Sunday, April 19, 2020

Qualitative Research Assignment Essay Essay Example

Qualitative Research Assignment Essay Paper 1. Was there a clear statement of the purposes of the research? Yes. In the article. the purpose of the research was to understand the experience of participants. their cognition about type 2 diabetes. and the factors of medicine attachment in Malaysia. Harmonizing to Susan ( 2010 ) . the five constituents of PICOT are population. issue. context. result. and clip. Harmonizing to Al-Qazaz et Al ( 2011 ) . the PICOT was presented by the research worker in the survey were. Phosphorus: Type 2diabetes patients with receiving of hypoglycaemic medicine. I: Identifying participants’ perceptual experience. and their cognition about type 2 diabetes disease and medicine. Degree centigrade: USM clinic of Malaysia. where the survey took topographic point. Oxygen: It helps people populating with type 2 diabetes to hold a diverse apprehension by associating with other people’s experiences. Thymine: March and April of 2009. Qualitative PICOT is a model to assist in explicating effectual clinical inquiry in a step-by measure mode ( Melnyk and Fineout. 2010 ) . 2. Is a qualitative methodological analysis appropriate? Yes. Qualitative research is to analyze a person’s behaviour and lived experiences related to what is being studied in the research ( Denzin and Lincoln. 2011 ) . The cardinal features of qualitative survey in this article included a little sample size. in-depth interview ( semi-structured ) . research worker affecting during interview. non comparings and non numerical. In qualitative survey. sample size are normally little that achieve in-depth apprehension of the experiences or feeling of the participants ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . Meanwhile. a semi-structured interview was used to roll up informations by gulling participants’ thoughts originating until no more new subjects emerging. We will write a custom essay sample on Qualitative Research Assignment Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Qualitative Research Assignment Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Qualitative Research Assignment Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Harmonizing to Polit and Beck ( 2012 ) . semi-structured interview can supply rich and elaborate information during phenomenon survey. In this survey. a phenomenological attack was used to depict the purpose of the research. It is to understand the experiences of diabetic patients in Malaysia. and research their cognition about the medicines that they have been taking. Harmonizing to Judith ( 2007 ) . qualitative research is characterized by its purposes to understand the experiences and attitudes of patients. In brief. a qualitative methodological analysis is appropriate to this research. 3. Be the research design appropriate to turn to the purposes of the research? Yes. Harmonizing to NCBI ( 2014 ) . a Phenomenological survey can likely research participant’s lived experience. beliefs about the efficaciousness of the medicine. side-effects of drug and participants’ attachment to the intervention government. By the square. in this article. the purpose is to understand the participants’ experience and research their cognition and medicine attachment related on type 2 diabetes. Therefore. phenomenological attack is appropriate to turn to the purposes of the research. The advantages of Phenomenological survey is to uncover patients’ beliefs and experiences by a flexible manner to research the respondents’ attitude. and leting deep understanding about cognition and feeling of participants ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . However. its restriction is that samples are frequently little set and the research workers are non trying to generalise the findings. 4. Be the enlisting scheme appropriate to the purposes of the research? Yes. The research worker recruited participants from USM clinic and who were diagnosed type 2 diabetes while taking on hypoglycaemic medicines through a convenience sampling. Harmonizing to HRDAG ( 2013 ) . convenience sampling is to enroll participants from a peculiar clinical scene during informations aggregation of a qualitative research. Furthermore. convenience sampling is easy and efficient to pull out the greatest possible information from the new instances in the sample. until there is no new informations could be obtained and the redundancy of informations impregnation was achieved ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . However. convenience sampling may non be a preferable sampling in qualitative research due to unable to convey out the most information-rich beginnings and the representative of the population ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . In this article. the information was merely obtained in one specific clinic. that would impact the credibleness of consequence. such as the inauspicious effects of medicine. and the satisfaction rates from wellness suppliers. It would be better if the research worker usage purpose trying into the survey. Purpose sampling is to take participants based on specific intents. and it is chiefly used in qualitative research ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . it can accomplish representativeness of the population and provide credibleness of the consequence. because the research worker will non merely concentrate on one clinic during enlisting of participants. 5. Were the informations collected in a manner that addressed the research issues? Yes. A semi-structured interview was developed for informations collection of the research. Semi-structured interview is a paper-based interview usher which contain open-ended inquiries and the participant to follows ( RWJF. 2008 ) . Furthermore. Semi-structured interview provide rich. elaborate information in the phenomenon survey ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . In the survey. the research worker has described in-depth interview to research patients’ beliefs and experiences. Besides. a consent signifier was signed by participants before interview. a direct Tell phone contact for set uping a clip of interview. Further more. all the interview has been audiotaped. and the research worker did line by line analysis and coding the information to place the cardinal subjects. The research worker interpreted to the participants who could non understand English during the interviewing by interpreting from a staff nurse to avoid prejudice that might impact the findings. In short. the informations collected were to the full addressed the research issue of this survey. 6. Have the relationship between research worker and participants been adequately considered? Yes. Qualitative research workers need to develop a strong relationships with participants in the survey to set up credibleness ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . In the article. all the participants were informed the intent of this survey. and a consent signifier was signed by each of them. The research worker besides made phone call to set up clip and topographic point that participants would wish to take for each interview. Besides. they are allowed to show their ain positions at the clip of interview. From the analysis above we can see the participants have been to the full respected by the research worker to derive their trust. Therefore. the relationship between research worker and participants has been adequately considered in this survey ( Al-Qazaz et al 2011 ) . However. there was no reference about reflexiveness by the research worker in this article. Harmonizing to RWJF ( 2008 ) . it described that reflexiveness is a procedure usage to exam researcher’s relationship to the respondent that refers to how the researcher’s values. beliefs. familiarities and involvements influence his/her research. It would be better if it is mentioned about how the research worker located herself or himself in the survey. the readers can place how it affect the information obtaining. that will derive the findings of the research to be more believable ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . 7. Have ethical issues been taken into history? Yes. In the survey. a regard for human self-respect was to the full presented based on informing the participants about the intent of survey. administering a consent signifier. and a direct phone contact before interview. The participants have been to the full respected by the research worker to profit every bit good as the individual’s rights. Besides. they are allowed to show their ain positions at the clip of interview. and the participants can take topographic point where they feel more convenience to be interviewed. It gave researcher a opportunity to research the depth-richness informations from participants. and heighten the participants’ liberty and namelessness in the survey. Further more. the survey was besides approved by the local moralss commission. In short. the ethical issues have been taken into the survey every bit good. There was no coercion could be found in the survey. However. the research worker did non advert about the confidentiality and how was data protected. Besides. they did non advert how many times participants understanding were checked before the consent signifier given. Harmonizing to Polit and Beck ( 2012 ) . it is described that it must cover with ethical issues if the surveies affecting human existences. because the human rights must be protected. 