Term paper-ceramics Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

-ceramics - Term Paper Example The input of ceramic materials to automobile technologies ranges over driving performance, fuel efficiency and exhaust gas purification. A number of ceramic parts, such as knock sensors, oxygen sensors, exhaust gas catalysts, and silicon nitride components for automotive engines, have been well utilized to automobiles. Ceramics revolution is not just confined to the automotive industry- producers in aerospace, defense, medical and telecommunication firms are also progressively utilizing ceramic alternatives. The material is fast becoming to be much known for its application in earthenware and pottery and more for the opportunities it creates in the production of goods necessary in our daily lives. This paper will examine the contribution of the ceramics to advances in automotive technologies. It will also try to explore the possible contributions of ceramics in the future such as ceramic gas turbines, adiabatic turbo-compound diesels, electric vehicles and fuel cells due to advances in ceramic technologies. Ceramics is an inert composite containing a metal and a non metal or several non metals. These materials have several properties that identify them. For instance, they are delicate thus easily broken, elastic, quite hard, and need high melting temperatures. They are also electrical, act as thermal insulators and have a high chemical stability. Examples of ceramics include silica (an ingredient used in glass products and contains silicon dioxide), alumina (used in abrasives and contains aluminum oxide) and complex compounds that contain hydrous aluminum silicate used mostly in clay products. Ceramic products are clay in form of bricks, cement used for construction, intractable ceramics that can withstand high temperatures like furnaces used in factories, glass and glass fibers, abrasives, and white ware products. Ceramics are divided in three categories: Traditional ceramics, new ceramics and glass. Ceramics are stronger than metals thus are

The secret sharer Essay Example for Free

The secret sharer Essay The secret sharer by Joseph Conrad, is a tale of two strangers who meet in unusual circumstances. Legatt who was the first mate of the Sephora, escapes his ship where he was held captive after murdering a member of his crew. He swims to another ship and admits the whole truth to the captain. Both the captain and Legatt have bad relationships with their crew and they empathise with each other. Legatt is to be kept secret from the crew. His secrets are that he has murdered and is hiding to escape punishment and death. The captains secrets are that his men, the ship and the responsibility of his first command daunt him. The two of them share these secrets with each other and an intense relationship is built between them. Thus giving the title The secret sharer.. The captain and Legatt share physical similarities, they are the same size. My sleeping suit was just right for his size (pg6-7) And they share a very close resemblance of each other; this is reflected in the description of Legatt by the captain. The shadowy, dark head, like mine (pg 7) Legatt and the captain share very similar backgrounds, which draw a closeness and bond between these two men. They both attended the same sea school. Youre a Conway boy? (pg 7) And there was only a two-year difference in age. . but being a couple of years older (pg 7) Throughout the story you can feel the connection Legatt and the captain share by both feeling complete strangers on board the ships. I knew very little of my officers! (pg 2) The complete lack of knowledge and bond is felt here between the captain and his crew. In the beginning of the story, the captain is very uneasy when he is thrown into the position of captain, of a ship traveling a long and arduous journey. The captain begins to feel insecure about running his ship and questions his ability to lead his ship. During one of the first nights on board the ship, the captain demonstrates his thoughts of insecurity and self-consciousness, when he does something that a captain would not normally do: he plans to take part in a night watch. I felt painfully that I a stranger- was doing something unusual when I directed him to let all hands turn in without getting an anchor watch. (pg 4) The captain is so self- conscious and insecure about his actions that he reacts almost painfully to the crews judgement of his orders. The captain states that he perceives himself to be a stranger amongst the others. Among his insecurities, the captain also sees himself as a stranger to himself and not fit to run his own ship. But what I felt most was my being a stranger to the ship: and if all the truth must be told, I was some what of a stranger to myself. The captain feels isolated and completely in the dark where his crew and ship are concerned, he is a complete stranger to them. . ship of which, I knew nothing, manned by men of whom I knew very little more. (pg 4) Legatt and the captain are both aware of feeling strangers aboard the ship, this draws a bond between them and closeness and understanding of each other builds their relationship. My second mate. But I dont know much more of the fellow than you do(pg 12) I was almost as much of a stranger on board as himself (pg 12)

Age Discrimination Against Elderly Workers Social Work Essay

Age Discrimination Against Elderly Workers Social Work Essay In this fact sheet, I will discuss about age discrimination against elderly workers in Singapore and go into how they are treated differently in the society in unemployment and employment state. This is to find out whether the young workers have an unfair advantage over elderly worker with respect to employment and salary prospect. The aspects that lead to the problem of age discrimination will also be covered in this paper. The government stance and public perceptions show on how to tackle the problem. There are many examples of prejudice and inequality in our society and in the world we live in. These prejudices can lead to discrimination and create fractures in society and situations where people are denied access to equal rights enjoyed by others. Discrimination against persons of a certain age group is one of the examples that should be focused on, where age was instanced as the top reason for discrimination with the percentage of 29%. Age Discrimination in Singapore Elderly workers are usually the one neglected and receive an unfair treatment in terms of employment. Employers can discriminate by age across several areas such as wages, promotions, hiring, firing and layoff and force retirement. The reason why I choose this particular community is that there is still strong discrimination against elderly worker. In fact, most of the elderly workers always face some difficulties in finding jobs which disadvantaged them in their social lives. Most job requirements prefer younger workers as they think older workers lack or energy, flexibility, or adaptability compared to younger worker and yet there is no any legal action takes from the government, against employers who discriminate. Moreover, the employers may think that elderly workers are unable to work on the Information Technology or may given the excuses of too slow in working progress and thus, using this as a reason to reject or sack them. The employers are also trying to use the reason of poor work performance although the main reason of firing the elderly worker is age discrimination. Implication of Age Discrimination Aging population is one of the problems that always concern in Singapore. As number of elderly people keeps increasing, the employment and unemployment issues might increase too. Thus, it has always been a sensitive issue when it comes to providing employment to people of different age. If the unemployment issue happens to the elderly people, they will start to feel inferior where they are unable to provide family income and future financial security. Thus, this might become a kind of burden towards their children or the government. The main problem faced by the elderly worker is the health and physical conditions. These are the obstacle that faced by the elderly worker when finding job. Problem faced by employed senior citizens Difficulties faced by senior citizens seeking work From the table above, we are able to know that there is a high percentage of foresee difficulties in job search with the average of 90% in the age of 55 and above. Moreover, there are some reasons that caused them in difficulties in job search which relates to their age, job available too physically and mentally demanding, under-qualified and working distance between home and company. The main reason of difficulties in seeking work is because of their age with the average of 85% in the age of 55 and above. Research Example The speech by Mr. Lim Boon Heng, Minister for Prime Ministers Office said that there was an issue mention about the difficulties in finding job. In spite of that, a common of complaint heard in the society is I want to work, I can work, but no one will hire me once they know my age. Or it will be the case that first to be interviewed the older worker but last to be hired. Inequality in Age Discrimination Elderly workers are more in danger to job loss and longer unemployment spells, although they have lower turnover and unemployment compared with their younger counterparts. This is where inequality occurs to elderly worker in society. In June 2009, the amount of employment in the average age of 40 (255,200) is greater than the age of 55 and above (150,700). This shows that the elderly people have the lower number in employment which disadvantages the elderly people when seeking job. Gross Monthly Income from Work The majority of the elderly who were employed in 2009 drew gross monthly income of less than $1,500 (33.8% for those between 65 and 69 years old and 44.2% for those 70 years old and above) falling into the $500-$900. Compared to the younger worker, the income for elderly worker is rather low. Government Stance and Public Perceptions The government works with NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to set up a tripartite committee to go into discrimination problems, known as Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP). This committee has created with revised guidelines on non-discriminatory job advertisements and a number of public and private sector employers pledged to comply with the non-discriminatory practices. Beside government stance, employers should avoid age limit or age range in the job notice and making age an integral part of the application process. Training and development is also an important point to prevent discrimination against elderly worker where it encourages all employees to take the training opportunities. This training opportunity allows elderly worker manages to catch up the Information Technology. One of the suggestions to prevent the issue of age discrimination against elderly worker will be created a rule that certain number of elderly worker should employ in the company. This is to avoid the problems of inequality against elderly worker in the society. Thus, the number of employment in a company should be equally for both younger and elderly worker. Re-employment creates a win-win situation for employers and older employees in Singapore. Compare to raising the statutory retirement age, it offers greater flexibility. On the other hand, according to preliminary findings from 2009 survey by Ministry of Manpower, the vast majority of 92% of them were allowed to continue to work beyond the age of 62. 60% who were allowed to continue to work beyond 62 and 30% who were offered re-employment. These finding shows that they still value older worker. As Ralph B. Perry said Age should not have its face lifted, but it should rather teach the world to admire wrinkles as the etchings of experience and the firm line of character. Conclusion In conclusion, job discrimination against elderly worker in Singapore still exists and the government and public perceptions have been trying very hard to solve and prevent the issue of job discrimination against elderly worker. The job discrimination creates inequality in term of age group. This may cause social tension and threaten to Singapore aging population. The finding shows that there is noticeable age discrimination as the employment rate for older worker is not very high. However, there is still a finding that shows the employers do value older worker, this might not be a strong solution and unable to sustain in the future. In order to prevent or solve the problem of discrimination against elderly worker, Singaporeans should follow what the government stance and public perceptions that applied or suggested to the issue, where the solution given might workable in some ways.

Bringing Up Play, Film, and Philosophy :: Essays Papers

Bringing Up Play, Film, and Philosophy (1) Wittgenstein once said, â€Å"A typical America film, naive and silly, can for all its silliness and even by means of it— be instructive . . . I have often learnt from a silly American film.† (Wittgenstein 57e). He is pointing out that the humor, and the means of humor, in some films can be a tool of instruction. The ability of film to cause a reaction like laughter is of philosophical interest. While Wittgenstein’s comment is itself playful and dense, it directs our attention to a philosophical aspect of some films. Understood in a wider scope, I believe the comment is a terse philosophy of film. Understood in an even wider scope, we can see it as a terse theory of philosophical method. (2) Exploring implications of Wittgenstein’s comment, however, is not my intention in this essay. I will not explain how we can profit philosophically by examining film. My intention is to show how we can. (3) When Wittgenstein admits he found some films instructive, he very well could have admitted Howard Hawk’s film entitled Bringing Up Baby. Despite the silliness of the film, even by means of it, Bringing Up Baby explores the role of play in the nature of romantic relationships. I argue that in the film a relationship that is principally animated by game-play is legitimate. We learn that game-play enters into the justification of a true relationship.[1] (4) Johannes Huizinga symptomatically describes play as, â€Å" . . . a free activity standing quite consciously outside ‘ordinary’ life as being ‘not serious,’ but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly. It is an activity connected with no material interest and no profit can be gained by it. It proceeds within its own proper boundaries of time and space according to fixed rules and in an orderly manner.† (Huizinga 13). Play is defined as an open-ended set of ‘non-serious’ activities, chosen of free will in lieu of ‘serious’ or ‘ordinary’ activities. The distinction between ‘serious’ and ‘non-serious’ is not intended to characterize the mental state of a player because, more often than not, a silly game is still a mentally absorbing activity.

Males and females

Much research studies had focused on the behavior of male delinquency. However, there has been a steady rise of juvenile female offenders as well as on the criminal justice system. Media has sensationalized the account of female violence. The rise in number of arrests however, can also be attributed to changes in policies in police practices, rather than a drastic change in women’s behavior. Most of these arrests were assault-related. While former juvenile offenses were once labeled as non-criminal offenses such as a girl being hit by a mother shoves her in self-defense and runs away from home. Whereas such an offense would be labeled before as â€Å"runaway† offense, today this might cause her to be charged of assault, which is a criminal offense. However, in criminal offenses such as robbery, female youths had been seen as becoming more involved in what used to be a predominantly male offense. Youth status, especially among urban girls is a causal factor for most of such crime. Pop culture among adolescents places great importance on high-end branded clothes, latest electronic gadgets, ‘looks’ that try to imitate Hollywood celebrities and fashion models, which had placed greater pressure on growing adolescents for peer acceptance. Youth pop culture has greatly caused an obvious division among differences in economic status, and the desire to â€Å"keep up the Joneses’† breeds the environment for some youths to victimize their own peers in order to buy the â€Å"desirable† goods which they would not have been able to afford otherwise. Other studies had also attributed thrill and excitement as robbery-causing factors among youths who were inclined to ‘show-off’. Although there are less occurrences of female robberies than among males, both has expressed the same motivation for committing the crime, and that is to acquire more money in order to have goods that bestow high status among peers. Female youth offenders were less likely to use weapons compared to males, and is much more characterized by harassing and hijacking youths of lesser age for petty amounts of cash and in some cases, jewelry. It has also been found that there is also a high correlation between poor relationships with mother-daughter which causes an increase among female adolescents to seek peer reputation which in turn becomes a contributing factor for female delinquency (Kerperlman & Smith-Adcock. â€Å"Female Adolescents’ Delinquent Activity†) A comparative study between male and female offenses however has shown that there is a significant difference between their criminal activities. Young men were more likely to resort to use weapons (guns) than girls. Knives were more of girls’ choice of weapon if they do resort to using one. Female offenders were more likely to commit murder because of conflict rather than during the act of other crime such as robbery. Assaults done by girls are more frequently done against one’s own family members. Males are more often arrested for more serious crimes such as rape, homicide, or burglary than young females. While there is a growing belief that female behavior has greatly changed among offenders today, suggesting that girls are taking over more masculine-related crimes, the offenses of male and female youth delinquency had both risen; therefore change of behavior cannot solely be blamed on changes of female youth behavior but changes on the over-all young population in ge neral. There is also no evidence that female offenders gained an increase of status among male peers since such offenses were done mostly among female younger victims (J. Weiler. â€Å"Girls and Violence†). Reference: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kerpelman, J & Smith-Adcock S.   â€Å"Female Adolescents’ Delinquent Activity†. Vol. 37, No. 2, 176-200. 2005 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chesney-Lind M, Paramore V. â€Å"Are Girls Getting More Violent?: Exploring Juvenile Robbery Trends†. 1998 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cited by Weiler, J. â€Å"Girls and Violence†. ERIC Digest, No. 143. http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-4/girls.htm         

The Aztecs A case study essays

The Aztecs A case study essays The Aztecs are an ancient culture that had many customs and rituals that by modern standards are considered barbaric. Their culture was made up of different social classes, and was primitive yet very advanced. They were located in the mainland of Mexico, and their empire was quite vast over that area. Their culture began around 1100, and ended around 1520. The exact numbers of the Aztecs is not known due to the age of their culture, but judging by the size of their empire it was quite large. The only figure I could find was that in 1519 there were more than 1,000,000 people living in the civilizations boundaries. The reason that I was drawn to this culture was some of the practices that they had. The most interesting being the human sacrifices to the gods, and the large ball game that they played that sometimes went on for days without a stop. The Aztecs lived primarily in a fertile volcanic valley of Mexico where they built their capital city named Tenochtitlan. The land in which they lived was a plateau seeing that most of the surrounding was mountainous. The soil in the settled areas was very rich and good for growing crops, due to the volcanic eruptions that occurred. The valley of Mexico was the heartland of Aztec civilization. It is a large internally drained basin surrounded by volcanic mountains that are as high as 9,000 ft in elevation. Thousands of years of soil erosion had produced deep, rich soils in the valley and a system of shallow, swampy, salt lakes in its center. This gave the Aztecs a diverse variety of foods that could be available. The salty lakes made available fish, turtles, insect larvae, blue-green algae, and salt. The food that was eaten by the Aztecs varied by social classes. The peasants lived mainly on corn and beans, except for a duck or a crow that they may have trapped in their gar den. Their only domesticated animals were rabbits, dogs, and turkeys which were fattened and eaten on...

