove service to take care of your book production and publishing needs. It is for people who want to have a big launch and go all-out on their marketing efforts to sell more books.
Additional coaching calls, more done-for-you services, additional curriculum – this program has it all. The materials and training videos cover advanced book marketing strategies, email marketing, social media, building an author brand, and more.
This content is up-to-date and will be continuously expanding. It also includes a physical “playbook”, which is a planning and strategy guide that walks you through step-by-step.
If you’re about to publish your book and want to grow your business and increase your passive income, then this program might be for you.
How much does Self-Publishing School cost?
The easiest way to answer the question: “How much does Self-Publishing School cost?” is to direct you to their website. On the Self-Publishing School website they lay out the pricing of their programs very clearly.
These costs include the complete self-publishing program: online curriculum, group coaching, individual coaching, mastermind community membership, and any supplemental materials, including live group workshops.
Since there are a few different program offerings, the price varies depending on which product you are interested in.
You’ll want to consider the program you purchase along with the package you choose to determine the cost of Self-Publishing School.
Self-Publishing School Review: The good
Now that you have an understanding about the programs at Chandler Bolt’s Self-Publishing School, let’s get down to the actual Self-Publishing School review. Here are a few of the reasons we think Self-Publishing School has a leg up in the self-publishing education industry:
It is comprehensive, without information overload
There is a ton to know about the self-publishing industry, and it’s rapidly changing. The starter programs are great at giving you the nuts and bolts with actionable steps.
Sure, one could argue that you can learn all there is to know with tons of research and trial-and-error, but all that takes time and effort.
If you don’t have the time to waste on that, these programs are a great start.
It is designed to achieve a specific result
One of the pros in our Self-Publishing School review is that each program is developed to help you reach a specific goal. Other self-publishing companies offer a “one-size-fits-all” program, which doesn’t always get you the results you need.
Whether you want to write and publish a book in 90 days, grow your book revenue, or make a career of writing and publishing books – each program delivers a different result.
Which means you can really hone in on what results you want to get out of it.
The program sees continuous improvement
Another pro in our Self-Publishing School review is that their content is frequently updated. Old programs are regularly redesigned, and new products are sure to come down the pipeline.
This is exciting because even if you don’t find anything you’re looking for with their current offerings, keep an eye out because Self-Publishing School will likely be rolling out new products in the future.
You get extra perks
What truly makes Self-Publishing School stand out from competing self-publishing companies is the additional resources. The extra perks that come along with the programs, such as the workbooks and community access, are extremely valuable resources.
With so many online courses on the market today, Self-Publishing School is one of the few programs that actually mails you a box of goodies when you enroll.
You receive personalized, one-on-one coaching with a self-publishing expert
With the “online course” phase booming right now, self-paced courses oversaturate the market. While it’s convenient to be able to take them at your own speed, this isn’t always effective. Another one of the pros in our Self-Publishing School review is that the company provides you with one-on-one coaching to keep you accountable.
Too many people pull the trigger on self-paced courses, only to never actually finish.
Many of us need someone to hold us accountable, and some of us just need that extra push or hand-holding.
With Self-Publishing School’s coaching system, you get the extra support and guidance needed to successfully work through the process, which isn’t provided by other self-publishing companies.
There is an active, hands-on team
Chandler Bolt and Self-Publishing School’s team are super passionate about what they do, and are active in the Mastermind Community. As a result, they listen to feedback and continuously work to improve the company.
Whether you need guidance in the program, have a question, or have a technical support issue, there will be someone ready to assist you.
There are plenty of done-for-you services
Until recently, this was an area for improvement in our Self-Publishing School review, but now Self-Publishing School offers actual author services. These services include book production, publishing, and even some marketing, depending on which program you enroll in.
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop to have your book self-published, designed, formatted, and even uploaded to Amazon, then Self-Publishing School can help.
Self-Publishing School Review: Room for Growth
No program out there is perfect and Self-Publishing School is no exception. This wouldn’t be a comprehensive Self-Publishing School review without commenting on areas where the program could improve. While their results are outstanding, here are areas we felt the company could grow when writing our Self-Publishing School review.
It isn’t cheap
One of the cons in our Self-Publishing School review is that the price is high compared to other self-publishing companies. But keep in mind that the other self-publishing companies are likely not including the 1-1 and group coaching sessions, workshops, or additional support that come with Self-Publishing School.
When you consider that the course is tailored to your needs and offers personalized support, the cost makes sense for the program. You just have to make sure it’s in your budget!
If you’re considering Self-Publishing School, book a call to discuss all the price details with them.
Which leads us to our other point…
You have to apply first
Unlike other self-publishing companies where you can enter your payment information and instantly get access, Self-Publishing School has a “vetting” process, so to speak.
While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can be inconvenient for students who are ready to pull the trigger, which is why it’s worth noting in this Self-Publishing School review.
First, you’ll have to schedule a phone call with one of their publishing strategists to discuss whether it’s a “mutually beneficial” idea to have you take their program.
While this can be off-putting for some, the call can be helpful for you even if you decide not to join the program.
And the company is always adding new features, so maybe there will be a digital application option in the future. If so, we will update our Self-Publishing School review with that information.
It is focused on the Amazon KDP publishing platform
For the programs on self-publishing, the material centers on the Amazon publishing platform, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
It makes sense, since Amazon dominates the self-publishing market today. Many self-publishing companies also focus on Amazon self-publishing, so it can be an industry standard.
But for some people who want to focus on other platforms, you’ll likely have to enroll in an advanced program which is why this is a con in our Self-Publishing School review.
The video quality isn’t always the best
The bulk of the content with Self-Publishing School is in video format, which is standard for online programs on popular platforms like Teachable.
But some of the Self-Publishing School videos can be a bit lengthy. Many of the videos follow a screen-share format, where the speaker is talking to you directly, so at times it’s not the most engaging.
Some videos also don’t seem to be scripted, so it can be similar to a casual conversation, which means the speaker may get sidetracked.
We are adding this as a con in our Self-Publishing School review because if you are a visual learner, and process information more thoroughly while reading, this might be inconvenient for you. But, many of the videos include transcripts so that you can read along if needed. You can also increase the video speed to skim over parts quickly.
It lacks writing development support
Writing is hard! If you’re a writer at heart, you know the struggle with writing.
Actually writing a book and getting the words onto paper is more than half the battle for the author’s journey.
While Self-Publishing School programs can help you simplify the ideation and writing process, they don’t currently have a writing development course. There are sections within the programs to help you with certain aspects of writing, but it isn’t too comprehensive.
Other Self-Publishing School Reviews
Let’s take a look at what some other Self-Publishing School reviews have to say about the company:
As you can see, most authors have glowing things to say about the company in their Self-Publishing School reviews. But here is one more Self-Publishing School review for good measure:
You can also read about their sister company with some selfpublishing.com reviews.
Self-Publishing School Review – Our Final Thoughts
Now that you have a more detailed birds-eye-view with this Self-Publishing School review, we hope that you have more clarity on what the company offers, and which program might be right for you.
Even though we laid out some of the pros and cons to the company, it’s important to consider your own needs and preferences.
For some people, some of the negative things mentioned in this Self-Publishing School review aren’t necessarily a bad thing. So it really boils down to your own individual needs, and what you’re looking for.
If you are leaning towards joining Self-Publishing School, the next step is to schedule a call with one of their publishing strategists.
It’s cost- and risk-free, so you’ll be able to see if it’s a program worth joining.
And remember, before working with any self-publishing companies, do a bit of research before deciding. This Self-Publishing School review is a great start, but look up other reviews and experiences as well to get the full picture.
Writing a book is life-changing, and becoming an author is a choice you have the power to decide on.
Guide yourself in the right direction, invest in yourself when you’re ready, and put in the required work.
With that formula, you’ll be well on your way to being a self-published author in no time!
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https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/2018_246a/
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CRTC Sales Practices Review – 2020 Secret Shopper Project Detailed Findings Report
Download this report in PDF (0.6 MB)
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Background and Research Objectives
- Recommended Appropriate Products or Services
- Misleading Sales Practices/Clear and Simple Information
- Shoppers felt pressured to sign up/not given enough time for make an informed decision
- Salesperson’s Persistence in Overcoming Shopper’s Objection
- Salesperson Offering Advice to Address Shoppers’ Concerns VS. Attempting to Downplay Shoppers’ Concerns
- Salesperson’s Knowledge about the rights of a Consumer of Telecommunication Services
- Contract Delivery*
- Accessibility
- Language Barrier
- Cancellation
- Conclusion
- Appendix A: Questionnaire
Executive Summary
The results of the Secret Shopper Project indicated that the majority of the sales interactions were perceived to be positive, although some shortcomings were also identified.
The overall satisfaction rates across key metrics (i.e. appropriate products or services recommendation, misleading sales practices, pressuring consumers to sign up, offering unwanted services, etc.) were approximately 80%. However, this means that 1 in 5 potential consumers perceived that they may have faced misleading or aggressive sales practices, which is still a significant number.
This is consistent with the findings of the representative online panel portion of the Ipsos Report that was conducted as part of the proceeding that resulted in the Report on Misleading or Aggressive Communications Retail Sales Practices:
“Overall, four in ten (40%) Canadians who responded to the online panel survey report having experienced sales practices by telecommunications companies in Canada that they consider to be aggressive or misleading, the majority of which report their most recent experience took place within the past year (60% of those who experienced these tactics or 24% of all Canadians).” (emphasis added)
Offering Plans at Different Price Points
One issue that shoppers consistently encountered was that in terms of post-paid plans with data. The big three Service Providers – Bell, Rogers and Telus – do not appear to be offering any flexibility in terms of choices. In terms of the lowest-priced, postpaid plans, they are only offering a $75/month price point plan, excluding a mobile device. This offering included 10 GB of data, with no overage fees, but rather managed connectivity over 10 GB – what is being marketed as unlimited plans. This is the lowest priced plan offered by these Service Providers to the secret shoppers, even those who are looking for a lower-priced plan, or who don’t use as much data and it would appear that their needs are not being accommodated.
In comparison, the lowest-priced plan that offers the same data allowance at Freedom is $50/month. Sasktel and Videotron do offer more variety in terms of data allowances and pricing.
Accessibility
One concerning observation from the Secret Shopper Project is that shoppers with disabilities are facing significant barriers in accessing the appropriate telecommunications products or services that accommodate their accessibility needs. This will be covered in more detail in a later section titled ‘Accessibility’ in this report, but to summarize a few key findings:
- Consumers with disabilities typically have significantly lower satisfaction rates across key metrics on sales practices, such as appropriate products or service recommendations, misleading sales practices and aggressive sales practices, compared to consumers without disabilities.
- Certain aspects of the sales process, such as the Online Chat icon/button on the Service Providers’ websites, may not be accessible to all Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, who rely on assistive devices and software (i.e. screen readers) that allow them to browse websites. In addition, consumers who are blind or partially sighted appear not to be offered their contracts in alternative formats, but the sample, in both instances, was not large enough to say definitively if this is a systematic issue and further investigation may be warranted.
- Certain companies, like Rogers and Bell, advertise their ability to accommodate deaf shoppers with sign language interpreters during the sales interaction (i.e. either to reimburse the costs for the sign language interpreter or arrange for a sign language interpreter). In reality, however, the process appears to have proven to be prohibitively difficult for the secret shopper who tried to access this accommodation, but again, the sample was not large enough to say definitively if this is a systematic issue and further investigation may be warranted.
People with Language Barriers
Overall, consumers with language barriers are also dissatisfied on certain metrics, although on a smaller number of metrics, compared to the higher-than-average dissatisfaction rates of people with disabilities almost across the board. On some metrics, there aren’t significant differences between people with a language barrier compared to people without a language barrier. For example, on whether the recommended product was appropriate for their needs, 73% of people with a language barrier were satisfied, compared to 74% satisfaction rate for people without a language barrier.
Some notable sources of significant dissatisfaction are:
- 36% of shoppers with language barriers felt that the salesperson did not make an attempt to accommodate the language barrier.
- Whether the information provided during the sales interaction was clear and simple, 82% of shoppers with language barriers were satisfied, compared to 89% satisfaction rate from people without a language barrier.
- On whether they were given sufficient time to make an informed decision, 78% of shoppers with language barriers were satisfied, compared to 88% of shoppers without a language barrier.
- On whether the salesperson downplayed any concerns expressed by the shopper, 40% of shoppers with language barriers were dissatisfied on this metric, compared to an 18% dissatisfaction rate from shoppers without a language barrier.
Seniors
One of the interesting findings of this Secret Shopper Project was that shoppers who are seniors have higher satisfaction rates than non-seniors almost across the board, and even significantly higher on certain metrics. For example, on whether the salesperson explained the relevant consumer protections, 100% of senior shoppers were satisfied, compared to 79% of non-seniors.
Overall, senior shoppers felt they were recommended the appropriate product (79%), given clear and simple information (94%), given sufficient time to make an informed decision (91%), not being misled (93%) or felt pressured to purchase (9%), compared to non-senior shoppers (at 73%, 87%, 87%, 92%, and 12%, respectively).
Further exploration on why this trend is taking place is perhaps warranted, and may provide insights to help enhance the accommodation for other demographics who may be more vulnerable to misleading or aggressive sales practices, such as people with disabilities and language barriers.
Sales Channels
It is worth noting that satisfaction rates on sales interactions through online chats are significantly lower compared to sales interactions through in-person visits or over the phone.
In addition, most companies’ online chat functionalities are very limited. Many shoppers reported that if they inquired about anything other than a post-paid plan, for example if they inquired about prepaid plans or accessibility related products or services, they would be asked to call or visit a store in person.
Moreover, many shoppers who are blind or partially sighted who use assistive devices and software that allows them to read text on websites, reported that websites’ online chat icon/button are not accessible and do not allow their assistive devices to detect the online chat icon/button.
Background and Research Objectives
Project Background
From June 2018 to February 2019, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) conducted a public process in response to Order in Council P.C. 2018-0685 (the Order in Council), in which the Governor in Council directed the CRTC to make a report on the use of misleading or aggressive retail sales practices by Canada’s large communications service providers which culminated in the publication of a report on these findings, the CRTC’s Report on Misleading or Aggressive Communications Retail Sales Practices (the CRTC Report), on 20 February 2019. As part of that process, the CRTC hired Ipsos Public Affairs to produce a report, based on multiple public opinion research methods, that is representative of views from across Canada. The resulting report, entitled Consultation on Canada’s large telecommunications carriers’ sales practices (the Ipsos Report) was included in the record of that proceeding.
In their report, the CRTC found that it is apparent that misleading or aggressive retail sales practices are present in the communications service provider market in Canada and, to some extent, in the television service provider market.
These practices exist in all types of sales channels, including in store, online, over the telephone, and door to door. The CRTC reported that those practices occur to an unacceptable degree; they are harming Canadian consumers, in particular Canadians who may be more vulnerable to these practices, such as seniors, Canadians with disabilities and Canadians whose mother tongue is neither English nor French; and they are a serious concern for the CRTC.
The report identified many effective ways to strengthen existing consumer protections to prevent Canadians from being subject to misleading or aggressive retail sales practices, including monitoring the sales practices through research initiatives such as an ongoing nationwide secret shopper program overseen by the CRTC, the results of which would be published.
The CRTC launched a process in the spring of 2019 to commission a company to conduct a Secret Shopper Program (the Secret Shopper Project).
Research Objectives
The CRTC’s primary research objective is to gain a better understanding of how front-line employees of the communications service providers (the Service Providers) sell communications services and how consumers experience the sales process to assist the CRTC in its decision-making processes regarding misleading or aggressive sales practices.
For the purposes of the Secret Shopper Project, the CRTC focused on the sale of wireless mobile services.
The result of this Secret Shopper Project answers the following questions:
- How are wireless mobile services sold?
- Is communication (verbal, written, and/or electronic) during the sales process perceived as clear, simple, and not misleading from the perspective of secret shoppers?
- Are there observable similarities and differences in how wireless mobile services are sold to consumers with a diverse range of demographic backgrounds, including consumers who may be more vulnerable due to their age, a disability, or a language barrier?
To achieve this research objective, realistic secret shopper scenarios were used to replicate the consumer experience and create a believable interaction between Service Providers’ employees and secret shoppers posing as new and existing Service Providers’ customers whether it be in store, on the phone, or through Service Providers’ online chat functions.
Research Design and Key Dates
This Secret Shopper Project was divided into two phases. The first phase was an initial Test Pilot Project in 2019 with the purpose of testing the methodology and research design, in preparation for the full launch of the Secret Shopper Project in early 2020.
Pilot project
Test Pilot Project
The Test Pilot Project consisted of 18 shops in total, and took place across the country in order to be as geographically representative as possible. The fieldwork of the Test Pilot Project took place between 6 December 2019 to 13 December 2019. The sampling plan for the Test Pilot Project followed similar themes as the sampling plan of the Secret Shopper Project, although given the small sample size, the percentages were not accurate, but made as closely to the targets as possible.
Quotas and Sampling Plan
To ensure that the Secret Shopper Project was as representative of Canadians’ experience as possible, the sampling plan ensured the mystery shops were organized taking into account several considerations:
- Service Providers: this Secret Shopper Project targeted the main brands of the six of the largest Service Providers of telecommunication services or products in Canada, namely: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Sasktel, Freedom and Videotron. The number of shops per the Service Providers were divided according to each Service Provider’s portion of the total market share.
Service Provider Percentage Actual Bell 29% 121 Rogers 32% 133 Telus 29% 124 Sasktel 2% 8 Freedom 5% 20 Videotron 4% 16 Total 100% 422 - Sales channels: this Secret Shopper Project focused on the three sales channels: in-store, online and phone. In-store shops take up approximately half of the total number of mystery shops, while online and phone shops take up approximately a quarter each.
Sales Channel Bell Freedom Rogers Sasktel Telus Videotron Total Percentage In-Store 64 11 70 4 65 8 222 53% Online 28 5 32 2 29 4 100 23% Phone 29 4 31 2 30 4 100 23% Total 121 20 133 8 124 16 422 100% - Region: for this Secret Shopper Project, the mystery shops were also divided up by the Canadian provinces according to their proportion to the overall Canadian population. The breakdown is as follows:
Region Percentage Actual Atlantic 7% 30 Quebec 23% 97 Ontario 39% 162 Prairies 19% 78 British Colombia 13% 55 Total 100% 422 - Language: the mystery shops were divided between English and French-speaking shops by each language’s proportion of the Canadian population. During this Secret Shopper Project, all French-speaking shops were done in Quebec, while all English shops were done in provinces other than Quebec.
Language Percentage Actual English 77% 325 French 23% 97 Total 100% 422 - Gender: The mystery shops were divided with an aim to ensuring gender parity.
Gender Percentage Actual Male 50% 212 Female 50% 210 Total 100% 422 - Populations who may be more vulnerable: One of the key focus points of this Secret Shopper Project is whether Canadians who may be more vulnerable to misleading or aggressive sales practices are being accommodated and this Secret Shopper Project focused on the following demographic factors:
- People with a disability (those that are deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH), and blind or partially sighted);
- People with language barriers; and,
- Seniors (people who are 65 years or older).
To ensure that these populations were properly represented, special efforts were made to recruit secret shoppers that could report on their experiences. For example, accessibility groups across Canada were contacted to recruit shoppers across Canada that could provide their insights. Further, efforts were made to recruit shoppers whose mother tongue is neither English nor French, but is a representative third language in their locality based on Statistics Canada data, to assess a situation that is more likely to happen in those stores, such as Cantonese-speaking shoppers in Richmond, British Columbia. To that end, many English and French as a Second Language (ESL or FSL) schools across Canada were contacted with the goal of recruiting shoppers whose mother tongue is neither English nor French.
The breakdown of shoppers representing populations who may be more vulnerable to misleading or aggressive sales practices is as follows:
Population Group Percentage Actual Male Female Blind/Partially Sighted 8% 33 24 9 Deaf/Hard of Hearing 4% 16 12 4 Deaf-blind 6% 26 17 9 Language barrier 10% 44 22 23 Seniors 13% 53 34 19 Total 41% 172 109 64
Questionnaire
A questionnaire of 41 questions was developed and was divided into sections that focused on six key aspects of the sales process:
- Shop Scenario (9 questions),
- Demographics (5 questions),
- Sales Interaction (14 questions),
- Contract Delivery (8 questions),
- Accessibility Accommodation (14 questions), and
- Cancellation (2 questions).
The questionnaire was completed by the mystery shopper after their sales interaction, and would take 10 to 20 minutes to complete. The questionnaire in both English and French can be found in Appendix A of this report.
Qualitative Insights
The Secret Shopper Project involved several shoppers who are blind or partially sighted to conduct online shops.
These shoppers typically browse websites using assistive devices/software, one of the most commonly used software is JAWS, which is short for Job Access with Speech.
Unfortunately, one shopper who is legally blind reported that his software was unable to locate the Online Chat Icon/Button on several Service Providers’ websites. It is worth noting that other shoppers who are blind or partially sighted did not report that they could not locate this function. This could mean that although many Service Providers have provided accessibility-related features on their websites, these features do not appear to accommodate all Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.
Below are his comments
“I was not able to locate the live chat feature on the websites. I tried using different browsers, including the most recent versions of Google Chrome and Internet Explorer, through my JAWS for Windows 2020 software. I also tried using shortcuts available on JAWS to try to locate any buttons or links for the Live Chat feature. I tried aligning my JAWS cursor with my PC cursor to see if that would help. It was impossible for me to find the live chat feature using all tools available to me.”
Recommended Appropriate Products or Services
74% of shoppers across the country indicated that they were recommended a product or service that was appropriate for their needs, meaning more than a quarter (26%) of shoppers were not recommended appropriate products or services.
Among the Service Providers, Bell had the highest satisfaction score on this metric with 80%, while Rogers had the lowest score with 68% satisfaction rate.
Accessibility
People with disabilities were significantly less likely to be recommended a product or service that was appropriate for their needs compared to people who do not have a disability, with 65% and 76%, respectively. Among shoppers with disabilities, people who are deaf or hard of hearing had above average satisfaction rate at 88%, while shoppers who are blind or partially sighted had much lower satisfaction rate at 64%, and shoppers who are deaf-blind had the lowest satisfaction rate at 50%.
Language Barrier
Satisfaction rate of shoppers with language barriers did not have significant differences compared to shoppers without a language barrier, with 73% and 74%, respectively.
Seniors
Seniors were more likely to feel that they received appropriate recommendations compared to younger shoppers, with 79% and 73%, respectively. Upon further investigation into the open-ended responses to the questionnaire by senior shoppers, it appears that although the general population is mainly offered the $75/month, 10 GB plan, seniors are being offered a much higher variety of plans compared to non-seniors. Approximately 12% of seniors were offered the $75 plan, compared to 25% of non-seniors being offered the same plan.
Region
Among the provinces, the Atlantic provinces had the highest satisfaction rate with 93%, while Quebec had the lowest satisfaction rate with 69%, and the satisfaction rates for British Columbia, Ontario and the Prairies were 76%, 72%, and 74%, respectively.
Sales Channels
Among the three sales channels (in-person, phone, and online), online sales channels were the least likely to give appropriate product or service recommendations at 61%, compared to 80% for in-person, and 74% for phone.
Misleading Sales Practices/Clear and Simple Information
92% of shoppers found that the information they were provided was not misleading, and 88% of shoppers indicated that the information they were provided was clear and simple to understand.
Service Providers
On whether the information provided was clear and simple to understand, the satisfaction rate is consistent across all Service Providers (in the 88%-89% range) except Freedom, which received a 75% satisfaction rate. In terms of being provided misleading information, Freedom and Videotron had the highest rates of dissatisfaction with 15% and 13%, respectively. Bell, Rogers, Sasktel, and Telus had 7%, 7%, 0%, and 9% respectively.
Language
On whether the information provided was misleading, French shoppers were more likely to be satisfied compared to English shoppers, with 97% and 91%, respectively. Videotron, the Service Provider that operates mainly in Quebec, had a satisfaction rate of 87% on this metric.
Accessibility
People with disabilities were significantly less likely to find the information provided as clear and simple compared to people who don’t have disabilities, with 80% and 90%, respectively. They were also much more likely to find the information provided was misleading, with 18% compared to 6% for those without disabilities. Among those with disabilities, 100% of those who were deaf or hard of hearing said that the information provided was clear and simple, compared to 79% for those who are blind or partially sighted, and 65% for those who are deaf-blind.
Qualitative Insights
Many shoppers who either had language barriers, inquired about prepaid plans, or had existing postpaid plans and were looking to subscribe to a lower tier plan, reported that they received rude remarks/attitudes by the Service Providers’ staff, were refused service, or were told to go to another company. This last one is not necessarily an issue depending on whether it was dismissive or was aimed at ensuring the customer was directed to a Service Provider better positioned to provide the service to the customer.
During the planning phase of the Secret Shopper Project, it was not anticipated that shoppers would face rude remarks, and/or being refused service. Thus this scenario was not being quantified. This could be explicitly added to future iterations of the CRTC Secret Shopper Program.
Language Barrier
82% of people with language barriers found the information provided as clear and simple, compared to 89% for those without a language barrier. 11% of those with language barriers found the information provided to be misleading, compared to 8% for those without a language barrier.
Seniors
Seniors were significantly more likely to feel that the information provided during the sales interaction was clear and simple compared to non-senior shoppers, with 94% and 87%, respectively.
Seniors were also less likely to feel that the information provided was misleading compared to non-seniors, though not to a significant degree, both at 8%.
Region
On whether the information provided was misleading, shoppers in British Columbia were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with this metric compared to other provinces with 15%, compared to 3% for Atlantic, 9% for Ontario, 8% for Prairies, and 4% for Quebec. It is worth noting that the Government of British Columbia had undertaken a survey of their constituents in Spring-Summer 2019 to identify ways to enhance cellphone contract and billing transparency, reaching over 15,000 residents.Footnote 1 It is possible that the communications efforts made by the Government of British Columbia about that report made those concerns more top of mind for residents.
Sales Channels
Among the three sales channels, in-person shops were more likely to provide information that was clear and simple at 90%, compared to 87% for phone, and 85% for online.
Shoppers felt pressured to sign up/not given enough time for make an informed decision
About 13% of shoppers felt that they were not given sufficient time to make an informed decision, and overall 11% felt they were pressured by an employee to sign up or consider a product or service.
Accessibility
Among people with disabilities, shoppers who are deaf or hard of hearing had the highest rate of satisfaction on whether they were given sufficient time during a sales interaction at 100%, compared 76% for people who are blind or partially sighted, and 85% for those who are deaf-blind. On whether shoppers felt they were pressured to sign up for a product or service, shoppers who are deaf or hard of hearing shoppers had a 100% satisfaction rate, compared to 85% for those who are blind or partially sighted, and 81% for those who are deaf-blind.
Language Barrier
People with language barriers were significantly less likely to feel that they were given sufficient time to make an informed decision compared to people without a language barrier, at 78% and 88%, respectively. This means that, in reverse, their dissatisfaction rate on this metric is almost double when compared to those shoppers without language barriers (22% and 12%, respectively).
However, 9% of shoppers with language barriers felt they were pressured by an employee to sign up for a product or service, compared to 12% for shoppers without a language barrier.
Qualitative Insights
With respect to the big three Service Providers, consumers who are not existing customers with the Service Provider are told that the lowest-priced postpaid plan is a $75/month, unlimited data plan.
However, some shoppers were told that if they were an existing customer with the Service Provider, they could be offered a lower-priced plan.
They were not offered an explanation on this inconsistency.
Seniors
Among seniors, 91% of shoppers felt that they were given sufficient time to make an informed decision, compared to 87% of non-senior shoppers. 9% of shoppers who are seniors felt they were pressured by an employee to sign up for a product or service, compared to 12% of shoppers who are not seniors.
Service Providers
Among the Service Providers, Bell had the highest rate of dissatisfaction of 17% on whether shoppers felt they were given sufficient time during the sales interaction, followed by 14% for Rogers, 13% for Sasktel, 10% for Freedom, 9% for Telus, and 6% for Videotron.
Similarly, in terms of the shoppers feeling pressured to sign up or consider a service or product, Bell had the highest rate of dissatisfaction at 17%, followed by Videotron with 13%, Rogers with 12%, Telus with 7%, Freedom with 5%, and Sasktel with 0%.
Region
On whether shoppers felt they were not given sufficient time during a sales interaction, Ontario had the lowest satisfaction rate among the provinces with 82%, compared to 100% for Atlantic, 89% for British Columbia, 92% for Prairies, and 87% for Quebec. In terms of misleading sales practices, Ontario similarly had the lowest satisfaction rate with 85%, compared to 100% for Atlantic, 89% for British Columbia, 90% for Prairies, and 90% for Quebec.
Sales Channels
Similar to other metrics, shoppers were significantly more likely to be satisfied with this metric through an in-person interaction compared to phone and online, with 90%, 87% and 81%, respectively.
Salesperson’s Persistence in Overcoming Shopper’s Objection
In addition to the product or service they originally inquired about, 18% of shoppers indicated that they declined additional products or services which were offered by the salesperson.Footnote 2 Among those who declined an additional product or service recommendation, 31% of shoppers found the salesperson to be persistent in overcoming their objection. This amounts to approximately 6% of shoppers who have both declined offers on unnecessary products or services and perceived persistence in overcoming their objections by the salesperson.
Gender
Among shoppers who declined an additional product or service recommendation, female shoppers (39%) were significantly more likely to face persistent efforts from the salesperson to overcome their objection compared to male shoppers (23%).
Accessibility
Shoppers without a disability were significantly more likely to decline an additional product or service that was not appropriate to their needs compared to shoppers who have a disability, 19% and 11% respectively. Among shoppers with disabilities, however, those who are deaf-blind (19%) were significantly more likely to decline an inappropriate recommendation on a product or service compared to shoppers who are deaf or hard of hearing (0%) or blind or partially sighted shoppers (6%).
Among shoppers who declined offers on additional product or service that was not appropriate to their needs, shoppers with disabilities were significantly more likely to face persistence by the salesperson to overcome their objection compared to shoppers without a disability, with 44% and 29% respectively.
Language Barrier
16% of shoppers with a language barrier declined additional offers on products or services that were not suitable to their needs, compared to 18% of shoppers without a language barrier.
Seniors
17% of senior shoppers declined additional products or services during their sales interactions, compared to 18% of non-senior shoppers. Among those who declined additional products or services, senior shoppers were significantly less likely to face employee’s persistence in overcoming their objection compared to non-senior shoppers, at 22% and 32%, respectively.
Sales Channels
Online interactions (22%) had significantly higher rate of shoppers declining additional offers of products or services, compared to in-person (16%) and phone interactions (19%).
Among the three sales channels, salespeople were significantly more likely to be persistent in overcoming a shopper’s objection to a recommended product or service in person (35%), than during a phone (26%) or online interaction (27%).
Service Providers
Among the Service Providers, Telus and Bell had the highest rate of shoppers declining additional offers on products or services, at 22% and 19%, respectively, followed by 15% for Freedom, 15% for Rogers, 13% for Sasktel, and 6% for Videotron. Of those, shoppers reported persistent attempts to overcome their objection by salespeople of 35% for Bell, 33% for Telus, 30% for Rogers, and 0% for Freedom, Sasktel and Videotron. However, the sample size for Freedom, Sasktel and Videotron are not statistically significant enough to draw meaningful conclusions.
Language
English-speaking shoppers were significantly more likely to decline additional offers on products or services at 84%, compared to 73% for French-speaking shoppers. There was no significant difference in terms of facing employee persistence in overcoming their objection among English and French shoppers, both at 31%.
Region
Among the provinces, Ontario had the highest rate of shoppers declining the offer of additional products or services at 22%, followed by Quebec with 21%, Prairies at 15%, British Columbia at 9%, and Atlantic at 7%.
Salesperson Offering Advice to Address Shoppers’ Concerns VS. Attempting to Downplay Shoppers’ Concerns
In total, 33% of shoppers asked questions or expressed concerns about the recommended product or service during their sales interactions. The concerns included things such as overage fees, the offering of services that are not needed, and the product or service including allowances either much greater or lower than the actual stated need. It is concerning that among those who expressed concerns, 34% of shoppers indicated that the salesperson did not offer any helpful tips to address their concerns, and 20% of the salespeople attempted to downplay concerns expressed by the shoppers.