8. Be the information analysis sufficiently strict? Yes. In the survey. the research worker has described clearly that a transcript of 12 audiotaped in-depth interviews were dual checked for its truth. And the research worker identified the emerging subjects via line by line informations analysis and coding the relevant content informations into classs until the informations impregnation was met and no more new informations emerging from the interviews. Harmonizing to Polit and Beck ( 2012 ) . informations impregnation is a measuring of sample size that based on informational demands under the survey. It is to accomplish the cogency of informations analysis until no more new information can be obtained. However. the research worker failed to advert about member checking in this survey. It is non clear whether the research worker asked participants to reexamine and notice on the instance summaries or bill of exchanges of the research study. It will consequence the credibleness of the information. Harmonizing to Polit and Beck ( 2012 ) . member look intoing defined as the research worker confirm their informations truth by supplying a feedback to the participants during informations are being collected to guarantee that participants’ significance were understood. and it is for heightening proof of the research. Further more. the research worker mentioned their informations were analyzed by utilizing agencies of a standard content analysis model. Its purpose was achieved by a appropriate phenomenological design in this survey which have been discussed in inquiry two. Furthermore. the asperity and cogency can besides ensue in developing trustiness of qualitative research. and the five standard for rating the trustiness in the research include in credibleness. dependableness. confirmability. transferability. and genuineness ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . In the survey. a phenomenological design was conducted with a semi-structured interview of informations aggregation. and coding method for informations analysis. this can be sufficiently proved its credibleness. dependableness. and confirmability. Therefore. it can be said the information analysis of this survey is sufficient strict. 9. Is at that place a clear statement of findings? Yes. Four major subjects were clear stated in the survey which included ( 1 ) . Participants’knowledge about type 2 diabetes and its medicines ; ( 2 ) . Side-effects of medicines ; ( 3 ) . attachment issues ; ( 4 ) . relationship with household on wellbeing ( Al-Qazaz et al 2011 ) . Harmonizing to Polit and Beck ( 2012 ) . the research workers interpret the information by rereading. categorizing and cryptography. so developing a information analysis to indicate out the subjects into a incorporate whole. In this survey. the research worker used qualitative design to see progressively the transferability of the findings to reflect the true experiences of the participants. It is relevancy and accurately from the information. and give reader thought to the deductions of the survey for future research and pattern. Meanwhile. the research worker are in the best place to show their restrictions what they have been cognizant from the survey. Consequently. it told readers that the rese arch workers have done what they could make to vouch the findings were clearly and accurately every bit good. 10. How valuable is the research? The intent of qualitative research findings was described to research participants’ experiences to develop a specific nursing intercession for bettering a better results of patients. and as a potentially applicable grounds influencing in future pattern ( NCBI. 2011 ) . Overview this survey. a phenomenological attack that explore the purpose of the research. it is to understand the experience of participants. their cognition about type 2 diabetes. and the factors of medicine attachment in Malaysia. Besides. it allows a deep apprehension about cognition and feeling of participants ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . Furthermore. a semi-structured interview was used to supply rich and elaborate information during the survey for its cogency ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . Further. a convenience trying recruited participants and pull out the greatest possible information to accomplish informations impregnation for its cogency. Meanwhile. the ethical issues has been taken into history by the research workers to profit every bit good as the individual’s rights. On the other side. the research worker demonstrated their restrictions what they aware of the survey to heighten the findings more clearly and accurately. Sing quantitative findings. it is non generalizable that can be applied to full populations. nevertheless. it is generalizable in a manner this peculiarly pertinent to nursing pattern in which there is an outlook that scientific determination. and supply cognition about human experiences to readers for future research. Thus it can be seen. the research is rather valuable. Decision Critical assessment is a procedure to judge weather a research is usefulness or its findings are trusty ( Young and Solomon. 2009 ) . The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme ( CASP ) produced a simple critical assessment checklist usher people developing their accomplishments what they need to do sense of scientific grounds ( Burls. 2009 ) . All of above. by following the CASP checklist in quantitative research. it was presented a Randomized Controlled Trial Appraisal Tool. to measure the effectivity of intercession. a big sample size and a blinding to accomplish the dependability of the result and prevent prejudice. a intention-to-treat analysis to compromise the cogency of the survey. Furthermore. generalizability of the survey can be patterns in other states and helpful for farther survey. However. in qualitative research. the CASP is helped to understanding people’s lived experience and research participant’s experience of taking the drugs. beliefs about the efficaciousness of the drug. side-effects and the attachment of intervention government. A phenomenological method has been used in the qualitative survey through a semi-structured interview. convenience sampling and coding to uncover patient’s beliefs and experiences. and leting apprehension of the cognition and get bying schemes in which the quantitative research is unable to cover. More. in this qualitative survey. sample size is tend to be little. and the determination is non generalized ( Polit and Beck. 2012 ) . Both of research workers have considered cogency. findings. and its relevancy. However. in the qualitative article. if the research worker usage a intent trying method and reference about reflexiveness and member checking during informations aggregation. that will heighten cogenc y of the findings to be more accurate. Mention 1. Aveyard H and Sharp P ( 2009 ) A Beginner’s Guide to Evidence Based Practice in Health and Social Care Professions. Glasgow: Open University Press. 2. Al-Qazaz H. Hassali M and Sulaiman S ( 2011 ) Percept and cognition of patients with type 2 diabetes in Malaysia about their disease and medicine: A qualitative survey. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy 7: 180-191. 3. Bandolier ( no day of the month ) Intention-to-treat analysis ( ITT ) Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. medical specialty. ox. Ac. uk/bandolier/booth/glossary/itt. hypertext markup language [ Accessed 5/92014 ] . 4. Chan Z. Fung Y and Chien W ( 2013 ) Bracketing in Phenomenology: Merely Undertaken in the Data Collection and Analysis Process? The Qualitative Report. Volume 18. Article 59. 1-9 [ online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. nova. edu/ssss/QR/QR18/chan59. pdf ( accessed 26/10/2014 ) 5. Denzin N and Lincoln Y ( Eds ) ( 2011 ) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research ( 4thedition ) . Thousand Oaks: Sage 6. Human Rights Data Analysis Group ( 2013 ) Convenience Samples: What they are. and what they should ( and should non ) be used for [ online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //hrdag. org/convenience-samples-what-they-are/ ( accessed 3/9/2014 ) 7. LONDON SCHOOL of HYGLENE and TROPICAL MEDICINE ( no day of the month ) Qualitative methods utile for agribusiness. nutrition and wellness programmes. [ on-line ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //ble. lshtm. Ac. uk/pluginfile. php/54407/mod_resource/content/107/ANH101/sessions/S1S2/ANH101_S1S2_040_010. hypertext markup language ( accessed 28/10/2014 ) 8. Melnyk B. M and Fineout-Overholt E ( Eds ) ( 2010 ) Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing A ; Healthcare: A Guide to Best Practice ( 2nd edition ) . United kingdom: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 9. MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES ( 2007 ) A Guide to Using Qualitative Research Methodology [ online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //fieldresearch. msf. org/msf/bitstream/10144/84230/1/Qualitative % 20research % 20methodology. pdf ( accessed 28/10/2014 ) 10. Melling A. Ali B. Scott E and Leaper D ( 2001 ) Effects of preoperative warming on the incidence of lesion infection after clean surgery: a randomized controlled test. The lancet. 358: 876-880. 11. NCBI ( 2014 ) A phenomenological survey to research the experiences of Ugandan adult females that have undergone transvaginal ultrasound [ online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ncbi. nlm. National Institutes of Health. gov/pmc/articles/PMC4175835/ ( accessed 1/9/2014 ) 12. NCBI ( 2011 ) Qualitative Research Findings as Evidence: Utility in Nursing Practice. [ on-line ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ncbi. nlm. National Institutes of Health. gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021785/ [ Accessed 13 Nov. 2014 ] . 13. Polit D and Beck C ( Eds ) ( 2011 ) Nursing RESEARCH Generating and measuring Evidence for Nursing Practice ( 9th edition ) . United kingdom: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins 14. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ( 2008 ) Qualitative Research Guidelines Project Semi-structured Interviews [ online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. qualres. org/HomeSemi-3629. hypertext markup language [ Accessed 11 Nov. 2014 ] . 15. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ( 2008 ) Qualitative Research Guidelines Project what is reflexiveness [ online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. qualres. org/HomeRefl-3703. hypertext markup language [ Accessed 12 Nov. 2014 ] . 16. Susan B. S. Fineout-Overholt E. Melnyk B. M and Williamson K. M ( 2010 ) Asking the Clinical Question: A Cardinal Measure in Evidence-Based Practice. The American Journal of Nursing. Vol. 110. No. 3. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. nursingcenter. com/lnc/pdfjournal? AID=982283 A ; an=00000446-201003000-00028 A ; Journal_ID= A ; Issue_ID= ( accessed 22/10/2014 )