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Travel

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Travel Bed bugs were once a pest of the past, but they’ve made a remarkable comeback in recent years. Just a few hitchhiking bed bugs in your luggage can start a full-scale infestation of these bloodsucking insects in your home.   What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? Adult bed bugs are oval in  shape and brown or reddish in color. Immature bed bugs tend to be lighter in color. Bed bugs usually live in groups, so where theres one, theres likely to be many. Other signs that bed bugs are present include tiny black spots on linens or furniture (excrement) and piles of light brown skin casings. 4 Common Myths About Bed Bugs The mere thought of bed bugs might be enough to make your skin crawl (literally!), but its important you understand a few things about these pests and their habits. Bed bugs dont transmit diseases and arent generally considered a threat to your health. As with any insect bite, bed bug bites can be itchy, and some peoples skin may be more sensitive than others.Bed bugs are not a product of filth. They will inhabit even the cleanest of homes. Dont assume your house or your hotel room is too clean to host bed bugs. If theres something for them to eat (usually you), bed bugs will be just as happy in a 5-star resort as they will in a cheap motel.Bed bugs are nocturnal. That means theyre only going to show their faces at night when its good and dark. Dont expect to walk into a hotel room in broad daylight and see bed bugs crawling up the walls.Bed bugs are really small. Adult  bed bugs are visible to the naked eye but youll need a magnifying glass to spot their eggs. Because theyre so tiny, bed bugs can hide in places youd never think of looking.   Fortunately, theres plenty you can do to minimize your chances of bringing bed bugs home from your next vacation or business trip. What to Research Before You Go Before you hit the road on your next vacation or business trip, do your homework. People are quick to share their travel experiences online, especially when it comes to  bed bugs  in hotel rooms. Websites like  Tripadvisor, where customers post their own reviews of hotels and resorts, are invaluable resources to  see if your hotel has  a bed bug problem. You can also check out  bedbugregistry.com, an online database that tracks reported  bed bug infestations  in hotels and apartments. The bottom line – if people are saying theyve seen  bed bugs at a certain hotel  or resort, dont stay there on your trip. How to Pack to Avoid Bed Bugs Use sealable sandwich bags. This way even if you do end up in a room with the pests your belongings will be protected. Get yourself a good supply of large baggies (gallon  sizes work great), and seal everything you can inside them. Clothing, shoes, toiletries, and even books can be zipped up tight. Make sure you seal the baggies completely, as even a tiny opening can allow a wandering bed bug to get in. When in your hotel room, keep the baggies zipped shut unless you need access to an item inside. Use hard-sided luggage.  Cloth-sided luggage offers bed bugs a million hideaways. Hard-sided luggage doesnt have folds or seams where bed bugs can hide, and it closes completely, with no gaps so the pests cant penetrate your bags interior.   If you must use soft-sided luggage for your trip, lighter-colored bags are better. Bed bugs will be virtually impossible to spot on black or dark-colored bags. Pack clothing that is easy to launder. Avoid packing clothing that can only be laundered in cold water. Washing in hot water, then drying at high heat, does a good job of killing any bed bugs carried home on clothes, so youll want to choose garments that can be easily debugged  when you return. How to Inspect Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs When you arrive at your hotel or resort, leave your luggage in the car or with the bellhop. Should you walk in and find a room teeming with  bed bugs, you dont want your belongings sitting in the midst of the infestation.  Dont bring your bags into the room until youve done a proper bed bug inspection. Bed bugs hide during daylight hours, and theyre quite small, so finding them takes a little work. Its a good idea to  carry a small flashlight  when you  travel since bed bugs will likely be hiding  in the darkest crevices of the room.  A LED  key chain makes a great bed bug inspection tool.   The sulfur in an unlit match will cause the bugs to flee. Run an unlit match along the seam of the mattress to bring the bugs out of hiding. Where to Look When Inspecting a Hotel Room for Bed Bugs Start with the bed (theyre called bed bugs for a reason, after all). Check the linens thoroughly for any signs of bed bugs, especially around any seams, piping, or ruffles. Dont forget to inspect the dust ruffle, a common hiding place for  bed bugs  that  are  often overlooked. Pull back the sheets, and inspect the mattress, again looking carefully at any seams or piping. If theres a box spring, check for bed bugs there as well. If possible, lift each corner of the mattress and box spring and inspect the bed frame, another popular hiding place for bed bugs. Bed bugs can also live in wood. Continue your inspection by examining any furniture or other items near the bed.  The majority of bed bugs  live within close proximity to the bed. If you are able, inspect behind the headboard, which is often mounted on the wall in hotel rooms. Also, look behind picture frames and mirrors. Pull out any drawers, using your flashlight to look inside the dresser and nightstand. What to Do If You Find Bed Bugs in Your Hotel Room? Go immediately to the front desk and ask for a different room. Tell the management what bed bug evidence you found, and specify that you want a room with no history of bed bug problems. Dont let them give you a room adjacent to the room where you found bed bugs (including the rooms above or below it), as bed bugs can easily travel through ductwork or wall cracks into adjoining rooms. Be sure to repeat your bed bug inspection in the new room, too. While Youre Staying at the Hotel Just because you didnt find any bed bugs, doesnt mean they arent there. Its quite possible your room could still have pests, so take a few extra precautions. Never place your luggage or your clothing on the floor or bed. Store your bags on the luggage rack or on top of a dresser, off the floor. Keep any  items, not in use sealed in baggies. How to Unpack From Your Trip and Kill Any Stowaway Bed Bugs After you check out of the hotel, you can take steps to keep any undetected  bed bugs  from following you home. Before you put your luggage in the car to head home, place it in a large plastic garbage bag and knot it tightly closed. Once you get home, unpack carefully.   All clothing and other machine washable items should be laundered immediately in the hottest water allowable.  Clothes should then dried on high heat for at least 30 minutes. This should kill any bed bugs that managed to stow away. Freeze things that cant be washed or heated. Items that cannot be exposed to water or heat can be frozen instead, although this takes longer to destroy  the bed bug eggs. Keep these belongings sealed in baggies, and place them in a freezer for a minimum of 5 days. Electronics and other items that cannot survive such temperature extremes should be inspected thoroughly, preferably outdoors or in a garage or other area of the house with limited carpeting or furniture. Inspect your luggage, especially soft-sided pieces. Check the zippers, lining, pockets, and any piping or seams carefully  for signs of bed bugs. Ideally, you should steam clean your soft-sided luggage. Wipe down hard-sided luggage and check any fabric inner lining thoroughly.

Acid Rain essays

Acid Rain essays The concept of acid rain is often misunderstood by the vast majority of the world, however, most realize that it is a problem. The burning of fossil fuels has released pollutants into our earths atmosphere. Once airborne, the pollutants form acidic compounds by combining with water in the atmosphere, hence the name acid rain. The precipitation then reaches the earths surface by means of fog, mist, rain or snow, as well as in dry form. While the substances that produce acid rain also occur naturally, it is the man-made contributions that have transformed acid rain into an environmental problem. Acid rain causes the acidification of streams and lakes, contributes to damage of highly elevated trees, and also contributes to the cause of lung cancer and other major health problems to humans. Another concern about acid rain that has not been previously mentioned is the accelerating decay of building materials and paints, which includes many irreplaceable buildings, statues, sculptures, and monuments that are a part of our nations cultural heritage. If these monuments are destroyed, they can never be replaced, which will be the focus of this report. Before speaking of the direct effects of acid rain on materials, the process of the formation of acid rain must be understood. We now know that the primary causes of acid rain are emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO ) and nitrogen oxides (NO ). When Sulfur is emitted into the air, it is in the form of the SO gas. Naturally, there is not a significant amount of SO gas in the air, so the gas transfers through a series of oxidation reactions, resulting in the formation of H SO , or sulfuric acid. This acid can then dissolve in rainwater and lower the pH of precipitation dramatically. On the other hand, NO gases are formed through a completely different process. Naturally, the atmosphere contains a large percentage of N gas. High temperatures associated with the burn...

Studyguide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Studyguide - Essay Example Tesco has maintained lower costs of procurement and production of goods which has enabled it to sell the products at cheaper prices as compared to the other retailers in the market. This has ensured increased competiveness as well as greater sales margins in the business. Tesco Corporation has continued to grow and has expanded the stores of the company into a number of foreign markets. This has made it necessary for the company to have an in-depth understanding of the opportunities presented in the international trading systems. Tesco has successfully attained economies of scale in its production capacities in different foreign countries and as such has become able to lower the costs of production. The company has been an early mover into taking up the principles of comparative advantage by reducing the production and operational costs in the business. In order to maintain lower operating costs, Tesco has implemented a number of comparative advantage theories in their daily operatio ns. The company has used the Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory in the production activities and in the export activities of the goods of Tesco in foreign locations (Kelly 200). Tesco has been extremely selective about the sourcing of the raw materials. The company has made careful selections of local and international suppliers in order to reduce the production costs in the business. The company outsources the production activities of different goods in countries where the production cost of the specific goods are comparatively lower than on other locations. This helps to decrease the production expenses and allows Tesco to sell the final products to the consumers at comparatively lower prices. For example, Tesco focuses on producing rice and other cereals in countries like Japan and clothing goods in countries like China and India where the manufacturing costs of these products are much lower as compared to the home country of Tesco. The

Hepatitis B Virus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hepatitis B Virus - Essay Example The complete infective virion is a 42nm particle comprising an inner core of 27 nm surrounded by an outer envelope of surface protein HBsAg. This surface coat is produced in excess by the infected hepatocytes and can exist separately form the whole virion in the serum and the body as 22nm particle. The genome of HBV is a partially double stranded circular DNA molecule with a unique In that all regions of the viral genome encode protein sequences. HBsAG contains a major â€Å"a† antigenic determinant as well as several subtypes: â€Å"d† â€Å"y† â€Å"w† and â€Å"r†. Combinations of these sub-determinants ( e:g adr, adw, ayw, and ayr) are used to classify HBV genotypes A-H of which the main types are type A(35%) B(225) (31%) and D(10%). There is a strong correlation between genotypes and geographical areas. Genotype A is mainly seen in North west Europe, North America, North America and central Africa; B in south East Asia; C in south East Asia D; in southern Europe, India and the middle East; E in west Africa; F in south and central America, in American Indians and in Polynesia. G in France and the USA; and H in central and south America. The core is formed of core protein (HBcAg) containing incompletely double stranded circular DNA and DNA polymerase/reverse transcriptase. One strand is almost a complete circle and contains overlapping genes that encode both structural proteins (pre-S, surface (s), core (s)) and replicative proteins (polymerase and x). The other strand is variable in length synthesis during the viral replication. If there is an acute clinical episode the virus is cleared in approximately 90% of patients as there is a good immune reaction. There is serum sickness-like immunological syndrome see urticaria or maculopapular rash and polyathritis affecting small joints and occurring in up to 25% of case in the subclinical period. There is increase of temperature. Extrahepatic immune

Global Warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Global Warming - Research Paper Example Increased temperature creates rapid and irreversible changes on both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Terrestrial habitats subjected to a higher temperature become drier and can no longer sustain life. Such loss of habitat affects animals and can be a precursor for extinction of some species. As temperature increases, the habitat ranges of most species shifts. The shift is healthy for these animals as it creates range reduction forcing the animals into less hospitable habitat or increased competition. The change is stressful to the animals. Some species are affected and have nowhere to go because they are forced to reach their upper limit of habitat. Habitat displacement and alteration favors only the animals that can adapt to these changes (UNEP 13). Increased temperatures affect wetland habitats. Wetlands are important habitat for fish and other aquatic animal and also serve as breeding grounds for many waterfowl. Increase in global temperature will mean a permanently drier and warmer future. Such changes will result in increased habitat destruction as the animals will have no place to live or to breed. The arctic habitats are the most affected by increasing temperatures. The ice sheet are melting, and glaciers are reducing. Animals such as the polar bears that live in these habitats are affected. Ocean acidification due to climate change result in bleaching of the coral reefs that are among the habitats with the highest biodiversity (Chen-Tung 312). Habitat destruction and alteration affects wildlife because climate change rapidly changes these ecosystems. Global warming is an example of climate change effects that along with habitat destruction and pollution can result in increased extinction rates of animals and other related species. Climate change affects both the biology and ecology of most animals. It changes the availability of resources necessary for the animals to survive. With the lack of food, water, and space, it is difficult for a

Discuss s 51(xx) of the Australian Constitution - the Corporation Essay

Discuss s 51(xx) of the Australian Constitution - the Corporation Power - Essay Example tection of property from Federal acquisitions, freedom of interstate trade and the power of the Federal government to enter into external treaties etc. The Australian Constitution also provides for the existence of a Federal Parliament or the representative of the Queen, the Senate and a House of Representatives, whose members are chosen by the people of the Commonwealth in proportion to their numbers in various States. The Constitution provides that the Federal Parliament will have powers to make laws in relation to peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to matters related to trade, taxation, marriage, divorce, borrowing and much more. Section 51(xx) of Constitution, which is also known as the Corporations Power, grants the Federal Parliament the right to legislate in respect to foreign corporations and trading or financial corporations formed within the limits of the Commonwealth. The extent of the activities that can be regulated is unclear, but it has b een suggested that both acts of corporations related to trade and external activities are covered. This essay takes a look at this section of the Australian Constitution which has been used to bring into force The Trade Practices Act 1974, Corporations Act 2001, Foreign Acquisitions and Takeover Act 1975 as well as the Competition Policy Reform Act 1995 etc. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia was framed in 1900 after the debates in the Australasian Federation Conference of 1890 and the Australasian Federal Conventions of 1891 and 1897-8. Those who attended these conferences were all sitting politicians who had been chosen by their respective colonial parliaments. The framers of the Australian Commonwealth Constitution had inherited principles of responsible government from the British Constitution and had adapted these principles to a Federation in the Australian context. The Constitution of Australia in an essence defines the structure of the Australian government,

Global Economics and the Energy Policies in the US Essay

Global Economics and the Energy Policies in the US - Essay Example Based on reports the real energy revolution lies here unlike the much-touted green energy being sold by the US government. President George W. Bush administration had the solution of investing in new green technology in the production of energy. Although the strategy did not yield a lot of results, Obama’s administration did double spending on these forms of energy without much success. The energy policies adopted by the UK government over the years have been on green energy which only contributed to increased energy costs. Energy production is set to change in the future and the United State will lead the revolution. This change is massive and it cannot be easily stopped by anyone including environmentalists since technology and demand have changed over the years. Despite the fact that fracking contributes to decreased emission levels compared to old energy sources such as coal. The deployment of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has created a potential for unconventional oil deposits from shale to be tapped. Most governments are opposed to this technology and imposed restrictions on the use of the technology (Wall Street Journal, 2012, 1). Countries like France and the UK are among the countries that can be oil sufficient yet they continue to adopt costly and ineffective green energy. The presence of technology and resources such as Shale sho uld give a boost to countries to bring about an energy revolution. Politicians being the decision makers should be among the first people to adopt the changes in the oil industry. For instance, in the United States, the Obama administration should support the new revolution instead of imposing federal restrictions. Politicians have a tendency of taking credit for successes they were not involved in envisaging or supporting.