Gender
Between the genders, salespeople were much more likely to attempt to downplay a female shopper’s (25%) concerns compared to a male shopper (17%).
Accessibility
Shoppers with disabilities (51%) were almost twice as likely to not be offered any advice they considered helpful to address their concerns, compared to shoppers without a disability (28%). In addition, salespeople were almost twice as likely to downplay concerns expressed by shoppers with disabilities (31%) compared to shoppers without a disability (16%).
Among shoppers with disabilities, the three shoppers who are deaf were all offered helpful tips on addressing their concerns. However, only 42% of the 12 shoppers who are blind or partially sighted were offered helpful tips on addressing their concerns, compared to 44% of the 16 shoppers who are deaf-blind.
Language Barrier
Shoppers with language barriers (47%) were significantly more likely to not have their concerns addressed by sales salesperson compared to shoppers without language barriers (33%). Furthermore, salespeople were more than twice as likely to downplay the concerns expressed by a person with language barriers (40%) compared to a person without a language barrier (18%).
Seniors
Shoppers who are seniors were significantly more likely to be offered helpful tips on addressing their concerns about recommended products or services compared to shoppers who are not senior, at 85% and 63%, respectively. In addition, senior shoppers were also significantly less likely to have their concerns downplayed by a salesperson, at 15%, compared to 21% for non-senior shoppers.
Language
English-speaking shoppers (38%) were significantly more likely to not receive any helpful advice to address their concerns compared to French shoppers (19%).
Salesperson’s Knowledge about the rights of a Consumer of Telecommunication Services
During this study, 37% of shoppers raised concerns about their rights as consumers of telecommunication services during their sales interactions. These concerns include trial periods without penalties or early cancellation fees for mobile devices, cancellation fee of contracts after 2 years, caps on data overage charges, etc. For those who expressed concerns about their rights as a consumer, about 82% received satisfactory answers regarding the relevant consumer protections, and only 38% were offered any information on the process of filing a complaint, in the event of issues in the future.
Accessibility
Shoppers with disabilities (69%) were significantly less likely to be offered the appropriate information on their rights as consumers compared to shoppers without disabilities (86%). Shoppers who are blind or partially sighted were twice as likely to be offered information on the relevant consumer protections than shoppers who are deaf-blind (86% and 43%, respectively).
Language Barrier
Shoppers with a language barrier were similarly likely to be offered explanations on consumers’ rights compared to shoppers without a language barrier, with 83% and 82% respectively. However, shoppers with language barriers were less likely to be offered any information on the process of filing complaints in the event of future issues (33%), compared to 38% of shoppers without a language barrier.
Seniors
Shoppers who are seniors were significantly more likely to be offered explanations on the relevant consumer protections (100%), compared to non-senior shoppers (79%). Furthermore, shoppers who are seniors were significantly more likely to be offered information on the process of filing a complaint in the event of future issues (54%), compared to non-senior shoppers (35%).
Language
English-speaking shoppers were significantly more likely to be offered information on the process of filing a complaint (43%) compared to French-speaking shoppers (12%).
Gender
Among those who expressed concerns about their consumers’ rights, female shoppers (97%) were significantly more likely to be offered the appropriate information on their consumers’ rights than their male counterparts (72%).
Sales Channels
Salespeople during in-person and over-the-phone interactions were significantly more likely to offer the correct information on their consumers’ rights compared to online interactions, with 85%, 84%, and 71% respectively. As well, salespeople during in-person interactions (42%) were significantly more likely to offer information on the process of filing a complaint, compared to phone (32%) and online shops (32%).
Contract Delivery*
Out of the ten shoppers who made purchases during their mystery shops, they indicated they all expressed consent for the plans they signed up for. However, three out of those ten shoppers indicated that the details outlined in the contract did not match with the terms they agreed to during the sales interaction.
In addition, a critical information summary (a one- or two-page document that summarizes the most important elements of the contract for the customer) was only provided to six out of the ten shoppers.
Out of the five shoppers who have made purchases during their in-person mystery shops, two were not provided a permanent copy of the contract immediately after they agreed to the contract.
There were two shoppers who purchased prepaid plans and they both indicated that the salesperson did not explain to them the conditions related to the prepaid balance (i.e. monthly fees, how much per text for U.S. or international picture and video messages, how many minutes of local calls, how much per minute of additional usage, etc.).
*Please note that, due to the nature and the scope of this Secret Shopper Project, the sample size for the ‘contract delivery’ portion of this project was not statistically significant enough to draw any meaningful conclusions. These limited results do seem to indicate that there is value in future secret shopper projects assessing the whole experience to better understand consumers’ concerns and their experiences.
Qualitative Insights
During the Secret Shopper Project, there was only one opportunity to test the ease with which Canadians who need a sign language interpreter to avail themselves of services offered by Service Providers.
We hired a shopper who is deaf to bring in a sign language interpreter to an in-store visit. The sign language interpreter’s attempt to invoice for her services, an option that the service provider advertises as being available, has proven very difficult.
Although both the head office and store owner were aware of this accessibility option, both initially refused to accept the invoice. The head office insisted that the invoice must come from the store, and the store owner was dismissive - claiming that it wasn’t their problem because they were a franchise.
Fortunately, the franchise owner eventually accepted the invoice after some back and forth.
Accessibility
It is evident from the results of this study that shoppers with disabilities face significant difficulties in accessing appropriate telecommunication goods or services that accommodate their needs.
Out of all shoppers who have a disability, only 34% of them received recommendations on products or services that were suitable to their accessibility needs. 25% of shoppers who are deaf or hard of hearing were recommended appropriate products or services, 24% of shoppers who are blind or partially sighted received appropriate recommendations, and 42% of shoppers who are deaf-blind received appropriate recommendations.
Two shoppers, one who is blind or partially sighted and the other, who is deaf-blind, made purchases, and neither were asked whether they needed their contract in an alternative format. It is worth noting that the Wireless Code requires providing contracts in alternative format upon request, not that they be provided as a rule.
In addition, during their sales interactions with shoppers with disabilities, only 25% of the salespeople mentioned any accessibility related rebates or plans, and 15% mentioned that the trial period for consumers with a disability is 30 days (compared to 15 days for consumers without a disability).
55% of shoppers with a disability felt that they were given sufficient accommodation to make an informed decision.
Language Barrier
As evident in the analysis from previous sections, shoppers with language barriers also face significant barriers in accessing telecommunication products or services.
Shoppers with language barriers were significantly less likely to find the information provided as clear and simple (82%) compared to shoppers without a language barrier (89%).
Furthermore, shoppers with language barriers were significantly less likely to feel that they were given sufficient time to make an informed decision compared to shoppers without a language barrier, with 78% and 88% respectively.
When expressing concerns about the recommended product or service, shoppers with language barriers were significantly less likely to be offered helpful tips on addressing their concerns than shoppers without a language barrier, with 53% and 68% respectively. Salespeople were also significantly more likely to downplay concerns expressed by shoppers with a language barrier (40%) compared to shoppers without a language barrier (18%).
Among mystery shoppers who had language barriers, only two thirds of them indicated that the salesperson made an attempt to accommodate the language barrier (64%). Of those, 89% indicated that the accommodation was successful in overcoming the language barrier. This means that only more than half (57%) of all shoppers with language barriers were able to complete their sales interaction with a successful accommodation.
55% of shoppers with a language barrier felt that they were given sufficient accommodation to make an informed decision.
Cancellation
Among the ten shoppers who made a purchase, five attempted to cancel their purchase within the trial period, and two out of these five shoppers indicated that the staff made it difficult for them to cancel their service.
Conclusion
In light of the finding of the Secret Shopper Project, it appears that while the majority of the sales interactions were perceived to be positive, some shortcomings were also identified in the customer experience. For example, more than one quarter of shoppers felt that the recommended product or service was not appropriate for their needs (26%), one in ten shoppers felt they faced aggressive sales practices (11%), and about 6% of shoppers not only were offered products they felt were unnecessary, but persistence by the salesperson to overcome their objection.
The overall satisfaction rates across key metrics (i.e. appropriate products or services recommendation, misleading sales practices, pressuring consumers to sign up, offering unwanted services, etc.) were approximately 80%. This means that 1 in 5 potential consumers perceived that they may have faced misleading or aggressive sales practices, which is still a significant number.
As noted in this Report, it appears that customers who may be more vulnerable due to a disability or a language barrier do perceive they are more affected by inappropriate product or service recommendations, unclear information provided during the sales interaction, and given insufficient time to make an informed decision. However, in some instances, they may be less so. For example, 9% of shoppers with a language barrier felt pressured by an employee to make a purchase compared to 12% of shoppers without a language barrier. It appears that customers who may be more vulnerable due to age are not reporting being more affected by misleading or aggressive sales practices.
Lessons learned
The Secret Shopper Project revealed some interesting insights that can help improve future research projects in this area.
-
The research design phase did not anticipate a scenario where a shopper would face rude remarks, and/or being refused service due to certain factors (language barrier, inquiring about prepaid service which is deemed not as profitable, etc.). As a result, questions on this topic were not included in the questionnaire and thus could not be quantified.
However, from the interactions between Forum Research staff and mystery shoppers, as well as analyzing the open-ended (qualitative) responses by mystery shoppers, it is evident that there is a sizeable portion of the sales interactions that involved salespeople being rude to shoppers and on occasion even refusing service and telling them to go to another service provider.
Questions on this area could be included in future questionnaires in order to quantify such difficulties in the sales interactions.
-
An interesting result of the Secret Shopper Project is that, in sharp contrast to other demographics who may be more vulnerable to misleading or aggressive sales practices, such as people with disabilities and people with language barriers, senior shoppers were either equally or more satisfied on most metrics during the sales interaction and further analysis on qualitative data revealed that senior shoppers were also offered a more diverse range of products or services compared to non-senior shoppers.
Further analysis in this area in future projects may be helpful in not only determining the factors behind this trend, but potentially using the insights to inform accommodation efforts for other demographics.
-
As part of the Secret Shopper Project, a limited number of secret shoppers completed the process and made a purchase, despite the fact that Forum Research had doubled the pay rate for a shop with a completed purchase. This is due to the fact that applications for telecommunications products or services may involve a credit check, thus potentially lowering a shopper’s credit score. Furthermore, shoppers were concerned that the cancellation process would be cumbersome due to their lack of trust in the Service Providers’ fee structures, and the possibility that salesperson would make the cancellation process difficult.
Forum Research would not recommend making it mandatory for shoppers to complete purchases since it poses a risk of financial harm to the shoppers, especially considering the fact that this Project involves vulnerable demographics such as people with disabilities, language barriers, and seniors.
This can potentially raise questions on research ethics guidelines outlined by the Canadian Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics, in particular Chapter Two, Section BFootnote 3. These guidelines are advisory in nature, but offers helpful insights on responsible conduct on research projects involving live subjects.
Based on limited findings stemming from shoppers that completed the sales process and made a purchase, it appears that there would be value in assessing the whole sales interaction more widely to assess compliance with consumer protections, including by having more shoppers complete their purchases and attempt to avail themselves of a trial period.
-
The design of the research methodology, in particular the sampling plan, was sound. However due to the size and scope of this Secret Shopper Project, the number of shops allocated to certain quotas was sometimes insufficient to draw statistically significant conclusions. For example, SaskTel and Videotron had 8 and 16 mystery shops in total. In addition, the pre-defined quota of 13 for each of the quotas for shoppers who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted, and deaf-blind were also not statistically significant enough to draw any meaningful conclusions.
There are potentially opportunities for adjustments in the sampling plan for future secret shopper projects to allow statistically significant samples.
Appendix A: Questionnaire
PLEASE NOTE:
- You are not allowed to bring and complete the questionnaire while you conduct your shop.
- Please remember you are an impartial party, and are only to speak to events that occur during the shop.
Section 1: Shop Details
Q1. Shop Scenario
- New service for occasional use : Inquired about a new phone and low-cost plan that covers occasional or limited usage.
- Upgrade for existing plan : or new customer looking for a plan for regular usage.
- Downgrade for existing plan : Existing or new customer looking to either lowering their monthly bill, or prevent overages.
- Plan for accessibility needs : Person with disability looking to meet their accessibility needs.
Q2. In what language was the shop completed in? (Select one)
- English
- French
- Others, please elaborate.
- A mix of French and English
- ASL
- LSQ
Q3. Which telecommunications company did you go to complete your mystery shop?
- Bell
- Rogers
- Telus
- SaskTel
- Freedom
- Videotron
Q4. Are you a ‘new’ or ‘existing’ customer for this scenario?
- New
- Existing
Q5. Which type of phone plan did you inquire about during your shop?
- Postpaid contract (i.e. monthly plans, term contracts, etc.)
- Prepaid contract (i.e. pay-as-you-go or prepaid plans)
- Both
Q6. Please indicate how you completed your shop:
- In person
- Phone call
- Online chat
Q7. Did you make a purchase in your shop?
- Yes
- No
If Q7=yes, ask Q8
Q8. What was the name of the product/service that you bought?
Please elaborate.
If Q7=yes, ask Q9
Q9. Which type of phone plan was part of your purchase?
- Prepaid plan with own phone
- Prepaid plan with new phone
- Postpaid plan with own phone
- Postpaid plan with new phone
Section 2: Demographic questions
Q10. What is your gender?
- Male
- Female
- Other, please specify.
Q11a. Do you consider yourself a person with disability and/or have accessibility needs?
- Yes
- No
If Q11a=Yes, ask Q11b
Q11b. If you have a disability, which type of disability do you have?
- Hearing
- Visually impaired or blind
- Hearing and visual impairment and/or Deaf-blind
- Fine motor skill disabilities
- Cognitive disabilities
- Other, please specify.
Q12. Did you experience a language barrier during your interaction with the staff?
- Yes
- No
Q13. How old are you (as of the date of the shop)?
Please specify.
Section 3: General Impression
Q14. Do you feel that the recommended product was appropriate for your needs?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
Q15. Was the information provided to you clear and simple?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate, noting details on why you thought it was not clear.
Q16. Do you feel you were given sufficient time to make an informed decision?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
Q17. Do you feel that any of the information provided to you was misleading?
- Yes, please specify by providing details of the interaction, making sure to explain in detail why you thought it was misleading or not.
- No
Q18. At any point during your mystery shop, did you feel pressured by an employee to sign up or consider a product/service?
- Yes, please specify by providing details of the interaction.
- No
Q19a. Did you decline any additional recommendations for products/services that were not suitable to your needs?
- Yes
- No
If Q19a=yes, ask Q19b
Q19b. When you declined a product/s, was the employee persistent in attempting to overcome your objection?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
Q20a. Did you have any concerns about the plan that was recommended to you? (i.e. overage fees, services you may not need, allowances that are much greater or lower than your specified needs, etc.)
- Yes, please elaborate what your concern was.
- No
If Q20a=yes, ask Q20b
Q20b. Did the staff offer any helpful tips on addressing your concerns, such as overage fees?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
If Q20a=yes, ask Q20c
Q20c. Did the staff attempt to downplay the concern you had?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
Q21a. During the interaction, did you raise any concerns about your rights as a consumer of telecommunication services? (15 days to return new phone penalty free, no cancellation fee after 2 years, caps on data overage charges, etc)
- Yes
- No
If Q21a=yes, ask Q21b
Q21b. Did the staff explain to you the relevant regulations and legislations for your rights as a consumer?
- Yes, please elaborate, making sure to note any details on what/how the staff explained your rights.
- No, please elaborate, did they offer an explanation on why they were not able to provide the information?
If Q21a=yes, ask Q21c
Q21c. Did the staff provide any information on the process of filing a complaint, in the event of issues in the future?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate, did the staff explain why they were not able to do so?
If Q7=yes, ask Q22
Q22. Did you provide express consent for any plans you actually signed up for? (Express consent means that you clearly agreed in writing, electronically, or orally to sign up for the plan).
- Yes
- No
Section 4: Contract delivery
(made a purchase, purchased postpaid plan)
If Q7= Yes, and If Q9= C or D, ask Q23
Q23. In terms of the delivery of the contract, were you offered…
- Electronic contract
- Paper contract
- Both
(made a purchase, shop in person)
If Q7= Yes, If Q6= in person, ask Q24
Q24. Was a permanent copy of the contract provided immediately after you agreed to the contract?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate, did the staff offer an explanation on why you did not receive a copy.
(made a purchase, shop in phone call or online)
If Q7= Yes and Q6=Phone call or Online chat, ask Q25
Q25. Did you receive the contract in hard copy or an electronic version?
- Hard copy
- Electronic version
If Q7= Yes and If Q6= phone call or online chat, and If Q25=hard copy, ask Q26
Q26. Did you receive the contract within 15 days of you agreeing to the contract?
- Yes
- No
If Q7= Yes and If Q6= phone call or online chat, and If Q25=Electronic version, ask Q27
Q27. Did you receive your contract within 1 business day?
- Yes
- No
If Q7= Yes, ask Q28
Q28. Was a critical information summary, a one- or two-page summary of the contractFootnote 4, provided to you?
- Yes
- No
If Q7= Yes, ask Q29
Q29. Did the details outlined in the contract match with the terms you agreed to during the sales interaction?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate
If Q7= Yes and if Q9=A or B, ask Q30
Q30. Did the staff explain the conditions related to the prepaid balance to you? (monthly fees, how much per text for U.S./international picture and video messages, how many minutes of local calls, how much per minute of additional usage)
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
Section 5: Accessibility
(if disability, or language barrier)
If Q11a=A, or Q12=A, ask Q31a
Q31a. Did you do any research online regarding any accommodation that the service provider can provide for any accessibility needs or language barriers?
- Yes
- No
If Q31a=A, ask Q31b
Q31b. Please elaborate on what you found online, were you able to find the right accommodations that suited your needs?
________________________
(If disability is hearing and hearing and visual)
If Q11a= yes, If Q11b=A or If Q11b=C, ask Q32a
Q32a. Did you contact the store prior to the visit to make arrangements for a sign language interpreter?
- Yes
- No
If Q11a= yes, If Q11b=A or If Q11b=C, If Q32a=A, ask Q32b
Q32b. Was a sign language interpreter present when you visited the shop?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate.
If Q11a=yes, If Q11b=A or If Q11b=C, If Q32a=A, if Q32b= A, ask Q32c
Q32c. Was the sign language interpreter able to provide adequate accommodation for your accessibility needs?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate.
If Q11a=Yes, ask Q32d
Q32d. Were you recommended accessibility specific products/services suitable to your accessibility needs?
- Yes
- No
If Q07= yes, If Q11b=B, If Q11b=C, ask Q33a
Q33a. Were you asked whether you needed your contract in an alternative format?
- Yes
- No
If Q7= yes, If Q11b=B, If Q11b=C, If Q33a=A, ask Q33b
Q33b. Was the contract in the alternative format able to accommodate your accessibility needs?
- Yes
- No, please elaborate.
If Q11a=Yes, ask Q34
Q34. Did the sales agent mention any accessibility related rebates?
- Yes
- No
If Q11a=Yes, ask Q35
Q35. Did the sales agent mention that the trial period for consumers with a disability is 30 days?
- Yes
- No
If Q11a=Yes, and/or If Q12=Yes, ask Q36
Q36. Do you think you were given sufficient accommodation to make an informed decision?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
If Q12=Yes, ask Q37
Q37. Did the staff make an attempt to accommodate the language barrier?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
If Q12=Yes, If Q37=Yes, ask Q38
Q38. What was the accommodation?
Please elaborate.
If Q12=Yes, If Q37=Yes, ask Q39
Q39. Was the accommodation successful in overcoming the language barrier?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
If Q07=no, end questionnaire using *A1.
Section 6: Cancellation
If Q07=yes, ask Q40
Q40. purchase of a product/service, did you need to cancel the plan?
- Yes
- No
If Q07=yes, If Q40=yes, ask Q41
Q41. When you requested to cancel your service, did the staff make it difficult for you to cancel?
- Yes, please elaborate.
- No, please elaborate.
End questionnaire using prompt A1
*A1: Thank you for your time for completing this questionnaire.
- Date modified:
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After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Detailed Project Report (DPR) 2. Objectives of Detailed Project Report (DPR) 3. Technology and Design Aspects (DPR) 4. Background (DPR) 5. Project ‘P’.
Contents:
- Meaning of Detailed Project Report (DPR)
- Objectives of Detailed Project Report (DPR)
- Background of Detailed Project Report (DPR)
- Detailed Project Report for Project ‘P’
1. Meaning of Detailed Project Report (DPR):
As the identification and intention for the implementation of the project grow, the depth of the study for the probable project increases. Further analyses of the details relevant to such a project become imperative.
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We know that the feasibility report contains sufficient detailed information. It is from the study of the pre-feasibility or feasibility report that approval is made by the project owner (an individual or a project director/manager or the management of a company) for the investment on the project or for a request to prepare the DPR.
Preparation of DPR is a costly and time-taking job (which may even extend to one year) when reports of specialists from different streams like market research, engineering (civil, mechanical, metallurgical, electrical, electronics), finance etc.—as relevant to the project itself—are considered in the DPR.
2. Objectives of Detailed Project Report (DPR):
The objectives in preparation of the DPR should ensure that:
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(a) the report should be with sufficient details to indicate the possible fate of the project when implemented.
(b) the report should meet the questions raised during the project appraisals, i.e. the various types of analyses—be it financial, economic, technical, social etc.—should also be taken care of in the DPR.
The DPR should be punctilious of all possible details to serve the objectives and should also reflect, amongst other points, the followings aspects:
a. Technology and Design Aspects of Detailed Project Report (DPR):
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Experience suggests that some projects are launched with clear objectives but with considerable uncertainty as to whether or how they will be technically achievable, not leading to project overruns. The DPR should deal with minimum technical uncertainties and the specialists’ findings/report in this area becomes helpful.
Innovative designs are found to be tougher than even the technical uncertainties—designs, as such, may appear innocuous and less costly but later, in reality, may be found completely different. Hence the DPR should deal with Technology and Design which have already been tested, thus minimising the technical risk.
Before going to overseas technical collaborator the repertoire of established technology available within the country should be explored. It would be both cheaper and nationalistic!
Economic Aspects:
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The DPR should emphasize the economic aspects of the project, which include:
1. the location of the plant, the benefit for such location including the available infrastructure facilities;
2. the volume of the project, the capacity installed;
3. the availability of the resources and the utilisation of such resources in a comparatively beneficial manner, e.g. the ‘internal rate of return’ projected as compared to the possible rate of return on investment from the market without inherent risks.
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Social and Political Aspects:
Public attitude towards a project is becoming increasingly important—the displacement of people (Joint venture project for a major port at Gopalpur, TISCO’s expansion project at Gopalpur) and the concerned public attitude towards, the implementation of such a project can be very serious.
The environmental pollution, the ecological balance (or imbalance?), the potential employment all are of important considerations in the DPR.
The importance of ‘politics’ in a major project cannot be ignored—where the political considerations dominate. The ideal condition is that the project owners/management should be left to manage while the government should provide the necessary conditions to make it a success.
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But, in reality, the assurance/commitments are often politically motivated even before the finalisation of the DPR. Accordingly, the DPR should recognise this risky game.
Financial Aspects:
The prime importance of a project is the assurance of the timely availability of funds/ resources. The availability of funds is to be ensured throughout, i.e. during the implementation period as well as during the second part of the project when it is supposed to start generating income/benefit.
Whether such generation of income/benefit will be sufficient for the servicing of the borrowed funds to pay interest and also the repayment of principal as also the expected income from the owner’s capital invested in the project; whether such return on investment is adequate and, also, in excess of other possible incomes from such funds without taking the risk—these are the valid questions to be answered by the DPR.
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The report also provides the ‘Break-even point’ level of workings.
3. Background of Detailed Project Report (DPR):
When the project is found definitely feasible, the DPR should stand with a background dealing with the recommendation for the project, as supported by the forecasted details for the coming years when the project is put into operation.
The background should also include details of the product, sizes with capacity, organisation and the technical know-how involved:
1. Project at a glance,
2. Market Report,
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3. Technical details with the process involved and the plant layout,
4. Plant and Machinery and other equipment as required for the project,
5. Project Schedule and
6. Organisation.
Total strength of personnel with their grades and the required training:
1. Financial details of project costs, source of financing,
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2. Cost of Production,
3. Projected Profit and Loss Account,
4. Projected Balance Sheet,
5. Fund Flow Statement,
6. Interest and Commitment Charges,
7. Working Capital Requirements and
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8. Debt Service Coverage.
9. Break-even analysis:
As an illustration of a Detailed Project Report we would like to produce a DPR in a summarised form. The contents of this DPR is partly quoted from an actual report and is partly descriptive in nature indicating, in a summarised form, what should be the contents as under the relevant headings.
The product names, the amounts in quality and value are for illustration only with the idea to describe a model DPR. Some points are narrated by way of description within brackets, instead of the actual contents of the report. All descriptions and figures are for illustration of a DPR.
4. Detailed Project Report for Project ‘P’:
1. Background:
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A. Organisation
A Greenfield project to be launched by Indian promoters in partnership with a foreign company renowned in the relevant business along with their equity participation and a representation in the company’s board.
B. Product:
Manufacture of products Q, R, S etc. are mainly used in the medical field. These products are not currently manufactured in India, except one or two units with quality reportedly inferior to international standard. Hence, there is a need and opportunity felt by the promoters, as the project is favourable for the saving of foreign exchange.
C. Technical know-how:
The know-how, along with the supply of the major plant and machineries, are to be provided by the foreign partner, who is well experienced in this field.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The required training of key personnel will also be provided by the collaborator. ‘
The participation in equity by the foreign company and also the terms of the ‘know-how agreement’ have been approved by the concerned authorities.
The collaborator is ready to buy-back the entire production, but it has been agreed that about 20% of the total production will be marketed in India. In view of this, the company has been identified as an Export Oriented Unit (EOU).
2. Project at a Glance:
A. Product:
Q, R, S etc. for Medical Instruments.
B. Capacity:
35,000 pcs per annum.
C. Production:
D. Sales:
in lakhs of Rs. 360 600 900 1,200 1,350
E. Project costs in lakhs of Rs.
F. Source of financing
3. Report on the Market Research on the Product:
The special report indicates:
a. Expected volume of the market and its growth;
b. Expected volume of the market share;
c. The possible marketing channels and the need for the specific background of the dealers;
d. The dealers’ expectation about their commission, discounts etc.;
e. The credit period to be extended to the dealers, major customers etc., the prevailing market trend in this area;
f. The requirement of service after sales;
g. The behaviourial pattern of the ultimate customers and their reaction to the availability of such products. (This is a delicate area and depends upon the sectors of the customers to whom the product is addressed housewives, executives, professionals, doctors etc. In the project under discussion, the customers are primarily the doctors who are interested in the usage of the Q, R, S etc. for medical instruments ;)
h. The competitors, their strength and weakness and their market share.
4. Technical Details:
The usage of the product helps by directing a beam of laser light down a fibre and the operating surgeons can perform intricate surgeries inside human bodies, sometimes even eliminating grossly invasive and traumatic procedures involving cutting of healthy body tissues to reach the operating site.
The details of the products include:
A. Products:
i. ‘Q’: There are strands of high purity element with cylindrical inner core with high refractive index. The outer shell are called cladding with comparative lower refractive index, the light rays propagating within the core of the fibre is reflected back into the core.
The fibre dia. varies between x microns to y microns and, as such, can work as flexible light cables.
ii. ‘R’: This is used to transmit light through flexible cables.
iii. ‘S’: This is ideal for usage as an accessory for surgical microscope in Ophthalmia, Gynecology, Plastic and Neuro-surgery etc. where temperature is a critical factor.
B. Manufacturing process:
Fiber drawing:
The fibers are drawn from the element which is melted in a furnace. The process draws continuous length of fiber from the melting element whose softening temperature is lower than that of quartz; then the fibers are wound in large drums.
The other operations to follow include:
i. Fiber cleaning and washing;
ii. Fiber laying and cutting;
iii. Sheathing;
iv. End fitting;
v. Epoxy curing;
vi. Grinding and polishing; and
vii. Quality inspection.
(Similar description of the process for the manufacturing of R and S are narrated in the DPR.)
C. Plant layout:
The project report includes a diagram of the plant layout taking care of:
i. The suggestions from the building architect.
ii. The site, the plant drawings with the locations of the machineries, center for power house, the power connections.
iii. The process work flow, taking care of the flow of the materials, manufacturing process and delivery to the finished goods store.
iv. The passage for the inward delivery of the raw materials, their receipts, incoming equality inspections etc. should not cross the passage-for outward delivery of the finished goods.
Similarly, within the manufacturing area, the production process centers follow the serial order of the production processes, with facilities for issue of the raw materials to the relevant process centre, their movements without disturbing other process centres.
There should be scope of ‘quality inspection’ in the stages of production process. The layout should take care of the delivery of the finished goods to the finished goods store with least disturbance of other movements within the production floor.
The basic idea of the layout should also take care of:
i. The required space per head for direct workers;
ii. Movement of materials and men should be without interruption;
iii. Convenience to supervise with a clear overview for the plant manager;
iv. Utilities including toilets, canteen, first-aid room, rest room etc.; and
v. Security aspect.
5. Plant and Machinery:
The plant and machinery required for the project include:
i. Drawing Tower;
ii. Grinding and Polishing Machine;
iii. Diamond Wheel Saw/Cut-off Saw;
iv. Epoxy Curing Oven;
v. Electrolytic Etching Machine and
vi. Optometer.
The auxiliary service equipment includes:
i. Power requirements for the plant;
ii. Utilities : water for the manufacturing process, air-washing plant;
iii. Equipment for maintenance workshop and
iv. Requirements for Pollution Control.
6. Project Schedule:
The project report should have complete details of the estimated time schedule for the implementation of the project from the start till the final ‘trial run’ i.e. just before the start of commercial production. The essential main steps for the implementation are listed in serial order of such steps. Such steps are then chronologically arranged along with the estimated time to complete the works involved in each step.
While the actual step is to be taken at a certain point of time—whenever the situation permits—the necessary preparatory work should be carried out earlier so that the step can be taken in time.
For example, before a placement of order to an overseas supplier and opening of the necessary Letter of Credit (LC), the preparatory works include:
a. Establishment of the specification of the materials to be ordered along with its qualities;
b. Enquiries and their responses from different suppliers;
c. The time schedule required for deliveries;
d. The final payment terms;
e. The quality and the replacements in case of defectives/damages;
f. The insurance coverage;
g. The arbitration, in case of disputes etc.
Similarly, the appointments of senior personnel such as Production Manager, Supervisor, technical hands, finance and administration, personnel, security etc. must precede the appointment of Directs and Indirect in the plant.
The Project Schedule with work packages in project implementation and time plan is presented as per the following bar chart:
Considerable amount of work is involved in procurement of materials from overseas, placing order with the delivery schedule, opening of letter of credit etc. including:
a. Quality of material available from different suppliers;
b. Time schedule required by suppliers for delivery;
c. Competitive prices, taking care of cost, insurance freight and inland transportation;
d. Replacement in case of defectives/damages, the relevant terms in this regard;
e. Arbitration in case of dispute.
Besides the preparatory works necessary before the start of every major step as illustrated, there are also innumerable types of work involved in the business of starting a project, which may not be possible to describe in the Bar Chart. For example, before recruitment, it is desirable to decide the ‘personnel policy’, the various grades, the market rates and the rates and scales to be offered.
These things should be discussed, deliberated and finalised before the starting of recruitment process.
Depending upon the gradual increase in the volume of production, recruitments should also be phased accordingly and appointments of key personnel including seniors should also precede the recruitment of the Directs as the suggestions/discussions of the functional managers and supervisors play an important role in this area.
The Project Schedule becomes a tool to ensure timely implementation of the project and an aid to achieve the project objectives of Time, Cost and Quality. A delay in any step may lead to further delay of the subsequent steps and, as such, it may accumulate.
The Project Schedule helps the management to review the progress and, thus, control the implementation while reviewing the actual progress against the schedule/budget.
Even the ‘possible delay’ is analysed and all means explored to avoid the delay and maintain the time schedule. This is so important in every project implementation that the Project Manager maintains chart in his office showing the actual process as compared to the budgeted schedule, continuously updating the progress with the passage of time.
7. Organisation:
Considering the detailed volume of activities in Production, Selling, Administration and other support services, e.g. Procurements, Personnel, Maintenance etc., man-power requirements at different grades/levels like Manager, Supervisor, Skilled, Semi-skilled, Unskilled and other work-forces are estimated for each functional group.