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Multiple Scleross essays

Multiple Scleross essays Multiple sclerosis, often known as MS, affects many people worldwide. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects movement, sensation and bodily functions. MS is a nerve disorder caused by the destruction of the insulating layer surrounding neurons in the brain and spinal cord (Polman 48). When this occurs the nerve endings cannot be sent as quickly and efficiently. The symptoms of MS occur when the brain and spinal cord nerves no longer communicate properly with other parts of the body (Gleason 93). Multiple sclerosis can affect many things, such as vision, balance, strength, sensation, coordination and bodily functions. The main cause for multiple sclerosis is yet to be known. If someone in your family already is affected with MS, you are at more of a risk to develop this type of disease. Most people will see their first symptoms between the ages of 20 to 40 and symptoms will rarely be seen before 15 or after 60 (OConnor 9). Studies have shown that one in a thousand people have MS. That is only 0.1 percent (Carrol 148). Multiple sclerosis is more common in Canada and Northern Europe. If you were to have MS and then have a child, your child would have a high risk of getting the disease. Multiple sclerosis can happen to both men and women, but is twice as likely to happen to a woman (Gleason 108). The amount of time a person may have MS varies between each person. A woman who has MS will still be able to have children. Many women report that their MS symptoms are much improved during pregnancy and that they often feel much better than they did previously (Rosner 61). MS can cause symptoms in any body system, which is driven by myelinated areas of the central nervous system which control things like motor impulses, sensory signals, coordination and balance (Kalb 92). Multiple sclerosis can also affect someones vision, cause fatigue and cause sexual dysfunction. A person who has multiple sclerosis tends to get very f...