Energy - What Next Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Energy - What Next - Essay Example Offshore wind firms are more complex, inclusive of turbines, platforms, grids, cables, substations, interconnection and related construction activities. Currently, construction activities have centered in many rejoins of the U.K, representing over 3300MW of the entire capacity (Jay, 2008). I support the construction of these offshore winds with long-term charters of numerous highly specialized construction vessels and facilities to put up with the increasing dimensions of contemporary support structures, wind turbines, and balance of plant. Offshore wind farms are vital in their contribution to energy supply If these firms are constructed, they will be a suitable technology to meat the growing electricity demand, in a clean and sustainable way. Such firms will have minimal environmental impacts if they are logically well located relative to the places of electricity need. Further, higher wind speeds will increase energy production, since energy production is a purpose of the cube of the wind speed. I expect that a significant part of the future widely spread wind energy usage in U.K will be from offshore sites. Huge offshore wind farms are already in the planning phase of construction in several countries and especially in Europe. Just like Hirts put it, financial payback or economic viability of the farms depend largely on the renewable obligation Certificates, as well as on favorable wind conditions as compared to the sites constructed on land, I argue that the higher energy outcome has to recompense the extra installation and continuance costs. In constructing these farms, particularly siting large projects, a reliable and efficient offshore wind prediction is crucial (Burton & Jenkins, 2011). Present estimates based partially on U.K experience indicate that offshore wind energy can cost less than six cents per KW. In addition, capital costs are about 30-50 percent higher than those onshore because of bigger machine sizes, transporting and installing costs a t the sea, particularly offset by high-energy productions. However, just like onshore, I expect these prices to drop as technology advances and managers get more experience. As the European Wind Energy Association (2012) affirms, most offshore farms will be sited on monopiles or constructed on gravity foundations, there will be concrete structures stabilized by water or sand to allow the turbine towers to fit in. Monopiles must be included in these installations. They are long steel pipes, which are stroked, vibrated or drilled into the seabed to security levels then towers and platforms are installed on top of them. They will have a technical difficulty in mounting turbines on floating constructions, and monopiles get more expensive as one progress deeper into the water. In my opinion, technology has been growing rapidly for the past years and I can predict that technical advancements may make suspended offshore wind farms to be economically realistic in the future. Offshore wind f arms are important in energy providence. I support the construction of these farms basing on several factors. The resource, which is wind energy indirectly from the sun is extremely large, the costs of energy, though originally higher than those of onshore are affordable than most renewable technologies, and the associated risks are low. Constructing wind turbines at sea will limit the restraints that can be

Discuss s 51(xx) of the Australian Constitution - the Corporation Essay

Discuss s 51(xx) of the Australian Constitution - the Corporation Power - Essay Example tection of property from Federal acquisitions, freedom of interstate trade and the power of the Federal government to enter into external treaties etc. The Australian Constitution also provides for the existence of a Federal Parliament or the representative of the Queen, the Senate and a House of Representatives, whose members are chosen by the people of the Commonwealth in proportion to their numbers in various States. The Constitution provides that the Federal Parliament will have powers to make laws in relation to peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to matters related to trade, taxation, marriage, divorce, borrowing and much more. Section 51(xx) of Constitution, which is also known as the Corporations Power, grants the Federal Parliament the right to legislate in respect to foreign corporations and trading or financial corporations formed within the limits of the Commonwealth. The extent of the activities that can be regulated is unclear, but it has b een suggested that both acts of corporations related to trade and external activities are covered. This essay takes a look at this section of the Australian Constitution which has been used to bring into force The Trade Practices Act 1974, Corporations Act 2001, Foreign Acquisitions and Takeover Act 1975 as well as the Competition Policy Reform Act 1995 etc. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia was framed in 1900 after the debates in the Australasian Federation Conference of 1890 and the Australasian Federal Conventions of 1891 and 1897-8. Those who attended these conferences were all sitting politicians who had been chosen by their respective colonial parliaments. The framers of the Australian Commonwealth Constitution had inherited principles of responsible government from the British Constitution and had adapted these principles to a Federation in the Australian context. The Constitution of Australia in an essence defines the structure of the Australian government,

Energy - What Next Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Energy - What Next - Essay Example Offshore wind firms are more complex, inclusive of turbines, platforms, grids, cables, substations, interconnection and related construction activities. Currently, construction activities have centered in many rejoins of the U.K, representing over 3300MW of the entire capacity (Jay, 2008). I support the construction of these offshore winds with long-term charters of numerous highly specialized construction vessels and facilities to put up with the increasing dimensions of contemporary support structures, wind turbines, and balance of plant. Offshore wind farms are vital in their contribution to energy supply If these firms are constructed, they will be a suitable technology to meat the growing electricity demand, in a clean and sustainable way. Such firms will have minimal environmental impacts if they are logically well located relative to the places of electricity need. Further, higher wind speeds will increase energy production, since energy production is a purpose of the cube of the wind speed. I expect that a significant part of the future widely spread wind energy usage in U.K will be from offshore sites. Huge offshore wind farms are already in the planning phase of construction in several countries and especially in Europe. Just like Hirts put it, financial payback or economic viability of the farms depend largely on the renewable obligation Certificates, as well as on favorable wind conditions as compared to the sites constructed on land, I argue that the higher energy outcome has to recompense the extra installation and continuance costs. In constructing these farms, particularly siting large projects, a reliable and efficient offshore wind prediction is crucial (Burton & Jenkins, 2011). Present estimates based partially on U.K experience indicate that offshore wind energy can cost less than six cents per KW. In addition, capital costs are about 30-50 percent higher than those onshore because of bigger machine sizes, transporting and installing costs a t the sea, particularly offset by high-energy productions. However, just like onshore, I expect these prices to drop as technology advances and managers get more experience. As the European Wind Energy Association (2012) affirms, most offshore farms will be sited on monopiles or constructed on gravity foundations, there will be concrete structures stabilized by water or sand to allow the turbine towers to fit in. Monopiles must be included in these installations. They are long steel pipes, which are stroked, vibrated or drilled into the seabed to security levels then towers and platforms are installed on top of them. They will have a technical difficulty in mounting turbines on floating constructions, and monopiles get more expensive as one progress deeper into the water. In my opinion, technology has been growing rapidly for the past years and I can predict that technical advancements may make suspended offshore wind farms to be economically realistic in the future. Offshore wind f arms are important in energy providence. I support the construction of these farms basing on several factors. The resource, which is wind energy indirectly from the sun is extremely large, the costs of energy, though originally higher than those of onshore are affordable than most renewable technologies, and the associated risks are low. Constructing wind turbines at sea will limit the restraints that can be

Three Events That Changed America Essay Example for Free

Three Events That Changed America Essay The United States has changed a lot since its â€Å"Birth† in 1776. The United States changed for better or worse from The Great Depression, The Vietnam War, and The Attacks of 9/11. These life altering events formed America with tragedy, and destruction. Being the land of the free and the home of the brave. We rose up stronger and with hope. That’s what makes America great. The Great Depression all started when the stock’s value started to plummet with no hope of recovery (Black Tuesday), people started to panic. Everyone who owned stock was trying to sell, but no one was willing to buy. This caused the stock market to suffer even more. The Stock Market Crash was only the beginning. Almost all the banks at this time put their clients’ money into the stock market. When the stock market crashed, this made the banks go bankrupt. When news got around, anyone who had money in the bank was immediately withdrawing all the money they could. All the money being taken out caused any bank left to close permanently. The Great Depression had such a huge impact on the way America is today because it destroyed our economy. We were forced to grow together as a country and rebuild. I think Dennis Hastert says it best â€Å"What makes America great is that we can come together during times of national tragedy†. The Great Depression also change how we run our banks. The government now has a program in place called FDIC Insurance. They will insure you for up to 250,000 per insured bank account. The fee is included in your normal taxes. This was put in place because of the Great Depression. â€Å"The Vietnam War† At the end of World War II Military and Political tensions between the USSR (Russia) and the US greatly increased. Communism in the USSR presented itself as a big threat to the US’s national security. Fearing that the Communism would spread to Vietnam and other countries, the US opposed the independence movement there. The US first began by financially supporting France in the first Indochina War. The French defeat in Dein Bien Phu led to a peace conference in Geneva. This conference resulted in splitting the former French colony Indochina into three separate countries, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. There was a plan for a nationwide election to unify North and South Vietnam. However, in 1956, South Vietnam backed by the US refused to hold the election. The US supported South Vietnam by sending 2,000 military advisors-which grew to over 16,000 by 1963. In 1960, the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) began to attack the South Vietnamese government. After two attacks on U.S Navy vessels, the Gulf of Tokin Resolution was passed by the US Congress to give the US more powers to fight the war in Vietnam. The first US Combat troops were sent a year and a half after it was passed. In 1968 over 540,000 troops were in the countries of Vietnam. That same year the Viet Cong launched a massive surprise attack. This is now known as the â€Å"Tet Offensive†. This attack threatened the US’s position in South Vietnam. This had a huge impact on the outcome of the war. President Richard Nixon proposed the â€Å"Vietnamization† project. It gave South Vietnam more responsibility in fighting the war while still receiving American aid. The US would also provide air and naval support if necessary. In 1972 the Easter Offensive made people think if the policy was effective. They were suggesting that South Vietnam could not wage a full scale war against North Vietnam without the US’s full support. The 1970’s brought anti-war protests because Nixon tried to destroy the Viet Cong supply bases. In 1973, the war started to come to an end. The Paris Peace Accord was signed. This established a ceasefire and allowed the exchange of war prisoners. Also the withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam. This officially ends the US’s and its ally’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The US did still contribute monetarily to South Korea until its official ending in 1975. South Korea lost, and Vietnam was unified as one communist country. The Vietnam War not only changed how we fight, but it changed who we draft and length of the tour. In the Vietnam War the US learned a lot about jungle warfare. Towards the end the US got very proficient at it. Some historians believe that if the US would have kept the troops for four years instead of one the US would have gotten better quicker. They say that as soon as the troops got good, they were given the option to go home, which they did. The US also learned a lot about chemical warfare. The US learned how it affects the surrounding people. The US also learned how people in their own country felt about it. The war also changed our drafting system. The US in now on a volunteer basis. The Vietnam had many deaths on both sides and it has affected the world forever. â€Å"Pearl Harbor† Early morning on December 7th, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise torpedo attack on the US Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The following day President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech to the American citizens. This speech was informing the people that this all happened during the midst of talks to keep peace. That same day America entered WWII. Pearl Harbor held a 22,000 acre naval base. Admiral Husband E. Kimmel of the Navy and Lt. General Walter C. Short of the Army were in command of the fleet and troops on the ground the day of the attack. The majority of the Pacific area’s military commands were headquartered there because of growing apprehensions regarding an aggressive Japanese presence. Since the Japanese wanted to expand their territory and power, they had to search for natural resources. America was a likely target. America was a barrier between Java’s oil fields and the Japanese fleets. Also with America around, Japan could not conduct military strategies against the Netherlands and territories of the United Kingdom. Early on in the morning on December 7th, 1941, Japanese planes attacked about thirty-three American ships on orders of Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. America sustained a loss of one hundred seventy aircrafts that morning as well as eighteen ships. Three thousand seven hundred Americans lost their lives in one day but only very few Japanese died. Pearl Harbor changed America because it brought us to join WWII. This decision had an impact on who won the war. Who knows, if the US didn’t join the war we could all be speaking German or Japanese right now. This also led to the use of the first and last detonation of a nuclear bomb in warfare. So there are definitely pros and cons to Pearl Harbor. The loss of all the men in the attack was horrible, but if that never happened Hitler might have won. All in all, these events changed the course of history. The Great Depression taught us a lesson about how to handle stocks and money. It also gave us hope and brought us together as a country. The Vietnam War showed us how to fight jungle warfare. It also showed us the effects of chemical warfare (years after the Vietnam War). Pearl Harbor brought us to the very important decision to join WWII. For better or worse America is what it today because of these things.