Pay scales for different grades should be ascertained and clearly defined to avoid anomalies/disputes in future. Recruitments should be planned in accordance with the strength of work-force required as per the volume of activities forecasted in stages.
Considering the prevalent rates (in different grades) and the projected number of employees—salaries and wages are estimated. The personnel costs, e.g. medical, uniform, leave pay, bonus, canteen subsidy etc. should be added up as the total of such costs may even mount up to 25 to 30 per cent of salary itself!
8. Project Costs and Source of Finance:
[The project report should contain the salient features of the project costs as per the major heads of accounts.]
The project costs of Rs. 9:1 crores are detailed as follows:
The project costs are codified and summarised along with the sourcing of the fund required for the project:
Notes:
1. Preliminary/pre-operative expenses:
This includes all preliminary and preoperative expenses on overheads during the initial stage and up to the time of starting commercial production and sale of the projected product/service. These expenses are initially capitalised and subsequently written-off charging the Profit and Loss Account during a period of 10 years.
2. Interest and commitment charges:
This includes interest and commitment charges on borrowings. It also includes charges by the Financial Institution (as their administrative charges) providing the Term Loan. Withdrawal of Term Loan is made by phases, as per the fund requirement.
The DPR shows estimated detailed movement of the Term Loan with the interest calculations: for the period of the project implementation. When the project starts operation and earnings, the repayment of the loan as permitted by the liquidity position is also reflected in the detailed movement.
3. Margin money:
Besides the capital costs for the project, the cost for the project being fully implemented, funds are required on account of revenue expenses for starting of operation including cost of raw materials etc., the inventory required, the level of credit sales in the form of debtors, in short the Working Capital.
This is normally funded by bank and the bank permits such funding restricted to a certain percentage of the level of current assets, i.e. inventory and debtors. The balance is called the margin money for working capital (all fixed assets already hypothecated with the Financial Institution providing the Term Loan). This ‘Margin Money’ is also considered part of the ‘Project Costs’.
4. Contingency:
It represents a buffer to cover the risk of actual cost of the capital items being in excess of the estimated costs as considered in the project cost.
Two interesting cases:
(a) Trans-Alaskan Pipeline (TAPS)—a project for a simple pipeline over 800 miles (1,280 kms), the estimated project cost was—without considering any amount as ‘contingency’
—$ 900 million, it ended up (of course, including enormous engineering and regulatory charges) at $ 8.5 billion!
(b) The “Apollo” project was completed at $ 21 billion, only 1 billion over its initial project cost. But, only a few know that the estimated project cost included $ 8 billion as contingency—nearly 67% of the total estimated cost for other capital items.
Both the cases are of extreme nature in respect of considering the ‘contingency’ in the project cost but, nevertheless, exemplary.
Cost of production:
The DPR deals with the financial estimates of the project operation for five to eight years from the start of the commercial production. In our discussion hereinafter we have dealt with such estimates for five years.
The report shows under this head the details of the cost of production depending upon the envisaged volume of activities.
The estimated cost of production for initial five years is shown in the following table:
Profit and loss account:
Note:
1. Negative figures are shown within brackets.
2. Being an EOU no tax on profit during the initial years.
3. Due to availability of sufficient profit, Interest/Commitment Charges/Preliminary and Pre-operation expenses are written-off in full in 3rd year.
Balance Sheet as at the end of the year:
Fund flow statement:
Interest and commitment charges:
Interest and Commitment Charges @ 8.5% p.a.
On (A) 55 full 11 months plus, (B) On 285 for 8 month plus, (C) On 25 for 5 months.
Note:
1. The expenses under this head in a new project is also capitalised like the Preliminary and Pre-operative expenses and are written-off when the organisation starts its commercial activities of Production and Sales.
2. The rate of interest is taken as about half the rate of charges for interest for the purpose of averaging, as withdrawals of the term loan required are not necessarily at the beginning of the period. The rate of 8.5% p.a. as above also includes estimated commitment charges for undisbursed balance of the loan.
Working capital requirements:
The DPR also shows the detailed calculation of the working capital required by the project to carry out its operation including procurement of materials, and the overhead costs for the production activities and the level of debtors for the credit sales.
The working capital represents the net current assets, i.e. the Current Assets less the Current Liabilities and, as such, generally includes: Inventories for Raw Materials, Finished Goods, W.I.P.; Debtors (less creditors); Overheads for 1 to 2 month(s).
It is desirable to work out the policy for the level of inventories which will be depending upon the circumstances of individual cases, e.g. for imported raw materials, because of longer lead time, the inventory level may be between 4 to 6 months, whereas for local off- the-shelf items—one month,, and made to order supplies—may be 3 months.
Debtors level may be of 1 month’s sales if the company allows 30 days’ credit to debtors.
From the total of all these items, an assessment is made about the possible percentage of the value of total current assets which the banker is ready to finance. The balance amount of funds, blocked in the net current asset, is called ‘margin money’ and is treated as part of the project cost.
The DPR shows the detailed calculation of the Working Capital and also the Margin Money.
Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR):
The DPR also shows the capability of the project to serve the borrowings for its implementation. The Project Owners as well as the financial institution lending the fund towards the implementation of the project likes to appraise and find whether the project can generate sufficient revenue to repay the loan borrowed (by installments, as per the term loan agreement) together with the interest due on such loan.
Of course, the project owner would like to have the return on investment which is on top of the interest payment, but the DSCR is also important to indicate the liquidity position of the project, i.e. generating not just the profit margin, but sufficient surplus cash to service the lenders, the shareholders (in the form of dividends).
It is healthy when the DSCR is one; above it is a plus point for the decision in favour of the implementation of the project.
Working capital requirements:
While the ‘amount required’ column shows the organisation’s money tied up in net Current Assets (the phenomenon of creditors is ignored), in spite of such assets being hypothecated, the Banker’s norm to lend money is not 100% and, as such, there are shortfalls for which ‘Margin Money’ is required. In this case the margin money is (in the first year) about Rs. 40 lakhs, i.e. 116.00 minus 77.32.
Break-even analysis:
The DPR shows a detailed calculation to indicate the level of activities (with the projected figures), when the organisation breaks even. We know that the excess of sales over the variable costs is called the ‘contribution’, that is, the contribution towards the company’s fixed costs and the contribution in excess of the fixed costs represents the profit margin.
From the details of estimated sales and the projected cost structure, the particular level of activities is worked out to find when the ‘contribution’ equals the fixed costs and this level of activities is called the break-even point.
The components of the total cost is analysed to (1) the fixed cost and (2) the variable cost. As the company’s activities are not stabilised during the initial years the break-even level is worked out from the details of the projected Profit and Loss Account of the third year. The Break-even analysis of the DPR is shown hereinafter.
Note:
The allocation of costs between ‘fixed’ and ‘variable’ is to a certain extent arbitrary. The fixed cost does not remain fixed at all levels and scrutiny of some variable costs may reveal that some part of it may be treated as fixed.
However, traditionally, expenses like Direct Costs are treated 100% variable and expenses in the nature of Depreciation as 100% fixed; the overheads are arbitrarily apportioned, considering the nature of expenses as revealed from the scrutiny of the costs.
Break-even point, based on the activities at the third year’s operation is,
Fixed Cost/ Contribution x 100 = 214/454 × 100 = 46,
The project should break-even at the operating level of 46%.
9. Project Report in ‘Offer Document’ Inviting the Public for Subscription to the Organisation Implementing a Project:
Project report when developed to a DPR with details of functional analysis and estimations of higher accuracy is appraised for making important decisions.
Such appraisals are made by the project owner for finding the rate of returns (when such owner is a private sector), by the government for cost-benefit (including the social welfare when the project is intended as such) by the financial institution for deciding to lend the fund. This report is also of immense importance for the project management while instituting control in project implementation.
We will now detour from the normal text and discuss how a project report is used in the ‘offer document’ a document which includes, inter alia, main features of the project and is distributed to the public for public issue inviting their applications for Share Capital, Debentures etc. requiring such funds for the organisation implementing the project.
There are in such ‘public issue’ lead managers to the issue who is supposed to verify all contents of the document (it also includes the terms of application, terms of debenture redemption etc.) and a copy of such document along with the verification certificate are submitted to SEBI, whose approval is required for any public issue.
We will now illustrate an ‘offer document’:
A. Project:
1,350 tonnes per day (MTPD) new ammonia project. Ammonia from this plant will be used for in-house consumption as a feedstock for fertilizers already being manufactured by the company. The company has existing plant for manufacturing ammonia of 950 MTPD and the new plant will, eventually, replace the old plant.
B. Background:
The company’s activity during the initial years was manufacture of fertilizers, while ammonia was sold as a by-product. Subsequently, the company diversified to other products like Nylon-6, Melamine and promoted a joint venture (with State Government share of 26% and own share of 25%) for manufacturing Ammonia and Urea.
The company has taken over one unit manufacturing Nylon Filament Yarn and Nylon Chips and another unit, which is now ‘Polymers Unit’, manufacturing 5,000 tpa polymers.
Note: Project in joint sector, project for diversification.
C. Location:
The plant is located within the present activity site where space is no constraint. The suppliers of the feedstock, Natural Gas and also Naphtha are also located in the neighbourhood with all convenience for the supply of raw materials and, being housed with the present activities, the finished product can be conveniently used for captive consumption.
D. Project cost and means of finance:
The company’s project was initially appraised by IDBI in 1994 with the estimated project cost of Rs. 750 crores. Initially, the raw materials envisaged for the project was natural gas. However, to enable the project, to have a greater flexibility, changes were made in the equipment design, drawing etc. for the use of naphtha as an alternate feedstock.
This change along with the increase in the Customs Duty etc. duty to change in rupee parity raise caused a revision of the project cost finalised at Rs. 1,030 crores as detailed below:
Note 1
Details of Rupee Loans from F.I. and terms:
Other terms:
1. Upfront fee of 1.05% on loans are payable.
2. Security—first mortgage and charge on all the company’s movable and immovable properties.
3. Repayment by 24 equally quarterly installments commencing from April 1, 1998.
Note 2:
Details of Foreign Exchange Loan as duly approved by RBI.
A. WFK Germany 135.4 million DM with the terms:
i. interest @ 7.32% p.a. payable semi-annually;
ii. one time management fee @ 0.25% on loan amount;
iii. commitment charges @ 0.375% on undisbursed loan amount payable quarterly from 20.11.1992.
iv. repayable by 14 equal, consecutive, semi-annual installments payable on 30th December and 30th June on and from 30th June on and from 30th December 1997.
v. security payment guarantee of IDBI and SBI.
B. XYK 42.5 million DM:
i. interest @ 7.35% p.a. payable semi-annually;
ii. other terms same as (A) above.
Note 3:
The company proposes to raise about Rs. 280 crore through Euro Issue/Public based on timing of the fund requirements and suitability of the market conditions.
E. Market and competition:
Almost the entire production of Ammonia will be used for captive consumption. Part will be used for production of Urea. Various other players in the industry have also announced capacity expansion in Ammonia and Urea.
As per report on the fertilizer industry (December 1995) demand for Urea in India is expected to increase from 16.4 million tonnes in 1994 to 20.8 million tonnes in 2000 A.D. India would continue to be one of the largest importers of Urea with around 4.9 million tonnes of imports till 2000 A.D.
F. Capacity:
The capacity utilisation of the new Ammonia Plant for four years after the commercial production from October 1997 is estimated as
Year 1 80%
Year 2 90%
Year 3 95%
Year 4 95%
G. Technology arrangements:
Agreements for technology involved with the technical contractors and the process licensors have been finalised as follows:
1. Engineering contractors:
ABC of Germany a leading company in the field of engineering and contracting, material handling, refrigeration and industrial gases. The company will offer licence, know-how, basic engineering and design, training and expatriate services for detailed engineering.
2. Licence:
Process 1: From BCD of Germany with a fee of DM 8, 40,000; Process 2: From CDE of Switzerland with a fee of DM 1.149.999;
The total licence fee of DM 1.989.999 will be paid as:
i. 5% upon effective date of contract;
ii. 28% upon disbursement of loan agreement;
iii. 33% upon 5 months from the date of contract or on completion of basic engineering, whichever is later;
iv. 34% upon acceptance of the plant, at latest 39 months from the effective date of contract.
H. Production process:
The generation of pure ammonia synthesis gas is achieved by adding nitrogen to the pure hydrogen produced.
The process plant is divided into the following sections:
i. Naphtha storage—pre-treatment;
ii. Natural gas compression;
iii. Generation of hydrogen and purification;
iv. Ammonia synthesis based on ‘Casale’ process; and
v. Refrigeration.
I. Raw materials:
The process technology selected as such that either naphtha or natural gas or a combination of the two can be used as feedstock. Natural gas is distributed by a local company and requirement for the plant is now under consideration by the company. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed for supply of 3.6 lakh M.T. of Naphtha.
J. Utilities:
Power:
The new plant has been conceived on a standalone basis and a 21 MW electro- generator has been incorporated in the design of the plant. A 100% capacity requirement is estimated as 19 MW. There is also a provision for emergency power generator.
Water:
The nearby river will be a source of raw water as approved by the State Government. The demineralised water (DM) will be met from the company’s water treatment facility.
Steam:
Waste heat boilers in the plant will supply high pressure, steam and the medium pressure steam will be met from the Turbine of the synthesis gas compressor.
Compressed air:
This will be drawn from the Air separation unit.
K. Manpower:
The plant will employ 44 officers and 123 technicians for the operation and administration of the plant. Availability of key personnel has also been finalised and the company does not have any difficulty of fresh recruitments.
Personnel will be imparted adequate training in the company’s own Training Institute as per the plan.
L. Environmental clearance:
The plant indicates treatment of all factory effluents before it is discharged into the common effluent channel. The State Pollution Control Board has already issued a NOC for the plant.
M. schedule of implementation:
N. Risk factors and management’s perception of the same:
(a) Internal:
The manufacturing plants are operationally interlinked.
Management perception:
The company maintains high safety standards, hence functioning of one plant does not affect the functioning of another.
(b) External:
The profitability of the fertilizer operation is dependent upon the government’s subsidy policy which may come to the end by 31st March 1997.
Management’s perception:
Government is beginning the process of preparing the fertilizer subsidy policy commencing from April 1997.
O. Financial projections:
As the project is planned within a large existing plant the financial projections of the new ammonia plant, separated from all other activities of the company, are not available in the offer document and the projections are for the company as a whole. Hence, not discussed here.
10. Broad Criteria for Pre-Investment Decisions:
The development of a project report, we know, passes through the stages of Project Profile, Project Pre-feasibility and feasibility report, the techno-economic feasibility report and the DPR.
Somewhere at these stages, a tentative decision is made by the project owner/ management for investment in the said project but before a firm decision—certain principles—which are the standards for judging the project and launching on it—are applied and followed. This exercise is called the criteria for pre-investment decision.
We know that different considerations are applicable to different projects, and the projects for different sectors. Because projects are of innumerable types, these criteria vary with different projects.
However, considering their commonality, we summarise below the broad criteria applicable to pre-investment decisions for a project:
A. Objectives and attitude:
The project is to satisfy the basic objectives for which the investment is planned. There should be good, positive attitudes of the project owner, parent company—if any—and the senior management involved. There should be a clear commitment for such a project.
B. Definition:
The definitions should be comprehensive and clearly communicated including:
i. The various study on the project, carried out in an orderly fashion. In the absence of clarity in any, area further support study should be carried out in the relevant area.
ii. Any area of uncertainty in the technology and/or design should be followed up till a clear, acceptable technology/design has been arrived at. The technology/design should be tested already (may be even in some other project).
C. External factors:
All external factors which are likely to influence the project (including its implementation) should be recognised, e.g.:
i. Effect on prices;
ii. Relevant rules and regulations;
iii. Community factors, particularly in the neighbourhood of the site. (Note the big public and environmental outcry about the Rs. 1,800 crore project for Gopalpur port, the Tehri Dam project etc.).
iv. Political support for the project, if any.
D. Financial aspect:
1. There should be full financial analysis of the project due to the project risk undertaken.
2. The availability of the funding should be completely appraised till the commissioning of the project. In deciding about the total commitment, care should be taken to find out
i. opportunities available in the market;
ii. can the resources be alternatively used to serve the objectives;
iii. how does the implementation reflect cost-benefit ratio.
3. Recognize that government finance may develop to political control on the project itself.
E. Organisation:
Is there a proper organisation, particularly in the managerial grade, to match the project size and complexity so that there are no untoward surprises in the course of its implementation. The organisation should be manned by competent personnel for resource management with firm and effective leadership.
F. Schedule:
The project should have a good planning with clear schedules and adequate back-up strategies, particularly for high-risk areas. Proper planning of the Quality Assurance (QA) is recognised.
G. Communication and control:
The system of communication in implementation and operation and the necessary control, as such, should be instituted in the proposed project as visible, simple and friendly.
H. Resource allocation:
Before making a final commitment on the project, particularly large projects with longer duration, a study is made to review whether other alternatives are available to satisfy the objectives. Or, does it entail the consumption of least resources for such a project?
This is a matter of serious consideration in cases of major government projects as:
i. development of railways;
ii. building of national highways;
iii. development of major airports, harbours etc.
The commitment involves resource allocation for years and, as such, a meaningful serious consideration before the start of investment.
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PhD theses at the margin: Examiner comment on re‐examined thesesMelbourne Studies in Education, 2004
It is rare for a PhD candidate rvho submits a rhesis for cxemin:rrion to fail outright..lf a thesis exhibits significar.rt flaws thc candidate may bc rcquited to make major rcvisions and rcsubmit the work io, r..-.xrn-ti.ation' The writtcn comments of examincrs before and after rcsubmission can provide important insights into the Process of examination and the tlualities .*"fii,.r.r, identilyin a marginal thesis' Drawing on 101 of the most rcccnt, completccl thcses "cross fields in one Australian university, this ariicle investigates the differencc's in examiner ..r-"n,.on the qualities of theset by the same candidatcs before 'and after m"lor revision and rc-submission (N = 6), and benveen these thcses and those that n'ere 'passed' at the first exatnination (N=95). Crirical comments about the literaturc revieu' and the j"gr..',o which the examincr moved into a supervisory role *."r. fo.r.td to be strong indicators of theses'at the margin" Since the 1980s there has been a growing interest in the'visibiliry'of doctorai processes, particularly with respect to supervision, but more recenrly *i,h ,.rp"., to examination. Questions are being asked that ..r.o-p"r,. .".rg. of issues from examiner selection through to the rigour an,1 cr.difility of assessment procedures (Lawson et al' 2003, pJwell and Green 2003). Many commenrarors have pointed out that doctoral examination, and doctoral study generally, is an exceedingly complex phenomenon that has yet-to be subiected to sustained and ,yrt.-"ti. research. How students achieve success, the role the supervisor plays in getting a candidate's thesis to submission stage' or through an or"i d"f."n.", ""rrd *h", consrirures quality in postgraduate research are ail areas that are receiving attention in the field of research training in higher education. Alltlsott Holbrook cl nl. There are ferv empirical studies addressing the written examination of docroral theses or dissertations in rhe Iiteratu|e. As Morley et al. (.2002) have indicated, studies of the assessment Process atld its consistency rencl ro be rare because :rccess to exatninatiot.t d.lcumentation is difficult' In addition, many universiries do nor call for extensive documentation of process. Jackson and Tinklcr (200 l) investigated examination pro..dur., and student and staff resPonses to examination in the UK Th.1','1-'1"1ned documentation from 20 universities (b1sed on a stfatifieci sample of old and neu, insritutions) ancl clrerv on quesrio^nnaire.re.spo-nses fro,-,r r,,,t" 100 examiners ancl candidatcs fronr two of the'old'. With fespccr ro rhe viva (oral cxanrination) rhel' Founcl rhere w:rs 'no consensus "b.r.rr tlr"'roles'plaved by the viv:r and there rvere itrconsistencies ancl contradictions at the levels of policy and Practice (p. 364) ln Atrstralia ,r compulsory oral examination is n()t the norm, rather examinltior-r hingcs on the written cxaminer rePorts on the thesis. In an attempt to .*pl.,r. this process lvlullins ancl Kilel' Q002) collectetl inr"rvi.* cl:rta-front 30 experienccd examiners about examination in Austrllia. Johnston (1997) ,-rndertc,ok a conte nt anlly.sis of t[e text of 5I exanrincr rep()rts flc,nt one Australian r-rniversity across five fucultiet over so'eral years. Pitkethl,v and Prosser (1995) utilised the reports of 74 rhesis candidares ar one Australian university. The findings include general agreement among examiners and abt)r'rt the core exPect:r'tionsJ i.,"-.lv rhat th.y expecr the thesis will derrionstrate oriqinaliry and makc a cont;ibution to the field. I'.''idenc,e From a colnParative cross-national survcy by Kouptsov (1994) further bears rlut general widespreacl agreenlenr on thls poinr. However, some polarisation occurs arour-rd the issue .,f rvh,rt in-,ri" importantthe cor.rtribution, or the training (Powell and Green 2003). Johnston (1997) found examiners tended to follow universitl' guidelines or recommendations about how to rePort on a thesil, whereas Mullin, and Kile1, Q0o2) reporrecl the opposite on rhe basis of interview data. Tl-rey fbund examiners had established their orvn criteria, and that thev noted, but did not use, guidelines providecl. It would seem rhar those rvho examine are inhe rently intercsred in doing so and approach tlie task in a positive light (Johnston 1997, Jackson "nd J'inkler 2001, Mullins and Kiley 2002). However, a poorll'rvritten thesis gencrally had a negative effect on the examit.rer (Johnston i997' Mulliris and Kiley 2002). A panel of 67 scholars from the USA, UK' Australia and Canada iclentified rvriting qualiry as one oF the most problerlatic issucs about PhD studr.(Noble 1994). N4ost researchers in rhe field have pointecl out th:lt editorial errors and Presentrtion issrtes attract a slLbsrantial proportion of examiner colnment. PhD Theses ot the Mnrgitt Mullins and Kiley (2002) nored that examiners appeared very clear in the clistinctions they made between Poor, acccptable.and outstanding rheses, bur they also dete cted that examiners approache.d the exami,nation process anticiparing rhar stuclcnts ruor-rld pass. It has been remarked by "*"-in.r. ,f,"i th"y-rrr.ly fail a rhesis outright (Mullins and Krley 2002, Grabbe 2003), h,r*.t"i, thev mar. suggesr r.ajor revisions and reexamination. Becher's (1993 p. 134) similar comment re-infbrces this view. An exceprion is Johnstor.r's (1997) studt'comprising all i6 theses rhat hacl been examined in a'newef universiry" o[u,hich six theses were required ro be reexamined. Despire the latte r sn.rall stuclv, the expectation in iustr"lian universities is that a candidate will not Present their thesis for examin:rtion unless ir is ready (i.e. of pass sranclard). Reports on those theses rhat clo require re-examination Provide a rare and important opportunity to identiFy' the qualities that identil,v, and are used to .r rb itrat e,' rr'adi ncss' fo r .xa rr r i nariotr.
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"education",
"people and society"
] |
education
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length_test_clean
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detailed report findings
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https://www.ijert.org/aerodynamic-performance-evaluation-of-a-wind-turbine-blade-by-computational-and-experimental-method
|
- Open Access
- Total Downloads : 1291
- Authors : Irshadhussain Master, Azim Aijaz Mohammad, Ratnesh Parmar
- Paper ID : IJERTV3IS060103
- Volume & Issue : Volume 03, Issue 06 (June 2014)
- Published (First Online): 07-06-2014
- ISSN (Online) : 2278-0181
- Publisher Name : IJERT
- License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Aerodynamic Performance Evaluation of a Wind Turbine Blade by Computational and Experimental Method
|
Irshadhussain I. Master |
Azim Aijaz Mohammad |
Ratnesh T. Parmar |
|
M.Tech. Student, |
Asst. Professor, |
Asst. Professor, |
|
Department of |
Department of |
Department of, |
|
Mechanical Engineering, |
Mechanical Engineering, |
Mechanical Engineering, |
|
Patel College of Science |
Patel College of Science |
Babaria Inst. Of Tech, |
|
and Technology, |
and Technology, |
Vadodara,Gujarat, |
|
Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki |
Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki |
India. |
|
Vishwavidyalaya, |
Vishwavidyalaya, |
|
|
Ratibad, Bhopal 462036 |
Ratibad, Bhopal 462036 |
|
|
India. |
India. |
Abstract–Lift and Drag forces along with the angle of attack are the important parameters in a wind turbine system. These parameters decide the efficiency of the wind turbine. In this paper an attempt is made to study the Lift and Drag forces in a wind turbine blade at various sections and the effect of angle of attack on these forces. In this paper NACA 4420 airfoil profile is considered for analysis of wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade is modelled and several sections are created from root to tip. The Lift and Drag forces are calculated at different sections for angle of attack from 0° to 20° for low Reynolds number. The analysis showed that angle of attack of 6° has high Lift/Drag ratio. The CFD analysis is also carried out at various sections of blade at different angle of attack. The pressure and velocity distributions are also plotted. The airfoil NACA 4420 is analyzed based on computational fluid dynamics to identify its suitability for its application on wind turbine blades and good agreement is made between results.
1. INTRODUCTION
Wind energy is an abundant resource in comparison with other renewable resources. Moreover, unlike the solar energy, the utilization could not be affected by the climate and weather. Wind turbine invented by engineers in order to extract the energy from the wind. Because the energy in the wind is converted to electric energy, the machine also called wind generator. A wind turbine consists of several main parts, i.e., the rotor, generator, driven chain, control system and so on. The rotor is driven by the wind and rotates at pre- defined speed in terms of the wind speed, so that the generator can produce electric energy output under the regulation of the control system. In order to extract the maximum kinetic energy from wind, researcher put much effort on the design of effective blade geometry. In the early stage, the airfoil of helicopters were used in 2 wind turbine blade design, but now, many specialized airfoils have been invented and used for wind turbine blade design.
Moreover, a rotor blade may have different airfoil in different sections in order to improve the efficiency, so that modern blade is more complicated and efficient comparing to early wind turbine blades. In my early stage, the research on wind turbine blade design was limited on theoretical study. Field testing and wind tunnel testing which need a lot of effort and resources. Due to the development of computer aided design codes, they provide another way to design and analyze the wind turbine blades. Aerodynamic performance of wind turbine blades can be analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which is one of the branches of fluid dynamics that uses numerical methods and algorithm to solve to solve and analyze problems of fluid flow. Meanwhile, finite element method (FEM) can use for the blade structure analysis. Comparing to traditional theoretical and experimental methods, numerical method saves money and time for the performance analysis of optimal design of wind turbine blades.
H.V.Mahawadiwar et al [1] carried out Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of wind turbine blade with complete drawing and details of sub-system. The blade material is Cedar wood, strong and light weight. CAD model of the blade profile using Pro-E software is created and the flow analysis of the wind turbine blade mesh is created in the GAMBIT software. CFD analysis of the wind turbine blade is carried out in the FLUENT software. Form this study they conclude as following:
-
Value of numerical power increases as angle of attack increases from 0° to 7°, after 7° the value of numerical power reduced. Hence critical angle of attack for this blade is 7°.
-
The maximum value of coefficient of performance (Cpmax = 0.271) was saw at angle of attack 7° and at velocity of air 8 m/s.
-
This blade can generate maximum power of 620 W at maximum Cp, angle of attack 7° and velocity of air 8 m/s.
Chris Kaminsky, Austin Filush, Paul Kasprzak and Wael Mokhtar [2] carried out the work of a VAWT using the NAC A0012-34 airfoil. The system was modelled in Solid Works. They are use of the STAR CCM software to CFD analyzes the air flow around a vertical axis wind turbine to perform. Analysis has been done in three ways as show:
-
To determine CFD analysis analyzed the 2D flow over the chosen airfoil.
-
Determine the analysis looked at the flow over a 3D representation of the airfoil.
-
Finally, a full VAWT assembly was created and analyzed at various wind directions at the
The airfoil then the 2D and 3D simulations used different angles of attack (0 to 15 degrees) and speeds (15 & 30 mph) to determine. The full assembly included 3 airfoils that were attached into a 5ft high, 3 ft diameter structure. The results of this research on the NACA 001234 airfoil showed it could be a very viable choice for a residential VAWT. The 2D analysis gave a stall angle of about 8°, however, the 3D analysis, it being more accurate, did not provide us with a stall angle. The results for the 3D full assembly analysis of vertical axis wind turbine were incomplete.
C. Rajendran, G. Madhu, P. S. Tide et al [3] had carried out the potential of an incompressible NavierStokes CFD method for the analysis of horizontal axis wind turbines. The CFD results are validated against experimental data of the NREL power performance testing activities. Comparisons are shown for the surface pressure distributions at several conditions are show as under taken:
-
Wind Velocity is 12.5m/s.
-
Yaw Angle is 0°.
-
Rotational Speed is 25 rpm.
-
Turbulence Model is – SST.
David Hartwanger et al [4] have aims to develop a practical engineering methodology for the CFD-based assessment of multiple turbine installations. They are constructs the 2D experimental model of wind turbine which is of NREL S809 aerofoil series and compared. Their results with 3D CFD model in XFoil 6.3 codes and two ANSYS CFX 11.0 versions. It creates the cylindrical domain whose radius 2L and length 5L where L = turbine radius. For grid generation uses ICEM-CFD (ANSYS) software. In analysis it use – turbulence model. There are two main aims for doing analysis is as under show:
-
The primary aim is to predict the lift and drag for 2D experimental wind turbine.
-
Its secondary aim is to compare the results of Lower CFD idelity to Higher CFD Fidelity model.
These two aims fulfil with one boundary condition which is use pressure as an inlet condition. The validation of CFD against 2D blade sections showed that the CFD and XFOIL panel code over-predict peak lift and tend to underestimate stalled flow.
The 3D results compared well with experiment over four operating conditions. Results from the 3D corresponding calculated torque output showed good agreement with the 3D CFD model and experimental data. However, for high wind cases the actuator model tended to diverge from the CFD results and experiment.
Hansen and Butterfield [5] discussing recent research conducted regarding the aerodynamics of wind turbines. HAWT blades are made up of varying airfoil cross sections. Depending on the distance from the turbine hub, the airfoil's thickness may change. When close to the hub, rotational velocity becomes less significant and the blade cross section uses a high thickness for structural stability. Close to the edge of the rotor, a much thinner airfoil is used to provide a high lift-drag ratio in the larger rotational velocity area. In many turbines designed and operated during the 1970s and 1980s, aviation airfoils were used, due to their high lift coefficients. However, continued operation of these airfoils highlighted potential drawbacks when applied to wind turbines. Because of the failures of stall-controlled aviation airfoils to adapt to varying wind conditions, airfoil selection and design became a critical focus of wind turbine research.
Gómez-Iradi, et al [6] A new CFD technique for the analysis of HAWTs was developed and validated. The initial premise for this study was to examine the flow compressibility near the tip of wind turbine blades. Due to this flow compressibility, wind turbines often have changed performance and operate closer to stall conditions.
In this study, the geometry was designed using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) S809 wind turbine airfoil from 25% of blade span to the blade tip. The solver developed was based upon a second order implicit numerical method with a sliding mesh to account for the relative rotation of the rotor and stationary sections of the turbine. When compared with experimental results from a wind tunnel test, all of the major flow physics, including root and tip vortices, simulated within the project showed qualitative agreement.
R.S. Amano, et. al. [7] carried out most blades available for commercial grade wind turbine incorporated a straight span wise profile and airfoil shaped cross-section. This paper explores the possibility of increasing the efficiency of blades at higher wind speeds while maintaining efficiency at lower wind speed. The blades will be made more efficient at higher wind speed by implementing a swept blade profile. This paper explores two methods for optimizing blade for operation where wind speeds average7 m/s. The two methods of optimization that are investigated are first, the straight edge blade optimizes the angle of attack and chord length for a given airfoil cross-section at different position along the blade and second implements a swept blade profile. The following conclusion obtained from the research paper. It was observed that swept edge geometry maintains the maximum efficiency at lower oncoming wind speed and delays the stall point resulting in an increase in power at higher oncoming wind speed.