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Travel Development and Construction Rail Terminals Essay

Travel Development and Construction Rail Terminals - Essay Example Accordingly, a plan is needed to direct all the activities, and this plan is directed to people to make them react according to the company’s desired result, and done through a combination of marketing tools. Responses of people in this marketing effort may be direct or indirect, delayed or instant. The extent to which the marketing concept that should be applied in the High Speed Railway will now depend on the information gathered by the network. The marketing program should be enough to stimulate attention, interest, desire and action among its target customers. High speed railways were first built in Japan in the 1960s, and now span countries across Europe and Asia. The pace of development shows no sign of slowing, and China, France and Spain, amongst other countries, are all pressing ahead with ambitious plans. Britain cannot afford to be left behind. Our current railway system dates back to the Victorian era and will not be sufficient to keep Britain competitive in the twenty-first century. A new high speed rail network would transform the UK’s economic geography. It would bring our key cities closer together, enable businesses to operate more productively, support employment growth and regeneration, provide a genuine alternative to domestic aviation, and create a platform for delivering long-term and sustainable economic growth and prosperity. A Y-shaped national high speed rail network linking London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, and including stops in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, as well as direct links to the HS1 line and into Heathrow Airport, would cost  £32 billion to construct, and would generate benefits of around  £44 billion, as well as revenues totaling a further  £27 billion. This network would slash journey times between cities, deliver a huge increase in rail capacity to meet rising demand for long-distance rail travel, and ease

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Important Attributes in Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Important Attributes in Entrepreneurship - Essay Example This essay discusses that pursuit of an entrepreneurial dream starts with a viable dream. Entrepreneurship begins with conceptualizing a new idea, drawing a business plan, and making decision concerning the legal structure. Additionally, basic tactics such as pursuing an international opportunity or starting a new business venture, and financing issues are also considered before one can embark on the entrepreneurship journey. Most people, who venture into entrepreneurship, prefer a new business rather than already existing business opportunities. Some people begin with a desire to begin a business and then look for an idea while others start by having an exciting idea and then consider entrepreneurship later. However, there are basic issues that one must consider when considering an entrepreneurial venture. Some of these basic issues include finances, industry concerned, legal issues and potential risks and rewards. It is thus important for entrepreneur to consider various things tha t would boost or affect their success in the pursuit of small businesses. Entrepreneurship refers to the undertaking of innovations, or business acumen with the aim of transforming the innovations into useful economic goods. The undertaking may result in a new business or new organization. Entrepreneurial activities differ substantially depending on the conceptualized business idea and they range from solo business projects to major undertakings that create job opportunities. (Reuvid, 2008, p. 16). Most successful entrepreneurs demonstrate certain personal attributes such as dedication, creativity, flexibility, determination, passion, leadership, and self-confidence. Creativity is a spark that drives development of new services and products and pushes for improvement and innovation. Creativity allows for continuous learning, thinking beyond prescribed formulas, and questioning various possibilities. Determination is a strong desire to attain success and it includes ability to contin ue pursuing even during difficult times. It also persuades the entrepreneur to remain motivated and not necessarily by money gained from the business venture. Dedication motivates entrepreneurs to work hard and drive their ideas and plans. Flexibility refers to the entrepreneur’s ability to take a swift move in response to change in market conditions. Leadership is the capacity and ability to formulate rules, set goals, and ensure follow-through, and accomplishment of the established goals (Mariotti & Glackin, 2011, p. 63). Self-confidence rises from thorough planning since effective planning reduces uncertainty and risk. Effective planning requires expertise and skills. A self-confident entrepreneur is not easily intimidated or discouraged by market changes or challenges faced in business. More often, an entrepreneur will not demonstrate all these attributes and may lack one of them or even have only one or two of the attributes. The important thing is that the attributes ca n be learned. The entrepreneur, for instance, could hire someone to help him build or strengthen weak areas and attributes. Of importance is to know the personal strength and build on it while putting effort to minimize the weaknesses (Boone & Kurtz, 2010, p. 32). It is however, critical for entrepreneurs to ensure that they have developed these attributes for successful entrepreneurship. For instance, it is futile to start a business venture with little or no confidence in workability of the venture. Self-confidence instills optimism, which resembles fearlessness to face difficult odds. Self-confidence and determination helps one to see opportunities where other people see danger lurking (Bone & Kurtz, p. 240). Entrepreneurs conceive new ideas and devise innovative ways that helps overcome the difficult situations and problems. Creativity is a common denominator in entrepreneurship (Bone & Kurtz, p. 241). Besides the mentioned attributes, it is important to develop relevant values and integrate them within the business culture. Such