How Social Policy Had An Impact On The Nhs Social Work Essay

How Social Policy Had An Impact On The Nhs Social Work Essay This essay is a discussion of how Social Policy had an impact to the National Health Service (NHS); the essay will pace the discussion in the context of some of the economic, political and social concepts that influence the development of social policy in the NHS. It also discusses the impact of the social policies in relation to social exclusion, inequality and/or poverty. While evaluating the effectiveness of these policies, it will explore the relationships among the different agencies involved in social welfare provision. Social policy is aimed to improve human welfare and meet human needs (Ken 2007 pg 1). During the 1942 Beveridge report on social security, it was recommended that a comprehensive national service should be developed to combat ill health after the Second World War. In 1944 proposals were brought up for the development of the NHS, legislation was passed in 1946 and in 1948 NHS started its operation after the National Health Act (1946). It provided a comprehensive service to the whole population at a relatively low cost. It was to be run nationally and mainly financed from taxation and a small token from National Insurance Fund and was substantially free at the point of delivery Howard (2000). All citizens had to be registered with a family doctor in order to receive free treatment for miner illness and be referred on to hospitals for those conditions that the General Practitioner (GP) could not treat. The NHS had popular support in the 1940s and in 1944 Henry Willink the conservative M inister of health, described the health proposals as representing the: very root of national vigour and national enterprisethe biggest single advance ever made in this country. Webster (1988), Howard (2000 pg98). Despite its achievements and popularity since the 1980s, the NHS has come under increasing pressure and strain from the conservative governments which have seen it as a burden on the economy. It has come under intensive criticism for being professionally dominated, unresponsive to consumers and internally inefficient and ineffective in the use of resources. And as a result in the 1990s the NHS and community Act come in to force and introduced changes that have been seen as the most radical since the 1946 Act that created the service. Though the NHS remained tax funded at the point of delivery, this Act recommended the introduction of an internal or quasi market and the introduction of a split of the NHS budget between those who purchased the services for their population and those who provide the services. The command and control model of the NHS with the Top-down directives was replaced by a system where the local purchasers negotiated contracts with the providers also emphasis was placed on introduction of audit system and better monitoring of performance. Purchasers (the districts) determined what services they wanted and who they should be bought. This means that the trading costs were a priority for the purchasers than the quality of the services. The aim of the conservative government in introducing the markets was to drive up standards and increase accountability (Enthoven, 1985). The conservative government came into power in May 1979 strongly influenced by the political philosophy of the New Right government policy in general strongly promoted business and private enterprise and sought to discourage individuals and families from succumbing to welfare dependency. Reliance on the market (not the state), increased the competition and to a greater choice for individuals- consumer sovereignty- were the principles which underpinned a plethora of policies during the 1980s and 1990s. Individualism was lauded over collectivism Dorey (2005:p.104). Thatcher applied policies of Milton Friedmans monetarism (1980) that aimed at controlling inflation by reducing government borrowing and subsidise industries through privatisation. This involved selling government funded services to companies and individuals who had money to invest Jenkins, (1987). The main aim was to raise money and pay off the government debts and to improve efficiency of nationalised industries. The Natio nal Health Service was not privatised but was reorganised into parts, the medical which was dealt with by the government while the ancillary was privatised to competitive tenders from private companies (cheap bidders win). It was assumed that competition would increase efficiency, reduce costs, create social justice in order for everybody to get equal treatment and discipline medical behaviour. But all this did not work out as planned. For example hospitals were not properly cleaned leading to an increase of infections like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus skin infection (MRSA) and Clostridium Difficile (CDF). It can be argued that the Thatchers politically influenced policy reforms were aiming at privatisation through the creation of market which is contrary to the foundation principles of NHS which are free at the point of delivery. This argument leads one to question whether Thatcher had prepared the NHS for these radical reforms. But also one wonders if the government had planned how the poor would access NHS services without being excluded on financial merit. King (2005) asserts that there was no immediate overhaul of the NHS in order to render it compatible with and complementary to these new values as it encouraged greater use of private health care while from 1983, health authorities were required to contract out domestic, catering and laundering service. In relation to poverty and inequality, it can be argued that this policy created unemployment for those who lost their jobs during the privatisation and also those who could not afford to pay for private health care; they were excluded from accessing the services. However, Haus argues that Margaret Thatcher saved the British economy by bringing both the inflation and unemployment under control and by creating a more dynamic private sector they called a third way that combines the best aspects of the socialist commitment to equality and market economy. But to her opponents, Haus says that they viewed her policies as new problems and exacerbated existing ones by widening the gap between rich and the poor and by allowing public services to deteriorate (Haus 2009). Much as the privatisation policy appears controversial from Haus perspective, the element of controlling inflation and saving the British economy from the 1980s depreciation implies that there were economic drivers that influenced Margaret Thatcher to reform the policies. This argument is supported by Alcock. He states that social policy development is also closely dependent upon the economic structure of the society and upon the economic growth within it (Alcocks 2008: p.198). One of the new Labours main objectives when elected in 1997 was to make significant improvement in the NHS and in line with that the NHS was to be rebuilt. The government put forward its plans in a White paper. (The new NHS Morden dependable Department of Health 1997). Following the publication of the white paper on the NHS in 1997 and a various other consultation document, wide ranging health reforms were discussed which led to the Heath Act 1999. This Act brought key changes in the NHS. The internal markets which were introduced by the Thatcher government in the 1990s were replaced by a new policy which encouraged co-operation and partnership between health services and between the NHS social services and other care providers. In 2001 primary care groups were established in every area of England with the aim of running the health services. The primary care groups were formed by local groups of doctors and nurses, theses organisations were to oversee the delivery of primary health care to the local community through family doctors. They also directed resources available to the NHS trust and other health service organisation (Blackmoore, 2003). The health Act 1999 together with the health Act 2001 led to the introduction of the Primary Care Trusts which were meant to run health and social service jointly. According to Downey ( 2001 p 34) the health and social Act of 2001 led to a radical shake up of the social service never seen in three decades. The Labour government under Tony Blair made significant changes to the doctors contracts due to economic factors, mainly limitations of the capitation system in GP funding. Instead it introduced what was termed as modern contracts for GPs and hospital doctors. The contracts were to be quality based and doctors were paid on condition upon reaching certain performance targets. GPs were required to meet specified improvements in preventative care as well as quality of their services to patients. The General Practitioners (GPs) were budgeted and were expected to work within those budgets to meet the needs of their patients. They were rewarded if they managed to work within their budge ts and given additional money for running health promotional clinics. They were to shop around for the cheapest provider for their patients. However as they were reluctant to accept patients who would drain on their budgets thus care for the people who needed it most in most cases suffer. Shaun et al (2001). Inspection of the health service was introduced together with the central regulation. This meant that the health care standards and health service delivery were to be monitored by an organisation known as the national institute for clinical excellence. This body was to decide which drugs and new treatments are to be available to patients free on the NHS. In line with the above, another regulatory body was set up. It was known as the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI). This body was to inspect the standards of hospital and primary care. In fact this body was meant to act as Ofsted in providing league tables of schools and colleges but for CHI it created hospital performance league tables by publishing patients survival rates after various hospitals and operations. In contrast however, the publication of league tables with ranking of performance, create negative impact to the primary care trusts and hospital located at the bottom of the table that they provide worst services. It also creates negative impact on the public trust and professional moral because staff may be demoralised in reaching its maximum potential for better services if their hospital is considered to be under performing. Again the use of league tables do not really reflect the quality of hospital treatment, because they include a small number of key clinical areas and doubt go into detail about the process of care. What they really show is the effectiveness of trusts management team rather than standard of clinical care. More so, even if patients are aware of their local hospital performance, they have no choice about where to get better treatment because hospital referrals are decided by GPs. In 1997, the labour government under Blair recommended a welfare review. However, there was no attempt to reverse the changes made by Thatcher and accepted that there can be no return to the Golden Age. The main welfare provision that Labour introduced is called WELFARE TO WORK, A NEW DEAL. It was aimed at helping groups especially young, lone parents and long-term unemployed who rely on benefits, to find work and support themselves. Labours approach was to find a third way between the Golden Age welfare state and the conservative changes. The government introduced a minimum wage to make-work more attractive than claiming benefits. The Blair government did a lot to improve the NHS and in 2002 Blair staked the future of his government to improve the NHS. The distribution of wealth in Britain saw a number of arguments, which were about equality, and the impact of welfare state on various sectors in society. Capitalist do not fund welfare systems as the workers pay for it through direct taxation; they pay for their own health. Poor people carry far more of the tax burden in real terms than the wealthy because the cost of the indirect tax such as VAT on items such as beer and cigarettes take a large portion of their income (Shaun et al, 2000) the wealthy benefits more the welfare state than do the poor such as tax relief on mortgages. Socialist. The socialists argue that the welfare of individuals is the responsibility of the state. They argue for redistribution of income through taxation so that the rich can fund the welfare of the poor. They wish to change the structure of the society to benefit the poor and bridge the gap between rich and poor. The socialists argue in favour of universal access to welfare and are opposed to targeting benefit. Liberals. They argue that welfare is needed to support capitalism and to support the poor. Writers such as Anthony Giddens, suggest that the state cannot leave some of the problems to market forces to solve because these problems are too big or too complicated .The liberals sort out problems as they arise without either looking for them or allowing any rigidly held views influencing common sense views of the events. In conclusion welfare state developed due to a number of factors contributing poverty, sickness, high levels of unemployment after the Second World War. The recommendations of the Beveridge report about the five evil giants influenced the government to introduce the welfare state and to the subsequent changes to the NHS.

Descartes to Kant: The Existence of God †A Very Brief History :: Philosophy, God

The subsequent essay will cover a short history of the existence of God from Renà © Descartes through Immanuel Kant. First, section (1), covers Descartes’ view on the existence of God. Following this, in (2), I consider G.W. Leibniz’s view and George Berkeley’s view is explored in (3). These first three philosophers undeniably believe God exists. The remainder of the essay covers three additional philosophers whose views on the existence of God are less certain. These philosophers include John Locke covered in section (4), David Hume in (5) and, lastly, Immanuel Kant in (6). (1) Holding strong Catholic beliefs, Descartes, without a doubt believed in the existence of God. Descartes makes this clear in the beginning of Meditations on First Philosophy. He writes that we must â€Å"believe in God’s existence because it is taught in the Holy Scriptures, and, conversely, that we must believe in the Holy Scriptures because they have come from God† (Descartes 1). Later, however, within the Third Meditation, Descartes considers the existence of God. In his search for absolute certainty, he initially writes, â€Å"I do not yet sufficiently know if there is even a God† (Descartes, 25). In other words, Descartes does not initially know if God exists with certainty. He then deliberates â€Å"whether there is a God† (25). Even though he questions God’s existence, Descartes still has an innate idea of God; a substance that is an â€Å"infinite, independent, supremely intelligent and supremely powerful† perfect being who cr eated everything (30). As a result, he concludes that because of his innate idea of God, (which was not conjured by Descartes of drawn from the senses), it must therefore be God who â€Å"is the cause of this idea† (25). Moreover, because Descartes exists with an idea of God, he concludes that God must also exist. He explicitly states this in the following: â€Å"I have no choice but to conclude that the mere fact of my existing is and of there being in me an idea of a most perfect being, that is God, demonstrates most evidently that God too exists† (34). Descartes then continues, suggesting that it is â€Å"highly plausible† that he is somehow made in the image and likeness of his creator (35). After this, Descartes continues the meditations basing many other things on the existence of God. But, in the Fifth Meditation, Descartes claims to provide a proof demonstrating the existence of God.

Midnight Express Essay -- essays research papers

Midnight Express   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Billy Hayes becomes desperate at the end of the movie. He realizes that he will never be released and so when he finds the money his girlfriend hid for him, he is moved to try and escape. He tries to bribe Hamidon to let him out. Hamidon takes the money but takes him to an empty room where he is planning on beating Billy. He takes off his gun and puts down his stick. He starts beating Billy. He stops and begins to pull his pants down. Billy seizes this opportunity and pushes him, knocking his head into a peg on the wall killing him. He then puts on Hamidon’s clothes, takes his gun and leaves the prison. He is finally out and makes it across the border into Greece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If I were put into that situation, I think I woul...

How to Lose Weight Essay

Today I would like to give some tips about how to lose weight. Firstly, you must keep your own personal food diary and determine your weight loss goals upfront. It is important that you determine a healthy weight for you age and height. Sometimes people want to lose weight to become very thin; this is not good for your health, so before you start ensure you know what are your weight loss goals. People who keep food diaries, according to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, lose an average of 2.75 kg more than people who don’t keep a record of everything that they eat. So force yourself to write down the good, the bad and the ugly. Then, you must avoid skipping meals. The same study found that people who ate at least 3 meals per day lost more weight than people who didn’t. The scientists speculate that people who skip meals either overeat at their next meals because they’re so hungry, or their bodies absorb more calories because they’re in starvation mode from skipping meals. And the last, you have learn to love fruit. Fruit helps to satisfy your sweet tooth thanks to its natural sugars. It also contains fiber to help you feel full quickly. You also must to eat vegetables for nutrition and to help you fill up more quickly. When you make your lunch or dinner plate contain at least 50 percent vegetables, you can have other richer dishes on your plate in smaller portions. That’s all I want to talk about.