Kentaro hayashi, et. al. [8] carried out Noise reduction of wind turbines has recently become more important due to increasing Largescale turbine developments, stringent noise regulations, and installation of wind farms near residential areas. Wind turbine noise is mainly caused by broadband noise from the blades and can be reduced using noise prediction technologies. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has developed a new method to predict blade noise based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach and an empirical formula. This method can be used during
the preliminary blade design and has been validated using an actual model. In this report, we present a less noisy blade that was developed by applying this approach at the design stage.
Horia DUMITRESCU, et. al. [9] carried out In this paper two methods for determining the angle of attack on rotating blade from velocity and pressure measurement are presented. To derive the lift and drag coefficients an angle of attack is required in combination with the normal and tangential force coefficients. A proper inflow angle of attack is not directly available and two simple methods have been proposed to compute correctly the angle of attack for wind turbines. The first method using the measured/ computed velocities requires a iterative calculation, while the second technique using measured/computed pressures no iteration is required and the monitor points can be chosen to be closer to the blade 18 surface. On the other hand, the difficulty of using the pressure-method is to find the separation point where the local circulation changes sign and the distribution of skin friction should be determined from CFD solutions. Therefore, how to determine the effective angle of attack is a key factor to understand the stall flow.
S. RAJAKUMAR, et. al. [10] carried out In this paper an attempt is made to study the Lift and Drag forces in a wind turbine blade at various sections and the effect of angle of attack on these forces. In this paper NACA 4420 airfoil profile is considered for analysis of wind turbine blade. The Lift and Drag forces are calculated at different sections for angle of attack from 0 to 12 for low Reynolds number. The analysis showed that angle of attack of 5 has high Lift/Drag ratio.
Horia DUMITRESCU, et. al. [11] carried out the short separation bubbles which form near the leading edge of the inboard sections of the blade prior to the onset of leading edge stall have been analyzed in detail, including some effects of viscous inviscd interaction. The transition point is assumed to correspond to the minimum skin friction. The momentum integral technique for the wind turbine blade boundary layer has been extended to include the separated and reattaching shear layer in a leading- edge bubble of a wind turbine blade For cases where separated areas exist, a classical boundary layer approach is in principle no more valid (normal pressure gradient, formation of vortices, etc.). However, provided the flow is not widely separated, good description of the viscous effects is obtained, using inviscid flow calculation input. Based on the described boundary layer method, the physical processes which influence the inboard stall-delay phenomenon have been explained, including the onset of the three-dimensional effects and the increase of the lift coefficients.
Aravind Lovelin [12] carried out In this paper a Horizontal axis wind turbine blade profile NACA 63-415 is analyzed for various angles of attack. The coefficient of Lift and drag is calculated for this NACA 63-415 for various angles of attack from 0° to 16° and the maximum ratio is achieved at 2° of angle of attack. The coefficient of Lift increases with increase in angle of attack up to 8°. After 8°, the coefficient of lift decreases and stall begins to occur. The drag force begin of dominate beyond this angle of attack. The rate of increase in lift is more for angle of attack
from 0° to 8° and then it starts to decrease. The drag increase gradually until 5° angle of attack and then rapidly increases. The CFD analysis is carried out using STAR- CCM+ software. These results are compared with the wind tunnel experimental values for validation.
Ryoichi Samuel et. al. [13] carried out this paper explores the possibility increasing the number of profitable sites by optimizing wind turbine blade design for low wind speed areas. Wind turbine blade profiles are often constructed using the Blade Element Momentum theory (BEM). This theory will produce the angle of twist and chord length for a given airfoil cross section and rotation speed at a finite number of positions along the span of the blade. From these two dimensional sections a three dimensional shape can be extruded. The BEM theory accomplishes this by treating a given cross section as an independent airfoil which processes wind with a speed and direction that is a vector sum of the eoncoming wind and the wind generated by rotation. Since the direction and magnitude of the 20 wind generated by rotation changes as a function of span wise position, so too must the airfoil cross section. The BEM theory is not entirely accurate if the data for the airfoil cross sections that are used have not been corrected for rotational motion. It is for this reason that CFD analysis is necessary for new blade designs.
-
LIFT AND DRAG
Lift on a body is defined as the force on the body in a direction normal to the flow direction. Lift will only be present if the fluid incorporates a circulatory flow about the body such as that which exists about a spinning cylinder. The velocity above the body is increased and so the static pressure is reduced. The velocity beneath is slowed down, giving an increase in static pressure. So, there is a normal force upwards called the lift force.
The drag on a body in an oncoming flow is defined as the force on the body in a direction parallel to the flow direction. For a windmill to operate efficiently the lift force should be high and drag force should be low. For small angles of attack, lift force is high and drag force is low. If the angles of attack () increases beyond a certain value, the lift force decreases and the drag force increases. So, the angle of attack plays a vital role.
-
METHOD OF ANALYSIS
The aerofoil NACA 4420 is chosen for blade modeling as shown in Fig.1.
Fig.1. NACA 4420 Airfoil
NACA 4420 profiles are obtained from Design Foil Workshop for various chords. The modeling is done with
Solid Works. The blade is modelled for the specification given in Table1
.
Profile
NACA 4420
Root chord length
1651 mm
Tip chord length
650 mm
Length of blade
10700 mm
Hub diameter
337.5 mm
Hub length
1465 mm
Hub to blade(neck)
1475 mm
Table1. Blade specification
The velocity triangle of airfoil profile is used to calculate lift and drag forces shown in Fig.2.
Fig.2 Blade velocity triangle
The value of is found by the following formula. The wind velocity is taken as 8m/s and the speed is taken as 45 r.p.m.
= tan -1 (8/ (2r (45/60)))
The angle of attack (AOA) is found by the following formula
= –
The angle of attack value is given as input in the Design Foil Workshop software and the values of CL and CD are found out.
The lift and drag forces are calculated by the following formula and the lift to drag ratio (L/D ratio) is also found out.
Lift = (1/2)** CL*c*L*Vrel² Drag = (1/2)** CD*c*L*Vrel²
Where density of air – 1.225 kg/m³ c Chord length in meter 1m
L Length of the blade element – 1m Vrel relative velocity of air in m/s
= ((V) ² + (r) ²)0.5
The values of CL and CD were found out for various angles of attack.
Lift = (0.5**c*L* CL*Vrel²) Drag = (0.5**c*L* CD*Vrel²)
The Lift and Drag forces are calculated for the angle of attack from 0° to 20°. The Lift/Drag ratio is calculated for different angle of attack ranges from 0° to 20° for the velocity ranges from 5 to 20 m/sec.
Angle of attack
L/D RATIO
Vo=5
m/s
Vo= 7
m/s
Vo= 10
m/s
Vo= 12
m/s
Vo= 15
m/s
Vo=1
7 m/s
Vo= 20
m/s
0
50.7
53.6
55.6
56.2
57.9
59.1
60.3
1
59.7
62.4
64.7
68.5
69.9
71.3
72.8
2
67.2
70.8
73.5
73.0
75.8
78.0
80.4
3
70.0
73.0
76.3
80.6
82.2
84.7
86.5
4
75.4
78.7
78.8
83.9
86.3
88.0
88.1
5
74.3
77.8
81.1
82.6
84.9
85.7
88.0
6
72.3
75.5
78.4
83.6
85.0
83.2
85.3
7
69.2
72.5
75.1
79.7
81.5
83.5
85.0
8
65.8
68.7
71.4
75.5
77.1
78.8
80.1
9
64.4
64.5
66.8
70.7
72.1
74.0
75.1
10
59.6
62.2
61.6
65.2
66.7
68.0
69.3
11
54.6
56.7
58.8
61.9
63.4
64.8
63.6
12
49.7
51.6
53.3
56.2
57.5
58.7
59.7
13
52.5
58.4
67.1
73.8
82.5
86.5
97.7
14
49.6
55.7
64.8
72.0
80.9
84.3
96.8
15
46.8
53.1
62.5
69.3
79.4
82.4
95.9
Table.2. Lift/Drag Ratio
Fig.3.Correlation between L/D ratio and angle of attack
Fig.4. Correlation between CL and CD
Fig.5. Increase in lift for various Angle of Attack
Fig.6 Increase in Drag for various Angle of Attack
5.4 Comparison of the Analysis Methods:
At the velocity 5 m/s
Fig.7 Coefficient of Drag (CD) versus Angle of attack
Fig.8 Coefficient of Lift (CL) versus Angle of attack At the velocity 10 m/s
Fig.9 Coefficient of Drag (CD) versus Angle of attack
Fig.10 Coefficient of Lift (CL) versus Angle of attack
At the velocity 15 m/s
Fig.11 Coefficient of Drag (CD) veres Angle of attack
Fig.12 Coefficient of Lift (CL) versus Angle of attack
-
NUMERICAL METHOD
The numerical method utilized for the simulation had a density based solver with implicit formulation, 2-D domain geometry, absolute velocity formulation, and superficial
velocity for porous formulation. For this test, a simple solver and an external compressible flow model for the laminar was utilized. The green-gauss cell based was used for the gradient option. There are different equations used for flow, laminar, species, and energy. A simple method was used for the pressure-velocity coupling. For the discretization, a standard pressure was used, and density, momentum and turbulent inetic energy were set to second order upwind.
-
Flow Analysis
The computational flow analysis is also performed for NACA 4420 profile. The four sections are considered for flow analysis at the blade from root to tip show in Table.3.
Section
Distance from hub (m)
Chord length (m)
1
2.95
1.651
2
5.275
1.348
3
8.375
0.9469
4
10.7
0.65
Table 3. Sections from hub
The maximum L/D ratio is achieved at 6° of angle of attack, for the average velocity of 20 m/sec. Hence the 2-D airfoil sections are created for analysis in ANSYS FLUENT. The aerofoil profile with specific boundary is created in Creo and the computational flow analysis is performed in ANSYS FLUENT. A smart fine mesh is created for the flow area.
-
Geometry and Boundary conditions
Inlet velocity for the experiments and simulations is 10 m/sec. A fully laminar flow solution was used in ANSYS FLUENT, where linear laminar equations were used. A simple solver was utilized and the operating pressure was set to zero. Calculations were done for the linear region,
i.e. for angles of attack 5 degrees, due to greater reliability of both experimental and computed values in this region. The airfoil profile and boundary conditions are all created.
Fig.13 Meshing
Fig.14 Geometry with boundary condition
Fig.15 Velocity Plot 0° Angle of attack
Fig.16 Pressure Plot 0° Angle of attack
Fig.17 Velocity Plot 5° Angle of attack
Fig.18 Pressure Plot 5° Angle of attack
Fig.19 Velocity Plot 10° Angle of attack
Fig.20 Pressure Plot 10° Angle of attack
Fig.21 Velocity Plot 15° Angle of attack
Fig.22 Pressure Plot 15° Angle of attack
-
-
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
-
In this paper a Horizontal axis wind turbine blade with NACA 4420 is designed and analysed for different angle of attack and at various sections.
The blade with constant angle of attack throughout the length is analyzed to find the maximum L/D ratio. This is done at angle of attack ranging from 0° to 15° for the velocity varies from 5 -20 m/sec. The maximum L/D ratio is achieved at 6° of angle of attack, for the average velocity of 20 m/sec. It is found that blade with 6° angle of attack has the maximum L/D ratio.
The coefficient of Lift and drag is calculated for this NACA 4420 series for the angle of attack 0° to 20°. The coefficient of Lift increases with increase in Angle of attack up to 15°. After 15°, the coefficient of lift decreases and stall occurs at this angle of attack.
The lift force at various lengths from hub to tip is analyzed and it is cleared that lift force increases from hub to tip for all range of angle of attack. The lift force increases with increase in angle of attack up to 14° and it starts to decrease after 14°. The drag force begin of dominate beyond this angle of attack. The rate of increase in lift is more for angle of attack from 0° to 10° and between 10° to 15° the rise in lift force is less.
But the drag force increases with increase in angle of attack from hub to tip. The rate of increase in drag increase gradually unlike the rate of increase in lift from 0° to 16° of angle of attack and between 10° to 15° the rise in lift force is less.
The CFD analysis also carried out using ANSYS FLUENT software. The velocity and pressure distribution at various angles of attack of the blade is shown in Fig. 15-22. These results are coinciding with the wind tunnel experimental values. Hence the results are validated with the experimental work is shown in Fig.7-12.
The results demonstrate the pressure distribution over the airfoil. The pressure on the lower surface of the airfoil is greater than that of the incoming flow stream and as a result of that it effectively pushes the airfoil upward, normal to the incoming flow stream. On the other hand, the components of the pressure distribution parallel to the incoming flow stream tend to slow the velocity of the incoming flow relative to the airfoil, as do the viscous stresses.
It could be observed that the upper surface on the airfoil experiences a higher velocity compared to the lower surface. By increasing the velocity at higher Mach numbers there would be a shock wave on the upper surface that could cause discontinuity.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to thank Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Kalabhavan, Baroda, Gujarat, India for granting permission to carry out this work. The valuable suggestions of Prof. Arvind Mohite, is gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
-
H. V. Mahawadiwar, V.D. Dhopte, P.S.Thakare, Dr. R. D. Askhedkar, CFD Analysis of Wind Turbine Blade, International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, May-Jun 2012, PP- 3188-3194.
-
Chris Kaminsky, Austin Filush, Paul Kasprzak and Wael Mokhtar, A CFD Study of Wind Turbine Aerodynamics, Proceedings of the 2012 ASEE North Central Section Conference
-
C. Rajendran, G. Madhu, P.S. Tide, K. Kanthavel, Aerodynamic Performance Analysis of HAWT Using CFD Technique, European Journal of Scientific Research, ISSN 1450-216X Vol. 65, No. 1 (2011), PP 28-37.
-
David Hartwanger and Dr. Andrej Howat, 3D Modelling of a Wind Turbine Using CFD, NAFEMS Conference, 2008.
-
Hansen, A. C., and Butterfield, C. P., 1993, "Aerodynamics of Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines," Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 25, pp. 115 – 149.
-
Gómez-Iradi, S., Steijl, R., and Barakos, G. N., "Development and Validation of a CFD Technique for the Aerodynamic Analysis of HAWT," Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 131, (3).
-
R.S. Amano, R.J. Malloy CFD Analysis on Aerodynamic Design Optimization of Wind Turbine Rotor Blade 2009, m pp. 71-75.
-
Kentaro hayashi, Hiroshi nishino, hiroyuki hosoya, koji fukami, Tooru matsuo, takao kuroiwa low-noise design for wind turbine blades March-2012, pp-74-77
-
Horia dumitrescu, Vladimir cardos florin frunzulica, Alexandru Dumitrache determination of angle of attack for rotating blades 2012
-
S. Rajakumar, Dr.D.Ravindran computational fluid dynamics of wind turbine blade at various angles of attack and low Reynolds number 2010
-
Horia dumitrescu, Vladimir cardos the turbulent boundary Layer on wind turbine blades 2010 pp-125-136
-
Dr. S. P. Vendan, S. Aravind Lovelin, M. Manibharathi and C. RajkumarAnalysis of a Wind Turbine Blade Profile for Tapping Wind Power at the Regions of Low Wind Speed.
-
Ryoichi Samuel Amano and Ryan Malloy Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blade Design 2009
Nomenclature
A – Swept area of rotor – Angle of attack
CD – Drag coefficient CL – Lift coefficient D – Drag force
L – Lift force
N – RPM of the rotor
P – Power developed by rotor r – Radius of rotor
R – Resultant force acting on aerofoil V – Free stream velocity
VT – Tangential velocity VR -Resultant Velocity – Angular Velocity
Subscripts
D – Drag
L – Lift
rel – relative
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https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Theoretical+approach
|
theory
(redirected from Theoretical approach)Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
theory
[the´ah-re, thēr´e]1. the doctrine or the principles underlying an art as distinguished from the practice of that particular art.
2. a formulated hypothesis or, loosely speaking, any hypothesis or opinion not based upon actual knowledge.
3. a provisional statement or set of explanatory propositions that purports to account for or characterize some phenomenon. The concepts and provisions set forth in a theory are more specific and concrete than those of a conceptual model. Hence a theory is derived from a conceptual model to fully describe, explain, and predict phenomena within the domain of the model.
attribution theory a theory developed in an attempt to understand why an event occurred so that later events can be predicted and controlled.
care-based theory a type of ethical theory of health care based on the two central constructive ideas of mutual interdependence and emotional response. The ethics of care is a rejection of impartial, principle-driven, dispassionate reasoning and judgment that has often dominated the models and paradigms of bioethics. Its origins are developmental psychology, moral theory, and feminist writings. Its moral concern is with needs and corresponding responsibility as they arise within a relationship. Moral response is individualized and is guided by the private norms of friendship, love, and care rather than by abstract rights and principles.
cell theory all organic matter consists of cells, and cell activity is the essential process of life.
clonal-selection theory of immunity immunologic specificity is preformed during embryonic life and mediated through cell clones.
Cohnheim's theory tumors develop from embryonic rests that do not participate in the formation of normal surrounding tissue.
community-based theory any ethical theory of health care according to which everything fundamental in ethics derives from communal values, the common good, social goals, traditional practices, and cooperative virtues. Commitment is to the general welfare, to common purposes, and to education of community members. Beliefs and principles, shared goals, and obligations are seen as products of the communal life. Conventions, traditions, and social solidarity play a prominent role in this type of theory. Called also communitarianism.
consequence-based theory teleological theory.
continuity theory a theory of motor development that postulates that motor changes occur in a linear fashion during an individual's life and that each change is dependent on the development of the prior period.
deontological theory a type of ethical theory that maintains that some features of actions other than or in addition to consequences make the actions right or wrong. A major postulate is that we may not use or mistreat other people as a means to our own happiness or to that of others. Deontological theories guide action with a set of moral principles or moral rules, but it is the actions themselves and their moral properties that are fundamental. This theory is sometimes called the Kantian theory because the work of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) has a deep effect on its formulations.
discontinuity theory each stage of motor development has a new and unique feature that is added to distinguish it from the previous stage.
family systems theory a view of the family as a dynamic, interactive unit that undergoes continual evolvement in structure and function. There are subsystems that are discrete units (such as mother-father, sister-brother, and mother-child) and there is a suprasystem (the community). The main functions of the family are considered to be support, regulation, nurturance, and socialization; specific aspects of the functions change as the subsystems interact with the suprasystem.
feminist theory a type of ethical theory whose core assumptions are that women's experiences have not been taken as seriously as men's experiences and that there is subordination of women, which must end. A central theme is that women's reality is a social construction and not a biological determination. See also feminist praxis.
gate theory (gate-control theory) neural impulses generated by noxious painful stimuli and transmitted to the spinal cord by small-diameter C-fibers and A-delta fibers are blocked at their synapses in the dorsal horn by the simultaneous stimulation of large-diameter myelinated A-fibers, thus inhibiting pain by preventing pain impulses from reaching higher levels of the central nervous system.
general systems theory a theory of organization proposed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the 1950s as a means by which various disciplines could communicate with one another and duplication of efforts among scientists could be avoided. The theory sought universally applicable principles and laws that would hold true regardless of the kind of system under study, the nature of its components, or the interrelationships among its components. Since the introduction of the general systems theory, theoretical models, principles, and laws have been developed that are of great value to scientists in all fields, including those of medicine, nursing, and other health-related professions.
germ theory
1. all organisms are developed from a cell.
2. infectious diseases are of microbial origin.
theory of human becoming a theory of nursing formulated by Rosemarie Rizzo parse. Principles of Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings are synthesized with major tenets and concepts from existential phenomenological thought to create a conceptual system and theory. Major areas of focus, rooted in the human sciences, describe the unitary human being interrelating with the universe in co-creating health. Essential concepts include the human-universe-health interrelationship, the co-creating of health, and the freely choosing of meaning in becoming. Humans are unitary beings mutually co-creating rhythmical patterns of relating in open interchange with the universe. The human being is a unity of the subject-world relationship, participating with the world in co-creation of self.
Health, in this theory, is a continuously changing process that humans participate in co-creating. Health is human becoming. It is not the opposite of disease, nor is it a state that exists. Disease is viewed as a pattern of the human being's interrelationship with the world.
Nursing is both science and art. The science is nursing's abstract body of knowledge lived through the art in service to people. Three principles of this theory comprise the abstract knowledge base used to guide nursing research and practice. The principles of structuring meaning multidimensionally, co-creating rhythmical patterns of relating, and co-transcending with the possibles provide the underpinnings for practice and research.
There is a particular nursing practice methodology, the only one that evolves directly from a nursing theory. Parse's practice methodology specifies that the nurse be truly present with the person and family illuminating meaning, synchronizing rhythms, and mobilizing transcendence. Persons choose their own patterns of health, reflective of their values. The nurse is there with the person and family as they uncover meanings and make decisions about their life situations. True presence is an unconditional love grounded in the belief that individuals know the way.
Parse has also constructed a research methodology congruent with her theory and unique to nursing. Her research methodology offers the researcher the opportunity to study universal lived experiences from the perspective of the people living the experiences. The purpose of her basic research method is to uncover the meaning of lived experiences to enhance the knowledge base of nursing. Parse has contributed to nursing science a theory with congruent practice and research methodologies.
Health, in this theory, is a continuously changing process that humans participate in co-creating. Health is human becoming. It is not the opposite of disease, nor is it a state that exists. Disease is viewed as a pattern of the human being's interrelationship with the world.
Nursing is both science and art. The science is nursing's abstract body of knowledge lived through the art in service to people. Three principles of this theory comprise the abstract knowledge base used to guide nursing research and practice. The principles of structuring meaning multidimensionally, co-creating rhythmical patterns of relating, and co-transcending with the possibles provide the underpinnings for practice and research.
There is a particular nursing practice methodology, the only one that evolves directly from a nursing theory. Parse's practice methodology specifies that the nurse be truly present with the person and family illuminating meaning, synchronizing rhythms, and mobilizing transcendence. Persons choose their own patterns of health, reflective of their values. The nurse is there with the person and family as they uncover meanings and make decisions about their life situations. True presence is an unconditional love grounded in the belief that individuals know the way.
Parse has also constructed a research methodology congruent with her theory and unique to nursing. Her research methodology offers the researcher the opportunity to study universal lived experiences from the perspective of the people living the experiences. The purpose of her basic research method is to uncover the meaning of lived experiences to enhance the knowledge base of nursing. Parse has contributed to nursing science a theory with congruent practice and research methodologies.
theory of human caring a nursing theory formulated by Jean watson, derived from the values and assumptions of metaphysical, phenomenological-existential, and spiritual conceptual orientations. The primary concepts of the theory, transpersonal human caring and caring transactions, are multidimensional giving and receiving responses between a nurse and another person. Transpersonal human caring implies a special kind of relationship where both the nurse and the other have a high regard for the whole person in a process of being and becoming. Caring transactions provide a coming together in a lived moment, an actual caring occasion that involves choice and action by both the nurse and another.
Person (other) is defined as an experiencing and perceiving “being in the world,” possessing three spheres; mind, body, and soul. Person is also defined as a living growing gestalt with a unique phenomenal field of subjective reality.
The environment includes an objective physical or material world and a spiritual world. Watson defines the world as including all forces in the universe as well as a person's immediate environment. Critical to this definition is the concept of transcendence of the physical world that is bound in time and space, making contact with the emotional and spiritual world by the mind and soul.
Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is unity and harmony within the mind, body, and soul and is related to the congruence between the self as perceived and the self as experienced.
Nursing is defined as a human science and an activity of art, centered on persons and human health-illness experiences. The goal of nursing is to help persons gain a higher level of harmony within the mind, body and soul. Nursing practice is founded on the human-to-human caring process and a commitment to caring as a moral ideal. The activities of nursing are guided by Watson's ten carative factors, which offer a descriptive topology of interventions. The nursing process is incorporated in these carative factors as “creative problem-solving caring process,” a broad approach to nursing that seeks connections and relations rather than separations.
Person (other) is defined as an experiencing and perceiving “being in the world,” possessing three spheres; mind, body, and soul. Person is also defined as a living growing gestalt with a unique phenomenal field of subjective reality.
The environment includes an objective physical or material world and a spiritual world. Watson defines the world as including all forces in the universe as well as a person's immediate environment. Critical to this definition is the concept of transcendence of the physical world that is bound in time and space, making contact with the emotional and spiritual world by the mind and soul.
Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is unity and harmony within the mind, body, and soul and is related to the congruence between the self as perceived and the self as experienced.
Nursing is defined as a human science and an activity of art, centered on persons and human health-illness experiences. The goal of nursing is to help persons gain a higher level of harmony within the mind, body and soul. Nursing practice is founded on the human-to-human caring process and a commitment to caring as a moral ideal. The activities of nursing are guided by Watson's ten carative factors, which offer a descriptive topology of interventions. The nursing process is incorporated in these carative factors as “creative problem-solving caring process,” a broad approach to nursing that seeks connections and relations rather than separations.
information theory a mathematical theory dealing with messages or signals, the distortion produced by statistical noise, and methods of coding that reduce distortion to the irreducible minimum.
information processing theory a theory of learning that focuses on internal, cognitive processes in which the learner is viewed as a seeker and processor of information.
Kantian theory deontological theory.
Lamarck's theory the theory that acquired characteristics may be inherited.
Metchnikoff theory the theory that harmful elements in the body are attacked by phagocytes, causing inflammation; see also metchnikoff theory.
middle range theory a testable theory that contains a limited number of variables, and is limited in scope as well, yet is of sufficient generality to be useful with a variety of clinical research questions.
nursing theory
1. a framework designed to organize knowledge and explain phenomena in nursing, at a more concrete and specific level than a conceptual model or a metaparadigm.
2. The study and development of theoretical frameworks in nursing.
obligation-based theory deontological theory.
quantum theory radiation and absorption of energy occur in quantities (quanta) that vary in size with the frequency of the radiation.
recapitulation theory ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny; see also recapitulation theory.
rights-based theory a type of ethical theory under which the language of rights provides the basic terminology for ethical and political theory; it maintains that a democratic society must protect individuals and allow all to pursue personal goals. The idea of primacy of rights has been strongly disputed by, for example, utilitarians and Marxists. Individual interests often conflict with communal or institutional interests, as has been seen in efforts to reform the health care system. A prominent rights-based theory is what is known as liberal individualism.
teleological theory a type of ethical theory that takes judgments of the value of the consequences of action as basic. Utilitarianism is the most prominent consequence-based theory; it accepts one and only one basic principle of ethics, the principle of utility, which asserts that we ought always to produce the maximal balance of positive value over negative consequences (or the least possible negative consequence, if only undesirable results can be achieved).
Young-Helmholtz theory the theory that color vision depends on three sets of retinal receptors, corresponding to the colors of red, green, and violet.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
the·o·ry
(thē'ŏ-rē),A reasoned explanation of known facts or phenomena that serves as a basis of investigation by which to seek the truth.
See also: hypothesis, postulate.
See also: hypothesis, postulate.
[G. theōria, a beholding, speculation, theory, fr. theōros, a beholder]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
theory
(thē′ə-rē, thîr′ē)n. pl. theo·ries
1. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
2. The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice: a fine musician who had never studied theory.
3. A set of theorems that constitute a systematic view of a branch of mathematics.
4. Abstract reasoning; speculation: a decision based on experience rather than theory.
5. A belief or principle that guides action or assists comprehension or judgment: staked out the house on the theory that criminals usually return to the scene of the crime.
6. An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
theory
A hypothesis or explanation of a phenomenon based on available data Statistics A general statement predicting, explaining, or describing the relationships among a number of constructsMcGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
the·o·ry
(thē'ŏr-ē)A reasoned explanation of known facts or phenomena that serves as a basis of investigation by which to reach the truth.
See also: hypothesis, postulate
See also: hypothesis, postulate
[G. theōria, a beholding, speculation, theory, fr. theōros, a beholder]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
theory
see SCIENTIFIC METHOD.Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005
theory
An explanation of the manner in which a phenomenon occurs, has occurred, or will occur.
Bielschowsky's theory See theories of strabismus.
biological-statistical theory Theory of the development of refractive errors, based on the way in which the refractive components of the eye combine. It postulates a high correlation between the normally distributed refractive components to produce emmetropia. A breakdown of this correlation leads to ametropia. This theory depends essentially on hereditary factors. See gene-environment interaction; myopia control; physiological myopia; emmetropization theory; use-abuse theory.
Chavasse's theory See theories of strabismus.
corpuscular theory See Newton's theory.
Donders' theory See theories of strabismus.
Duane's theory See theories of strabismus.
duplicity theory The theory that vision is mediated by two independent photoreceptor systems in the retina: diurnal or photopic vision through the cones when the eyes see details and colours; and nocturnal or scotopic vision through the rods when the eyes see at very low levels of luminance. It can be illustrated when establishing a dark adaptation curve (sensitivity as a function of time), which is preceded by a bright pre-adaptation stimulus. The curve typically has two branches: and initial increase in sensitivity (i.e. lower light threshold) followed by a plateau, due to cone adaptation; then another increase in sensitivity followed by a plateau due to rod adaptation. See photochromatic interval; Purkinje shift; two visual systems theory; photopic vision; scotopic vision.
emission theory See Newton's theory.
emmetropization theory A theory that explains the phenomenon of emmetropization on a biofeedback mechanism, involving cortical and subcortical control of the various components of the eye that contribute to its refractive power.
empiricist theory Theory that certain aspects of behaviour, perception, development of ametropia, etc. depend on environmental experience and learning, and are not inherited. See empiricism; nativist theory.
Fincham's theory Theory of accommodation which attributes the increased convexity of the front surface of the crystalline lens, when accommodating, to the elasticity of the capsule and to the fact that it is thinner in the pupillary area than near the periphery of the lens. See capsule; Helmholtz's of accommodation theory.
first order theory See gaussian theory.
gaussian theory The theory that for tracing paraxial rays through an optical system, that system can be considered as having six cardinal planes: two principal planes, two nodal planes and two focal planes. The mathematical analysis can be carried out by the paraxial equation. Syn. first order theory; paraxial theory. See Newton's formula; paraxial optics; fundamental paraxial equation; paraxial ray.
von Graefe's theory See theories of strabismus.
Helmholtz's theory of accommodation The theory that in accommodation the ciliary muscle contracts, relaxing the tension on the zonule of Zinn while the shape of the crystalline lens changes, resulting in increased convexity, especially of the anterior surface. Fincham's theory complements that of Helmholtz. See accommodation; Fincham's theory; zonule of Zinn.
Helmholtz's theory of colour vision See Young-Helmholtz theory.
Hering's theory of colour vision Theory that colour vision results from the action of three independent mechanisms, each of which is made up of a mutually antagonistic pair of colour sensations: red-green, yellow-blue and white-black. The latter pair is supposed to be responsible for the brightness aspect of the sensation, whereas the former two would be responsible for the coloured aspect of the sensation. Syn. opponent-process theory; tetrachromatic theory. See colour-opponent cells; Young-Helmholtz theory.
van der Hoeve's theory See theories of strabismus.
Huygen's theory See wave theory.
Landolt's theory See theories of strabismus.
lattice theory See Maurice's theory.
Luneburg's theory A theory according to which the geometry of the visual space is described by a variable non-euclidean hyperbolic metric.
Mackenzie's theory See theories of strabismus.
Maurice's theory Theory that explains the transparency of the stroma of the cornea. It states that the stromal fibrils, which have a refractive index of about 1.55 in the dry state, are so arranged as to behave as a series of diffraction gratings permitting transmission through the liquid ground substance (refractive index 1.34). The fibrils are the grating elements that are arranged in a hexagonal lattice pattern of equal spacing and with the fibril interval being less than the wavelength of light. The diffraction gratings eliminate scattered light by destructive interference, except for the normally incident light rays. Light beams that are not normal to the cornea are also transmitted to the oblique lattice plane. However, recent work has demonstrated inconsistencies in lattice space and there is some modification to the original postulate of this theory. Syn. lattice theory.
nativist theory Theory that certain aspects of behaviour, perception, development of ametropia, etc. are inherited and independent of environmental experience. See gene-environment interaction; nativism; empiricist theory.
Newton's theory The theory that light consists of minute particles radiated from a light source at a very high velocity. Syn. corpuscular theory; emission theory. See quantum theory; wave theory.
Nordlow's theory See theories of strabismus.
opponent-colour theory See Hering's of colour vision theory.
paraxial theory See gaussian theory.
Parinaud's theory See theories of strabismus.