Friday, January 31, 2020

Sources of Finance Essay Example for Free

Sources of Finance Essay In this assignment, I am going to look at different ways to finance a new start-up business and also for existing businesses who want to expand in the future. After reading this, you will learn the costs of different sources of finance and also their advantages and disadvantages. A source of finance is divided into two sections which are short term and long term. Short term is often referred to money that is borrowed for up to 12 months. Many businesses would use this to fund day to day activities such as utility bills or staff wages etc. Long term is generally over one year and used for things such as buying property or expanding a business. In this assignment it is going to look at how existing businesses and new businesses will use these types of borrowing as a source of finance. Long term finance Owner’s capital refers to the amount of money the owner puts into the business themselves. This is regarded as long term finance as the money will stay with the business as long as it exists. This could be savings, money received in result of a redundancy payment or money left to them in a will. The advantage of this source is that it doesn’t have any interest because it’s the owner’s money so you don’t need to pay anyone back unlike bank loans. In comparison to loans, this is generally more convenient because you don’t need to worry about paying back the bank and the interest rates. This source is more flexible than others because there is no restriction on the money so the owner can spend it on whatever they like. However, the disadvantage of this would be if the business fails then you are likely to lose your investment. It also comes with an opportunity cost. This is defined as what you could have done with the money; for example, you were going to use it to buy a house but you contribute it to starting up a business, this is the opportunity cost. If businesses do not contribute the owner’s capital then it is unlikely they will receive any loans from banks or other investors. This is because if you were an investor and you saw a business that isn’t willing to take the risk and contribute their own money, you wouldn’t invest your own money in them. Depending on how much the owner’s capital is going to be, this can be mixed with bank loans to go towards a business start-up. For example, I am going to open a Chinese take-away and invest  £10,000 into the business but my priority is to buy  utensils and refurbish the building. I could use my investment into refurbishing and since I contribute my own money I could get a loan from the bank to buy my utensils. This source of finance is suitable for new businesses to get them up and running however it can also be used for existing businesses who want to expand. Venture capital is the money that is provided to businesses by investors. These investors are named venture capitalists who could either be a group of wealthy individuals or a company who make their money by investing on businesses. They are often seeking for new or growing businesses who they believe have potential and hope to develop them. There are some advantages for this source; it is a good option to new businesses especially for the ones who don’t have much operating history so it’s harder for them to secure a bank loan. The money the venture capitalists contribute is usually more than what banks are willing to lend. Businesses are also interested in but the contacts these wealthy people have which could help their business expand in many different ways. For example, in Dragons Den, Peter Jones offers  £50 000 to a business for 50% of the company which is 25% more than what the business was prepared to give away however with Peter being a wealthy and respectable entrepreneur they gave him what he wanted. They believe Peter has the contacts which could help their business expand rapidly. If a business could secure a venture capital, it is more beneficial than a bank loan because there are no interest rates however the disadvantage is you risk losing some independency to the investors. They calculate how much money they are willing to invest and the percentage by considering the risk and reward. Usually, a new business is considered high risk because they have limited operating history but if they are believed to have potential then the investors will ask for a high percentage of the business for it to achieve a high profitable reward. It is likely the venture capitalists will make decisions for the company. If businesses are willing to sacrifice part of their business then this source is recommended because it could broaden the company. Bank loans are regarded as long term finance because the money can be borrowed up to 25 years or longer in some circumstances. All loans have an  interest rate attached to them. The interest rate is often calculated by how much the business borrows. The more you borrow the more interest you are going to pay. For example, if I borrow  £9000 from Barclays bank, I will be charged 4.3% APR whereas if I borrow  £30000 I will be charged at 6.9% APR. It could affect your loan if the interest rates go up so more businesses take out a loan on a fixed rate of interest where they won’t be charge any extra costs if the interest rates increase. If a variable rate loan is taking out, the interest rates can change which makes it harder to manage finance. Bank loans could be used by new and existing businesses; a new business can use it to buy equipment and an existing business could use it to expand the company for example, buying new premises. An existing business will tend to be able to borrow more than a new business. This is because they have been operating for longer and banks generally find them more reputable. If these companies wish to borrow an excessive sum of money then extra security is needed to ensure the money is paid back. Often banks will ask the business to use their property as a security for the loan. It means if the business fails then the bank could recover the money from selling their property. This is usually referred as a second mortgage. Most businesses use this source to their advantage because it is convenient and the money could be borrowed for a lengthy period. For some businesses, it could be looked at as a better option than securing a venture capital because you aren’t losing a share of the business for money but you also have decision on where the money could be spend; you have more independency with the money. The disadvantage is the interest rate could be quite high whereas if an owner’s capital was available, a repayment is not necessary. Also, if your business fails and you have taken out a second mortgage you could lose your property. Generally, bank loans work out quite expensive in the long run however it is a good way to raise finance for your business. A mortgage is a loan used for purchasing a property and could be paid back in the space of 25 years or sometimes more. The property then becomes the borrower’s collateral which needs to be paid off as they agreed with the lenders. If there is a failure of payment then the lenders can repossess the property and sell it at an auction to recover the money. This source is common for both new and existing businesses that need a mortgage for their  work premises. The advantage of mortgages is the fact they are usually more manageable and affordable than renting because the repayments are spread out over a lengthy period. This also depends on the type of the property and other factors such as location and price. Here is an example, in 2008, house prices dropped in Northern Ireland; therefore buying a house was cheaper. In addition, getting a mortgage was easier and cheaper than renting. Also, once you have paid off your mortgage, you own the property and it could be worth far more than what you paid for it. Often, interest rates on mortgages are lower than a loan because the property is used as collateral. Mortgages fall into two main categories; fixed rate and various rates. Fixed rate is where the interest stays the same over a number of years and various rate means the interest can change. This source also comes with many disadvantages; it is not as flexible as renting because if you want to move out of the property, it is not as easy as cancelling a contract with your landlord, you will have to sell the property which can be difficult. Maintenance is one of the problems for instance, if the roof leaks you will have to fix it yourself whereas a rented property it can be repaired for you. The main disadvantage is that you have to keep up with your repayments or you can end up losing your property. For example, during the credit crunch there was many people made redundant and therefore they struggled to make repayments so their house was repossessed. Although the interest rate is lower on mortgages, it does carry high risk as you are repaying over a long period of time. For a new business it would be advisable to start off with a bank loan to establish a steady flow of finance into a business before considering a mortgage. Retained profits are defined as capital which is kept in the business. The owner(s) can decide what they want to do with the companies’ profits. This could be for personal use, paid out to shareholders as a dividend or withdrawn as wages for sole trader’s also known as owner’s drawings. If the