Marketing is more than selling and promotion Essay

The primary concern or objective of marketing is to identify and satisfy, or exceed the changing needs of customers. In view of this broad concern of marketing, it can be seen that the concept of marketing summarizes many activities in a business. Marketing, in fact, refers to any activity undertaken by a firm that has been designed to plan, price, promote and distribute ideas, goods and services to target markets. These marketing activities were executed in order to create an exchange and sales that will result in the achievement of the proprietors’ individual goals and the firm’s goals, both in the short-term and the long-term. It is then obvious that marketing forms an integral component of any business’s operations. In particular marketing activities attempt to increase a firms’ revenue base, by showing the importance of attracting potential customers in target markets to purchase the firms’ products in order to satisfy their wants, rather than those of firm’s competitors. Consequently, the marketing directly contributes to the attainment of the financial goals of the firm. Hence, the success of a firm is reliant upon the extent to which it is able to identify, and satisfy the customer’s needs more effectively. Marketing as an activity that involves several features, all of which are presented during the course of the marketing process. Such features include, firstly and most importantly, that marketing is a long process that begins with the creation of an idea and ends up as product that will be sold to satisfy a customer’s needs. Secondly, marketing is seen as a managerial process as it involves making managerial decisions about the particular mix of product, price, place and promotion in a firm. Furthermore, marketing involves managers planning and ensuring that particular arranged activities are carried out, in order for the marketing plan to be successful. Finally, marketing is perceived as a way in which firms are able to satisfy the needs of customers, and in turn achieve their own business goals. Marketing provides the business with the ability to satisfy the changing wants of customers. In light of this, and the fact that businesses have  become increasingly aware of the role that marketing plays in achieving success in the business, several approaches or philosophies to marketing have developed. There are different approaches to marketing, to help to define marketing and to show, how a specific marketing approach/s depends upon particular business’s marketing strategy and the type of product being marketed. Starting with a Marketing Concept, which believes that a customer’s need for satisfaction, is the economic and social reason for an organisation’s existence. This approach requires, that all of the business’s activities should be targeted towards meeting consumer wants, while at the same time meeting the organisation’s goals. In effect, this approach needs the firm to find out what the customer wants, and subsequently develops a product to meet these requirements and then sell it at a profit. Then the Production Concept should be considered. This approach states that the business will sell its product if it is both well made and affordable. Businesses utilising this method require management to focus on improving production techniques and cost structures of the business The Product Concept focuses on the quality, features, and performance of the product. Believing that if the product has more features or is of a better quality and performance compared to competitors, it will then gain greater sales it is defiantly less customer orientated. The Selling Concept concentrates on developing sales techniques and promotional activities in order to entice customers into buying an organisation’s product, whether they want it or not. Therefore this approach places direct emphasis on customers, but possibly not on their want-satisfaction. After all the Societal Marketing Concept which is the latest marketing approach, combines the main ideas of the marketing approach, that is, determining customer needs and satisfying the business’s goals, but also integrates social responsibility into the business. This social responsibility includes increasing environmental awareness, which may include tackling the problems of pollution and the exploitation of  non-renewable resources. Modern day businesses are under pressure to adopt this marketing approach, in order to become more socially responsible. This approach not only focuses on fulfilling the customer’s want-satisfaction, but also satisfying society. These four approaches in particular show, that marketing is more than promoting and selling a product. They could be compared with the four P?s (product, place, promotion and price), which are normally used to describe the process of marketing. But the concepts of marketing, production, product, selling and society marketing give another view into the difficult and never ending process of marketing.

An Analysis Of Sainsburys Supermarket

An Analysis Of Sainsburys Supermarket Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury along with his wife Mary Ann in London and then gradually grew to become the largest grocery retailer by 1922. Sainsbury’s is the UK’s oldest major food retailer with their first store opened in 1869. It strives to keep up with its trusted heritage of quality with best services. Past: In the early 1990’s Sainsbury’s, market leader so far, lost its position to Tesco and in 2004 it came down to no. three after Tesco and Asda. The downfall involved many reasons including changing managements, lack of innovative strategies, failing to assess the impact of loyalty cards scheme, unhealthy acquisition in Egypt and a misleading marketing strategy which failed to communicate the right message to the consumers. Present: Sainsbury’s started to fight back and be noticed after Justin King took over the management role in early 2004 and came up with a revival strategy under the name of ‘Making Sainsbury’s Grea t Again’. The process involved a no. of mergers and acquisitions of small chains in the south east England and the Midlands. The new message of ‘Try Something New Today’ went really well with the media and the consumer led by the famous celebrity chef Jamie Oliver it encouraged buyers to innovate in their kitchens and make their food interesting. Future: The supermarket industry has reached a saturation point in the UK. How long can Sainsbury’s go on opening up new stores at locations such that its stores do not start to cannibalize each other? Using the Ansoff Growth Matrix two future strategies are suggested for Sainsbury’s: Opening up of Sainsbury’s Travels and Tours – Product Development On the basis of the success potential in the travel business, Sainsbury’s might venture into the Travel and Tours business by way of Product Development as per Ansoff Growth Matrix tool for future strategy selection. Sainsbury’s has a very high probability of success as measured with the help of SWOT analysis and assessing the keys to success and the critical factors. Sainsbury’s China – Market Development Sainsbury’s might opt for the Market development strategy by offering the supermarket business to the land of opportunities China. The move will be mad after the necessary PEST analysis has been done and company’s SWT has been assessed with Chinese perspective. Sainsbury’s – Strategic Corporate Development History: 1990 to 2004 Corporations are required to add value by mans of their business. The goal is to manage and control the businesses for a long term and sustainable success. The corporate level strategy deals with the choice of the business and the growth and development related to it. Sainsbury’s enjoyed the position of the leader in the UK supermarket industry up to the early 1990’s. It had sustained its image of a name trusted with quality and se rvice. British like old names with some history behind them. The company started to lose its grip in the early nineties due to a number of reasons. There was a change in management after the longtime CEO John David Sainsbury retired. He was replaced by David Sainsbury who bought about a change in the management style. Although the times were changing and some of the people in the management thought strongly about launching loyalty card schemes and also favored introduction of non-food items in the stores, both the options were rejected by the fresh management.

The overcoat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The overcoat - Essay Example In reply to their witty statements, Akaky calmly retorts, â€Å"Leave me alone! Why do you insult me?† (Gogol, 2006, p. 5). Akaky maintains a very intimate relationship with his work as a civil servant. He keeps immersed in work all the time. He remains so busy in copying all the time, that everything else is non-existent for him in his life. He lives an empty life and cares only for work. He does not even take care of his personal hygiene. Prior to obtaining the overcoat, Akaky maintains an introverted image. He is essentially a person with no hope for materialistic success or socialization. Soon after he obtains the overcoat, his colleagues take notice of that and make compliments on the overcoat. This raises the self esteem of Akaky manifolds and changes his social life drastically. The overcoat lends Akaky a new identity that he can proudly carry in the social circle. This improves his relationship with peers and he becomes optimistic about his career and future. Therefore , buying a new overcoat turned out to be an extremely fateful decision for Akaky. Upon having his overcoat lost, Akaky approach a Very Important Person upon the advice of a fellow clerk that works in his department. In the story, The Most Important Person represents the people in power. Accordingly, his attitude is the portrayal of the way a common man is treated by those in power in the society.

Forces and Trends in Chocolate Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forces and Trends in Chocolate Industry - Essay Example Population Growth Like any other industry, the chocolate industry is driven by population growth. For the chocolate industry, this population growth occurs in one crucial way. This is owed to the fact that the elderly age group is anticipated to triple by 2015 (Silva and Simoes, 2010). Consequently, players in the chocolate industry must come up with inventive products that satisfy the needs of this generation. As mentioned earlier, Hershey Chocolates Company has already reacted by coming up with the Kisses dark chocolate. This product is associated with low cholesterol values and numerous antioxidants. Consequently, the product is tailor-made for the baby boomer generation. Supplier Power This refers to the company’s ability to operate regardless of the prevailing suppliers in the industry. It is necessary to note that the primary raw materials in the production of chocolates are cocoa bean, milk and secondary sugar. Therefore, with regard to the production of sugar and milk, there exist numerous suppliers in the market. Thus, supplier power in regards to these two products is limited. On the other hand, the supply of the cocoa beans is limited to only a few suppliers in the industry. This implies that the supplier power of the cocoa bean firms is extremely high. Therefore, the chocolate producing firms such as Hershey Chocolates Company must come up with effective ways of lowering the supplier power of these companies in order to remain competitive in the industry. Consequently, Hershey Chocolates Company has reacted to this challenge in the following ways: Research on alternative ingredient formulation Optimizing current cocoa production Research on Alternative Ingredient Formulation... The researcher focuses on the effects of economic recession, that today usually refer to a spell in the business cycle where there exists a contraction or slowdown in business activity. Consequently, economic recession impacts negatively on businesses. This implies that, for Hershey Chocolates Company to succeed it has to effectively wither the economic recession. Consequently, these products have given the company a competitive advantage over similar firms in the industry. However, the industry also faces stiff competition from other substitute products such as ordinary candy and cookies. Other non-chocolate snacks such as fruits, ice cream and yoghurt also pose a challenge to the industry. Health concerns are continually taking a toll on the chocolate industry with consumers insisting on consumption of healthy diets. Consequently, industry players like the Hershey Chocolates Company must develop increased premium products in order to penetrate into the consumer market. The products must be sensitive to the health and ethical issues so as to win a share of the crowded market in the industry. With regards to rivalry with other similar companies, market growth of around 20 percent annually, together with its unique products cushions the company from the stiff competition it would have to face. Therefore, the chocolates industry experiences various forces and trends. Thus, it can be concluded that Hershey Chocolates Company must employ strategic measures in order to maintain profitability in the fragmented market system.

4) Discuss the differences in Religious Jurisprudence between of Essay

4) Discuss the differences in Religious Jurisprudence between of Sunnites and Shiites - Essay Example This has caused sometimes fights among the vast population of Muslims in the Islamic countries. As per the records available, Prophet Muhammad died in the year 632 A.D. His death left a gap for the political leadership of the Muslim community, with regard to succession of the prophet. The debate over the selection of the successor left mainly two choices with the Muslim masses. While one choice was to find a pious person who would follow the percepts of Islam and principals laid out by the prophet, other view point was to find the successor from the bloodline of the prophet itself. The first Caliph named as Abu Bakr, who was a close associate of the prophet was announced after this debate. However, some of the Muslims did not support this decision, although majority was in its favor. Prophet Muhammad had a daughter named Fatima whose husband, Ali ibn Abi Talib was very active during the lifetime of the prophet. However, he did not have the required seniority to replace the prophet after his death. In any case, a certain sect of the Muslims opined that this son-in-law of the prophet should succeed him. Even among the followers of Ali, some voices supported the name of Abu Bakr as successor. Thereafter, two Caliphs, Umar and Uthman, who were seen as legitimate successive Caliphs by the majority of the Muslims, succeeded Abu Bakr. However, the separatist voices supporting Ali had not died down completely and some of the Ali’s supporters killed the third Caliph, Uthman in the year 652 A.D.. This resulted in the announcement of Ali as the new Caliph......(1) As the rivalry had already taken roots within the Muslim civilization, Ali was also killed in the year 661 A.D. He had two sons Hassan and Hussein who also died some years later in the battle against Sunnis. This became the cause of the division of the Islamic religion in two sects. The percentage supporting Ali as the Caliph was called Shias and the other majority supporting the earlier Caliphs were

The Best Fish and Chips Shop in 2003 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Best Fish and Chips Shop in 2003 - Article Example Mr. Jones drew on his past experience as a customer and asked himself what he actually wants from a fish and chips product. All of the little things and ideas he and the staff have was put together to come up with better ways of improving both services and product. Some of their core products are the batter less Cod and Chicken Goujons which stands out among competitors. The staff has a way of reinventing some processes such as a certain way of washing the fryer so old starch would not stick to the new batter. Such things may seem little but they do go a long way in satisfying customer’s tastes. In fact, customers pass 8 more fish and chips shop before reaching Finnegan’s which shows how strong Finnegan’s brand loyalty is. Additionally, customers do not mind waiting for half an hour just to grab the favorite takeaway – fish and chips. There are several factors that can contribute to the future success of the organization, namely: focus on main products, creative marketing, and innovation. The owner himself doesn’t want to diversify too much when it comes to product development. He believes that diluting the focus of the business by offering too many products would not be advantageous in terms of profitability. Instead, current products are marketed in a different way so customers have better choices. For example, they created a kiddies’ serving for children which is not common among fish and chips shops. Also, they often ask the opinion of customers which is a good way of getting feedback. Even the packaging of the product is taken into account which just shows how keen the owner is in satisfying his customers. Simple things such as food warming process are also considered so eventually, everything ends up as the added value to the brand Finnegan. An obstacle that could limit their growth in terms of core competencies would be cutting costs. Although Mr. Jones saves as much as 10,000 pounds a year due to his good bidding skills.

Analizing film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analizing film - Essay Example This historical period fills the gap between Civil War reconstruction and Martin Luther King. The film just featured the actual suffering of black men in the hands of Whites. There was no exaggeration. 4. What interferences were made in the film? Were there parts of the film that that filmmakers must have made up because they couldn’t have known this from the available evidence? Answer: The film revealed that slavery in a different form was enacted even after the Civil Wars and continued till World War II. The movie is based on the 2008 published book- Slavery by Another Name. The book is a result of extensive research done by the author Douglas A. Blackmon; as such this movie is entirely based on facts. There is no amount of fabrication in it. Douglas himself is the Co-executive producer of the film. 5. What techniques are used in the film to persuade the audience to the filmmaker’s point of view? Note music, camera angle, character portrayal, etc. Answer: The film use d various techniques to establish its points but most important of all is the story line. The movie is based on a book with the same title and follows close to the original writing. The character portrayal is quite strong and the individual incidents of black men’s agonies are quite heart rending in nature. ... Blackmon. Sheila has used several sources to authenticate the reality of the story line. Sheila's sources vary from business records to one "Sheriff's Feeding Account, 1899-1907." She also uses government documents and articles by an assortment of various academics, some of whom are included in the movie. She also looked into newspapers of that era and web based resources. 7. What relevant information do I know? Does it contradict or support the theory presented in the film? Answer: I had always thought that Civil War was the ending of slavery system. The war put an end to the Black’s miseries and the black populations were able to lead a better life. Of course I knew that racial discrimination continued to flourish in the country and still the American society witness one or the other form of racial discriminations. However, I was completely unaware that Blacks suffered a different kind of slavery and that it continued for so long a period. The movie contradicts the theory I was holding about Black people’s lives and acted as an eye opener. 8. Overall how strong are the historical arguments in this film? Is it historically accurate? Answer 8: Samuel D. Pollard’s movie, Slavery by Another Name is based on historical facts. Dr. Sharon Malone, wife of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in the PBS portion of the 2012 Winter TCA Tour reinforces the fact that â€Å"this is American history.† (January 4, 2012). The movie concerns not only South American history but entire America for the North Americans were as guilty of the crime as the Southerners. Slavery in different forms continued to be practice even after it was officially abolished in the