Planck's theory See quantum theory.
quantum theory Theory that radiant energy consists of intermittent and spasmodic, minute indivisible amounts called quanta (or photons). This is a somewhat modern version of the theory originally proposed by Newton. Syn. Planck's theory. See photon; Newton's theory; wave theory.
Scobee's theory See theories of strabismus.
theory of strabismus See theories of strabismus.
three-component theory See Young- Helmholtz theory.
trichromatic theory See Young-Helmholtz theory.
two visual systems theory The theory that there are two distinct modes of processing visual information: one pertaining to the identification (or 'what' system) and the other to localization (or 'where' system) of visual stimuli. The identification mode is concerned with resolution and pattern vision, and is associated with the foveal and parafoveal regions of the retina. It is subserved by primary cortical mechanisms. The localization mode is concerned with motion and orientation and is subserved by midbrain visual structures. See magnocellular visual system; parvocellular visual system; duplicity theory.
use-abuse theory Theory that attributes the onset of myopia to an adaptation to the use or misuse of the eyes in prolonged close work with the concomitant lag of accommodation and hyperopic defocus. Environmental factors would be the main cause of myopia. See myopia control; biological-statistical theory.
wave theory Theory that light is propagated as continuous waves. This theory was quantified by the Maxwell equations. The wave theory of light can satisfactorily account for the observed facts of reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction and polarization. However, the interchange of energy between radiation and matter, absorption and the photoelectric effect are explained by the quantum theory. Both the wave and quantum theories of light were combined by the concept of quantum mechanics, and light is now considered to consist of quanta travelling in a manner that can be described by a waveform. Syn. Huygens' theory. See photon; quantum theory; wavelength.
Worth's theory See theories of strabismus.
Young-Helmholtz theory The theory that colour vision is due to a combination of the responses of three independent types of retinal receptors whose maximum sensitivities are situated in the blue, green and red regions of the visible spectrum. This theory has been shown to be correct, except that the pigment in the third receptor has a maximum sensitivity in the yellow and not in the red region of the spectrum. Hering's theory of colour vision, which explains phenomena at a level higher than that of the cone receptors, complements this theory. Syn. Helmholtz's theory of colour vision; three components theory; trichromatic theory. See visual pigment; Hering's of colour vision theory.
Bielschowsky's theory See theories of strabismus.
biological-statistical theory Theory of the development of refractive errors, based on the way in which the refractive components of the eye combine. It postulates a high correlation between the normally distributed refractive components to produce emmetropia. A breakdown of this correlation leads to ametropia. This theory depends essentially on hereditary factors. See gene-environment interaction; myopia control; physiological myopia; emmetropization theory; use-abuse theory.
Chavasse's theory See theories of strabismus.
corpuscular theory See Newton's theory.
Donders' theory See theories of strabismus.
Duane's theory See theories of strabismus.
duplicity theory The theory that vision is mediated by two independent photoreceptor systems in the retina: diurnal or photopic vision through the cones when the eyes see details and colours; and nocturnal or scotopic vision through the rods when the eyes see at very low levels of luminance. It can be illustrated when establishing a dark adaptation curve (sensitivity as a function of time), which is preceded by a bright pre-adaptation stimulus. The curve typically has two branches: and initial increase in sensitivity (i.e. lower light threshold) followed by a plateau, due to cone adaptation; then another increase in sensitivity followed by a plateau due to rod adaptation. See photochromatic interval; Purkinje shift; two visual systems theory; photopic vision; scotopic vision.
emission theory See Newton's theory.
emmetropization theory A theory that explains the phenomenon of emmetropization on a biofeedback mechanism, involving cortical and subcortical control of the various components of the eye that contribute to its refractive power.
empiricist theory Theory that certain aspects of behaviour, perception, development of ametropia, etc. depend on environmental experience and learning, and are not inherited. See empiricism; nativist theory.
Fincham's theory Theory of accommodation which attributes the increased convexity of the front surface of the crystalline lens, when accommodating, to the elasticity of the capsule and to the fact that it is thinner in the pupillary area than near the periphery of the lens. See capsule; Helmholtz's of accommodation theory.
first order theory See gaussian theory.
gaussian theory The theory that for tracing paraxial rays through an optical system, that system can be considered as having six cardinal planes: two principal planes, two nodal planes and two focal planes. The mathematical analysis can be carried out by the paraxial equation. Syn. first order theory; paraxial theory. See Newton's formula; paraxial optics; fundamental paraxial equation; paraxial ray.
von Graefe's theory See theories of strabismus.
Helmholtz's theory of accommodation The theory that in accommodation the ciliary muscle contracts, relaxing the tension on the zonule of Zinn while the shape of the crystalline lens changes, resulting in increased convexity, especially of the anterior surface. Fincham's theory complements that of Helmholtz. See accommodation; Fincham's theory; zonule of Zinn.
Helmholtz's theory of colour vision See Young-Helmholtz theory.
Hering's theory of colour vision Theory that colour vision results from the action of three independent mechanisms, each of which is made up of a mutually antagonistic pair of colour sensations: red-green, yellow-blue and white-black. The latter pair is supposed to be responsible for the brightness aspect of the sensation, whereas the former two would be responsible for the coloured aspect of the sensation. Syn. opponent-process theory; tetrachromatic theory. See colour-opponent cells; Young-Helmholtz theory.
van der Hoeve's theory See theories of strabismus.
Huygen's theory See wave theory.
Landolt's theory See theories of strabismus.
lattice theory See Maurice's theory.
Luneburg's theory A theory according to which the geometry of the visual space is described by a variable non-euclidean hyperbolic metric.
Mackenzie's theory See theories of strabismus.
Maurice's theory Theory that explains the transparency of the stroma of the cornea. It states that the stromal fibrils, which have a refractive index of about 1.55 in the dry state, are so arranged as to behave as a series of diffraction gratings permitting transmission through the liquid ground substance (refractive index 1.34). The fibrils are the grating elements that are arranged in a hexagonal lattice pattern of equal spacing and with the fibril interval being less than the wavelength of light. The diffraction gratings eliminate scattered light by destructive interference, except for the normally incident light rays. Light beams that are not normal to the cornea are also transmitted to the oblique lattice plane. However, recent work has demonstrated inconsistencies in lattice space and there is some modification to the original postulate of this theory. Syn. lattice theory.
nativist theory Theory that certain aspects of behaviour, perception, development of ametropia, etc. are inherited and independent of environmental experience. See gene-environment interaction; nativism; empiricist theory.
Newton's theory The theory that light consists of minute particles radiated from a light source at a very high velocity. Syn. corpuscular theory; emission theory. See quantum theory; wave theory.
Nordlow's theory See theories of strabismus.
opponent-colour theory See Hering's of colour vision theory.
paraxial theory See gaussian theory.
Parinaud's theory See theories of strabismus.
Planck's theory See quantum theory.
quantum theory Theory that radiant energy consists of intermittent and spasmodic, minute indivisible amounts called quanta (or photons). This is a somewhat modern version of the theory originally proposed by Newton. Syn. Planck's theory. See photon; Newton's theory; wave theory.
Scobee's theory See theories of strabismus.
theory of strabismus See theories of strabismus.
three-component theory See Young- Helmholtz theory.
trichromatic theory See Young-Helmholtz theory.
two visual systems theory The theory that there are two distinct modes of processing visual information: one pertaining to the identification (or 'what' system) and the other to localization (or 'where' system) of visual stimuli. The identification mode is concerned with resolution and pattern vision, and is associated with the foveal and parafoveal regions of the retina. It is subserved by primary cortical mechanisms. The localization mode is concerned with motion and orientation and is subserved by midbrain visual structures. See magnocellular visual system; parvocellular visual system; duplicity theory.
use-abuse theory Theory that attributes the onset of myopia to an adaptation to the use or misuse of the eyes in prolonged close work with the concomitant lag of accommodation and hyperopic defocus. Environmental factors would be the main cause of myopia. See myopia control; biological-statistical theory.
wave theory Theory that light is propagated as continuous waves. This theory was quantified by the Maxwell equations. The wave theory of light can satisfactorily account for the observed facts of reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction and polarization. However, the interchange of energy between radiation and matter, absorption and the photoelectric effect are explained by the quantum theory. Both the wave and quantum theories of light were combined by the concept of quantum mechanics, and light is now considered to consist of quanta travelling in a manner that can be described by a waveform. Syn. Huygens' theory. See photon; quantum theory; wavelength.
Worth's theory See theories of strabismus.
Young-Helmholtz theory The theory that colour vision is due to a combination of the responses of three independent types of retinal receptors whose maximum sensitivities are situated in the blue, green and red regions of the visible spectrum. This theory has been shown to be correct, except that the pigment in the third receptor has a maximum sensitivity in the yellow and not in the red region of the spectrum. Hering's theory of colour vision, which explains phenomena at a level higher than that of the cone receptors, complements this theory. Syn. Helmholtz's theory of colour vision; three components theory; trichromatic theory. See visual pigment; Hering's of colour vision theory.
| Table T1 Main characteristics of the photopic and scotopic visual system | ||||
| photopic vision | scotopic vision | |||
| type of vision | diurnal (above 10 cd/m2) | nocturnal (below 1023cd/m2) | ||
| photoreceptor | cones | rods | ||
| max. receptor density | fovea | 20º from fovea | ||
| photopigment(s) (and max. absorption) | long-wave sensitive (560 nm) | rhodopsin (507 nm) | ||
| middle-wave sensitive (530 nm) | ||||
| short-wave sensitive (420 nm) | ||||
| colour vision | present | absent | ||
| light sensitivity | low | high | ||
| dark adaptation: | ||||
| time to cone threshold | about 10 min | |||
| time to rod threshold (about 3 log units below) | about 35 min | |||
| max. spectral sensitivity | 555 nm | 507 nm | ||
| spatial resolution (visual acuity) | Excellent | Poor | ||
| spatial summation | poor | excellent | ||
| temporal resolution (critical fusion frequency) | excellent | poor | ||
| temporal summation | poor | excellent | ||
| Stiles-Crawford effect | present | absent |
Millodot: Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition. © 2009 Butterworth-Heinemann
the·o·ry
(thē'ŏr-ē)Reasoned explanation of known facts or phenomena that serves as a basis of investigation by which to seek truth.
[G. theōria, a beholding, speculation, theory, fr. theōros, a beholder]
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012
Patient discussion about theory
Q. I know I’m supposed to drink 8-10 cups of water a day – but I feel it’s too much for me. I try to drink 8 cups a day but I just can’t continue with it long, I just find myself going to the bathroom every 30 minutes. Any idea?
A. when people thought of this genius theory of drinking 10 cups a day they didn’t take in consideration the amount of water we get from our food, the idea that people working construction need more then 8 cups, that people that work in an air conditioned office and don’t tend to move around too much don’t perspire as well as construction workers. They just took the average data- we loose this amount of water, so we need to replace it. You should listen to your body and not to wise guys.
More discussions about theoryThis content is provided by iMedix and is subject to iMedix Terms. The Questions and Answers are not endorsed or recommended and are made available by patients, not doctors.
| 37,387
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science
|
length_test_clean
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theoretical framework approach
| false
|
e0439e1682ad
|
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11042-018-5816-9
|
Abstract
Autonomous driving with high velocity is a research hotspot which challenges the scientists and engineers all over the world. This paper proposes a scheme of indoor autonomous car based on ROS which combines the method of Deep Learning using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with statistical approach using liDAR images and achieves a robust obstacle avoidance rate in cruise mode. In addition, the design and implementation of autonomous car are also presented in detail which involves the design of Software Framework, Hector Simultaneously Localization and Mapping (Hector SLAM) by Teleoperation, Autonomous Exploration, Path Plan, Pose Estimation, Command Processing, and Data Recording (Co- collection). what’s more, the schemes of outdoor autonomous car, communication, and security are also discussed. Finally, all functional modules are integrated in nVidia Jetson TX1.
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Bag S (2017) Deep Learning Localization for Self-driving Cars
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Dolgov D, Thrun S, Montemerlo M, Diebel J (2009) Path Planning for Autonomous Driving in Unknown Environments, Experimental Robotics, The Eleventh International Symposium, ISER 2008 13–16, 2008, Athens, Greece, 55–64
Endres F, Hess J, Sturm J, Cremers D, Burgard W (2017) 3-D Mapping With an RGB-D Camera. IEEE Trans Robot 30:177–187
Fernandes LC, Souza JR, Pessin G, Shinzato PY, Sales D, Mendes C, Prado M, Klaser R, Magalhães AC, Hata A (2014) CaRINA Intelligent Robotic Car: Architectural design and applications. J Syst Archit 60:372–392
Garip MT, Gursoy ME, Reiher P, Gerla M (2015) Congestion Attacks to Autonomous Cars Using Vehicular Botnets, The Workshop on Security of Emerging NETWORKING Technologies
Grisetti G, Stachniss C, Burgard W (2007) Improved Techniques for Grid Mapping With Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filters. IEEE Trans Robot 23:34–46
International S (2014) Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to On-Road Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems
Jalalmaab M, Fidan B, Jeon S and Falcone P (2015) Model predictive path planning with time-varying safety constraints for highway autonomous driving, International Conference on Advanced Robotics 213–217
Kang MC, Chae SH, Sun JY, Lee SH, Ko SJ (2017) An enhanced obstacle avoidance method for the visually impaired using deformable grid. IEEE Trans Consum Electron 63:169–177
Kohlbrecher S, Meyer J, Graber T, Petersen K, Klingauf U, Stryk OV (2013) Hector Open Source Modules for Autonomous Mapping and Navigation with Rescue Robots. Springer, Berlin
Kohlbrecher S, Stryk OV, Meyer J and Klingauf U (2011) A flexible and scalable SLAM system with full 3D motion estimation. IEEE Int Sympos Saf Sec Rescue Robot 155–160
Lee SH, Chung CC (2017) Robust Multirate On-Road Vehicle Localization for Autonomous Highway Driving Vehicles. IEEE Trans Control Syst Technol 25:577–589
Mur-Artal R and Tardos JD (2015) Probabilistic Semi-Dense Mapping from Highly Accurate Feature-Based Monocular SLAM, Robotics: Science and Systems
Oliveira M, Santos V, Sappa AD, Dias P, Moreira AP (2016) Incremental texture mapping for autonomous driving. Robotics & Autonomous Systems 84:113–128
Pink O, Becker J, Kammel S (2015) Automated driving on public roads: Experiences in real traffic, it. Info Technol 57:223–230
Rosolia U, Bruyne SD and Alleyne AG (2016) Autonomous Vehicle Control: A Nonconvex Approach for Obstacle Avoidance. IEEE Trans Control Syst Technol 1–16
Sallab AAA, Abdou M, Perot E and Yogamani S (2016) Deep Reinforcement Learning framework for Autonomous Driving, NIPS 2016 Workshop - MLITS
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Acknowledgements
The research of autonomous car are funded by Sci-Tech Support Plan of Sichuan Province, China [Grant Numbers: 2016GZ0343].
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Zhou, C., Li, F. & Cao, W. Architecture design and implementation of image based autonomous car: THUNDER-1. Multimed Tools Appl 78, 28557–28573 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-018-5816-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-018-5816-9
| 5,576
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technology
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length_test_clean
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implementation design architecture
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https://www.filledstacks.com/post/flutter-architecture-scoped-model-implementation-guide/
|
Flutter Architecture-ScopedModel, A complete guide to real world architecture
In this post I will be giving direct and (hopefully) clear guidelines to writing a production ready application in Flutter using the ScopedModel architecture.
Some context
I recently built my first Production Flutter application for a client which was a rebuild from an existing wrapped mobile app. Designs were “not well thought out” and the performance was extremely bad. I was in the process of reviewing Flutter as my new cross platform tool and was only using it for three weeks when I pitched it as the technology I want to use. When the green light was given I decided on the ScopedModel architecture after looking at Redux and ScopedModel as options (didn’t consider BLoC at the time).
I found ScopedModel easy to use and has since revised my implementation based on the experience I gained from the app I built.
The Implementation style
Scoped model can be implemented in one of two ways. Models group features and extending a larger app model or a scoped model per view. In both of these cases the models interact with services (that does all the work) and reduce a state from information provided by those services. I’ll go over those two implementation types quickly.
One AppModel with FeatureModel mixins
In this way you have one AppModel that extends Mixins, that are also of type Model. It groups certain pieces of logic relating to features together. UserModel, AuthenticationModel, InformationModel, etc. You pass the combined one AppModel from the top of your application widget tree and access it anywhere in the app using the ScopedModelDescendent
or ScopedModel.of<AppModel>
call. See this example if you don’t understand my explanation. Go to lib/scoped_models and look at how app_model.dart is setup.
One Model per view/widget
This way a ScopedModel is directly associated with a View file/widget. This produces a bit more boiler plate code because you have to create a scoped model for every view you create.
For my production app I used one AppModel and grouped specific pieces of Functionality together under separate mixin models. As the app grew I was mixing state reduction for my views because one Model had to reduce state for multiple views so it became a bit cumbersome. After some review I’ll be moving over to the second option. One Model per view/widget using GetIt as a IoC container. This is the setup we’ll use for this architecture guide.
If you’d like to follow along you can create a new Flutter project from scratch or clone this repo and open the start folder in your IDE.
Implementation Overview
This setup is meant for quick start and a easy to follow starting point. Each view will have a root ScopedModel descendent that runs off it’s own dedicated ScopedModel. The ScopedModel instance will be supplied by our locator (called locator because it locates the services and the Models). The Locator will also supply the services to the Model on construction. The model will delegate all the actual work like fetching data or saving to a database to the dedicated service and will only provide our view with state reflecting current operations. We’ll start by installing ScopedModel and setting up GetIt.
Implementation
ScopedModel and Dependency Injection Setup
Add the scoped_model and get_it package to your pubspec file.
---
dependencies:
flutter:
sdk: flutter
# The following adds the Cupertino Icons font to your application.
# Use with the CupertinoIcons class for iOS style icons.
cupertino_icons: ^0.1.2
# scoped model
scoped_model: ^1.0.1
# dependency injection
get_it: ^1.0.3
Create a service_locator.dart file in the /lib folder and create the locator instance. Import GetIt, create a GetIt instance and an empty setupLocator function.
import 'package:get_it/get_it.dart';
GetIt locator = GetIt();
void setupLocator() {
// Register services
// Register models
}
This is where you will register all our models and services. Go to the main.dart file and call the setupLocator function before the app is started.
...
import 'service_locator.dart';
void main() {
// setup locator
setupLocator();
runApp(MyApp());
}
...
That’s it for all the setup we can now fill out the app.
Adding views and Models
Lets create the Home view that will be see when the app starts. Since each view has a ScopedModel associated with it, create both files and bind them together using the locator. Create a folder under lib called ui, and in that folder create a views folder. In the views folder create a home_view.dart file.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
class HomeView extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ScopedModel<HomeModel>(
child: Scaffold(
));
}
}
We need a HomeModel to get everything working smoothly. In the lib folder create another folder called scoped_model and in that folder create a home_model.dart file.
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
class HomeModel extends Model {
}
Now we need to provide the HomeView ScopedModel widget with our HomeModel. We will use our locator to provide the HomeModel instead of the inherited widget method.
First register the HomeModel as a Factory with the locator. What this means is that every time you request a type of HomeModel from the locator it will run the factory function provided and return you a new instance of HomeModel. Head over to the service_locator import the HomeModel and register it with the locator.
import 'package:scoped_guide/scoped_models/home_model.dart';
...
void setupLocator() {
// register services
// register models
locator.registerFactory<HomeModel>(() => HomeModel());
}
We can now get the Homemodel anywhere in our app where we have access to our locator instance. In the home_view file we need to provide a model to our ScopedModel descendent. We’ll get that from the locator.
Import the service locator and request a type HomeModel and provide it as the model. We’ll also provide the Scaffold with a ScopedModelDescendant and display a title on screen to get information from the model.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/scoped_models/home_model.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/service_locator.dart';
class HomeView extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ScopedModel<HomeModel>(
model: locator<HomeModel>(),
child: ScopedModelDescendant<HomeModel>(
builder: (context, child, model) => Scaffold(
body: Center(
child: Text(model.title),
),
)));
}
}
Add the title property to the home model String title = “HomeModel”; . And that’s it for setting up the Model injection into the views. Set your HomeView in main.dart as your home widget and then we can continue.
Adding Services
Add a new folder under lib called services. We’ll create a fake service that delays for 2 seconds and then returns true so we can stay the course of architecture only. Create a file called storage_service.dart. Add a Future<bool>
saveData, that delays for 2 second then returns true.
class StorageService {
Future<bool> saveData() async {
await Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 2));
return true;
}
}
Register the service with the locator so we can have access to it. Register it as a lazy singleton meaning, there’s only one instance of it in existence and that instance will be created the first time the type is requested.
import 'package:scoped_guide/services/storage_service.dart';
...
void setupLocator() {
// register services
locator.registerLazySingleton<StorageService>(() => StorageService());
// register models
locator.registerFactory<HomeModel>(() => HomeModel());
}
As I mentioned at the beginning the Models will use the services to do the work and will just update state for the views to display. So we’ll get the service into the view using our locator and have a function that calls the saveData function.
To see that everything is working we’ll just update the title when we call the function and when the function is complete. notify listeners has to be called for the model to be rebuilt so put the title update into it’s own function where we can call notify listeners after an update.
import 'package:scoped_guide/service_locator.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/services/storage_service.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
class HomeModel extends Model {
StorageService storageService = locator<StorageService>();
String title = "HomeModel";
Future saveData() async {
setTitle("Saving Data");
await storageService.saveData();
setTitle("Data Saved");
}
void setTitle(String value) {
title = value;
notifyListeners();
}
}
Add a floating action button into your HomeView Scaffold and call model.saveData in the onPressed function. You should see the text updating to “Saving data” and then to “Data Saved”. Now that we have Models and services setup with the injection. Let’s cover some of the common scenarios in app development and build out our architecture to handle it properly.
Covering all the Bases
Let’s go over some of the things that are almost always required in a production / real-world app.
View State Management
If your app retrieves its data from a service or even from a local DB then you have 4 Default states based on that fact alone. Idle, Busy (Fetching Data), Retrieved and Error. ALL your views will go through this state so it’s a good idea to build it into your models from the beginning.
Create a new folder under lib called enums. Create a new file in that folder called view_states.dart. Add an enum ViewState with the 4 states mentioned above.
/// Represents a view's state from the ScopedModel
enum ViewState {
Idle,
Busy,
Retrieved,
Error
}
Now in your View’s Model (I’m trying so hard not to say ViewModel) import the ViewState. We’ll keep a private state variable so it’s only changeable from within the Model and we’ll expose it through a getter. The same way that we have to call notify listeners after updating our title, we have to do that after updating our state (I know, that seems a lot like setState outside the widget). Which it is. To keep the notify listeners to a minimum we’ll only call notify listeners when the state changes, not the individual properties we have in the model (NOT A HARD RULE).
import 'package:scoped_guide/service_locator.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/services/storage_service.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/enums/view_state.dart';
class HomeModel extends Model {
StorageService storageService = locator<StorageService>();
String title = "HomeModel";
ViewState _state;
ViewState get state => _state;
Future saveData() async {
_setState(ViewState.Busy);
title = "Saving Data";
await storageService.saveData();
title = "Data Saved";
_setState(ViewState.Retrieved);
}
void _setState(ViewState newState) {
_state = newState;
notifyListeners();
}
}
Now when we set change the value of _state through our setState the ScopedModel will be notified. Add some UI to the HomeView to indicate these changes. We’ll show a busy indicator when state is busy and then Done text when state is retrieved. Change the body of your Scaffold to the below and add the _getBodyUi method in there as well.
...
body: Center(
child: Column(
mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
children: <Widget>[
_getBodyUi(model.state),
Text(model.title),
]
)
)
...
Widget _getBodyUi(ViewState state) {
switch (state) {
case ViewState.Busy:
return CircularProgressIndicator();
case ViewState.Retrieved:
default:
return Text('Done');
}
}
That’s it for the level of state management that I required for the app. It had about 15 views, the app was completely API driven. No local storing because of the sensitive information so the way we managed state was tested heavily and there hasn’t been any problems yet.
Multiple Views
Having multiple views is probably a scenario that will come up in your app :) As you’ve seen, there is some boilerplate code associated with setting up a view, ScopedModel, ScopedModelDescendant and getting the model from the Locator, it’s not a lot. But it’s still boilerplate code. Let’s make that a bit less. We’ll create a base view that does all this for us.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/service_locator.dart';
class BaseView<T extends Model> extends StatelessWidget {
final ScopedModelDescendantBuilder<T> _builder;
BaseView({ScopedModelDescendantBuilder<T> builder})
: _builder = builder;
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ScopedModel<T>(
model: locator<T>(),
child: ScopedModelDescendant<T>(
builder: _builder));
}
}
The BaseView takes our Model type as well as a builder we can supply to build our UI. This BaseView has ScopedModel root, provides the model through though our locator and gives us a scopedModelDescendent as the main child so our UI still reacts to model changes. In the home view we can now replace all the scoped model code with our BaseView as the widget.
...
import 'base_view.dart';
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return BaseView<HomeModel> (
builder: (context, child, model) => Scaffold(
...
));
}
So now we can create our additional views with less effort. I recommend creating a snippet for yourself to create these views, or if that’s too much effort just keep a template copy in your code base somewhere. Lets make a template in our views folder and we’ll copy paste that whenever we make a new view. Make a file called _template_view.dart with the following code.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/scoped_models/home_model.dart';
import 'base_view.dart';
class Template extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return BaseView<HomeModel>(
builder: (context, child, model) => Scaffold(
body: Center(child: Text(this.runtimeType.toString()),),
));
}
}
Since we want the state we setup to be shared with every view, instead of setting up a new state per view we’ll create a BaseModel that takes care of this for us. Create a BaseModel where you expose the state and extend the HomeModel using the BaseModel.
import 'package:scoped_guide/enums/view_state.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
class BaseModel extends Model {
ViewState _state;
ViewState get state => _state;
void setState(ViewState newState) {
_state = newState;
notifyListeners();
}
}
Remove all your state code from the HomeModel and extend it from BaseModel.
...
class HomeModel extends BaseModel {
...
Future saveData() async {
setState(ViewState.Busy);
title = "Saving Data";
await storageService.saveData();
title = "Data Saved";
setState(ViewState.Retrieved);
}
}
The setup is now done for multiple views, for most situations. From here you’ll be extending BaseView as needed or the Model to include more shared functionality for your app.
Next up is navigation, let’s do some setup for that. Create two copies of your template_view.dart, call one success_view.dart and the other error_view.dart. Rename the classes inside appropriately. Create two matching models under scoped_models SuccessModel and ErrorModel and pass that to your base view. These models should inherit from the BaseModel not Model. Then go to the service_locator.dart and register them.
Navigation
The basic navigation stays the same, we use the Navigator to push/replace views on our stack. There’s only one navigation scenario I want to cover. Navigating to a different view based on a result. I believe navigation should be done in the UI side (for this architecture, to keep things clear) so we’ll return a value from our Future and use that value to navigate to a different view. Update your saveData function to return a bool and return true at the end.
Note: In most scenarios you don’t have to return anything from futures on the model because you’ll update your state internally and notify the listeners. There are some exceptions, like navigation.
Future<bool> saveData() async {
_setState(ViewState.Busy);
title = "Saving Data";
await storageService.saveData();
title = "Data Saved";
_setState(ViewState.Retrieved);
return true;
}
Then in the home view, we’ll update the onPressed in the FloatingActionButton. Make it async, await the saveData and check the value to decide where to navigate. The floatingActionButton in your HomeView should look like below.
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: () async {
var whereToNavigate = await model.saveData();
if (whereToNavigate) {
Navigator.push(context,MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => SuccessView()));
} else {
Navigator.push(context,MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => ErrorView()));
}
}
)
Shared Overlay UI (Busy Indicator)
Sometimes an app doesn’t require a specialised busy indication for every view. A simple modal overlay that reacts to the model’s busy state would do just fine. Most of the time almost all the views in the app is required to show a busy indicator, so we’ll need the states in all of our Models as well.
Then we’ll need an easy way to share UI accross the views that will respond to the busy state on every view. Create a BusyOverlay widget and wrap the scaffold in it. The widget will take in a boolean called show, a child and an optional title. It’ll place the busy overlay and the child in a Stack and show/hide the overlay using the Opacity widget. We’ll also wrap it in an ignore pointer to make sure touches still go to our underlying view.
Create a folder under ui called widgets. Create a file called busy_overlay.dart and put the following code in there. I won’t go over the implementation more, the explanation above should be enough.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
class BusyOverlay extends StatelessWidget {
final Widget child;
final String title;
final bool show;
const BusyOverlay({this.child,
this.title = 'Please wait...',
this.show = false});
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
var screenSize = MediaQuery.of(context).size;
return Material(
child: Stack(children: <Widget>[
child,
IgnorePointer(
child: Opacity(
opacity: show ? 1.0 : 0.0,
child: Container(
width: screenSize.width,
height: screenSize.height,
alignment: Alignment.center,
color: Color.fromARGB(100, 0, 0, 0),
child: Column(
mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
children: <Widget>[
CircularProgressIndicator(),
Text(title,
style: TextStyle(
fontSize: 16.0,
fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
color: Colors.white)),
],
),
)),
),
]));
}
}
Now we can use this to add into the views and set the show value based on the state of the model. Go to your Home view, wrap your Scaffold in the BusyOverlay (Ctrl + Shift + R, in Visual Code, choose the last option) and supply the show property with model.state == ViewState.Busy .
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return BaseView<HomeModel>(builder: (context, child, model) =>
BusyOverlay(
show: model.state == ViewState.Busy,
child: Scaffold(
...
)));
}
Now, when you click your floating action button you’ll see a “Please Wait” busy indication. You can even work this into a Specialised BaseView, just remember your busy overlay value needs to be updated within the builder so that it reacts to the notifiedListeners from the model.
Async scenarios
There are a few common scenarios when it comes to a real world app, we’ve covered showing different states and the busy indicator. There’s one more that’s very common.
Landing on a page and requesting data
When you have a list, tap an item and you want to show more details about that item this will usually be the case. So the way we’ll cover this is. When navigating to the view we supply the data required for it to perform it’s request (id usually) and then we’ll make our request in the initState call of our stateful widget.
In our example we won’t be adding too much UI because that’ll distract from the architecture setup. We’ll navigate to success passing in some hardcoded text, you can get it from your model if you want. We’ll run an async function on the SuccessModel to duplicate this text and show it when it’s done.
Let’s first update our success model.Add the duplication Future and make it update your title to a duplicate value.
import 'package:scoped_guide/scoped_models/base_model.dart';
class SuccessModel extends BaseModel {
String title = "no text yet";
Future fetchDuplicatedText(String text) async {
setState(ViewState.Busy);
await Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 2));
title = '$text $text';
setState(ViewState.Retrieved);
}
}
Now we need a way to call a function on the model when the view has been created. What we’ll do is update our BaseView to be a stateful widget, we’ll pass it a Function that will get called in the initState that passes back our Model to us. This way we can execute code once when the model is created in our view.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:scoped_model/scoped_model.dart';
import 'package:scoped_guide/service_locator.dart';
class BaseView<T extends Model> extends StatefulWidget {
final ScopedModelDescendantBuilder<T> _builder;
final Function(T) onModelReady;
BaseView({ScopedModelDescendantBuilder<T> builder, this.onModelReady})
: _builder = builder;
@override
_BaseViewState<T> createState() => _BaseViewState<T>();
}
class _BaseViewState<T extends Model> extends State<BaseView<T>> {
T _model = locator<T>();
@override
void initState() {
if(widget.onModelReady != null) {
widget.onModelReady(_model);
}
super.initState();
}
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return ScopedModel<T>(
model: _model,
child: ScopedModelDescendant<T>(
child: Container(color: Colors.red),
builder: widget._builder));
}
}
Then update your Success view and pass in your onModelReady function that calls your fetchDuplicatedText future.
class SuccessView extends StatelessWidget {
final String title;
SuccessView({this.title});
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return BaseView<SuccessModel>(
onModelReady: (model) => model.fetchDuplicatedText(title),
builder: (context, child, model) => BusyOverlay(
show: model.state == ViewState.Busy,
child: Scaffold(
body: Center(child: Text(model.title)),
)));
}
}
Lastly, pass in the data we require at the point of Navigation.