owner decides not to touch this money it is referred to as ploughing back the profits or organic growth. This is regarded as important long term finance but only relates to existing businesses. There are many advantages of retained profits; the money which is left in the business rather than paid out as a dividend is the opportunity cost for shareholders. The money  is reinvested and helps the company expand and could be used for buying new equipment or machinery. It is an advantageous source of finance because it doesn’t have any interest rates attached. It also has a lot of flexibility because the company has control of what is left in the business and what is paid out to dividends. This source of finance has some disadvantages. It could lead to the company getting criticized for restricting the value of dividends and holding on too much money for the business. If retained profits don’t result in higher profit then it could cause arguments amongst shareholders and you risk losing them. The shareholders may think the money would be better in their own hands rather than the business. In order to use this source accordingly, you must maintain good relationships with the shareholders and show that the business has potential to succeed. This is highly recommended for existing businesses because as long as the company exist while making profits, money will be reinvested each day and it could help with the growth of the business. Selling assets is a common source of long term finance for an existing business. An asset is categorized as any item owned by a business or individual which could range from land to machinery. Business may sell some assets because they have no further need for them. By selling assets the company can raise money to fund other projects. For example; selling a JCB digger because there is limited work on in the construction site and it is taking up too much valuable space. These assets can turn into cash which could help the business with advertising or paying off debts. Often businesses sell a successful division of their business to another firm because they believe there is a declining market for their product or service. While it is still going good they will sell this in order to use the money to expand in a new and growing market. The advantage of selling an asset is you get your money back straight away. Generally, this is a cheaper source of financing your business unlike bank loans where you have to worry about the high interest rates. For many, selling an asset is a good way to reduce or eliminate debt. Although, this seems like a convenient method, the cost of selling assets must be considered. In some cases, you won’t receive full market value for the goods but this depends on how quick you want to sell them. The assets could grow in value faster than what you can yield  with the cash and also it could come with tax consequences. This means if you buy an asset and later sell it on for profit, you could be landed with what is called ‘Capital Gains Tax’. You could end up with less money than you expected. This financing source mostly applies to existing businesses because they would have built more assets than new businesses starting up and would most likely have more debt on their hands. For new businesses, getting a bank loan or owner’s capital would be more suitable. Overall; this is a recommended source of finance for existing businesses as it carries little risk in the procedure. This benefits a lot of businesses because they are usually selling something they no longer require, in order to use the money on something which can help their company grow or eliminate debt. For example, you are investing on a delivering service for your company and plan to get a loan for a van. Your warehouse has several forklifts so you would plan to sell one in order to buy a van. To conclude, you aren’t losing money because you are using the money from the asset to start a new service; to expand your business. Share capital is the capital of a company divided into equal amounts known as shares. There are two companies’ which share capital relate to which are private limited companies, (LTD’s) or public limited companies (PLC’s). In a private limited company, these shares are often sold to family firms but could be sold to family and friends. However, if they want to issue shares, they must go through an agreement with all the shareholders. On the other hand, a public limited company can sell shares on a stock exchange to members of the public. This means anyone could buy shares which results in them having a wider source of capital. A new business is usually classed as a private limited company and may have as little as two shareholders. However, if they expand over time and cannot issue any more shares they might consider about becoming a public limited company. This process is known as ‘floating the business’ which has to go through a number of administr ative and legal procedures. A public limited company can raise more because they can sell their shares on the stock exchange. If they want to expand their business but need  £100 million then they can sell  £100 million shares at the stock exchange for  £1 each. This needs to come with a prospectus which is very important because it gives the investors a better  understanding of the company before they commit to buying shares. You will tend to find information such as; how the business is managed, what does the business specialist in, etc. Businesses often use the services of a merchant bank such as Morgan Stanley or Merrill Lynch who specialize in share floatation. This means if all shares are not sold, they will buy them so the business can still raise the money they need. This is a type of insurance policy and you can imagine the cost it has attached to it. Share capital is attractive and very helpful in raising long term finance for both new and existing businesses. The main advantages are; you will have commitment from your shareholders because like the owner they also want to see the business succeed. In terms where a plc becomes successful then they will most likely sell more shares to the public. However, if there comes a time when they want to raise more money, they can issue cheaper shares to existing shareholders through a rights issue’. If the company is doing well, and needs money for expansion, this is a quick and cheap way of raising finance. In comparison to loans, this source is cheaper; all you have to do is pay the shareholders their dividends each year instead of repaying high interest on bank loans. This financing source is similar to venture capital; if you have the right business angels and venture capitalist, they can bring useful contacts, valuable skills and experience to your company. This could help with business strategy planning, new products ideas or expansion plans. Although, there are some disadvantages too. Depending on the investor, you may lose some independency of the decision making in your business. For a potential investor to want a share of your business they will want to see reports and forecasts of the company; you may have to provide information for the investor(s) to monitor. This can be time consuming and may take management focus away from core business activities. Overall, share capital is a secure way to raise finance for your company. The money which is invested will stay within the company as long as the company exists and if it is a growing company then it could get a good reputation selling shares through the stock exchange. Short term finance A Bank overdraft is when someone makes an agreement with the bank to spend  more than what they have in their account but the money will need to be paid back. This type of borrowing is common for both new and existing businesses that experience cash flow problems. The money a business receives from sales and the amount they spend is called cash flow. There are two types of overdrafts; authorized and unauthorized. An authorized overdraft is where you are allowed to borrow up to a limit agreed with the bank. An unauthorized overdraft is where you are exceeding your authorized overdraft limit or going below zero in your account without agreeing on an overdraft facility; this should be avoided at all costs. This source of finance does carry an interest rate but only for the amount overdrawn and the length of time overdrawn. For example, if an overdraft facility allows you to borrow up to  £5000; you need  £3000 on the 1st July to pay rent until you get a payment of  £4000 from a customer on the 4th July, you will only be charged interest rates on the  £3000 for 4 days you borrowed. Some banks will charge a fee for customers to use this facility. A bank overdraft is suitable for companies that need the money for a short period of time whether it’s for paying staff wages or utility bills. Although, they must ensure they have money coming in to cover the cost of the overdraft as it can carry high interest rates; usually higher than bank loans. It can help avoid cheques bouncing and returned direct debit. This is where there are insufficient funds in the account to make a payment. If this happens, the business will have to pay bank charges and it can also damage relationships with suppliers as they will see the business as untrustworthy and they may not want to supply them with any more stock. The main advantage of a bank overdraft is the fact that is there when