General psychology Essay Example for Free

General psychology Essay Introduction ALMOST CERTAINLY YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE COME ACROSS THE IDEA OF PLAGIARISM ALREADY. PLAGIARISM IS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION OF OTHER PEOPLES’ WORK AS IF IT IS YOUR OWN, FOR YOUR GAIN. THE IDEAS AROUND PLAGIARISM ARE PRESENTED TO STUDENTS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS SOMETIMES PLAGIARISM IS SEEN AS A DREADFUL CRIME. WE WANT TO PRESENT IT HERE IN THE CONTEXT OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF ACADEMIC HONESTY AND WHAT IS TERMED ‘ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT’. YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE THEY SHOULD GUIDE YOUR MANNER OF WORKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION. PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING ARE SERIOUS ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, AND PLAGIARISM, IN  PARTICULAR, IS INCREASING A GREAT DEAL AT PRESENT. WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND THE GOOD WORKING HABITS THAT ENABLE YOU TO MAKE EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE JUDGEMENTS IN YOUR WORK. THIS UNIT IS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS NEAR THE STARTING POINT OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDIES. IT PROVIDES THE INFORMATION AND SKILLS THAT YOU NEED AT PRESENT – AND YOU WILL HAVE MORE MATERIAL ON THIS TOPIC AT A LATER STAGE, WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT. The aim of this unit is to: -HELP YOU TO GET A CLEAR IDEA OF ACADEMIC HONESTY AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT -CLARIFY THE MEANINGS OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT CHEATING AND  PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION -PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE ACADEMICALLY HONEST; -IDENTIFY AND HELP YOU TO ATTAIN THE SKILLS THAT YOU NEED FOR ACADEMIC HONESTY AND GOOD PRACTICE 1 AS WELL AS PROVIDING SOME EXERCISES TO HELP YOU TO LEARN FROM THIS MATERIAL, THIS UNIT IS INTENDED TO BE A RESOURCE TO WHICH YOU MAY WISH TO RETURN FOR GUIDANCE. THE ANSWERS TO THE EXERCISES ARE AT THE END OF THE UNIT. Some points to think about AS A STUDENT YOU SHOULD LEARN ABOUT ACADEMIC HONESTY BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION BEHAVIOUR. THERE ARE SEVERAL ASPECTS TO IT. IT INVOLVES: -ENSURING FAIRNESS TO THOSE WHO HAVE PRODUCED NEW KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS; -ENSURING THAT THE WORK THAT A PERSON SAYS IS HER OWN IS INDEED HER OWN; -THE DISCOURAGEMENT FROM CHEATING TO GAIN UNFAIR PERSONAL ADVANTAGE. THE INTENTION TO DECEIVE STAFF OR THE INSTITUTION IS CENTRAL TO THE ACTIVITY OF THE PLAGIARIST OR CHEAT. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT FAIR ON YOU, AS A STUDENT, IF YOUR FELLOW COLLEAGUES CHEAT AND PLAGIARISE AND THEREBY GET BETTER MARKS. SAM, SUZANNE, IZZY, AND KATRINE ARE IN A LEVEL 1 CLASS AT SOMOUTH UNIVERSITY. THEY ARE ALL STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AND ARE IN A CLASS OF OVER A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY STUDENTS. THEIR SEMINAR SESSIONS ARE THIRTY IN NUMBER AND SO FAR THEY DO NOT FEEL KNOWN AS INDIVIDUALS BY STAFF. SUZANNE HAS BEEN STRUGGLING BECAUSE SHE, UNLIKE THE OTHERS, DID NOT STUDY PSYCHOLOGY AT SCHOOL. SHE HAS BEEN QUITE DEPRESSED ABOUT IT AND HAS ASKED THE OTHERS FOR HELP. THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD, BUT SHE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT IN. AT TIMES SHE TALKS ABOUT LEAVING UNIVERSITY. THEY COME TO THE COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT AT THE END OF LEVEL 1 AND TO EVERYONE’S SURPRISE, SUZANNE COMES OUT WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST MARKS IN THE CLASS. THE TUTOR PRAISES HER WORK AT THE NEXT SEMINAR AS BEING WELL CONSTRUCTED, AND PARTICULARLY WELL WRITTEN. SUZANNE IS CLEARLY HAPPY AND THEY ALL GO OUT FOR A DRINK IN THE EVENING. UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A FEW PINTS SHE LETS SLIP THAT SHE PAID ANOTHER STUDENT IN HER HOUSE (FROM LEVEL 2) TO WRITE IT. AFTER THE TIME AND EFFORT THE OTHERS HAVE PUT INTO HELPING SUZANNE, AND DOING THEIR OWN WORK, THE OTHERS FEEL CHEATED BY HER ACTION. THE ATTITUDE TO PLAGIARISM CAN DIFFER IN DIFFERENT CULTURES, FOR EXAMPLE SOMETIMES IT CAN BE CONSIDERED TO BE AN HONOURABLE ACT TO REPRODUCE THE EXACT WORDS OF THE EXPERT TEACHER. IN THE UK THE NORM IS TO EXPECT STUDENTS TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN WORK. THEY WILL, OF COURSE, USE THE WORK OF OTHERS WITHIN THEIR WORK AND WHERE  THIS OCCURS THE OTHERS’ WORK NEEDS TO BE CITED AND WHEN QUOTED, MARKED AS A QUOTATION. SOME INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MAY NEED TO ADJUST TO UK NORMS WHEN STUDYING HERE. 2 LAU COMES FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA. HE WAS ENCOURAGED TO GIVE GREAT RESPECT TO HIS TEACHERS, THERE AND TO REGARD THEM AS EXPERTS WHOSE WORK WAS TO BE EMULATED. HE IS VERY TAKEN ABACK WHEN HE IS TOLD THAT HIS EXAMINATION PAPER SHOULD EXPRESS MORE OF HIS OWN IDEAS AND SHOULD NOT CONTAIN MATERIAL THAT HE MUST HAVE LEARNT BY HEART FROM HIS LECTURE NOTES. HE FINDS IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW HE, HIMSELF COULD HAVE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE TO SAY AT THIS STAGE. IF YOU ARE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND FEEL THAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL IN THIS UNIT, ASK A TUTOR OR STUDY ADVISOR FOR MORE HELP. Some definitions and explanations WE HAVE SAID THAT THE AVOIDANCE OF CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM IS A MATTER OF HAVING INFORMATION AND A SET OF SKILLS THAT BECOME GOOD HABITS OF WORKING. WE START BY LOOKING AT A SET OF EXPLANATIONS AS PART OF THE INFORMATION, AND THEN YOU WILL BE GIVEN SEVERAL DEFINITIONS. YOU DO NOT NEED TO MEMORISE THESE DEFINITIONS, BUT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THEM. TO START WITH, WE INTRODUCE THE TERM ‘ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT’ TO MEAN THE USE OF  DISHONEST ACADEMIC BEHAVIOUR TO ONE’S OWN BENEFIT. THE TERM INCLUDES CHEATING, PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION. CLEARLY, SUZANNE ILLUSTRATES ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT IN HER BEHAVIOUR – AND THAT WAS PLAGIARISM. CHEATING IS OFTEN SEEN AS A BEHAVIOUR THAT OCCURS IN EXAMINATIONS, BUT IT IS BROADER THAN THAT. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF CHEATING BEHAVIOUR. SIMON KNEW THAT OTHERS NEEDED A BOOK IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE ESSAYS THAT THEY HAD BEEN SET. HE USED THE LIBRARY BOOK HIMSELF, THEN HANDED IT BACK IN (IT WAS A SHORT-TERM LOAN) AND THEN WHEN HE WAS IN THE LIBRARY THE NEXT DAY, TOOK THE BOOK FROM ITS PROPER LOCATION AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER AREA OF THE  LIBRARY. JAMIE WENT INTO THE EXAMINATION WITH TEN KEY NAMES WRITTEN ON HIS ARM IN BALLPOINT PEN JULIETTE WAS DOING A CHEMISTRY DEGREE. HER EXPERIMENT IN CLASS DID NOT GO TOO WELL AND THE DATA SHE ACHIEVED WAS INCOMPLETE. SHE HAD A LOOK AT HER FRIEND’S BOOK AND GOT AN IDEA OF THE APPROPRIATE KIND OF DATA AND MADE SOME UP. CHRISTINA HAD NOT DONE ENOUGH REVISION FOR THE CLASS TEST. SHE TOOK THE DAY OFF, SAYING THAT SHE HAD ‘FLU AND KNOWING THAT SHE WOULD THEN HAVE A BIT MORE TIME TO LEARN FOR THE TEST WHICH SHE WOULD DO LATER. 3 ED HAD A PROJECT IN ENGLISH TO WRITE UP, TO BE HANDED IN AT A PARTICULAR TIME. THERE WAS OTHER ACADEMIC WORK TO BE HANDED IN AT THE SAME TIME AND HE KNEW HE COULD NOT DO ALL OF IT. HE LEFT THE ENGLISH PROJECT UNTIL LAST. AFTER A SESSION IN THE GYM HE COMPLAINED OF A VERY SORE WRIST, PUT A BANDAGE ON IT AND WENT TO SEE HIS TUTOR TO ASK FOR MORE TIME TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT ON THE BASIS THAT HE COULD NOT WRITE VERY QUICKLY AT PRESENT. HIS TUTOR TOLD HIM TO GO TO THE MEDICAL CENTRE AND GET A NOTE. HE CAME BACK TWO DAYS LATER WITH THE PROJECT NOW COMPLETED AND THE WRIST UNBANDAGED AND ‘HEALED’. THE TWO DAYS HAD BEEN VERY USEFUL. ABI WAS ONE OF A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO WERE WORKING TOGETHER ON A PROJECT  THAT WAS TO BE SUBMITTED JOINTLY. SHE HAD GONE INTO HIGHER EDUCATION PARTLY BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO ENJOY A GOOD SOCIAL-LIFE, AND THE PROJECT WAS NOT GOING TO GET IN HER WAY. WHEN THE OTHER STUDENTS IN THE GROUP MET TO WORK ON THE PROJECT, SHE WOULD CONSTANTLY SAY THAT SHE COULD NOT MAKE IT. THEY GOT ON WITH THE PROJECT, COMPLETED IT AND HANDED IT IN WITH ABI’S NAME ON IT AS WELL. THEY RESENTED HER BEHAVIOUR, BUT BEING IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THEIR PROGRAMME, DID NOT KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL AND DID NOT KNOW HOW TO INDICATE ABI’S LACK OF CONTRIBUTION. PLAGIARISM, AS WE HAVE SAID, IS ANOTHER FORM OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND IT  REQUIRES A RATHER SPECIAL EXPLANATION WHICH IS AS FOLLOWS: THOSE WHO WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CAN BE SEEN AS WORKING IN A COMMUNITY – THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. THIS COMMUNITY HAS A SET OF RULES TO WHICH IT WORKS. ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS ARE THESE RULES AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT IS THE BEHAVIOUR THAT CONTRAVENES THESE AGREED RULES. THESE RULES, OBVIOUSLY IDENTIFY CHEATING AS A CONTRAVENTION HOWEVER, THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THESE RULES THAT REFER TO THE ‘OWNERSHIP’ OF IDEAS. ACCORDING TO THESE RULES OR CONVENTIONS, NEW IDEAS ARE TREATED LIKE PROPERTY THAT SOMEONE OWNS. ONE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THERE ARE REWARDS AND AWARDS (GRANTS, PRIZES, QUALIFICATIONS, DEGREES ETC) GIVEN TO PEOPLE FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR IDEAS. FOLLOWING FROM THE NOTION OF NEW IDEAS AS PROPERTY, WE CAN CONSIDER THE USE OF UNATTRIBUTED IDEAS FOR THE GAIN OF ANOTHER PERSON, AS A FORM OF THEFT. BY ‘UNATTRIBUTED’, WE MEAN THE LACK OF ATTACHMENT OF A NAME AND SOURCE TO THE IDEA SO IT IS AS IF THE IDEA IS THAT OF THE WRITER. OTHER WORDS FOR ‘ATTRIBUTE’ ARE REFERENCE, ACKNOWLEDGE AND CITE. YOU USUALLY REFERENCE THE IDEA OF ANOTHER IN THE TEXT (WHERE YOU HAVE REFERRED TO THE IDEA, OR QUOTED FROM IT) AND IN A REFERENCE LIST AT THE END OF YOUR WORK. PLAGIARISM IS THE TERM FOR PASSING OFF ANOTHER’S WORK AS ONE’S OWN FOR ONE’S OWN BENEFIT. IT USUALLY THAT OTHERS’ IDEAS HAVE BEEN ‘BORROWED’ WITHOUT BEING REFERENCED TO THE ORIGINAL CREATOR OF THE IDEA. PLAGIARISM OCCURS WHETHER THE ‘PASSING OFF OF THE WORK AS ONE’S OWN’ IS INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL. WE HAVE TO SAY THAT PLAGIARISM MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL BECAUSE ANYONE CAN ALWAYS CLAIM THAT ‘S/HE HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT PLAGIARISM’. 