Navigator.push(context,MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => SuccessView(title: “Passed in from home”)));
And that’s it. Now you can execute functions on startup in your ScopedModel architecture without jumping through any more hoops or even bothering with overriding your init state.
All Done
That covers everything that you need to build a production app using ScopedModel. At this point you can implement all your services. One thing I didn’t make space for is getting it ready for testing. The way we’d do that is to inject the services into models through the constructor. That way you can inject a fake service if you want to. I personally don’t test the Models since they rely completely on the Services and the services I test directly using instances.
I’m building a new tool for Flutter project creation, AppSkeletons. You can generate an app using this architecture setup, with more to come in the Future. Check it out, I would appreciate any feedback on that too. The plan is to hopefully in the coming months and years take away all the unnecessary setup and boilerplate code and allow a dev to generate a project that caters for evertything they need to complete a production ready app. I’m hoping to save atleast 2–5 coding days of setup and architecture planning with this tool so ANY feedback is appreciated. It’s only 6 weeks only, but I have big plans for it.
| 23,607
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[
"computers and electronics",
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"education"
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computers and electronics
|
length_test_clean
|
implementation design architecture
| false
|
0f6b08001186
|
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10257-016-0336-5
|
Abstract
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a holistic strategy that is commonly used to improve the alignment of enterprise’s business and Information Technology. Enterprise Architecture Implementation Methodology (EAIM) prepares a set of methods and practices for developing, managing, and maintaining an EA implementation project. There is ineffectiveness in existing EAIMs due to complexities emerging from EAIM practices, models, factors, and strategy. Consequently, EA projects may encounter lack of support in the following areas: requirements analysis, governance and evaluation, guideline for implementation, and continual improvement of EA implementation. The aim of this research is to develop an effective EAIM to support EA implementation. To fulfill this objective, the first step is to identify effective EA implementation practices and the factors that impact the effectiveness of EAIM. In this regard, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted in order to identify the effective practices and factors of EAIM. Secondly, the proposed EAIM is developed based on the foundations and information extracted from the SLR and semi-structured interviews with EA practitioners. Finally, the proposed EAIM is evaluated by means of case study as the research methodology. The target audience for this research is twofold: (1) researchers who would extend the effective EA implementation and continue this research topic with further analysis and exploration; (2) practitioners who would like to employ an effective and lightweight EAIM for an EA project.
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Appendix: Screenshots of Atlas.ti analysis
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Nikpay, F., Ahmad, R.B., Rouhani, B.D. et al. An effective Enterprise Architecture Implementation Methodology. Inf Syst E-Bus Manage 15, 927–962 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-016-0336-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-016-0336-5
| 13,071
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[
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"technology",
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business and industrial
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length_test_clean
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implementation design architecture
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bf527dc93c02
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https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24656-adams-apple
|
The term “Adam’s apple” refers to the bump that’s visible on the front of some people’s throats. It’s made of cartilage and it protects your voice box. Everyone has cartilage in this area that grows larger during puberty. But it’s typically larger in males.
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An Adam’s apple is the bump or protrusion on the front of many people’s throats. It’s the cartilage that covers the front of your larynx (voice box). Everyone has this cartilage, but it’s not always visible.
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The medical term for Adam’s apple is “laryngeal prominence.”
The term “Adam’s apple” likely comes from the Judeo-Christian tradition. According to the story of Adam and Eve, an apple got stuck in Adam’s throat after he ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
Females have cartilage that covers their voice box, just as males do. But during puberty, males usually have more growth in this area.
In short, some people have an Adam’s apple and some don’t. Having or not having an Adam’s apple has no bearing on your health. But some people may choose to pursue cosmetic surgery to make their Adam’s apple smaller or larger, depending on their personal preferences.
The purpose of the Adam’s apple is to protect your voice box from injury. Apart from that, an Adam’s apple has no known function.
Many researchers believe that a larger Adam’s apple plays a role in voice deepening and maturation. But no concrete evidence yet exists.
Your Adam’s apple is at the front of your throat. (Some people have an Adam’s apple, and some don’t.) The visible lump you see consists of cartilage that wraps around your larynx.
Even if you can’t see a bump over your larynx, sometimes you can feel it. Try touching the front of your throat while you hum. When you find the area where the vibrations are the strongest, you’ve found your larynx.
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Your Adam’s apple consists of thyroid cartilage — the largest of nine cartilages in your larynx. Other parts of your voice box and trachea (windpipe) consist of other types of cartilage, including cricoid cartilage, epiglottic cartilage and arytenoid cartilage.
From the outside, your Adam’s apple looks like a small, round bump on the front of your throat. Inside your body, the thyroid cartilage that surrounds your Adam’s apple contains two cartilage plates. These two plates join at the front of your throat, forming a V-shaped notch.
The size of an Adam’s apple varies from person to person. Often, males have larger Adam’s apples. But this isn’t always the case.
It’s possible to develop pain in your Adam’s apple. This can result from:
There are also conditions that may cause swelling in your larynx. This can result in an Adam’s apple that’s bigger than usual. Conditions that can affect your larynx in this way include:
A large Adam’s apple doesn’t mean you have a medical condition. But if you notice that your Adam’s apple is sore or swollen, it could indicate an underlying issue. Signs to watch for may include:
If you develop symptoms — especially ones that don’t go away — schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider. They can find out what’s causing your symptoms and recommend appropriate treatment.
Some people choose surgery because they want to change the size or shape of their Adam’s apple. Surgeons perform these procedures by adding or removing cartilage in the area.
Everyone has cartilage that protects their larynx. When this lump of cartilage is visible on the outside of the throat, it’s an Adam’s apple. An Adam’s apple has no impact on your health. It’s simply a cosmetic feature that some people may choose to change through surgery.
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Cleveland Clinic’s primary care providers offer lifelong medical care. From sinus infections and high blood pressure to preventive screening, we’re here for you.
Last reviewed on 01/29/2023.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
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geo_bench
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Why do men have larger Adam's apples?
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67b318b59588
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https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/mosque/399552
|
A mosque is a place of prayer for Muslims, or followers of the religion of Islam. The first mosque was the courtyard in the home of Muhammad, Islam’s founder. Today many mosques are large buildings with beautiful towers and domes.
The inside of a mosque always includes an open space for worship. Rugs or mats may cover the floor. A nook in one wall, called a mihrab, shows the direction of Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. To the right of the mihrab is a platform or small tower, called a minbar. Religious leaders climb steps up to the minbar, where they speak to the worshippers. Every mosque must also have a source of running water for washing. Muslims are required to wash before prayer.
Outside most mosques is a tall tower, called a minaret. From the minaret a crier, or muezzin, calls Muslims to prayer. Some mosques have up to six minarets.
Mosques are different in some ways from churches and synagogues. They do not have chairs or seats. The worshippers stand together, barefoot, in rows. They bow down and kneel when praying. Men and women worship separately. Mosques never contain statues or pictures, and music and singing are forbidden.
| 1,148
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https://www.finegardening.com/article/gardening-art-form
|
Istvan Dudas, the gardener for a private estate garden in the UK, shared his dreamy, magical perennial borders with us earlier this year, and he’s sent some more images of the same garden as summer transitions into autumn. For Istvan, gardening is not just a job, but a passion and an art form. That attitude is certainly apparent in the vivid gardens he creates.
Late summer is when many annuals are at their peak. Here cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus, annual), Amistad salvia (Salvia ‘Amistad’, Zones 8–10 or as an annual), and tall spires of cleome (Cleome hassleriana, annual) mingle with other annuals and perennials. I particularly love seeing the tall, lanky stems of cleome reaching out over the other plants. Too often what is sold at garden centers is marketed as tidy, compact, and mounded. But sometimes tall and loose is just what a planting needs.
Perennials spill out over and among paving stones beside an outdoor seating area. The effect is loose and wild, but the smooth, clear pathways are still functional and easy to walk down.
The big, rounded mounds of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Zones 3–11) repeated through the planting pulls this border together. Loose grasses and the tall, airy purple heads of tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis, Zones 7–10 or as an annual) punctuate the shorter perennials to give the planting lightness and movement.
Green mosses covering the path through this garden give the whole planting the feeling of a garden gone wild, a lost treasure you have just wandered into. Of course, a planting like this is carefully planned and requires a great deal of work. And the repeated elements keep the whole planting feeling unified.
Airy stems of tall verbena are a “see through” plant. Here they make a romantic purple screen through which you can look at the rest of the border extending beyond.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!
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Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
| 3,128
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hobbies and leisure
|
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Is gardening art?
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|
ac2038a18e08
|
https://www.midas.com/bookappointment.aspx
|
Find a Midas Store
REQUEST APPOINTMENTMIDAS STORES
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Review your tires quote and schedule installation at Midas
Go to my tires quote
| 326
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"simple",
"transactional",
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automotive
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Schedule a car service appointment for next week
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|
424dcc86acab
|
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/safety/parking
|
Our hours are 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday to Friday (except for Summer Hours)
Please feel free to email [email protected] with any questions or concerns
Live Parking Information is available Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM by calling (212) 650-7183 or dropping by NAC 4/201
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The Bursar created a new appointment procedure for the purchase of day parking permits. (Reserved permits do not need to make an appointment.) Faculty and staff will need to use the new queuing system that is replacing the old ticketing process in the Wille Administrative Building. Instead of coming to the Bursar’s office and getting a printed ticket, you will be able to sign up for an appointment using your phone or computer. We feel that this will be a more equitable process for distributing parking permits.
Everyone will need to go online starting May 10th to: [https://kiosk.na8.qless.com/kiosk/app/home/227](https://kiosk.na8.qless.com/kiosk/app/home/227) to make an appointment. Please select the Parking Permits for Employees link. These appointments will be spread out over a number of days in an effort to alleviate the long lines. Please be aware that there will be a sufficient number of appointments to accommodate the number of permits available. Having an appointment in the middle or end of the purchase period does not mean you will not be able to get a permit.
There will be only one transaction allowed per appointment. If you plan to purchase additional permits for colleagues or friends, you must make a separate appointment for each permit you wish to purchase. The cashiers will not process multiple purchases at the windows.
You can also make an appointment using your phone by scanning the QR code at the bottom of this email.
Please bring your valid CCNY ID card along with the following form to the cashier’s window at the time of your appointment. This is the link to the form: [https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/BURSAR%20Parking%…](https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/BURSAR%20Parking%…)
The permits go on sale on May 15th. The appointment system will be open starting May 10th by following the link above or using the QR code below.
If you miss your appointment for any reason, please DO NOT go on the system and make a new one. Stop by or contact the Bursar Office at (212) 650-8700 for assistance.
The Bursar does not accept online or mail-in payments for parking. Payments must be made with cash, check, or money order made out to THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK. Credit cards or debit cards are not accepted for parking payments.
TO PICK UP YOUR PERMIT:
Pay at the Bursar then bring your original Bursar’s receipt to the Public Safety Office, NAC 4/201 Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM along with your completed parking application and your valid CCNY ID card. If your ID Card sticker reads anything other than 2022 then it is NOT VALID and you will need to get an updated ID sticker from your department or the ID office.
You will need to bring a copy of your CCNY Faculty and Staff ID card, your vehicle registration(s) and, your vehicle insurance card(s).
The Parking application can be found here: [https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-02/PARKING-PERMIT-APPLICATION-GENERIC-fill-in-V3.pdf](https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-02/PARKING-PERMIT-APPLICATION-GENERIC-fill-in-V3.pdf)
The Parking Page has many FAQS and general parking information. You can access it here: [https://ccny.cuny.edu/safety/parking](https://ccny.cuny.edu/safety/parking)
Sincerely,
The Parking Desk
(212) 650-7183
[email protected]
[https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/safety/parking](https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/safety/parking)
CLICK HERE FOR THE PARKING APPLICATION
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Our lots are commuter lots and not for residents or for storing a vehicle on CCNY property for personal reasons. It is a violation of this policy for a permitted vehicle to remain on CCNY property while the permit holder is engaging in non-CCNY related business. Anyone needing to leave their vehicle on CCNY property because of an emergency or other temporary circumstances must apply in writing to [email protected] .
The permit holder assumes all responsibility for any damage and/or liabilities incurred to the vehicle while parked on CCNY property, including, but not limited to, theft, vandalism, damage to, or loss of, the vehicle or personal property contained in the vehicle. CCNY is not liable for personal injury, damage, theft, or loss of property arising from the exercise of parking privileges.
TO REPLACE A PERMIT: If you lost or misplaced your permit you will have to pay $5 at the Bursar and bring the receipt to the Public Safety Parking Desk and write a statement as to how you believe the permit was lost or misplaced. You will need to fill out a new application but you won't have to bring the documents you provided when you first applied for a permit. If your permit was stolen you will need to do the same as the above but the $5 fee will be waived if you have a copy of a Police Report.
YOU PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK.
ANYONE CAUGHT VIOLATING PARKING RULES AND REGULATIONS CAN HAVE THEIR PARKING PERMIT REVOKED. VIOLATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LENDING OR SELLING YOUR PERMIT, PARKING IN UNAUTHORIZED AREAS, MOVING TRAFFIC CONES WITHOUT PERMISSION, FAILING TO OBEY THE DIRECTIONS OF A PUBLIC SAFETY OR SECURITY OFFICER, DRIVING RECKLESSLY, DAMAGING OTHER VEHICLES OR COLLEGE PROPERTY WITH YOUR VEHICLE, ABUSING THE PRIVILEGES OF A DISABLED PARKING PERMIT, ETC.
ANYONE CAUGHT CREATING AND/OR USING A FRAUDULENT PERMIT CAN BE CHARGED CRIMINALLY AND HAVE THEIR PARKING PRIVILEGES SUSPENDED PERMANENTLY.
NEVER MOVE A CONE FROM A PARKING SPOT
YOU RISK HAVING YOUR PARKING PRIVILEGES REVOKED AND/OR HAVING YOUR CAR TOWED AWAY AT YOUR EXPENSE
NEW PROCEDURE: YOU WILL NEED YOUR CUNYFIRST EMPLOYEE ID (EMPL ID) TO PAY AT THE BURS
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Reserve a parking spot in the city center for tomorrow afternoon
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https://www.theweather.com/kissimmee-city.htm
|
Kissimmee, FL Weather
19:00 PM Wednesday Light rain 30% 0.031 in
61° Feels like 61°
Weather Kissimmee, FL today
, January 14Weather Kissimmee, FL tomorrow
, January 15| 5 PM | 66° | Partly cloudy Feels Like 66° | West 7 - 21 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | ||||
| ||||||||
| 6 PM | 63° | Scattered clouds Feels Like 63° | West 2 - 12 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | ||||
| ||||||||
| 7 PM | 62° | Partly cloudy Feels Like 62° | West 3 - 5 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | ||||
| ||||||||
| 8 PM | 30% 0.031 in | 61° | Light rain Feels Like 61° | West 5 - 8 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | |||
| ||||||||
| 9 PM | 30% 0.02 in | 60° | Light rain Feels Like 60° | Southwest 4 - 9 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | |||
| ||||||||
| 10 PM | 60° | Partly cloudy Feels Like 60° | West 4 - 7 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | ||||
| ||||||||
| 11 PM | 59° | Partly cloudy Feels Like 59° | Southwest 3 - 6 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | ||||
| ||||||||
| 12 AM | 58° | Partly cloudy Feels Like 58° | Southwest 3 - 5 mph | 0 Low SPF: no | ||||
|
- Weather:
- Photoprotection (SPF):
- More information
Sunrise and Sunset
Sunrise 7:18 AM Sunset 5:50 PM Day length 10h 32m
Lunar calendar
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | | | | | |
Air quality in Kissimmee today
Detail 32
Fair O₃ (79 µg/m³)
- Little health risk.
- Sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or intense outdoor activities if they experience symptoms.
Weather graphs
Maximum Minimum Rainfall
| 1,499
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https://www.agentadvice.com/blog/how-to-start-house-flipping/
|
Advice for Real Estate Agents, by Real Humans
Get the advice you need to build and grow your real estate business. Our advisors talk to over 1,000 agents per week, and they’re ready to help you with the tools you need. Whether you need help finding a new lead provider, a CRM, or marketing tools, our advisors are ready to assist.
Lead Gen for Realtors
Real Estate CRMs
Real Estate Schools
Licensing
Marketing Tools
How our FREE service works for Agents like you
Our process helps you find the tools you need:
I’m Interested In…
Looking for More Leads?
Navigating the real estate market’s competitive landscape demands a smart strategy, especially when it comes to lead generation. With the right partner by your side, you’re looking at a smoother ride to the closing table and a healthier bottom line.
Why Trust AgentAdvice.com?
We’re committed to helping agents like you find success: we offer hundreds of resources to help you get to the next level. Plus, we have a proven track record of success in the business.
- 35 years of experience in the real estate industry
- Members of the Agent Advice team have consistently been in the top .5% of producing agents nationwide
- We’ve independently reviewed each of our partners in-house: we’re not some big-box content farm
- You’ll get a one-to-one consultation with a real person. No robocalls, no spam
Join Our Community on
If you want to stay up to date on the latest real estate trends, you’re in the right spot. Ask questions, compare tips & marketing advice, and best of all – share referrals.
Real Estate Agent Tips and Resources
Connecting Agents with Opportunities
Our expert advisors specialize in matching you to the best solution to fit your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Who is Agent Advice for?
Agent Advice is built for real estate agents looking to expand their business and aspiring agents looking to get into the business. Our advisors talk to over 1,000 agents every week, giving them the expertise to guide you through choosing the right tools and services, especially real estate lead generation and choosing the best CRM.
-
Do I have to create an account?
No! This is a free service and we don’t need you to set anything up: simply give us a way to contact you, and we’ll talk through your needs and what tools fit best.
-
Is this a free service?
Yes, our Advisor consultations are absolutely free for agents. We’ve conducted thousands of hours of research so that you get the best recommendation for the tools you need to grow your business. We may earn a commission as part of our partners’ referral programs.
-
I have a tool that helps real estate agents do their jobs, how can I partner with you?
If you’re interested in a business partnership, you can visit https://www.agentadvice.com/partner-with-us/ to learn more, or you can email us at [email protected] to get started.
-
I don’t have a real estate license. Where do I start?
Every state requires real estate agents to complete a pre-license course and then pass the state exam. If you’re planning on getting your license, you can learn more about your state’s requirements. Agent Advice also offers a tuition reimbursement program if you purchase a course through one of our preferred partners, pass the exam, and then join our brokerage.
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https://www.localconditions.com/weather-kissimmee-florida/34741/forecast.php
|
74°
/
60°
Showers likely at times in Kissimmee, with a high of 74°F and a low of 60°F. The chance of rain is 86% with an estimated 0.01in. Wind will be moderate, blowing around 15mph on average and gusts of 8.1mph at 9 PM. The humidity will be on the higher side, averaging about 71%, the maximum being 66% at 11 PM and 53% being its lowest at 8 PM. Barometric pressure is its highest of 29.89inHg at 9 PM, a lowest point of 29.87inHg at 11 PM with an avg 29.88inHg.
High
74°
Low
60°
Rainfall
86% | est. 0.01in
Snowfall
0%
Wind
14.1 mph
Humidity
71% avg.
UV Index
0.8
Air Quality
Good
Sunrise & Sunset
Sunrise: 07:19 AM
Sunset: 05:51 PM
Sunset: 05:51 PM
Waning Crescent moon
Moonrise: 03:59 AM
Moonset: 02:13 PM
Moonset: 02:13 PM
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https://www.exoticanimalsforsale.net/flying-squirrel.asp
|
Flying squirrels For Sale
Flying squirrels are members of the rodent family. Their name is a bit of a misnomer. They are not able to fly in the way that birds, bats, or insects fly, but instead they glide through the air using their paragium, a sail-like membrane stretched between the animal’s wrist and ankle. Although they are similar to other squirrels, their limb bones are elongated and their hand and foot bones are shorter. A long tail gives stability during flight and they animal can control its flight by moving its limbs and tail.
Giant Flying Squirrel (petaurista alborufus)
- Name: Elizaveta Kovalenko
- Posted: 01/13/2026
- Email: Email Seller
- Location: Florida
- Website: www.zoo-connect.com
The animals are healthy, quarantined and can be shipped from Asia to Miami International Airport. You must be able to receive animals from outside the US, for that registration at Fish and Wildlife Service is required. The animals come with all lega...
Southern Flying Squirrels
- Name: CJ
- Posted: 07/30/2025
- Phone: 7654254104
- Email: Email Seller
- Location: Indiana
2 adults and 4 babies. $250 each or $600 for all including two cages.
Southern flying squirrels
- Price: $200.00
- Name: Brenda
- Posted: 05/27/2025
- Phone: 330-421-3025
- Email: Email Seller
- Location: Ohio
Southern flying squirrels, being bottle fed, tame and so cute.
Flying squirrel boy and girl 1 year old.
- Price: $600.00
- Name: Guram
- Posted: 05/26/2025
- Phone: 2019520751
- Email: Email Seller
- Location: New Jersey
1 year old boy and girl very sweet they eat from your hand
Flying Squirrel
Flying squirrels do not require particularly large cages, but they do need room to climb and run. A tall cage is ideal, as the animal needs move vertical space than floor space. A sugar glider cage works well, as does a tall bird cage. The cage should be made of metal because the flying squirrel chews on wood and bamboo. Rope swings and branches arranged in the cage will give the animal places to climb and glide from. Flying squirrels have not mastered drip-type water bottles, therefore, shallow bowls of water should be provided.
Enrichment for Flying squirrel
Flying squirrels can bond with their owners. Although they are nocturnal, they will spend time with their owners during the day, especially if they are allowed to curl up in a pocket or pouch worn by the owner. Branches in the animal’s cage can be used as perches for gliding or as chew toys. Flying squirrels also find enrichment by cracking open hard nut shells. Flying squirrels also benefit from an exercise wheel.
What do Flying squirrels eat?
Flying squirrels thrive on a diet of pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hickory nuts, wild bird seed and vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and corn. They can also eat waxworms and mealworms, hard-boiled eggs, and small bits of chicken. Many flying squirrels also fall victim to calcium deficiency so a calcium block, cuttlebone, or mineral block should also be placed in its cage.
Breeding Flying squirrels
Flying squirrels typically mate twice a year, during the warmer months. The females are pregnant for approximately 40 days and will give birth to litters of one to six babies, although most commonly, the litter size is two or three offspring. The babies reach adulthood in twelve months.
Comments
-
looking to get a baby flying squirrel
-
I think these animals are adorable, I have been trying to find one to have as a pet. I would take care of him or her as well as can be and keep it happy and safe. Preferably bought in the USA, close to Missouri.
-
looking for a flying squirrel
-
so cute!!!! I need one!!!
-
I wanna adopt a squirrel
-
I want to inquire about purchasing a male and female flying squirrel, preferably around 5-6 weeks of age. How soon would some be available, and how much for a pair?
-
Do you have siberian flying squirrels?
-
I'm wanting to adapt one
-
how much for a male and female
-
how much for a male and female
| 3,951
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where can i buy a japanese dwarf flying squirrel
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5dae356324a6
|
https://egyptianmuseum.org/deities-ptah
|
Deities in Ancient Egypt - Ptah
Ptah
The god whose breath was said to give life to everything at the beginning, Ptah was so central to ancient Egyptian worship that the name “Egypt” derives in part from him. Ptah is linked to the city of Memphis, which was long the capital of Egypt and which was originally called, among other things, "temple of the soul of Ptah." The ancient Greeks shrank that name, and used it to refer to the entire country, eventually giving us the modern English derivative, which leaves the god’s name to be recognizable in the last two letters of “Egypt.”
As the god who created all the other deities, Ptah is worshipped as the patron of craftspeople and architects. He is credited with inventing masonry. The famed architect Imhotep claimed to be his offspring.
The Apis bull was considered to be a part of Ptah, and lived in his temple in Memphis. The capital city being the home of Ptah did more than just help spread his worship all across Egypt; often the pharaohs’ coronations were in his temple.
Image: RC 70 Seated Ptah statue at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.
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from what god is the name egypt derived
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https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/fl/kissimmee
|
Additional Conditions
Pressure
Visibility
Clouds
Mostly Cloudy
Dew Point
Humidity
Rainfall
Snow Depth
Astronomy
Sun
Rise
Set
Actual Time
7:19 AM
5:52 PM
Civil Twilight
6:54 AM
6:17 PM
Nautical Twilight
6:25 AM
6:46 PM
Astronomical Twilight
5:57 AM
7:14 PM
Length of Visible Light
11 h 23 m
Length of Day
10 h 32 m
Tomorrow will be 0 minutes 56 seconds longer
Moon
4:54 AM
3:01 PM
waning crescent
9% of the Moon is Illuminated Jan 18
New Moon
Jan 26
Waxing Half First Qtr
Feb 1
Full Moon
Feb 9
Waning Half Last Qtr
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https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/sport/olympics-figure-skating-questions-cec/index.html
|
Top figure skaters spin at such unbelievably fast speeds – as many as six revolutions per second – that it can make even spectators feel a little woozy.
Curious viewers of the Beijing Winter Olympics want to know why. “How do figure skaters not get dizzy?” has been one of the top Google searches over the past week.
So how do these athletes pull off such head-spinning moves without toppling over?
As skating events continue in Beijing this week – the women’s free skate program airs Thursday night on NBC and Peacock – we turned to experts for answers.
Do figure skaters get dizzy?
Not so much, because they’ve learned how to minimize it.
Although they occasionally tumble upon landing, figure skaters mostly spin through the air without losing their balance. That’s because they have conditioned their bodies and brains to quash that dizzying feeling, experts say.
American figure skater Mirai Nagasu, who won a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in South Korea in 2018, says she feels the rotations but has learned how to recenter her focus over the years.
“I think we have a learned ability against the momentum that hits us while we’re spinning,” she says.
Kathleen Cullen, a professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, has a more scientific answer. She studies the vestibular system, which is responsible for our sense of balance and motion, and says spinning without stumbling from dizziness is an art perfected over time.
At the start of their careers, skaters and other athletes feel dizzy when they spin around, Cullen says. But ultimately, they train their brains to better interpret that feeling.
“There’s a really profound fundamental thing that happens in the brain of people like dancers or skaters over lots and lots of practice. And that’s basically a change in the way the brain is processing information,” Cullen says.
“When you spin around, you’re activating the semicircular canals, rotation sensors. They’re filled with fluid and they’re sensing your rotation. But when you stop, the fluid has inertia and it tends to continue to move. They actually get a false sensation of movement.”
Over years of training, figure skaters’ brains have adapted and learned to ignore this error, she says.
“This is done over time with each practice session, day by day, as the brain compares its expectations with what it is actually pulling in from its sensory receptors.”
In short, Cullen says, most people feel like the world’s still whirling even after they stop spinning. But Olympians, and skaters in particular, generally do not because their brains have changed to suppress the feeling.
Athletes also learn ways to reduce their dizziness. For example, focusing on a fixed reference or stationary object minimizes dizziness and loss of balance.
“Ballet dancers often whip their head around during each turn to fixate a visual reference. Similarly, at the end of the spin, athletes will fixate their eyes at a specific spot on the wall to provide a fixed reference,” Cullen says.
The brain and the inner ear are in constant communication with the body and one another to achieve balance, says Brigid Dwyer, an assistant professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine.
“For most people, however, dizziness is only a potential issue during faster and more forceful activities,” Dwyer says. “Amazingly, when needed, our brains can be prompted over time to better handle the dizzying tasks we encounter.”
Here are some other common Google search queries about figure skating:
Why do some figure skaters wear tights over their boots?
Nagasu says it all comes down to personal choice.
Some people wear tights over their boots if their boots are scuffed up, she says. Others, like Courtney Hicks, a gold medalist at the 2013 US International Figure Skating Classic, say wearing tights over boots helps elongate the look of their legs.
But trends have changed in recent years, with a lot of skaters opting to wear tights that show off their boots, Nagasu says.
What’s the ‘kiss and cry’ area?
After their program, figure skaters wait for their scores at the aptly named “kiss and cry” rinkside area. Here, spectators get a glimpse of the athletes at one of their most tense moments.
Many figure skaters celebrate with kisses with their coaches – although not so much in the pandemic, as they are often masked – or dissolve into tears of disappointment.
“It’s supposed to be a pun. You either give kisses over how happy your score is or it’s so bad you literally cry,” Nagasu says.
Why do some figure skaters wear gloves?
Skaters can easily take a tumble. And slapping the ice at high velocity is no fun.
“Ice can be rough when you’re falling, especially when you’re factoring the height at which we fall from and the momentum from our rotations,” Nagasu says.
Gloves also keep the skaters’ hands warm during the competition.
In a highly competitive sport where the tiniest advantage can make a difference, many athletes are leaving nothing to chance.
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a8a3d2607894
|
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/story-behind-whiter-shade-of-pale-by-procol-harum/
|
The Story Behind The Song: How Procol Harum created ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’
It’s hard to imagine ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ by Procol Harum being a hit today. Daring, baroque and quietly experimental, it’s the very antithesis of the melodically staid contemporary pop song. And yet, in the summer of 1967, it was absolutely everywhere and has since come to encapsulate the patchouli-scented free-for-all that was the Summer of Love. Even John Lennon – a tough critic by anyone’s standard – was a fan.
Released just a few months after lyricist Keith Reid formed Procol Harum with Gary Brooker, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ was one of 15 songs the duo wrote for their first album. “We were really excited about it and liked it a lot,” Reid told Songfacts. “And when we were rehearsing and routine-ing our first dozen songs or so, it was one that sounded really good.”
“At our first session,” he continued, “We cut four tracks, and ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ was the one that recorded best. In those days, it wasn’t just a question of how good is your song? It was how good of a recording can you make? Because it was essentially live recording, and if you didn’t have a great sound engineer or the studio wasn’t so good, you might not get a very good-sounding record. And for some reason everything at our first studio session came out sounding really good.”
According to Claus Johansen, author of Beyond The Pale, Reid heard the phrase “you’ve turned a whiter shade of pale” at a party. When he sat down to write the lyrics, the saying came back to him. Speaking to Uncut, the lyricist recalled “trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story,” he said. “With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious with those images, I was trying to be evocative. I suppose it seems like a decadent scene I’m describing. But I was too young to have experienced any decadence, then. I might have been smoking when I conceived it, but not when I wrote. It was influenced by books, not drugs.”
That decadence is highlighted by Gary Brooker’s organ arrangement: at once highly original and immediately evocative of something you’re certain you’ve heard before. In that same Uncut interview in 2008, Brooker recalled “listening to a lot of classical music, and jazz” while writing the music. “Having played rock and R&B for years, my vistas had opened up. When I met Keith, seeing his words, I thought, ‘I’d like to write something to that.” people often assume Brooker plucked his arrangement from Bach’s ‘Air on a G String’. In truth, his music doesn’t borrow from Bach at all, it’s just highly reminiscent of the composer’s style.
The track was recorded at London’s Olympic Sound Studios, where it was completed in just two takes, with Denny Cordell serving as producer. Following its release on May 12th, 1967, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ – despite worries that the prominence of the organ and drums might prove problematic on the radio – rose steadily to number one over two weeks, where it stayed for six more, marking the start of the Summer of Love.
You can revisit the classic single below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.
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who sang a whiter shade of pale first
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a82c7c0964fe
|
https://amritsar.nic.in/tourist-place/wagah-border/
|
Wagah Border
The international border between India and Pakistan. The pomp and pageantry of the Beating Retreat and the Change of Guard within handshaking distance of the Indian and Pakistani forces makes for a most charming spectacle. Wagah, an army outpost on Indo-Pak border – between Amritsar and Lahore, is an elaborate complex of buildings, roads and barriers on both sides. The daily highlight is the evening “Beating the Retreat” ceremony. Soldiers from both countries march in perfect drill, going through the steps of bringing down their respective national flags. As the sun goes down, nationalistic fervour rises and lights are switched on marking the end of the day amidst thunderous applause.
Photo Gallery
How to Reach:
By Air
Sri Guru Ramdass International airport nearest airport from Wagah Border and distance from airport is 36 kilometers.
By Train
Attari Railway Station nearest railway station from Wagah Border and distance from station is 6 kilometers
By Road
Bus Stand Amritsar nearest bus-stop from Wagah Border and distance from bus-stop is 32 kilometers
| 1,080
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what is the name of india pakistan border
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17ddb22df154
|
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/prime-membership-cost-benefits
|
Key takeaways
- Anyone can join Prime for $14.99 per month or $139 per year if they pay annually.