you need it and doesn’t cost anything (except for a small fee). You only need to borrow what you need. It can also help maintain the cash flow within the company and allows the business to make essential payments while chasing their own payments. There are many disadvantages too, as mentioned before overdrafts can carry higher interest rates than bank loans which make them expensive for long term financing. In some cases, you may have to secure your business assets to get an overdraft and failing to make repayments can risk you losing your assets. The main disadvantage and probably most important one is, if you find yourself going over the overdraft limit it would be classed as an unauthorized overdraft where you will be charged high interest rates and bank charges. If the  business keeps using over their limit, it could damage their reputation with banks although they can get the limit raised but this is not advisable. If this is done repeatedly the banks will assume the business has financial issues and they can refuse further use of the overdraft service. This source of finance is useful if lending short term but a business should never rely on it. Trade credit is the time given to a business from the supplier to pay for their stock. It is used in business to business (B2B) transactions. Trade credit is usually 30 days although this can be different depending on the organization. If you agreed 30 days credit with your supplier, you can sell the stock and have the money in your bank account before you pay the supplier. This means you are getting an interest free loan for 30 days. Usually small suppliers prefer to sell their products only to one big company instead of many small companies; this makes payments more manageable. An example is Cravendale farm only sells their milk to Asda so they will get one invoice from them at the end of the credit period. This is better than having multiple invoices from different supermarkets which can make cash flow more difficult. However, big companies like Asda often use this to their advantage and pay the supplier back late. They usually get away with this because Cravendale farm know Asda are their only customers so they cannot afford to lose them. Trade credit is a very important source of finance and has many advantages. It does not carry any interest rates therefore it is better than using bank overdraft. It can save you from spending money in your account to buy stock and with that money you can use it elsewhere in the business. For new businesses it may be hard to get trade credit because they have limited operating history but if they shop around they might find a supplier that will offer them a small credit limit to begin with. If they can make payments on time and prove to the suppliers they are reliable then it is possible the credit limit will increase. However the downfall of this source is, if you do not pay the supplier back on time you will get a bad reputation in the industry. If you constantly make late payments then the suppliers can withdraw this facility and ask for cash payments. It will also be hard for you to get new suppliers because they may be aware of your reputation of late payments; this should be  avoided at all costs. Trade credit is a good source of finance being interest free and it can help you build good credit history. This will be useful for getting bank loans or using the overdraft facility. Business credit cards are useful for short term borrowing. It is similar to using trade credit. If you pay for goods with a credit card, you will receive a statement once a month with the amounts spent in the last month. You will be given a time to pay for what you spent. If the amount is paid off in full you won’t have to pay any interest charges. Although, you do have the alternative of paying a minimum amount in which case you will have to pay interest on the remaining amount owed. This source of finance is recommended for new businesses as it gives them time to receive money from sales before they have to pay their expenses. It is also a good option for existing businesses but new businesses will tend to use it more to their advantage because it helps to maintain their cash flow and makes it easier for them to get started. An example of this source is if I have just opened a Chinese take away then I can use my business credit card to buy stock. Once I have sold all my stock and I can pay the amount in full then I will get an interest free loan. Business credit cards have some advantages. It helps track purchases because you will get a statement each month which shows what the business has spent money on. You can get interest free credit if you pay the balance by the due date. With a business credit card being so convenient it does have its disadvantages. The card can be fixed with high interest rates and if you make late payments or failure to make a payments it can resolve in the interest rate to rise. This can have a significant impact on the companies’ credit history and rating. This source is very useful although you should avoid making late payments because if you constantly have debt on the credit card, it can cost the business more money by paying interest rates. You will have to clear all debt before you can take advantage of the interest free credit again. You should always make payments on time to take advantage of this source. Failure to make payments can cause the business to get bad credit which means it will be harder to use other borrowing facilities in the future such as bank loans and it can harm the businesses’ reputation. A business should take full advantage of trade credit and credit cards for short term financing. They are both very similar and suitable for new and existing businesses. However, I recommend using trade credit over credit cards because repayments are more flexible to a supplier than to a bank. I mean if you pay your credit card bills late you will be charged with interest but some suppliers are flexible with their payment and they can possibly excuse a late payment. Although, you should always try to make payments on time to avoid damaging company reputation and having bad credit history. Retained profits are considered to be a cheaper source of finance than bank loans and mortgages. It is the best option available to help an existing company expand because it doesn’t carry any interest rates which means more capital for the business. If the business fails after taking out a bank loan and they can’t repay the loan, they can destroy their credit rating, making it difficult or impossible to get loans in the future. If retained profits are used and the business fails then it is just the companies’ investment that will be lost. For a new business, venture capital is considered to be the best source of long term finance. It is not only the investor’s money that is important but their skills and experience is crucial and could be the difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful one. If you are planning to start up your own business you need an owner’s capital in order to secure a bank loan. Once the business starts operating it will be able to secure higher loans and take advantage of the retained profits. The retained profits can help the company expand without carrying any interest rates meaning more capital for the business. Trade credit comes in when the business is set up and you want to start selling products. You should shop around and find a good supplier that will offer you this source and if it’s used appropriately you will find it very convenient. These sources should help you succeed in your business. Investopedia. (2014) Opportunity Cost. Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/opportunitycost.asp Barclays. (2014) Your Loan Options. Available at: http://www.barclays.co.uk/Loans/P1242557963420 Money Supermarket. (2014) Advantages and disadvantages of mortgages. Available at: http://www.moneysupermarket.com/mortgages/advantages-and-disadvantages/ Gov.uk. (2014) Business finance explained. Loans. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-explained/loans Tutor2u. (2012) Source of Finance – Retained Profits. Available at: http://tutor2u.net/business/finance/retained_profit.html eHow. (2014) Advantages and disadvantages of sale of assets. Available at: http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8615419_advantages-disadvantages-sale-assets.html Tutor2u. (2012) What is share capital? Available at: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/qa-what-is-share-capital NI Business Info. (2014) Advantages and disadvantages of equity finance. Available at: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/advantages-and-disadvantages-equity-finance Wikipedia. (2014) Trade Credit. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_credit Biz Help 24. (2014) Overdraft finance Advantages and disadvantages . Available at: http://www.bizhelp24.com/money/business-finance/overdraft-finance-advantages-and-disadvantages.html Gov.uk (2014) Business finance explained. Overdrafts. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-explained/overdrafts Money Supermarket. (2014) Advantages and disadvantages of credit cards. Available at: http://www.moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/advantages-and-disadvantages/ Go Compare. (2014) Beginners guide to credit cards. Available at: http://www.gocompare.com/credit-cards/credit-cards-explained/