4 CORRESPONDINGLY THEREFORE, TEACHERS AND INSTITUTIONS HAVE TO BE CLEAR THEMSELVES THAT THEY HAVE ENSURED THAT STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITIES TO  UNDERSTAND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND TO HAVE LEARNT THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO BEHAVE WITH ACADEMIC HONESTY. BELOW ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF PLAGIARISM: EMMA WAS DOING A LAW DEGREE AND FOUND THAT HER FLAT-MATE HAD DONE THE SAME MODULE THE YEAR BEFORE AND WAS WILLING TO LET EMMA LOOK AT HER ESSAYS – BUT INSISTED THAT SHE SHOULD NOT COPY ANY OF IT. EMMA COPIED A LARGE CHUNK OF ONE OF THEM BECAUSE SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECT AND ALTERED A FEW WORDS HERE AND THERE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR HER, SHE DID NOT NOTICE THE FONT WAS DIFFERENT ON THE COPIED CHUNK AND HER PLAGIARISM WAS DETECTED. ANNA HAD WORK TO DO IN CHEMISTRY THAT SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND. IT WAS ABOUT THE NATURE OF A PARTICULAR REACTION. SHE LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A PIECE OF WRITING THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT SHE NEEDED – AND CUT AND PASTED IT, ADDING A FEW WORDS OF INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION. ANTONIO PHONED HOME TO HIS FRIEND FOR HELP WITH AN ASSIGNMENT IN CIVIL ENGINEERING. HIS FRIEND FOUND A PIECE OF WRITING IN SPANISH. ANTONIO HAD IT TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL AND SUBMITTED THAT. BILLIE FOUND THAT AN OLD TEXTBOOK ON MODERN HISTORY AT HIS HOME THAT SAID EXACTLY WHAT HE NEEDED TO SAY IN AN ESSAY. HE COPIED IT. THE CHANGE IN STYLE WAS NOTICED BY HIS TUTOR, WHO CHALLENGED HIM. COLLUSION IS A FORM OF PLAGIARISM TOO. SOME EXAMPLES OF COLLUSION ARE: JOANNE WAS STRUGGLING IN HER EDUCATION DEGREE. HER FRIEND WAS DOING A SIMILAR DEGREE AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY. THEY DECIDED TO CHOOSE THE SAME TOPIC FOR THEIR DISSERTATION AND TO WORK TOGETHER ON IT ASSUMING THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE FOUND OUT BECAUSE THEIR RESPECTIVE DISSERTATIONS WOULD NEVER BE SEEN TOGETHER. STUDENTS IN BUSINESS STUDIES WERE ASKED TO DEVELOP MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR A GIVEN PRODUCT. THEY WERE TOLD THAT THEY SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO DO THE NECESSARY RESEARCH AND TO DEVELOP A PRESENTATION, BUT THAT THEY SHOULD THEN WORK ALONE IN THE PREPARATION OF THE WRITTEN WORK THAT THEY WOULD HAND IN. KAY WAS IN ONE OF THE GROUPS. SHE HAD NOT DONE HER FAIR SHARE OF THE INITIAL RESEARCH, AND WHEN IT CAME TO THE WRITTEN WORK SHE ASKED ONE OF HER GROUP TO HELP HER. THE COLLEAGUE LEANT KAY HIS COMPLETED WRITTEN WORK, AND SHE COPIED IT, THEN WROTE HER ACCOUNT, VERY HEAVILY BASED ON HIS. SHE SHOWED HIM HER VERY SIMILAR ACCOUNT BEFORE SHE HANDED IT IN – AND THANKED HIM BEFORE HE COULD OBJECT. BOTH OF THEM WERE DEEMED TO HAVE COLLUDED. 5 THE DEFINITION OF COLLUSION STARTS THE SAME AS FOR PLAGIARISM. COLLUSION IS THE  PASSING OFF OF ANOTHER’S WORK AS ONE’S OWN FOR ONE’S OWN BENEFIT AND IN ORDER TO DECEIVE ANOTHER. HOWEVER, IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT WHILE IN THE USUAL DEFINITION OF PLAGIARISM, THE OWNER OF THE WORK DOES NOT KNOWINGLY ALLOW THE USE OF HER WORK, IN A CASE OF COLLUSION, THE OWNER OF THE WORK KNOWS OF ITS USE AND WORKS WITH THE OTHER TOWARDS DECEPTION OF A THIRD PARTY. ON OCCASIONS, TWO PEOPLE MIGHT COLLUDE IN PLAGIARISING ANOTHER PIECE OF WORK. WHEN WE DEFINE COLLUSION, WE NEED TO BE CLEAR WHERE THE BOUNDARIES OF UNACCEPTABLE AND ACCEPTABLE CO-OPERATIVE OR COLLABORATIVE WORK ARE. CO-OPERATION IS SEEN AS OPENLY WORKING WITH ANOTHER OR OTHERS FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT WITH NO DECEPTION OF THE OTHER(S) INVOLVED. CO-OPERATIVE BEHAVIOUR IS A COMMON AND IS USUALLY WELCOMED PRACTICE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. RESEARCH TEAMS RELY ON IT. OFTEN YOU WILL BE TOLD THAT YOU SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO THE POINT OF WRITING UP AN ASSIGNMENT, AND THEN WRITE IT UP SEPARATELY. HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE LOCAL ‘RULES’ OR DESIGNATIONS OF ACCEPTABLE PRACTICE AND OCCASIONALLY VOCABULARY USE WITH REGARD TO COLLUSION, COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION MAY VARY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND OUT FROM YOUR TUTORS JUST WHAT IS  EXPECTED IN YOUR LOCAL CONTEXT. WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE MAY DIFFER FROM ASSIGNMENT TO ASSIGNMENT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ON OCCASIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED TO WORK JOINTLY ON A PIECE OF WRITING – AND CLEARLY, THAT IS ALL RIGHT. RATHER THAN TALKING IN THE NEGATIVE ABOUT THE AVOIDANCE OF COLLUSION OR PLAGIARISM, IT IS USEFUL TO USE THE IDEA OF WORKING WITH ACADEMIC HONESTY. ACADEMIC HONESTY IS WHERE YOU UNDERSTAND ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS AND WORK WITHIN THEM. IN THIS INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT, WE PUT THE STRESS ON PLAGIARISM. THIS IS BECAUSE PLAGIARISM TAKES MORE EFFORT IN UNDERSTANDING THAN OTHER FORMS OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE PLAGIARISM IS NECESSARILY MORE SERIOUS. THE FABRICATION OF DATA – OR MAKING UP OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS CAN BE FAR MORE SERIOUS AND HAVE FAR GREATER CONSEQUENCES THAN PLAGIARISM. SO THAT YOU CAN RETURN TO THIS MATERIAL EASILY ON FUTURE OCCASIONS, WE GATHER UP THESE IDEAS AS A SERIES OF DEFINITIONS AND PUT THEM INTO A GLOSSARY IN APPENDIX 1 OF THIS UNIT. Exercise 1: Thinking that you know about plagiarism does not mean that you can always decide what is right YOU HAVE NOW LOOKED AT THE EXPLANATIONS OF ACADEMIC HONESTY AND MISCONDUCT AND HAVE READ ABOUT THE JUSTIFICATION FOR CITATION. IT IS TIME TO TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING. YOU WILL FIND, IN THE NEXT EXERCISE, THAT THINKING THAT YOU KNOW WHAT PLAGIARISM IS MAY NOT MEAN THAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS WHEN IT COMES TO THE DISTINCTIONS OF RIGHT AND WRONG IN YOUR WORK OR THE WORK OF ANOTHER. SOME 6 OF THE EXAMPLES ARE PLAGIARISM, SOME ARE COLLUSION, SOME ARE CHEATING AND SOME ARE ALL RIGHT. REMEMBER THAT PLAGIARISM OCCURS WHEN THE WORK OF SOMEONE ELSE IS PRESENTED AS ONE’S OWN AND IS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO THE OTHER. ONE OF THE THREE ANSWERS GIVEN (A, B AND C) IS CLOSEST TO THE ANSWER. THE ANSWERS ARE AT THE END OF THE UNIT. 1. JOE HAS AN ESSAY TO PREPARE. HE METICULOUSLY READS BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY, BUT IS NOT SURE FROM WHICH TEXT THE IDEAS HAVE COME, AND WHICH IDEAS WERE HIS OWN. HE LISTS THE RANGE OF BOOKS HE THINKS HE USED IN HIS REFERENCE LIST. a) Not plagiarism but he should have cited the books in the text b) Plagiarism – he should have cited the books in the text c) Not a problem – he cited the books in the reference list 2. JAYNE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED WITH AN ESSAY – SHE IS IN HER FIRST SEMESTER. SHE DELAYS STARTING IT AND THEN PANICS AND HER FRIEND SHOWS HER HOW SHE CAN BUY AN ESSAY FROM A PAPER MILL WEBSITE. SHE BUYS ONE AND SUBMITS IT (‘ONLY THIS TIME’ SHE SAYS). a) This is not all right but it is cheating, not plagiarism b) Plagiarism – and it is not all right c) Plagiarism but it is all right at this stage, but not later in the programme 3. TERRY AND FRAN LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE. THEY ARE ON THE SAME COURSE AND HENCE HAVE TO PUT IN THE SAME ASSIGNMENTS. FRAN HAS DIFFICULTIES WITH WRITING BUT SHE REALLY WANTS TO DO WELL IN HER DEGREE. TERRY WOULD LIKE TO GET TO KNOW FRAN BETTER AND SEES THIS AS A WAY OF INCREASING THEIR FRIENDSHIP. HE SUGGESTS THAT SINCE THE CLASS IS LARGE, THEY COULD PUT IN THE SAME ESSAY AND NO-ONE  WOULD NOTICE – AND IN THIS WAY HE ‘HELPS’ OUT FRAN, WHO IS VERY GRATEFUL. a) Fran colluded. Terry did not. b) Terry colluded and Fran did not c) They colluded. 4. MIKE USES THE LIBRARY TO FIND THE RELEVANT LITERATURE TO THE ESSAY THAT HE HAS TO WRITE, THEN, USING ONE OF THE ESSAY SITES, BUYS A SIMILAR ESSAY AND INTEGRATES INTO IT THE MATERIAL THAT HE HAS READ. a) It is certain that Mike plagiarised b) Mike did not plagiarise if he cited the sources and paraphrased appropriately c) Mike has plagiarised because he bought the essay 5. MALACHY FOUND THAT HER FRIEND, WHO HAD DONE THE MODULE LAST YEAR, HAD DONE THE SAME EXPERIMENT. HER FRIEND SUGGESTED THAT MALACHY COULD READ THROUGH 7 WHAT SHE HAD WRITTEN BUT SHE WARNED HER NOT TO COPY IT AS THAT WOULD BE COLLUSION. WITHOUT HER FRIEND KNOWING, MALACHY DID COPY PART OF IT AND PRESENTED IT AS HER OWN. a) Malachy plagiarised her friend’s work b) Malachy and her friend colluded c) Malachy and her friend plagiarised 6. DAMION FINDS THAT AN ESSAY THAT HE HAS DONE IN SCHOOL IS VERY SIMILAR TO ONE HE HAS TO WRITE AT UNIVERSITY. HE USES HIS SCHOOL ESSAY – BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE DOES NOT HAVE THE REFERENCES PROPERLY RECORDED. HE HAS NAMES CITED IN THE TEXT, BUT NOT DETAILS OF THE SOURCES. HE MAKES UP ONE OR TWO AND THINKS THAT  HIS TUTOR WILL PROBABLY NOT WORRY ABOUT THE REST. a) Because it was school work – from a different place, it was all right b) It was all right because it had already been marked c) Damion plagiarised 7. SUE IS A LECTURER. SHE GIVES A LECTURE TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS ON CELL BIOLOGY AND TALKS A LOT ABOUT CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH, BUT DOES NOT GIVE THE REFERENCES TO THE RESEARCH IN THE LECTURE OR ON HANDOUTS. a) Technically Sue plagiarised b) It is all right. If this had been written work, Sue should have cited correctly – but it was oral c) It is all right not to cite if your are a teacher / lecturer in the process of teaching. 8. TIM AND OONAGH ARE WORKING ON THE SAME ESSAY FOR THEOLOGY. OONAGH FINDS A GOOD WEBSITE THAT IS VERY HELPFUL. IT PROVIDES GOOD MATERIAL ON THE SUBJECT ON WHICH THEY ARE WRITING. SHE TELLS TIM ABOUT IT. THEY BOTH DOWNLOAD CHUNKS OF IT. OONAGH CUTS AND PASTES INTO HER ESSAY AND PUTS A REFERENCE TO THE SITE IN HER REFERENCE LIST. TIM PARAPHRASES FROM THE MATERIAL, ACKNOWLEDGES IT IN THE TEXT AND IN HIS REFERENCE LIST. THE TUTOR WOULD NOT HAVE NOTICED THE SIMILAR MATERIAL BUT FOR THE FACT THAT THE TWO ESSAYS WERE ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER IN THE PILE. a) Tim and Oonagh colluded b) Tim and Oonagh plagiarised. c) Only one of them plagiarised 9. IN STATISTICS, GEMMA HAS A PROJECT THAT INVOLVES USE OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO FIND OUT WHAT TELEVISION PROGRAMMES HER FRIENDS WATCH AT A PARTICULAR TIME IN THE EVENING. THIS WILL GENERATE DATA FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. SHE IS ILL FOR A FEW DAYS AND IS RUNNING LATE. SHE MAKES UP SOME OF THE RESPONSES AND USES THEM. a) Gemma plagiarised 8 b) Gemma cheated c) Gemma colluded 10. HARRY INTEGRATES INTO HIS ESSAY, A CHUNK OF HANDOUT MATERIAL FROM HIS LAST YEARS WORK. HE ALTERS SOME WORDS TO FIT BETTER AND SPLITS THE MATERIAL WITH TWO SECTIONS OF HIS OWN WRITING. a) Harry plagiarised. b) It is all right to quote from handout material without citation c) It would have been all right if Harry had rewritten it more in his own words 11. JAMIE HAS AN ESSAY TO WRITE IN PHILOSOPHY. HE IS NOT VERY GOOD AT WRITING AND HAS DEVELOPED A STYLE WHEREBY HE COPIES DOWN APPROPRIATE QUOTATIONS (CITING THEM APPROPRIATELY) AND THEN PARAPHRASES THE CONTENT OF THE QUOTATION IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH AS A KIND OF SUMMARY, STEERING THE MEANING TOWARDS ANOTHER QUOTATION AND SO ON. a) So long as Jamie paraphrases appropriately, he is not doing anything wrong b) Jamie is plagiarising c) Jamie should be using appropriate methods of referencing 12. FOR SOPHIA, ENGLISH IS A SECOND LANGUAGE. SHE WANTS TO SUCCEED AND GOES TO A FRIEND WHO SPEAKS BETTER ENGLISH. HER FRIEND GOES THROUGH HER WHOLE ESSAY, CORRECTING THE LANGUAGE ALL THE WAY THROUGH. a) What Sophia is doing is understandable. It is all right b) What Sophia and her friend are doing is not all right. It is a form of collusion c) What Sophia is doing is not all right. It is cheating 13. BILLIE, ED AND JAKE LIVE ARE FOLLOWING THE SAME MODULE. THEY HAVE A PIECE OF WORK TO DO AND GET TOGETHER TO DISCUSS IT. THEY TALK ABOUT THE CONTENT AND DECIDE EACH TO FOLLOW UP TWO REFERENCES AND THEN TO MEET AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT. WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND. THIS REDUCES THE VOLUME OF READING THEY WILL HAVE TO DO. THEY MEET AGAIN, LISTEN TO EACH OTHER’S DESCRIPTIONS AND WRITE NOTES AND THEN WRITE THE ESSAY SEPARATELY. THEY REFERENCE THE MATERIAL, WHETHER IT IS WHAT THEY HAVE READ OR WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD DESCRIBED. a) Billie, Ed and Jake are colluding b) They are not doing anything wrong if co-operative study is acceptable to the tutor c) Billie, Ed and Jake are deceiving their tutor and therefore cheating 14. LUI FINDS SOME INFORMATION AT A WEBSITE THAT SAYS EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTS TO SAY. IT IS SIX LINES OF TEXT WHICH HE PUTS INTO QUOTATION MARKS. HE CUTS AND PASTES IT BUT BY MISTAKE LEAVES THE ORIGINAL FONT. HE CITES IT IN THE TEXT AND PUTS THE WEBSITE ADDRESS IN THE REFERENCE LIST WITH THE DATE OF ACCESS. HIS TUTOR CALLS HIM IN†¦ 9 a) Lui cheated b) He plagiarised c) What Lui did is all right. 