- Prime saves members money every day with exclusive deals, fast, free delivery, and prescription savings.
- Prime members can enjoy a variety of digital entertainment benefits at no additional cost to their membership, including Prime Video.
How much does a Prime membership cost?
5 key benefits of a Prime membership
Page overview
Fast, free delivery on a huge selection
Prime members can enjoy fast, free delivery options, and as always, choose the delivery option that best suits their needs.
- 300 million items with Free Delivery: Amazon offers more than 300 million items across dozens of categories with free Prime shipping in the U.S.
- Millions of items eligible for Same-Day Delivery: Millions of items across Amazon, including beauty, home, pets, and apparel products, are eligible for Same-Day Delivery. For Prime members, Same-Day Delivery is free for orders over $25 in most cities. If your order doesn’t meet the minimum, you can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee. Same-Day Delivery is currently available to customers in more than 110 U.S. metro areas.
- Tens of millions of items are available with free Same-Day or One-Day Delivery: Prime members can choose from free Same-Day or One-Day Delivery on tens of millions of items.
- Amazon Day: Prime members can select a designated day for a weekly delivery of their packages. This is a free, convenient way to select when and how your package arrives at your doorstep.
Prime members can enjoy a variety of digital entertainment benefits at no additional cost to their membership.
Prime Video is a one-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one application available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can find their favorite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports. Additionally, there are plenty of selections to rent or buy. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favorite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access.
Prime Reading connects readers to a rotating selection of 3,000 books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, and comics. Readers can also enjoy pre-release, editorially-selected Kindle books across genres through Amazon First Reads.
Prime members also have access to ad-free listening of 100 million songs and millions of podcast episodes with Amazon Music, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, and instant access to free games, a free Twitch channel subscription, and more gaming benefits with Prime Gaming. Additionally, members get big discounts on Amazon subscriptions, include special pricing on Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Kids+, the only digital content subscription for kids with thousands of books, games, videos, Alexa Skills and more.
Prime members have exclusive access to deals and shopping events like Prime Day—as well as 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals every day. Additionally, Prime members can save on everything from groceries to prescriptions.
Let’s start with groceries: Prime members who shop at Amazon Fresh can score great savings on over 3,000 grocery items across the aisles, including 10% off on Amazon private label brands and up to 50% off on eight to 15 grocery favorites such as fresh produce and protein as well as pantry staples that rotate each week. At Whole Foods Market, Prime members receive deep discounts on a rotating selection and save an extra 10% off hundreds of sale items.
When it comes to fuel, Prime members now save $0.10 per gallon at approximately 7,000 bp, Amoco, and ampm locations across the U.S., offering nearly $70 of savings per year.
Amazon also offers several ways for Prime members to save money on medicine. For example, Prime members can routinely save up to 80% on prescriptions at more than 60,000 pharmacies, including with Amazon Pharmacy, when paying without insurance. Amazon Pharmacy also offers upfront pricing with Prime and insurance directly on the Amazon site, making it easy to shop for your medications.
Prime members with one or more recurring prescriptions may want to subscribe to RxPass. This Amazon Pharmacy add-on program allows members to get all their eligible generic medications for one low price of $5 per month, plus fast, free delivery to their door.
Prime helps you at many other retailers as well. If you make a purchase on a site that isn’t Amazon, you can look for Buy With Prime at checkout. If the site participates, you can get Prime benefits like fast, free shipping and easy return policies.
Every Prime membership comes with free Grubhub+—a $120 value per year—as part of their Prime membership with perks like $0 delivery fees on eligible Grubhub orders, lower service fees, 5% credit back on pick-up orders, and other exclusive offers.
Trending news and stories
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https://www.whereandwhen.net/when/north-america/california/napa-valley/may/
|
Napa Valley in may: average Weather, Temperature and Climate
Weather in Napa Valley in may 2026
The weather in Napa Valley in may comes from statistical datas on the past years. You can view the weather statistics for the whole month, but also navigating through the tabs for the beginning, the middle and the end of the month.
Average weather throughout may
very bad weather UV index: 6
Weather at 6am
56°F
Clear/Sunny
60% of time
25%
10%
4%
Weather at 12pm
76°F
Clear/Sunny
65% of time
20%
11%
4%
Weather at 6pm
65°F
Clear/Sunny
72% of time
19%
5%
4%
Weather at 3am
49°F
46%
30%
15%
5%
Evolution of daily average temperature and precipitation in Napa Valley in may
These charts show the evolution of average minimum/maximum temperatures as well as average daily precipitation volume in Napa Valley in may.
The climate of Napa Valley in may is very bad
the weather in Napa Valley in may is dry ; it does not rain often (1.3in of rainfall over 2 days).
The climate quite nice around this city may. The thermometer averaged maximum of 77°F. In the morning the temperature drops to 56°F. Thus, the mean temperature average on this month of may in Napa Valley is 67°F. These temperatures are far removed from those records observed in Napa Valley in may with a maximum record of 103°F in 2021 and a minimum record of 40°F in 2021. You can hope to have about 28 days with temperatures above 65°F, or 90% of the month. And about 5 days with temperatures up to 86°F.
On this month of may, day length in Napa Valley is generally 14:17. The sun rises at 04:58 and sets at 19:15.
With ideal weather conditions, this month is recommended to go in this city in United States.
Seasonal average climate and temperature of Napa Valley in may
Check below seasonal norms These datas are set from the weather statements earlier years of may.
| May | |||||
| Outside temperature | |||||
| Average temperature | 67°F | ||||
| Highest temperature | 77°F | ||||
| Lowest temperature | 56°F | ||||
| Highest record temperature | 103°F (2021) | ||||
| Lowest record temperature | 40°F (2021) | ||||
| Number of days at +86°F | 5 day(s) (16%) | ||||
| Number of days at +65°F | 28 day(s) (90%) | ||||
| Wind | |||||
| Wind speed | 16km/h | ||||
| Wind temperature | 56°F | ||||
| Precipitation (rainfall) | |||||
| Rainfall | 1.3in | ||||
| Number of days with rainfall | 2 day(s) (6%) | ||||
| Record daily rainfall | 1.5in (2019) | ||||
| Other climate data | |||||
| Humidity | 70% | ||||
| Visibility | 9.16km | ||||
| Cloud cover | 22% | ||||
| UV index | 6 | ||||
| Daily sunshine hours | 14 | ||||
| Sunrise and sunset | |||||
| Time of sunrise | 04:58 | ||||
| Time of sunset | 19:15 | ||||
| Length of day | 14:17 | ||||
| Our opinion about the weather in may | |||||
| Our opinion at whereandwhen.net | very bad |
How was the weather last may?
Here is the day by day recorded weather in Napa Valley in may 2025:
47°F to 68°F
49°F to 65°F
50°F to 67°F
47°F to 76°F
63°F to 79°F
56°F to 76°F
50°F to 70°F
50°F to 77°F
50°F to 83°F
49°F to 81°F
47°F to 65°F
50°F to 61°F
47°F to 65°F
49°F to 70°F
49°F to 72°F
52°F to 79°F
52°F to 70°F
52°F to 76°F
56°F to 83°F
54°F to 79°F
50°F to 81°F
50°F to 74°F
47°F to 72°F
50°F to 74°F
49°F to 63°F
54°F to 74°F
50°F to 81°F
50°F to 72°F
54°F to 85°F
56°F to 90°F
56°F to 83°F
Map: other cities in California in may
Cities near Napa Valley:
| Bodega Bay in may | very bad weather |
| Stinson Beach in may | very bad weather |
| Jenner in may | very bad weather |
| Golden Gate National Recreation Area in may | very bad weather |
| Point Reyes in may | very bad weather |
| Oakland in may | very bad weather |
| San Francisco in may | very bad weather |
| Timber Cove in may | very bad weather |
| Sacramento in may | very bad weather |
| Sea Ranch in may | very bad weather |
| Moss Beach in may | very bad weather |
| Gualala in may | very bad weather |
Click over cities on the map for information about the weather in may.
Weather data for Napa Valley in may:
Weather data for Napa Valley for may are derived from an average of the weather forecast since 2009 in Napa Valley. There is a margin of error and these forecasts are to be considered as general information only. The weather in Napa Valley can vary slightly from year to year, but this data should limit surprises. So you can pack your bags or check for the best time in year to go to Napa Valley.
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https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/weather/florida/kissimmee
|
Kissimmee, FL Current Weather
Kissimmee, FL
Updated 8 minutes ago
17
°CLight rain
Feels 17
H: 20° L: 13°
Today’s Conditions
- --Sunrise--Sunset--No Data Available
- Wind--Gust:--No Data Available
- Pressure--No Data Available
- Humidity--No Data Available
- Visibility--No Data Available
- Ceiling--No Data Available
- Yesterday--No Data Available
7 Days
14 Days
Content continues below
Radar Map
Content continues below
Content continues below
Content continues below
News
Content continues below
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https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GBTC/
|
Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC)
This price reflects trading activity during the overnight session on the Blue Ocean ATS, available 8 PM to 4 AM ET, Sunday through Thursday, when regular markets are closed.
- Previous Close
71.41 - Open
72.12 - Bid 73.32 x 30000
- Ask 73.78 x 30000
- Day's Range
71.90 - 73.86 - 52 Week Range
59.79 - 99.12 - Volume
4,577,535 - Avg. Volume
5,486,485 - Net Assets 14.5B
- NAV 71.39
- PE Ratio (TTM) --
- Yield 0.00%
- YTD Daily Total Return 4.46%
- Beta (5Y Monthly) 0.00
- Expense Ratio (net) 1.50%
The trust’s Bitcoins are carried, for financial statement purposes, at fair value as required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The trust determines the fair value of Bitcoins based on the price provided by the Digital Asset Market that the trust considers its principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date.
Grayscale
Fund Family
Digital Assets
Fund Category
14.5B
Net Assets
2013-09-25
Inception Date
Performance Overview: GBTC
View MoreTrailing returns as of 1/12/2026. Category is Digital Assets.
Recent News: GBTC
View MoreResearch Reports: GBTC
View MoreStocks are mixed at midday on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Stocks are mixed at midday on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 are higher. This morning's ADP employment report indicated that private employers added 41,000 new positions in December. The government's nonfarm payrolls report is due on Friday. Our forecast is for 50,000 new jobs. The yield on the 10-year note is at 4.14%. Crude oil is at $57 per barrel.
Challenging path to profitability
Teladoc Health Inc., based in Purchase, New York, provides telemedicine virtual healthcare services in the United States and internationally. The company operates two business segments, Teladoc Health Integrated Care and BetterHelp. Integrated Care consists of B2B distribution channels, including services offered through employers, health plans, and other providers. BetterHelp consists of mental health services sold through direct-to-consumer distribution channels.
RatingPrice TargetHigh Cryptocurrency Prices and Volatility Have Benefited Coinbase in 2025
Founded in 2012, Coinbase is the leading cryptocurrency exchange platform in the United States. The company intends to be the safe and regulation-compliant point of entry for retail investors and institutions into the cryptocurrency economy. Users can establish an account directly with the firm, instead of using an intermediary, and many choose to allow Coinbase to act as a custodian for their cryptocurrency, giving the company breadth beyond that of a traditional financial exchange. While the company still generates the majority of its revenue from transaction fees charged to its retail customers, Coinbase uses internal investment and acquisitions to expand into adjacent businesses, such as prime brokerage and data analytics.
RatingPrice TargetCoinbase Earnings: Higher Trading Volume and Cryptocurrency Prices Drives a Recovery in Earnings
Founded in 2012, Coinbase is the leading cryptocurrency exchange platform in the United States. The company intends to be the safe and regulation-compliant point of entry for retail investors and institutions into the cryptocurrency economy. Users can establish an account directly with the firm, instead of using an intermediary, and many choose to allow Coinbase to act as a custodian for their cryptocurrency, giving the company breadth beyond that of a traditional financial exchange. While the company still generates the majority of its revenue from transaction fees charged to its retail customers, Coinbase uses internal investment and acquisitions to expand into adjacent businesses, such as prime brokerage and data analytics.
RatingPrice Target
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https://champsorchumps.us/team/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/1995
|
NFL » Jacksonville Jaguars » 1995
| 4-12 | Missed Playoffs |
| Record | Outcome |
= Playoff Team
Bold = Division Opponent
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season (16 Games, 4-12) | |||||
| 1 | Sun, 9/3/95 | vs Houston Oilers | Loss 3 - 10 | ||
| 2 | Sun, 9/10/95 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Loss 17 - 24 | ||
| 3 | Sun, 9/17/95 | @ New York Jets | Loss 10 - 27 | ||
| 4 | Sun, 9/24/95 | vs Green Bay Packers | Loss 14 - 24 | ||
| 5 | Sun, 10/1/95 | @ Houston Oilers | Win 17 - 16 | ||
| 6 | Sun, 10/8/95 | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | Win 20 - 16 | ||
| 7 | Sun, 10/15/95 | vs Chicago Bears | Loss 27 - 30 | ||
| 8 | Sun, 10/22/95 | @ Cleveland Browns | Win 23 - 15 | ||
| 9 | Sun, 10/29/95 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Loss 7 - 24 | ||
| 11 | Sun, 11/12/95 | vs Seattle Seahawks | Loss 30 - 47 | ||
| 12 | Sun, 11/19/95 | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Loss 16 - 17 | ||
| 13 | Sun, 11/26/95 | vs Cincinnati Bengals | Loss 13 - 17 | ||
| 14 | Sun, 12/3/95 | @ Denver Broncos | Loss 23 - 31 | ||
| 15 | Sun, 12/10/95 | vs Indianapolis Colts | Loss 31 - 41 | ||
| 16 | Sun, 12/17/95 | @ Detroit Lions | Loss 0 - 44 | ||
| 17 | Sun, 12/24/95 | vs Cleveland Browns | Win 24 - 21 |
The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the 1995 regular season with a 4-12 record. They went 2-6 at home and 2-6 on the road.
The 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars played in the Central Division of the American Football Conference.
During the regular season, the 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars went 4-4 against their AFC Central opponents.
| Opponent | Record | Win Percentage % | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 2-0 | 100% | +11 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-1 | 50% | -6 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-1 | 50% | -13 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-2 | 0% | -11 |
The 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars had their best month in October, when they went 3-2 and had a 60% win percentage. Their worst month was November, when they went 0-3 and lost all their games.
| Month | Record | Win Percentage % | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 0-4 | 0% | -41 |
| October | 3-2 | 60% | -7 |
| November | 0-3 | 0% | -22 |
| December | 1-3 | 25% | -59 |
No, the Jaguars didn't make the Playoffs in 1995.
The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the regular season with a point differential of -129. Based on their point differential and their pythagorean expectation, the Jaguars could have been expected to have about 4.6 wins, or a 5-11 record in the regular season.
In close, one-score games, the 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars went 4-6. In games decided by a field goal or less, the Jaguars went 2-2.
The 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars did not play any overtime games in the regular season.
The longest win streak during the regular season for the 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars was a 2 game winning streak.
The longest losing streak that the Jacksonville Jaguars had during the 1995 regular season was 7 games, which happened once during the season.
All National Football League Teams
New Screwball – The Smartest Sports Stat Search
Longest Championship Drought By City
All NFL stats, streaks, droughts and records are updated based on games played on or before Jan 12, 2026.
Copyright © 2015-2026 ChampsOrChumps.us
Terms • Privacy Policy • About
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sports
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https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-flash/tv-listings/1000519820/
|
Barry Allen was struck by lightning and fell into a coma. When he awakens from it 9 months later, he meets Cisco Ramon, Harrison Wells, and Caitlin Snow, and later he realizes that he that he has powers and how it had been caused by the explosion of the particle accelerator.
There are no TV Airings of The Flash in the next 14 days.
Add The Flash to your Watchlist to find out when it's coming back.
Check if it is available to stream online via "Where to Watch".
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|
dynamic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is not our base case, but the self-sustaining nature of market dynamics makes it a risk worth considering.
From MarketWatch
Those dynamics, she said, argue against tighter monetary policy and support patience as the effects of past rate increases continue to work through the economy.
From Barron's
“That said, we think that the rallies are hard to justify, and the current market dynamics could easily underpin rapid price falls were such interest to evaporate.”
From Barron's
“These changes are intended to help equip our organization to handle the dynamic conditions we are seeing in markets around the world,” Braun said.
Their playing was electric in its immediacy, cogent in conception and executed with meticulous care—the orchestra sounding lush yet transparent, with enviably subtle dynamic shifts.
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
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d478bf5cc538
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https://www.learnthebible.org/prince-of-persia.html
|
Daniel 10:10-21 gives us a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual world which we cannot see. There are four angels in this passage:
- The messenger angel who came to bring the interpretation of Daniel's vision (Daniel 10:10-12). He is not named in the passage.
- The prince of Persia. This is evidently a fallen angel working under the direction of Satan who operates as the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). The prince of Persia withstood the messenger angel for twenty-one days (Daniel 10:13) and hindered him from coming to Daniel. By this we know that the prince of Persia is of the evil one. This should not be surprising since Paul warned us, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). Principalities refer to the rule of princes. The prince of Persia was one of these principalities.
- Michael, one of the chief princes. Michael comes to the rescue of the messenger angel and relieves him for a time so that he might bring the interpretation of the vision (Daniel 10:13-14). So, who is Michael? In Jude 1:9, Michael is called "the archangel" and he personally contends with the devil. In speaking to Daniel, the messenger angel calls him, "Michael your prince." The personal pronoun "your" is plural (something that is not distinguished in modern English versions). Therefore, Daniel was not being told that Michael was his own personal angel. Rather, Michael was the angel of Daniel's people. He was the prince of Israel. In Daniel 12:1, Michael is called "the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people." It only makes sense that God would take His most powerful angel and put him in charge of his chosen people.
- The prince of Grecia. His coming is prophesied by the messenger angel: "Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come." The prince of Grecia (or Greece) would be another of Satan's mighty princes and he will direct the ways of Greece when it becomes the main world empire.
This passage, therefore, is not about guardian angels. Mostly, it is about angels who have such great power that they are called princes. From their element in the spiritual world, they direct the affairs of nations. The news we read on a daily basis is not just the result of the actions of men. It also reflects the spiritual battles that are going on in the spirit world. The princes of this world are often led by their corresponding princes in the spirit world. These principalities, in turn, are all under the authority of "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 6:12)--by Satan himself. We do not and cannot understand all that is going on in the spiritual realm, but it is important for us to understand that the battles we face have another aspect to them; an aspect that is real though it is unseen. Our battle truly is a spiritual one.
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https://www.cram.com/essay/Higher-Moral-Standards-Essay/F3M6JJBH9CX5W
|
Not only that but people will also say “Lance doped because he knew his competition would and he wanted a fair shot.” Or “Miley can express herself how she would like.” People think that players can use steroids if they want, or Ray might have had anger issues, or Miley is just in a troubling time in her life. All of that may be true, but the fact still remains that they are still looked at as idols and role models by a fair number of people. Glhsreflection. org writes “Some may argue that because of their very public roles, celebrities have a duty to conduct themselves in a way that makes them a beacon of moral perfection for the masses to follow, but this is preposterous and illogical.” This text is extremely off the mark because nobody asks them to be prefect, because let’s face it, no matter how hard we try, no human being is perfect. All anyone is asking of them is to not act like they rule the world and to set good examples for the people who look up to them, especially if they are a role model for teens as teens are heavily influenced by what they see, hear, and what is socially accepted as “the norm.” Yes, people are responsible for their own actions but at the same time, the teenage brain is highly susceptible to making poor choices already as they are just about to enter the “real world” and have new responsibilities such as cars, debit cards, jobs, and they are easily influenced. So if Miley Cyrus makes the social norm, say twerking, then many teens are going to start twerking because that is what is socially accepted and what is the “cool thing” to do. Or with Lance, if teens, or college students don’t dope or use drugs which are illegal for their sport they’ll lose, because Lance won 7 years in a row on the hardest race to win in cycling, and it was because he doped. Ray made it okay for teens to hit girls as long as nobody finds out about it.
Not only that but people will also say “Lance doped because he knew his competition would and he wanted a fair shot.” Or “Miley can express herself how she would like.” People think that players can use steroids if they want, or Ray might have had anger issues, or Miley is just in a troubling time in her life. All of that may be true, but the fact still remains that they are still looked at as idols and role models by a fair number of people. Glhsreflection. org writes “Some may argue that because of their very public roles, celebrities have a duty to conduct themselves in a way that makes them a beacon of moral perfection for the masses to follow, but this is preposterous and illogical.” This text is extremely off the mark because nobody asks them to be prefect, because let’s face it, no matter how hard we try, no human being is perfect. All anyone is asking of them is to not act like they rule the world and to set good examples for the people who look up to them, especially if they are a role model for teens as teens are heavily influenced by what they see, hear, and what is socially accepted as “the norm.” Yes, people are responsible for their own actions but at the same time, the teenage brain is highly susceptible to making poor choices already as they are just about to enter the “real world” and have new responsibilities such as cars, debit cards, jobs, and they are easily influenced. So if Miley Cyrus makes the social norm, say twerking, then many teens are going to start twerking because that is what is socially accepted and what is the “cool thing” to do. Or with Lance, if teens, or college students don’t dope or use drugs which are illegal for their sport they’ll lose, because Lance won 7 years in a row on the hardest race to win in cycling, and it was because he doped. Ray made it okay for teens to hit girls as long as nobody finds out about it.
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https://urbanstems.com/valentines-day-flowers
|
Valentine's Day Flower Delivery in 2026
Valentines Day Flower Delivery
Send love for Wednesday, February 14th with our curated collection of 2025 Valentine's Day flowers, bouquets, arrangements, plants, and gifts
What are the Best Types of Valentine's Day Flowers?
The best types of Valentine's Day Flowers are:
- Valentine's Day Roses
- Red Flowers
- Pink Roses
- Valentine's Day Peonies
- Tulips
- Orchids
- Lilies
- Ranunculus
UrbanStems offers the best types of Valentine's day flowers to make it easy to send flowers for her or for him.
Valentine's Day Gifting Made Easy
For friendships or relationships, our modern bouquets, plants, and gift sets are fit for anyone. Send your Valentine's Day flowers nationwide and enjoy beautiful packaging and a handwritten note with every delivery.
Send Valentine's Day Flowers to Your Loved Ones
Valentine's Day is all about expressing your love for those special people in your life, and nothing sends a stronger message of love than beautifully designed Valentine's flowers. From classic bundles of long-stemmed red roses to unique ranunculus, scabiosa, and peonies, we have flowers to send this Valentine's Day. You can even find potted houseplants for partners who are looking for something different.
Picking the Right Valentine's Bouquet
You need your Valentine's Day flowers to arrive fresh and at the peak of their beauty. Our speedy flower delivery options include same-day delivery in both New York City , Washington, DC, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles with next-day shipping available nationwide. With hundreds of fun, low-maintenance houseplants and artfully arranged bouquets to choose from, you're sure to find something that perfectly fits the personality of your recipient. Don't go for another generic gift of candy with a card this year when a customized gift of V-Day flowers is just a click away.
Break out of the Valentine's Day rut with our playful flower arrangements by sending a clear message of how much you care with a lush green plant, a bundle of roses, a gift set, and more.
Frequently Asked Valentine's Day Flower Questions
What are the best flowers to send for Valentine’s Day?
We have the perfect fit for everyone in your life. For the romantic in your life, you can’t go wrong with the classics. Red roses are a staple for Valentine’s Day. Consider classic arrangements of roses in shades of red and pink for the traditionalist in your life. Trying to break the mold? More power to you! Find something unique that matches their personality. Our Valentine’s Day Collection has a wide variety of stems and shades so you can be sure the perfect bouquet is waiting for you. Try stunning floral arrangements featuring lilies or delphinium this Valentine’s Day.
What's the most popular flower to send for Valentine's Day?
The most popular flower to send for Valentine's Day is roses. We have a variety of Valentine’s Day bouquets with red roses and pink roses. You can choose from our Valentine bouquet or surprise them with The Peony, an unexpected pink peony bouquet. Roses symbolize love and friendship depending on the color, and our Valentine’s Day flowers fit every reason to send.
Why does the bouquet look smaller than it did on the website?
When we pack each bouquet, they are purposefully packed tightly so the flowers don't get harmed on the way! When you receive your blooms, you'll need to fluff the bouquet, and it will expand.
How do I keep my flowers fresh for longer?
As soon as they arrive, be sure to trim an inch off the stems (we recommend a 45-degree angle) and put them in a vase with water. Think of it as a marathon - they just went on a really long run, and they're a little dehydrated. Be sure to change the water every day or every other day, and keep them in a cool spot around the house.
Why did my Valentine's Day flowers come without water?
We ship your gift dry so that bacteria does not grow around the base of the stems. Remove your flowers from the box right away, trim the stems at an angle, and place them in water as soon as possible. In a few hours, your flowers will begin to soak up the water and if any stems look a little droopy upon arrival, they should start to perk up!
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https://wanderlog.com/weather/58194/5/napa-weather-in-may
|
No more switching between different apps, tabs, and tools to keep track of your travel plans.
The average temperature in Napa in May for a typical day ranges from a high of 74°F (23°C) to a low of 49°F (9°C). Some would describe the temperature to be mildly cool. The general area may also feel breezy.
For comparison, the hottest month in Napa, August, has days with highs of 87°F (31°C) and lows of 56°F (13°C). The coldest month, December has days with highs of 57°F (14°C) and lows of 41°F (5°C). This graph shows how an average day looks like in Napa in May based on historical data.
Visiting Napa? See our Napa Trip Planner.
In Napa in May, there's a 8% chance of rain on an average day. And on the average day it rains or snows, we get 0.39 in (9.9 mm) of precipitation. In more common terms of how much that is, some would describe it as light rain.
The wettest month in Napa is December where a typical day has a 28% chance of precipitation and gets 0.05 in (1.2 mm) of precipitation, while the dryest month in Napa is July where a typical day has a 0% chance of precipitation and gets 0.03 in (0.8 mm) of precipitation. These graphs show the probability of it raining/snowing in May and the amount of rainfall.
Plan your itinerary, find lodging, and import reservations — all in one app.
The average day in Napa during May has 14.2 hours of daylight, with sunrise at 5:58 AM and sunset at 8:12 PM.
The day with the longest amount of daylight in Napa is June 19th with 14.8 hours while December 18th has the shortest amount of daylight with only 9.5 hours.
This graph shows the average amount of daylight in Napa in May based on historical data.
Plan your itinerary, find lodging, and import reservations — all in one app.
We've collected the weather data for Napa during all other months of the year too:
Weather data for Napa was collected from the MERRA-2 project from NASA, which used a climate model combined with historical data from weather stations around the world to estimate what the conditions were like for every point on the Earth.
For all data based on historical data, we've averaged the data from the past 11 years (2010-2020). For example, for the hourly temperature at 10am, we've looked at the temperature at 10am on every day in May (e.g., May 1, May 2, etc. in 2010, 2011, etc.) and took the arithmetic mean. We did not smooth the data, so for example, our daily temperature line will have some randomness due to the fact that weather is random in the first place.
Get inspired for your trip to Napa with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:
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weather in napa in may
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e05f212b0c60
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https://www.weather.com/wx/today/%3Flat%3D28.29%26lon%3D-81.41%26locale%3Den_US%26par%3Dgoogle
|
The Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly lives in far South Florida and is incredibly rare. But in a surprise twist, more of them are found in years after a hurricane. Here’s a look at why, based on research that culled through 35 years of population counts - and weather data.
| 270
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weather for kissimmee florida
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bb23849923c7
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https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/gbtc
|
- ‘It all feels impossible’: I’m 57 and on disability. My boyfriend died of a heart attack. Do I buy a townhouse or a condo?
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- Weyerhaeuser Co. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
- Aptiv PLC stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
- Northrop Grumman Corp. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
- Biogen Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
- Mosaic Co. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
to be replaced
Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF
$
75.84
| Close | Chg | Chg % |
|---|---|---|
| $76.31 | 2.53 | 3.43% |
Overview
GBTC Overview
Key Data
- Open $74.72
- Day Range 74.46 - 76.50
- 52 Week Range 59.79 - 99.12
- Market Cap N/A
- Shares Outstanding 208.73M
- Total Net Assets $14.497B
- Beta N/A
- NAV $73.75
- NAV Date 01/13/26
- Net Expense Ratio 1.50%
- Turnover % N/A
- Yield N/A
- Dividend N/A
- Ex-Dividend Date N/A
- Average Volume 5.57M
Lipper Leader
- N/A Total Returns
- N/A Consistent Return
- N/A Preservation
- N/A Tax Efficiency
- N/A Expense
Lipper Leaders Key
- Highest
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
- Lowest
News From Dow Jones
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Cryptocurrencies There’s Just 1 Big Bitcoin ETF Winner—and It’s Ahead by a Lot
Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin ETF Options Trading Will Start Tuesday
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3 Best Bitcoin ETF Picks for 2026
4 Predictions for Bitcoin in 2026
Murray Stahl's Strategic Acquisition of Tejon Ranch Co Shares
Murray Stahl's Strategic Acquisition of Tejon Ranch Co Shares
Murray Stahl's Strategic Moves: WaterBridge Infrastructure LLC Takes Center Stage
Murray Stahl's Strategic Moves: WaterBridge Infrastructure LLC Takes Center Stage
Grayscale Investments Files for IPO Amid Crypto Market Surge
Grayscale Investments Files for IPO Amid Crypto Market Surge
Murray Stahl's Strategic Reduction in Bakkt Holdings Inc: An In-Depth Analysis
Murray Stahl's Strategic Reduction in Bakkt Holdings Inc: An In-Depth Analysis
Murray Stahl's Strategic Acquisition of LandBridge Co LLC Shares
Murray Stahl's Strategic Acquisition of LandBridge Co LLC Shares
Murray Stahl's Strategic Acquisition of Mesabi Trust Shares
Murray Stahl's Strategic Acquisition of Mesabi Trust Shares
Bitcoin Sucks Up $931M in Fresh Cash as Inflation Cools--Ethereum Takes a Hit
Bitcoin Sucks Up $931M in Fresh Cash as Inflation Cools--Ethereum Takes a Hit
Top Holdings
ETF Details
| Category | Alt Currency Strat |
| Portfolio Style | Alt Currency Strat |
| Fund Status | Open |
| Fund Inception | January 11, 2024 |
| Manager |
Not Managed
|
Investment Policy
The Trust seeks an investment objective for the value of the shares to reflect the value of the Bitcoin held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust's expenses and other liabilities. There can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to achieve its investment objective.
Distribution History
| Date | Income Distribution |
|---|---|
| 2025 | - |
| 2024 | - |
| 2023 | - |
| 3,530
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https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/kevin-probably-saves-the-world/cast/1000556051/
|
Kevin Finn, a cluelessly self-serving person, is on a dangerous path to despair. In a downward spiral, Kevin returns home to stay with his widowed twin sister and niece. On his first night there, an unlikely celestial being named Yvette appears to him and presents him with a mission -- to save the world.
| 305
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arts and entertainment
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who plays dr. sloan on kevin saves the world
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c468f2e998c0
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https://store.avenza.com/products/us-forest-service-intermountain-region-4-us-forest-service-r4-map
|
Digital map for use exclusively in the Avenza Maps app
US Forest Service Intermountain Region 4
Free
Reference map of National Forest in the Intermountain Region, US Forest Service. It shows the different forest boundaries within the Region, as well as major highways, landmarks and the cities that a Forest Service Office can be located.
Regional Office
Intermountain Region
Federal Buildin...
Regional Office
Intermountain Region
Federal Buildin...
Geographic area:
Category:
Tourist
Size:
4.87MB
Publication:
2010
Language:
English
This product is available exclusively in digital format, for use only in the Avenza Maps app.
Map bounds
Check nearby mapsWhat you get with Avenza Maps
Reliable mapping tools
Record GPS tracks, add placemarks, add photos, measure distances, and much more.
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Avenza Maps offline GPS app on your mobile device can locate you on any map, without WiFi or network connectivity.
The best maps by the best publishers
Download professionally curated digital maps on the Avenza Map Store from the best-renowned publishers.
| 1,071
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reference
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geo_bench
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where is the intermountain region located on a map
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90085634b2c9
|
https://www.oaks2b.com/2023/04/13/tuchmans-law/
|
I (finally) read Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century”. I received it in hard cover decades ago as a gift from my Uncle Joseph Pike and it has been on my stack of books to read “soon” ever since! I obtained an unabridged spoken audio version and listened while gardening.