15. CHARLIE KNOWS A REALLY GOOD WEBSITE THAT WILL HELP HIM A GREAT DEAL IN THE PROJECT WORK THAT HIS HAS BEEN SET. HE IS WORKING IN A TEAM, BUT THE WORK THAT THE TEAM DOES MUST BE WRITTEN UP SEPARATELY. INITIALLY HE MENTIONS THE WEBSITE, BUT GIVES NO ADDRESS – AND THEN REALISES THAT HE WOULD PREFER TO USE IT AS A REFERENCE FOR HIS INDIVIDUAL WORK. WHEN THE OTHERS ASK FOR DETAILS OF THE SITE, HE IS VAGUE AND THEN GIVES THE WRONG WEB ADDRESS TO THEM. a) Charlie is rightly not colluding with his team b) Charlie is not working co-operatively in his team c) Charlie is plagiarising – and it is just as well he did not pass on the information 16. AARON IS WRITING UP A REPORT. HE FINDS A TEXT BOOK THAT IS NOT THE ONE USED IN CLASS AND USES IT TO GET MUCH OF THE INFORMATION THAT HE REQUIRES. HE REFERS TO THE WORK OF JONDA (1998) THAT IS DESCRIBED AND REFERENCED IN THE TEXTBOOK. ARON CITES JONDA IN THE TEXT AND THEN REFERENCES IT TO THE TEXT BOOK IN HIS LIST OF REFERENCES. a) Aaron is behaving with academic honesty, his citations are fine b) Aaron is technically plariarising – he should have cited the original source, not the textbook c) Aaron is colluding with the writer of the textbook 17. TOM FINDS A HELPFUL ARTICLE IN A JOURNAL. HE PHOTOCOPIES IT AND COPIES FROM IT INTO HIS ESSAY, ALTERNATING SENTENCES OF THE ARTICLE WITH HIS OWN WORDS, AND NEVER COPYING MORE THAN A LINE WITHOUT ADDING HIS OWN WORDS OR ALTERING WORDS FROM THE TEXT. HE CITES THE ARTICLE IN HIS BIBLIOGRAPHY, BUT NOT IN THE TEXT BECAUSE HE DOES NOT FEEL THAT HE MAKES A SUFFICIENTLY SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO IT. a) Tom is cheating. b) Tom is plagiarising c) Tom is writing a good essay. He has properly cited the reference in his bibliography 18. AMY OMITS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MATERIAL THAT SHE HAS QUOTED. IT WAS A MISTAKE. a) Amy made a mistake and because she is a first year that is all right b) Amy plagiarised. c) Amy did not plagiarise because not referencing was unintentional 10 Exercise 2: What reasons do students give for academic misconduct? THINK OF FIVE EXCUSES THAT STUDENTS MIGHT MAKE FOR PLAGIARISING, COLLUDING OR CHEATING. SOME EXCUSES ARE UNDERSTANDABLE BUT THEY ARE AGAINST THE ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS THAT WE MAINTAIN WITHIN AN ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. THERE IS A LIST OF POSSIBLE RESPONSES AT THE END OF THE UNIT – THOUGH YOU MAY HAVE THOUGH OF OTHERS. The further information and skills that you need for academic honesty WE HAVE SAID THAT YOU NEED SOME INFORMATION, A SET OF SKILLS AND ASSOCIATED GOOD HABITS FOR YOUR ACADEMIC WORK. WE HAVE DESCRIBED ABOVE THE BASICS OF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT, PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION BUT BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE SKILLS AND GOOD HABITS, THERE IS MORE TO SAY ABOUT WHY WE REFERENCE MATERIAL (REMEMBER REFERENCING, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CITATION MEAN THE SAME THING). Further reasons for referencing. WE SAID ABOVE THAT WHEN WE USE THE IDEA OF ANOTHER, WE REFERENCE IT AND INDICATE THE SOURCE OF IT. IN TERMS OF PLAGIARISM, THIS IS IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS AN IDEA THAT WAS GENERATED BY ANOTHER PERSON – AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PERSON FOR THE IDEA. HOWEVER IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REFERENCE AN IDEA IN ORDER TO SHOW ANOTHER PERSON HOW TO FIND THAT IDEA SHOULD S/HE WANT TO SEEK READ MORE OF IT. IN ACADEMIC WRITING, IN ORDER TO FURTHER YOUR OWN THINKING, IT IS USUAL TO FOLLOW UP REFERENCES THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS GIVEN IN THEIR REFERENCE LIST. SEEKING AND FINDING INFORMATION BECOMES A KIND OF TRAIL. SO A SECOND REASON FOR REFERENCING IS TO ENABLE OTHERS TO FIND THE IDEAS FOR THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO SEEK MORE INFORMATION. THE THIRD REASON FOR REFERENCING IS SO THAT ANYONE READING YOUR WORK (SUCH AS A TUTOR) CAN SEE HOW YOUR THINKING HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. WHEN YOU DO ACADEMIC WRITING YOU WORK WITH YOUR OWN IDEAS AND THOSE OF OTHERS IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO THE TASK SET. IT IS NOT USUALLY JUST A MATTER OF ‘WRITE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT†¦(SOMETHING)’ IN HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT THE QUESTION OR TASK WILL REQUIRE YOU TO ‘MANIPULATE’ WHAT YOU KNOW – TO EXPLAIN, TO COMPARE OR COMPARE AND CONTRAST AND SO ON. WHEN YOU USE THE IDEAS OF OTHERS, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR TUTOR TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU HAVE READ, WHAT YOU HAVE READ AND HOW YOU HAVE USED AND MANIPULATED THE IDEAS IN ORDER TO MEET THE TASK SET IN THE ASSIGNMENT. LOOKING AT A REFERENCE LIST FOR THIS PURPOSE IS A FORM OF EVALUATION 11 YOU MAY THINK THAT SUCH EVALUATION ONLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE A STUDENT. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH WRITING IN JOURNALS AND BOOKS IS ALSO SUBJECTED TO EVALUATION – THIS TIME BY PEERS. SUCH RESEARCH WRITING USUALLY DEVELOPS NEW KNOWLEDGE. ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE CAN BE. JUDGED BY THOSE WHO MIGHT USE IT, IS BY LOOKING AT THE LIST OF REFERENCES TO SEE WHAT KIND OF IDEAS HAVE FORMED THE BASIS TO THE NEW KNOWLEDGE. SOMETIMES THIS ‘BASIS’ IS IN THE FORM OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL ‘EVIDENCE’. MANY ACADEMICS WILL TURN TO THE REFERENCE LIST AS SOON AS THEY ARE GIVEN SOMETHING TO READ – IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT WORK THIS IS BASED ON. What do you not have to reference? NOT ALL IDEAS ARE CONSIDERED TO BELONG TO OTHERS. MOST OF WHAT WE KNOW IS ‘COMMON KNOWLEDGE’. THIS IS KNOWLEDGE THAT IS IN ‘EVERYDAY’ USE, OR IS IN THE COMMON DOMAIN OR IT IS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHICH WE COULD SAY THAT MOST PEOPLE. AGREE. IT IS THE SORT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT IS FOUND IN REFERENCE BOOKS IN ENCYCLOPEDIAS OR DICTIONARIES. WE DO NOT NEED TO REFERENCE COMMON KNOWLEDGE, THOUGH USUALLY, IF YOU DO TAKE A DEFINITION FROM A DICTIONARY, YOU WILL CITE ITS SOURCE SO THAT OTHERS CAN FIND IT. WE DO NOT NEED TO REFERENCE IDEAS THAT ARE GENUINELY OUR OWN EITHER. IF THE IDEA IS ONE GENERATED BY YOU, BUT THAT YOU HAVE DESCRIBED IN YOUR OWN WORK ELSEWHERE, THEN IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO REFERENCE IT TO THE FIRST OCCASION ON WHICH IT HAS BEEN USED (IE TO YOUR OWN NAME). THIS MAY BE MAINLY SO THAT OTHERS CAN FIND IT FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. THE RULES ABOUT CITATION OF LECTURE AND HANDOUT MATERIAL ARE MORE FUZZY – TECHNICALLY YOU SHOULD SAY WHERE YOU HEARD ABOUT AN IDEA AS MUCH AS WHERE YOU READ ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES THAT WOULD GET RIDICULOUS. IMAGINE HOW YOU WOULD MANAGE A QUESTION IN AN EXAM THAT ASKS YOU TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE LECTURE. IT COULD BECOME VERY DIFFICULT. YOU NEED TO ASK YOUR LECTURERS AND TUTORS WHAT PRACTICE TO FOLLOW HERE. THEY MAY FEEL THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO CITE LECTURES, BUT THAT YOU SHOULD CITE HANDOUT MATERIAL – AND THEY MAY NOT ALL AGREE ON THE SAME RESPONSE. IN ALL OF THIS YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS BE SURE WHETHER OR NOT TO CITE. A RULE BY WHICH TO WORK IS – IF IN DOUBT, CITE! SO – TO SUMMARISE: THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE REASONS WHY WE REFERENCE MATERIAL – -TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE HAVE USED ANOTHER’S IDEA; -TO SHOW ANOTHER WHERE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE IDEAS USED; -TO ALLOW ANOTHER TO EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF OUR REASONING. The skills that you need 12 IN TERMS OF SKILLS, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO: -DIFFERENTIATE MATERIAL THAT NEEDS CITATION FROM THAT THAT DOES NOT NEED CITATION; -USE IN-TEXT REFERENCING; -WRITE AN APPROPRIATE REFERENCE LIST AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE. BETWEEN THIS AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY; -DEVELOP GOOD HABITS OF RECORD-KEEPING; -WORK APPROPRIATELY WITH QUOTATIONS; -MANAGE THE PRESENTATION OF OTHERS’ IDEAS IN WRITTEN WORK. (THE LIST IS MODIFIED FROM CARROLL, 2002) The ability to differentiate material that needs attribution from that that does not need attribution; YOU NEED TO KNOW AND TO BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT REQUIRE CITATION – THE FOLLOWING DO NOT NEED TO BE CITED: -COMMON KNOWLEDGE – WHICH WE HAVE DEFINED AS THAT IN EVERYDAY USE, IN THE COMMON DOMAIN; -FACTS THAT ARE GENERALLY AGREED, OR THAT ARE COMMON TO A VARIETY OF SOURCES; -PERSONAL IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS ETC. THE FOLLOWING NEED TO BE CITED: -DIRECT QUOTATIONS; -REFERENCES TO OTHERS’ IDEAS EXPRESSED ORALLY OR ON PAPER OR WEB-BASED MATERIALS ETC; -REFERENCES TO A REFERENCE ALREADY CITED BY ANOTHER IN A TEXT; -PARAPHRASES, PRECIS AND SUMMARIES OF OTHERS’ QUOTATIONS OR IDEAS; -OTHERS’ STATISTICS, FIGURES, CHARTS, TABLES, PICTURES GRAPHS ETC; -REFERENCES TO MATERIAL WITHIN AN EDITED TEXT. CLEARLY IT REQUIRES JUDGEMENT TO DECIDE WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT NEED TO BE CITED – AND IF IN DOUBT, CITE! Use of in-text referencing THIS IS A MATTER OF UNDERSTANDING HOW TO CITE IN TEXT AND HOW TO CONSTRUCT A  REFERENCE LIST. THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONVENTIONS, AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE VARIABLE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE CONVENTION ADOPTED. SOME USE REFERENCE LISTS AT THE END OF THE TEXT, SOME WORK WITH FOOTNOTES OR ENDNOTES THAT ARE LINKED FROM THE TEXT BY NUMBER OR LETTER. 13 E. G. (1) OR (A). IN THESE CASES, THE DETAILS OF NAME, DATE AND SOURCE ARE EITHER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE OR LISTED BY NUMBER OR LETTER SEQUENCE AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE OR BOOK. REFERENCES MAY BE MIXED WITH NOTES. HARVARD IS A VERY COMMON SYSTEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS. E. G. †¦IN THE HARVARD SYSTEM THE NAME AND DATE IS PUT IN THE TEXT (E. G.DIPPIDY, 1999) AND IN THE REFERENCE LIST AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE OR THE BOOK, THE REFERENCES ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY WITH THE FURTHER DETAILS OF SOURCE. DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES TEND TO ADOPT DIFFERENT CONVENTIONS, AND ACADEMIC JOURNALS AND PUBLISHERS OFTEN DIFFER IN THE CONVENTIONS ADOPTED, SO YOU WILL COME ACROSS DIFFERENT STYLES IN YOUR READING. USUALLY IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES, YOU WILL BE TOLD TO WORK TO A PARTICULAR CONVENTION BUT YOU MAY NEED TO LEARN TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE. IT IS NOT WORTH REBELLING IN THIS MATTER. THERE ARE USUALLY HANDOUTS OR BOOKLETS THAT PROVIDE ILLUSTRATION OF THIS. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT SYSTEM OF REFERENCING TO  USE, ASK. MAKE SURE THAT WITHIN THE SYSTEM YOU USE, YOU KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THE FOLLOWING: QUOTATIONS (SEE BELOW ALSO); DIRECT REFERENCES TO WRITTEN AND SPOKEN WORD; REFERENCES CITED WITHIN ANOTHER TEXT – TO WHICH YOU WANT TO REFER; PARAPHRASES OR SUMMARIES OF OTHERS’ IDEAS; THE CITATION OF STATISTICS AND FIGURATIVE MATERIAL; REFERENCES WITHIN EDITED TEXTS, WEB-BASED MATERIALS, CD-ROMS. THERE MAY BE OTHER SOURCES THAT YOU WANT TO CITE. YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ALL THIS ‘BY HEART’, BUT HAVE ACCESS TO A GOOD GUIDE TO REFERENCING AS YOU WORK AND MAKE SURE THAT IT USES THE APPROPRIATE STYLE. IF YOUR FEEL THAT YOUR GUIDE-BOOK IS  NOT HELPFUL, LOOK AT STUDY SKILLS BOOKS OR LOOK ON THE WEB FOR THE SYSTEM YOU NEED. THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES OFTEN HAVE USEFUL MATERIAL The layout of a reference list and its distinction from a bibliography A REFERENCE LIST IS A LIST OF THE REFERENCES TO WHICH YOU HAVE REFERRED IN YOUR TEXT. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS A REFERENCE LIST TO WHICH IS ADDED ANY EXTRA MATERIAL THAT MIGHT PROVIDE GENERAL OR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOPIC. IN ACADEMIC WORK, MOSTLY IT WILL BE REFERENCE LISTS WITH WHICH YOU WORK.