In the introduction, Tuchman amusingly names a phenomenon she observes as she studies “deplorable developments” in history. She terms it “Tuchman’s Law”, herein quoted:
Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems from recorded accounts. The fact of being on the record makes it appear continuous and ubiquitous whereas it is more likely to have been sporadic both in time and place. Besides, persistence of the normal is usually greater than the effect of the disturbance, as we know from our own times. After absorbing the news of today, one expects to face a world consisting entirely of strikes, crimes, power failures, broken water mains, stalled trains, school shutdowns, muggers, drug addicts, neo-Nazis, and rapists. The fact is that one can come home in the evening—on a lucky day—without having encountered more than one or two of these phenomena. This has led me to formulate Tuchman’s Law, as follows: “The fact of being reported multiplies the apparent extent of any deplorable development by five- to tenfold” (or any figure the reader would care to supply).
Tuchman, Barbara. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978; p. xviii.
It took me a moment to identify the spirit of the comment. Then I laughed out loud. The time it took me to identify her intentions with the comment one might consider a deplorable development in my history. I think this was the highlight of the entire book for me. One can extend her observation to social media and the 24-hour news cycle of our time. People have to talk about something. All the time. Amplifying the deplorable is par.
Overall, let’s just say that the 14th century was a time in which the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of Jesus were rarely, if ever, in spiritual alignment. But what’s unexpected about that? I did gain in my appreciation for how pre-modern folk used numbers as generic amplifying adjectives rather than precise mathematical quantities. I suppose that’s a valuable talent for reading ancient texts.
As for recommending the book? I appreciated it, but had expected somewhat more scholarly depth from a famous scholar. I suppose she wrote for a more popular audience. I found it somewhat repetitive; however, I suppose that is an observation of the human condition and the times more than her writing about it. It is a worthwhile investment of casual reading time.
| 2,684
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books and literature
|
geo_bench
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'Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems from recorded accounts' (BARBARA TUCHMAN). Discuss.
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acfc328cb514
|
https://aahsmountainecho.com/11582/opinion/celebrities-should-not-be-held-to-double-standards/
|
Celebrities should not be held to double standards
May 26, 2021
There are various standards that citizens have in society. There are people who aren’t just normal citizens; our celebrities. These standards are more often than not quite ridiculous. Celebrities usually are held to a higher standard and expected to be perfect all the time. We, as a whole, put so much pressure on celebrities, and it’s time to speak up on it.
People such as Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and Charli D’amelio constantly get harassed over their bodies, their sexualities and what they’re known for. When you see a celebrity getting treated differently, no one says anything about it. It’s revolting to see other human beings being treated like robots and like dirt. Celebrities don’t exist to be bullied by tweens or even grown adults. I see that people forget celebrities have feelings, and they’re not perfect.
I could watch a Tiktok from Charli D’amelio and look at the comments talking about how she deserves nothing and her platform should be ripped away from her. Granted, D’amelio did do some wrong doings but, she’s sixteen, the age of my fellow classmates. Charli got famous for dancing, so what? At least she doesn’t act like a terrible human being overall. Charli has her life out of Tiktok and consistent hate affects hers; she’s even said so on various platforms, interviews and Instagram lives. Imagine your best friend is getting bullied, death threats and various horrible treatment. I wouldn’t wish the hate Charli D’amelio gets on anyone.
Billie Eilish is the perfect example of a celebrity who consistently gets harassed over her body. Meanwhile, this started when she was only 16, and she’s now 19. That’s three years of being told how your body should look. Eilish wears her signature baggy clothes to hide her body so that people can’t judge, yet they still do, every chance they get. Yet, if someone in your town, maybe even in a class you have with them, gets body shamed, it’s a big deal. Of course no one deserves or needs to be body shamed, but when a celebrity has it happen to them, it’s brushed over like it’s not a big deal. People act as though celebrities deserve it, and they need to be humbled with their body. I find that I can scroll through any social media and see a ton of people commenting on other people’s bodies and looks. It’s unfair and generally not alright to do.
Lil Nas X has become quite the topic lately with his latest music video. We all know the music video represents him being gay, how it’s a “sin”, and making references to bible verses. People have been relentless and saying how they don’t like the video and the messages. There are also grown women and men who are completely boycotting Lil Nas X not only because of the music video but because of his sexuality. I have seen people completely shun him just because he is gay, and it is appalling. Watching people get hate in general for their sexuality, is terrible. Celebrities are our role models and when one is gay, it shouldn’t affect how he or she is treated. When someone in a close community is LGBTQIA+ it’s either glazed over, or they don’t come out. Yet when a celebrity comes out, hints towards it or even slightly act like they are in the community and the whole world is questioning them.
The double standards for celebrities vs. average citizens is evident. People treat celebrities differently in ways they shouldn’t. It’s common to forget your favorite idol is a human just like you and me, but treat them with respect and common human decency. Put yourself in their shoes; you wouldn’t want to be treated like you’re some social abomination.
| 3,645
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entertainment
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fb889e856ced
|
https://www.fromyouflowers.com/occasion/valentines-day-flowers-roses
|
Valentine's Roses are the perfect romantic gift to send to your special someone in 2026. From the classic one dozen red roses to the popular purple roses for Valentine's Day, there are many Valentine's Day roses for delivery. New to the collection are roses that are delivered in custom vases.
New Valentine's Day Roses are the perfect 2026 Valentine's gift! From You Flowers offers a beautiful selection of rose arrangements for delivery by a local florist or straight from the fields. Whether you are looking for a classic one dozen red rose arrangement, or a mixed bouquet with roses or maybe fun hot pink roses we have flowers for everyone's Valentine. With our rose shop it is easy to order flowers for Valentine Day roses delivery within minutes. Simply shop our selection, choose the perfect Valentine roses for delivery and write a sweet card message and viola. If you need flowers today visit our same day flowers section. Whether it's for today or Valentine's Day with our delivery to a business, home or school you are sure to wow your sweetheart on 2/14. Valentine's Day roses delivered in a gift box where you are offered the option to add on chocolate or a teddy bear. Or choose a florist arranged Valentine Day rose bouquet that is hand arranged and can be delivered today.
Everyone knows that red roses are the most popular flowers to send on Valentine's Day, but all roses have meanings that make them perfect to send on Valentine's Day for different people in your life. All roses are known for being more romantic than other floral stems and over the years different colors have become more popular. A popular rose in 2026 is the purple rose, with its unique color a purple rose is a unique addition to a bouquet or wonderful standing alone in a one dozen purple roses Valentine's Day bouquet.
Every rose is the perfect gift for Valentine's Day from the classic red rose, to the modern purple rose and the ever popular pink rose. With a rose representing love, sending a rose on 2/14/2026 is the perfect choice. Here are a few of our favorites and why we think they would be the perfect rose gift.
Send roses to your Valentine easily with our online flower shop that partners with local florist partners near you. To order roses choose if you would like to have a same day delivery or last minute rose delivery. These options are hand arranged and include a card message where you can express yourself through words to let the person know why you love them so deeply. Or you can choose to have roses delivered in a gift box and sent to a business or home. Roses in a box can be customized to add a photo inside a vase to create a truly one-of-a-kind rose gift. After you pick your rose gift add a teddy bear or box of chocolates for a complete gift for your Valentine this year.
The cost of a dozen roses on Valentine's Day varies depending on the time you order them and the color of the rose. The earlier you order your Valentine's rose arrangement the cheaper the price. As demand rises, so does price. So this year plan early to send your Valentine the perfect roses.
*Product availability may vary depending on your delivery zip code. Standard shipping and delivery charges start as low as $14.99.
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shopping
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Order a bouquet of roses for delivery on Valentine's Day
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d2578b11758a
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https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2bsxt0fvpy8zqelb97p4w/research/americas-most-lucrative-portfolio-management-jobs
|
Depending on where one works, total annual compensation for a portfolio manager in America can reach well into the seven figures.
The most lucrative gigs can be found at hedge funds, of course. But employees at mutual funds and investment advisory firms reported sizable paychecks of their own in Institutional Investor’s second annual All-America Buy-Side Compensation survey.
For instance, the average mutual fund portfolio manager expected to earn $1.37 million this year — just shy of the $1.42 million reported by their hedge fund counterparts. Last year, mutual fund portfolio managers said they earned $938,955 on average, all in.
[II Deep Dive: Here’s What Hedge Fund Managers Will Earn This Year]
Among the best-paying firms were mutual funds managing between $10 billion and $30 billion. Portfolio managers in this category expected to earn an average of $1.59 million in total 2018 compensation, including $1.36 million in bonuses, options, and commissions.
That same AUM bracket also proved the most lucrative in wealth management. Portfolio managers at these investment advisory firms earned an average of $1.13 million in total, with base pay of $480,716.
Even in the lowest-paying AUM bracket — advisory firms running $500 million to $1 billion — portfolio managers reported total compensation of $448,311 on average. Overall, wealth management PMs anticipated $805,583 in total compensation for 2018, up from $527,163 last year.
II also surveyed research analysts and investment professionals with dual roles as PMs and analysts.
Outside of hedge funds, the best-paying jobs for buy-side analysts were at the largest mutual funds (defined as upwards of $75 billion). Analysts at such giants reported average income of $455,308, including $192,359 in base pay. Overall, the typical mutual fund analyst expected to make $388,675, up slightly from $382,907 last year.
For analysts at investment advisory firms, meanwhile, total compensation averaged $308,967, down from $324,424 in 2017.
Roughly 900 buy-side professionals from hedge funds, mutual funds, and investment advisory firms responded to the survey.
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how much % do mutual fund managers make
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40a5417acbe6
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https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Season_2%23Cast_and_crew
|
JavaScript is disabled in your browser.
Please enable JavaScript to proceed.
A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.
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arts and entertainment
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when will miraculous ladybug season 2 episode 12 come out
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6ee483108789
|
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dynamic
|
1
as in energetic
having active strength of body or mind
a dynamic new challenger for the title of heavyweight champion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
a dynamic speech expressing her party's goals and values
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
| 411
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reference
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geo_bench
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dynamics synonyms
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91f93d0cfa57
|
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/634577-disaster-is-rarely-as-pervasive-as-it-seems-from-recorded
|
“Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems from recorded accounts. The fact of being on the record makes it appear continuous and ubiquitous whereas it is more likely to have been sporadic both in time and place. Besides, persistence of the normal is usually greater than the effect of the disturbance, as we know from our own times. After absorbing the news of today, one expects to face a world consisting entirely of strikes, crimes, power failures, broken water mains, stalled trains, school shutdowns, muggers, drug addicts, neo-Nazis, and rapists. The fact is that one can come home in the evening--on a lucky day--without having encountered more than one or two of these phenomena. This has led me to formulate Tuchman's Law, as follows: "The fact of being reported multiplies the apparent extent of any deplorable development by five- to tenfold" (or any figure the reader would care to supply).”
―
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
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This Quote Is From
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
by
Barbara W. Tuchman
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| 1,912
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books and literature
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geo_bench
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'Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems from recorded accounts' (BARBARA TUCHMAN). Discuss.
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655f3d4c3df7
|
https://www.sunnylife.com/blogs/the-sunnylife/50-summer-bucket-list-ideas
|
50 SUMMER BUCKET LIST IDEAS
Summer is the season of endless sunshine, carefree days, and good vibes. It's the time of year when life is lived in full color, and every moment feels like a vacation. From beach days to spontaneous road trips and pool parties, summertime is truly the best time of year with endless opportunities.
Which is why a summer bucket list is essential to making the most of this time of year. Whether you're spending the summer at home, traveling abroad, or taking a road trip, there's no limit to the possibilities of what you can include on your list.
Here’s everything to have on your summer bucket list:
-
Watch the sunset on the beach.
-
Go to an outdoor movie screening.
-
Take a road trip.
-
Go on a hike.
-
Have a picnic in the park.
-
Learn a new language.
-
Attend a music festival.
-
Go camping.
-
Take a swim in a lake.
-
Day trip to off grid waterfalls.
-
Take a bike ride.
-
Host a BBQ with friends and family.
-
Get lost in a novel.
-
Visit a theme park.
-
Try a new ice cream flavor.
-
Take a yoga class outdoors.
-
Visit a local farmers market.
-
Host a backyard bonfire.
-
Attend a live sports game.
-
Learn to paint, sew or knit.
-
Ride in a hot air balloon.
-
Visit a zoo.
-
Explore a botanical garden.
-
Book a trip.
-
Go stargazing.
-
Spend a day at the beach.
-
Try stand-up paddle boarding.
-
Take a cooking class.
-
Go kayaking or canoeing.
-
Visit a museum.
-
Host a games night.
-
Eat cheese and wine in a vineyard.
-
Watch fireworks as they implode.
-
Learn to surf.
-
Take a pottery class.
-
Lounge by a pool with friends.
-
Build sandcastles.
-
Take a dance class.
-
Have pamper day at a spa.
-
Go on a helicopter tour.
-
Have a backyard movie night.
-
Try a new restaurant.
-
Head on a fishing trip.
-
Explore a nearby city.
-
Host a themed party with friends.
-
Sip cocktails at a rooftop bar.
-
Have a water balloon fight.
-
Have a DIY project day.
-
Tour a brewery or winery.
-
Attend a fashion show.
And that's a wrap! The best part is there's no wrong way to make your summer dreams a reality. So, what are you waiting for, friend? Grab a pen and paper (or your favorite app) and start brainstorming your summer bucket list.
| 2,182
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"simple",
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hobbies and leisure
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geo_bench
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fun summer bucketlist
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d56a7335ba12
|
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
|
Plans and Pricing
Netflix offers a variety of plans to meet your entertainment needs.
As a Netflix member, you are charged monthly on the date you signed up. A Netflix account is for people who live together in a single household. Learn more about sharing Netflix.
Sign up for Netflix today and choose from several payment options. You can easily change your plan or cancel at any time.
Netflix Plans | Features |
Standard with ads |
Note: If you have Netflix with a package or through a third-party, check with your provider to confirm if an ad-supported experience is available. |
Standard |
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Premium |
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Pricing (US Dollar)
Standard with ads: $7.99 / month
Standard: $17.99 / month
Add 1 extra member for $6.99 / month with ads or $8.99 / month without ads
Premium: $24.99 / month
Add up to 2 extra members for $6.99 each / month with ads or $8.99 each / month without ads
Note: Extra members have their own account and password, but their membership is paid for by the person who invited them to share their Netflix account. Your plan determines how many extra member slots you can add.
The Basic plan has been discontinued. You can change your plan at any time.
Depending on where you live, you may be charged taxes in addition to your subscription price.
If you have Netflix through a package or add-on, prices may vary.
| 1,327
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[
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entertainment
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Subscribe to Netflix's premium plan
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babea2a5aa22
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https://streeteasy.com/blog/how-to-improve-air-quality-in-your-nyc-apartment/
|
As the Canadian wildfires continue to smolder this week, New York City’s air quality has been noticeably impacted. In fact, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has recently issued an Air Quality Health Advisory, urging residents to take necessary precautions.
“This smog is a health hazard because smoke releases pollutants into the air called PM2.5, which cause irritation and inflammation of the lining of the airways and make it hard to breathe,” says Dr. Susannah Hills, a respected NYC respiratory health expert. It is particularly concerning for those with underlying inflammation from diseases like asthma.
The combination of these devastating wildfires, the subsequent air pollution they generate, and existing threats like pollen, other allergens, and viruses emphasizes the critical need to prioritize and maintain healthy indoor air quality in our homes.
Given the prevalence of these environmental challenges, it becomes increasingly important for residents of NYC apartments to take proactive measures to improve the air quality within their living spaces. With this in mind, we have compiled a comprehensive list of strategies and practical tips to help mitigate the effects of poor air quality and safeguard your well-being.
5 Tips to Improve Air Quality in Your NYC Apartment
Monitor Air Quality
First and foremost, keep track of air quality levels in your neighborhood. Various apps, such as BreezoMeter and Plume Labs’ Air Report, provide real-time air quality data and forecasts. If the air quality outside is poor, it’s crucial to keep windows closed to prevent the intake of hazardous particulates.
Invest in an Air Purifier
Investing in an air purifier is an efficient way to improve indoor air quality in your NYC apartment. These devices filter out pollutants, allergens, and microscopic particles, ensuring cleaner and healthier air for you and your family. Make sure you buy one with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. These filters are designed to capture 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns in size, helping to filter out allergens, mold spores, dust, pet dander, and even some bacteria and viruses.
NYC Apartments under $3000 on StreetEasy Article continues below
Use Air Conditioning (if it’s central air)
If you have central air, running your air conditioner can be a lifesaver during hot summer days or when the outdoor air quality is particularly bad. Not only does it keep your apartment cool, but it also helps filter the air. However, the effectiveness of this process depends on your air filter’s cleanliness. Be sure to change or clean your air filter regularly. While many renters might assume this is the landlord’s responsibility, most leases place the onus on tenants.
If you have a window air conditioning unit, try to close the outdoor air damper during smoky or hazardous outside conditions. Also, make sure the seal between the window and the air conditioner is as tight as possible. If you aren’t able to close the damper, do not use the window unit, as it may pull in contaminated air from outside. Use a fan instead, or if it’s still too hot, wear a mask (N95 or KN95 is best) and go to a centrally air conditioned place like a library or community center.
Regularly Clean and Dust
Routine cleaning is also crucial in maintaining a healthy indoor air environment. Dust, a common indoor air pollutant, is a mixture of dead skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic. It not only triggers allergies and asthma but also carries hazardous chemicals. Therefore, you should make dusting and vacuuming a regular habit.
For dusting, use a damp cloth or an electrostatic duster designed to hold onto dust rather than push it around. When vacuuming, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter is highly recommended. HEPA-filtered vacuums prevent dust from getting back into the air.
Buy Plants
Introducing indoor plants not only adds a touch of greenery but also helps improve air quality in your NYC apartment. Plants naturally filter the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Certain plants, such as snake, pothos, and spider plants, are particularly effective in removing common indoor pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene. Choose low-maintenance plants that thrive indoors and strategically place them throughout your apartment.
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home and garden
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I live in a 1br apartment in Manhattan, and it consistently smells bad. What is a good way to purify the air in my home?
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f7c88ff23a97
|
https://fromourplace.com/products/always-essential-cooking-pan
|
10 Functions, 1 Pan
A breakdown of the iconic multifunctional design that made the Always Pan a kitchen essential.
A breakdown of the iconic multifunctional design that made the Always Pan a kitchen essential.
This is a tabbed carousel with two sets of pagination buttons
Our Always Pan body is made from 100% post-consumer recycled aluminum, giving new life to existing materials and reducing environmental impact. It’s lightweight, durable, and ultra-conductive (3 times faster than stainless steel).
Unlock a whole new cache of recipes with stovetop-to-oven abilities. Whether you’re finishing off crispy chicken thighs or making an impressive dutch baby, you’ll find yourself reaching for your Always Pan, well, always.
Our exclusive, long-lasting ceramic nonstick is made without PFAS (including PTFE), lead, and cadmium. Mainly comprised of sand derivative, water, and alcohol, it’s safer, easier to clean, and made to perform.
These genius, custom-designed accessories add a whole new layer of technique to your cookware.
Thermakind®, our proprietary ceramic nonstick coating, is made without potentially toxic materials like PFAS (including PTFE and PFOA), lead, and cadmium. PFAS are nicknamed “Forever Chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the environment or in the human body. As a result, they bioaccumulate over time, making them a highly concerning chemical group.
It means we had 10 different products and functions in mind when designing this pan, and we made sure the Always Pan could do all of them. It seamlessly replaces your fry pan, saute pan, steamer, roasting dish, baking dish, skillet, saucier, nonstick pan, spatula, and spoon rest.
We believe in lasting quality. That’s why the Always Pan comes with a 3-year warranty and a 100-day trial so you can take your time falling in love with it. If you follow our easy care instructions, we’ll help out if anything goes wrong within three years from your date of purchase. Read more about our policy here.
We didn’t stop at designing the Always Pan to be a multifunctional ecosystem by itself. Our custom-designed Add-Ons bring even more game-changing functions and delicious cooking methods to your kitchen. Try our Spruce Steamer, Fry Deck, Fearless Fry, Tagine, Egg Poacher, and Flipping Platter for even more recipes.
Most ceramic nonstick pans are oven safe, but temperature limits vary by brand. Quality ceramic pans can typically handle 350°F to 500°F. Always check the manufacturer's specifications before transferring from stovetop to oven, and remember that handles and lids may have different temperature limits than the pan body.
While ceramic coatings are nonstick, using a small amount of high-smoke-point oil or butter enhances performance and extends coating life. High-quality ceramic pans require much less oil than traditional cookware. Just a light coating is sufficient for excellent food release. Make sure to avoid aerosol sprays.
Recommendations Just for Your Place
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[
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shopping
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geo_bench
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Buy a new cooking pan from an online store
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bc0fb9940d25
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https://www.indastro.com/astrology-reports/detailhoroscope.php
|
Detailed Indepth Horoscope Reading
Detailed Horoscope Reading is a personalized reading and an in-depth analysis of your birth chart prepared based on your date, time & place of birth:
- The report covers a detailed house by house reading of all the 12 houses in your horoscope
- A detailed reading of strength & effects of all the 9 planets in your horoscope
- Identification & listing of all unique combinations & Vedic Yogas in your horoscope.
What is Detailed Horoscope Reading?
Traditionally a Vedic Astrology reading was created over multiple sittings with an astrologer of experience and repute who would cover all the 12 houses and 9 planets and interprets the chart the way he/she sees, after creating a Vedic birth chart using your accurate date, time & place of birth. If the time of birth is doubtful or the birth chart doesn’t correspond to the past life events, the Vedic Astrologer first fixes the time to the last correct minute and once again checks horoscope based on the dates of past events and planetary placements before sharing any advice or predictions for the future. In Vedic times it was said that don’t interrupt an astrologer while he/she is reading your chart so you don’t lose the benefit of all the data in their mind, lest they lose the flow of the ocean of thoughts
Why you should order Detailed Horoscope Reading?
At Indastro.com we wish to replicate this experience through such a traditional Vedic reading, analysing all 12 houses one by one, followed by an analysis of all 9 planets one by one and then cull out how these houses and planets combine to set you up as a unique being amongst the 8 Billion people of this world.
We will pick up a simple example to see how many layers go into this reading : Moon in the 4th house makes one very strongly attached to mother.
- Now if this occurs under Leo ascendant, Moon would be the lord of 12th house of losses & distances, bringing in deep difference of opinion & mental distance with mother along with deep attachment. Diving further into the D9, if the Moon is in 8th house, it would cause the personality to be opposite of mother while a 10th house placement will see the mother’s thinking prevail in later life.
- On the other hand a 4th house Moon for a Gemini ascendant, the Moon will own the 2nd house of family, comfort and money, bringing in emotional comfort, living with mother for all her life and great gains due to mother. Probing further if the Moon in D9 is in the 7th house, the spouse would be similar to mother and give further happiness while in the 12th house despite the happy equation will have to live away from mother frequently
You can request the Detailed Horoscope Report on a self-discovery mission or to get to know more about a friend, spouse, family or anybody in your life, that you care about.
Contents of the Detailed Horoscope Report
- This flagship report of Indastro.com has been prepared for thousands of customers who have discovered themselves & their destiny with this report.
- The report covers an indepth analysis of all the 12 houses & 9 planets individually, using sub-division charts such as D9 & D10 also.
- It then hunts for any unique yogas and combinations that you might have in your birth chart that have an impact on your destiny.
- There is a clear analysis of your birth in the Nakshatra & Ascendant and many small nuances that are lost on modern day astrologers.
- The version with birth time rectification will check your past life events to see whether your time of birth is accurate or not. If not, we will fix the exact time to give you future accurate predictions.
- Another version will cover 2025 predictions also
- The report will contain specific remedies for you also.
This reading would cover the following aspects
- The report covers an in-depth analysis of all the 12 houses & 9 planets individually, using sub-division charts such as D9 & D10 also.
- It then hunts for any unique Yogas and combinations that you might have in your birth chart that have an impact on your destiny.
- There is a clear analysis of your birth in the Nakshatra & Ascendant and many small nuances that are lost on modern day astrologers.
- The version with birth time rectification will check your past life events to see whether your time of birth is accurate or not. If not, we will fix the exact time to give you future accurate predictions.
- Another version will cover 2025 predictions also
- The report will contain specific remedies for you also.
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[
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people and society
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length_test_clean
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detailed report findings
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911c2fb05a9f
|
https://store.steampowered.com/search/%3Ffilter%3Dtopsellers
|
Install Steam
sign in
|
language
简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)
繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)
日本語 (Japanese)
한국어 (Korean)
ไทย (Thai)
Български (Bulgarian)
Čeština (Czech)
Dansk (Danish)
Deutsch (German)
Español - España (Spanish - Spain)
Español - Latinoamérica (Spanish - Latin America)
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Magyar (Hungarian)
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Polski (Polish)
Português (Portuguese - Portugal)
Português - Brasil (Portuguese - Brazil)
Română (Romanian)
Русский (Russian)
Suomi (Finnish)
Svenska (Swedish)
Türkçe (Turkish)
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Українська (Ukrainian)
Report a translation problem
| 673
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[
"games",
"simple",
"navigational",
"command",
"research"
] |
games
|
geo_bench
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Show me 5 all-time top-selling FPS games on Steam ordered by release date.
| false
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1f519c4b77ee
|
https://centralnational.com/help
|
Accounts
Banking Technology
- Bank-to-Bank Transfer Help
- Bill Pay Help
- Contactless Payments
- E-Statement User Guide
- It Makes ¢ents! Help
- Mobile Deposit Help
- MoneyCentral
- Online Service Request Form
- Quicken, Quickbooks, & Mint Workaround for Online Banking
- Reporting Lost or Stolen Debit Card
- Sign up for Online Banking
- Two-Factor Authentication
Business Services
Fax: 785-231-1414
US Mail:
Central National Bank
Attn: Online Services Dept.
800 SE Quincy St
Topeka, KS 66612
© 2026 Central National Bank. All rights reserved.
Secure Page Sign-In
Ensuring the security of your personal information is important to us. When you sign in to Online Banking on our home page, your User Name and Password are secure. The moment you click the Log In button, we encrypt your user name and password using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology.
Browser Security Indicators
You may notice when you are on our home page that some familiar indicators do not appear in your browser to confirm the entire page is secure. Those indicators include the small "lock" icon in the bottom right corner of the browser frame and the "s" in the Web address bar (for example, "https").
To provide the fast access to our home page, we have made signing in to Online Banking secure without making the entire page secure. You can be assured that your ID and password are secure and that only Central National Bank has access to them.
Centralnational.com is SSL-Encypted
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology secretly encodes (encrypts data) information that is being sent over the Internet between your computer and Central National Bank, helping to ensure that the information remains confidential.
Leaving Site
You have requested a web page that is external to the Central National Bank (CNB) web site. The operator of the site you are entering may have a privacy policy different than CNB. CNB does not endorse or monitor this web site and has no control over its content or offerings.
Continue to Site Cancel
| 2,001
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[
"finance",
"simple",
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finance
|
geo_bench
|
central natl bk customer service number
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0674a730fa45
|
https://www.audiprinceton.com/schedule-service.htm
|
The service center is located at 902 State Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540
Audi Service Center in Princeton NJ
Trained & Professional Service Team in our service department in Princeton, NJ
Keep your Audi performing like an Audi
Quality service starts with our factory-trained Audi technicians who use the latest diagnostic equipment and Genuine Audi Parts to keep your vehicle in-tune. Learn more about your maintenance schedule, warranties, and owner's manual below. You'll also find the many ways we are here for you, including Roadside Assistance and remote service appointments.
Opening Hours
Monday: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Tuesday: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday: Closed
| 1,090
|
[
"automotive",
"simple",
"transactional",
"instruction"
] |
automotive
|
geo_bench
|
Schedule a car service appointment for next week
| false
|
9c2bf9dc6925
|
https://ekja.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.4097/kjae.2018.71.2.103
|
1. Kang H. Statistical considerations in meta-analysis. Hanyang Med Rev 2015; 35: 23-32.
2. Uetani K, Nakayama T, Ikai H, Yonemoto N, Moher D. Quality of reports on randomized controlled trials conducted in Japan: evaluation of adherence to the CONSORT statement. Intern Med 2009; 48: 307-13.
3. Moher D, Cook DJ, Eastwood S, Olkin I, Rennie D, Stroup DF. Improving the quality of reports of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials: the QUOROM statement. Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses. Lancet 1999; 354: 1896-900.
4. Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gøtzsche PC, Ioannidis JP, et al. The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. J Clin Epidemiol 2009; 62: e1-34.
7. Chiang MH, Wu SC, Hsu SW, Chin JC. Bispectral Index and non-Bispectral Index anesthetic protocols on postoperative recovery outcomes. Minerva Anestesiol 2018; 84: 216-28.
10. Lam T, Nagappa M, Wong J, Singh M, Wong D, Chung F. Continuous pulse oximetry and capnography monitoring for postoperative respiratory depression and adverse events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Anesth Analg 2017; 125: 2019-29.
11. Landoni G, Biondi-Zoccai GG, Zangrillo A, Bignami E, D'Avolio S, Marchetti C, et al. Desflurane and sevoflurane in cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2007; 21: 502-11.
12. Lee A, Ngan Kee WD, Gin T. A dose-response meta-analysis of prophylactic intravenous ephedrine for the prevention of hypotension during spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean delivery. Anesth Analg 2004; 98: 483-90.
13. Xia ZQ, Chen SQ, Yao X, Xie CB, Wen SH, Liu KX. Clinical benefits of dexmedetomidine versus propofol in adult intensive care unit patients: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Surg Res 2013; 185: 833-43.
15. Ahn EJ, Kang H, Choi GJ, Baek CW, Jung YH, Woo YC. The effectiveness of midazolam for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Anesth Analg 2016; 122: 664-76.
17. Zorrilla-Vaca A, Healy RJ, Mirski MA. A comparison of regional versus general anesthesia for lumbarspine surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized studies. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2017; 29: 415-25.
18. Zuo D, Jin C, Shan M, Zhou L, Li Y. A comparison of general versus regional anesthesia for hip fracture surgery: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med 2015; 8: 20295-301.
22. Hussain N, Goldar G, Ragina N, Banfield L, Laffey JG, Abdallah FW. Suprascapular and interscalene nerve block for shoulder surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Anesthesiology 2017; 127: 998-1013.
23. Wang K, Zhang HX. Liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block for pain control after total shoulder arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Surg 2017; 46: 61-70.
24. Stewart LA, Clarke M, Rovers M, Riley RD, Simmonds M, Stewart G, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses of individual participant data: the PRISMA-IPD Statement. JAMA 2015; 313: 1657-65.
27. Dijkers M. Introducing GRADE: a systematic approach to rating evidence in systematic reviews and to guideline development. Knowl Translat Update 2013; 1: 1-9.
28. Higgins JP, Altman DG, Sterne JA. Chapter 8: Assessing the risk of bias in included studies. In: Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions: The Cochrane Collaboration 2011. updated 2017 Jun. cited 2017 Dec 13. Available from
http://handbook.cochrane.org.
30. Higgins JP, Altman DG, Sterne JA. Chapter 9: Assessing the risk of bias in included studies. In: Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions: The Cochrane Collaboration 2011. updated 2017 Jun. cited 2017 Dec 13. Available from
http://handbook.cochrane.org.
31. Deeks JJ, Altman DG, Bradburn MJ. Statistical methods for examining heterogeneity and combining results from several studies in meta-analysis. In: Systematic Reviews in Health Care. Edited by Egger M, Smith GD, Altman DG: London, BMJ Publishing Group. 2008, pp 285-312.
36. Sutton AJ, Abrams KR, Jones DR. An illustrated guide to the methods of meta-analysis. J Eval Clin Pract 2001; 7: 135-48.
37. Begg CB, Mazumdar M. Operating characteristics of a rank correlation test for publication bias. Biometrics 1994; 50: 1088-101.
38. Duval S, Tweedie R. Trim and fill: a simple funnel-plot-based method of testing and adjusting for publication bias in meta-analysis. Biometrics 2000; 56: 455-63.
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[
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medicine
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systematic analysis results
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