Thursday, January 23, 2020

paper :: essays research papers

Programmer's File Editor 1.01 ----------------------------- Welcome to Programmer's File Editor. This file is the place to start looking at the program: if you've not seen PFE before there's a synopsis of its main features; and if you've used earlier versions there's some essential information on major changes. Below you'll find   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. ABSTRACT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A brief list of PFE's main features   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. USING AND DISTRIBUTING PFE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The terms on which you can use it and pass it on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How to pass on your criticisms, suggestions, bug reports   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and maybe even praise   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. WHERE TO GET PFE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Places to look for PFE on the Internet and elsewhere   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5. WHICH VERSION SHOULD YOU USE?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How to pick the most appropriate version   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6. UPGRADING FROM PREVIOUS RELEASES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Important information if you're currently using an older   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  version of PFE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7. OTHER FILES YOU SHOULD LOOK AT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The other important text files in this release   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8. THE FILES YOU SHOULD GET   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What should be in your distribution set   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  9. INSTALLING PFE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How to install everything --- Alan Phillips  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ( A.Phillips@lancaster.ac.uk )   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ( http://www.lancs.ac.uk/people/cpaap/pfe ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. ABSTRACT ----------- This is the 1.01 release of Programmer's File Editor, a large-capacity multi-file programming oriented editor for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 on Intel platforms, Windows 2000 on Intel platforms, and Windows 3.1x PFE includes the following features: - The size of file it can handle is limited only by the total amount of virtual memory available - No arbitrary limit on the number of lines a file can contain - It can edit multiple files, the number being limited only by the available system resources - Allows multiple edit windows showing the same file - Multi-level undo facility - Can read and write files in UNIX format using LF as line terminator, with automatic format detection - Line numbers can be shown in any edit window if required - Text can be copied and moved by dragging and dropping - Right-click mouse menus give access to commonly required functions - DOS commands such as compilers can be run with the output captured in an edit window - Commonly-used text can be inserted in a simple operation from template libraries - Fully-remappable keyboard, including two-key operation similar to MicroEMACS and mapping of Alt keys to functions - Keystrokes and menu commands can be recorded in replayable keyboard macros which can be collected into libraries - Files can be printed either in total, by line range, or selected text only - Files can be printed with two pages per sheet of paper in landscape mode or as booklets - Automatic line indenting and removal of trailing spaces - Automatic configuration of edit options depending on file type - Automatic configuration of tab sizes depending on file type

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Descriptive Essay: “My Professor” Essay

On a Monday afternoon, after discussing my computer science project with my professor, I find myself seated in a visitor’s chair in his office on the second floor of the Glatfelter Hall. The professor is about to leave the room to grab some books and a cup of coffee, but he allows me to stay. (Seeing myself as a professor in the future, I enjoy hanging out in my professor’s office.) I am facing the door. Nothing is blocking my view. Twenty feet in front of me, the hallway intersects my vantage point, so I’m able to see students and professors moving left and right like pedestrians on a New York City street corner. Quickly, I put my computer science notebook in my backpack, get my ASUS pro-book, and create a blank document in Microsoft Word. My viewpoint is set and I now begin looking for subjects. My computer clock reads 4:13PM. To my left I can see wooden shelves of well-thumbed books on java, c++, unix, linux, a stack of Wired magazines, a coffee maker and a coffee mug, an out of box macbook air and an amazon box. In the hallway, coming from right, two short and skinny Asian looking males (subjects# 20130128/1 and 20130128/2) appear in view. As they head in my direction, I can hear their excited chatter in Chinese. With little smiles on their tan faces, they greet me. Straight black hair frames their flat faces with a narrow nose and wide cheekbones. They do not find the professor at his desk, so I tell them that the professor is expected to be back shortly. With the excited look in the faces, the subjects introduce themselves to me as Chang and Lionel. Wearing boat shoes, worn and tattered jeans and t-shirts with intricate logos, the subjects mention recently returning to campus from the study abroad program in Florence, Italy. In a few seconds, they leave and I do not see them again. Read Also:  Ideas for Descriptive Essay At 4:25 pm, suddenly, a pigeon-chested male, age 35-40,( subject# 20130128/3, â€Å"the Professor†) with a height of about five feet and eleven inches, a rectangular body shape and a flat stomach smiles, walks toward me and settles to my right into a height-adjustable, blue swivel chair with armrests. In front of him, I notice a chestnut brown, cluttered desk that could easily accommodate four people, but is accommodating around forty four thousand pages of books, exams, and magazines. I see no personal touches on his desk. There are no pictures or little knickknacks. Instead, a seventeen-inch black Lenovo monitor, with two slim speakers on each side, sits in the middle of the desk top. He mentions that he would like to use my help as a assistant in one of his introductory courses this semester. Politely, I nod. Sitting in his chair, the subject is lifting his coffee to his lips, taking baby sips. With his thick-framed glasses, his close-set, brown eyes carefully examine the computer screen directly in front of him. Intently focused, he barely blinks. Bushy dark black hair frames a square face, with a cleanly-shaven rounded chin, a pointed nose, lopsided lips, and large ears. The face is not handsome, but rather engaging in its varied features. Casually attired in a dark blue polo shirt, navy blue jeans, and black sketchers with a lace-up closure, he is dressed for comfort, function, and minimal maintenance rather than for appearance. His chair has a tilt-function, but he is sitting straight as if he is in the economy seat of a Boeing airliner. His long fingers are slowly moving on the keyboard, suggesting no errors. Hanging around the back of his chair is a black, weathered rain jacket and a hook of an umbrella indicating his awareness of today’s rain forecast. Suddenly he stands up. Intelligent, scruffy, intense, and abstracted, he stares on the blackboard to his right. With a small piece of chalk in his hand, he writes feverishly the points that would like to explain in the colloquium this week. His handwriting is terrible: he is block-printing each letter like a junior draftsman. Intensely occupied with his work, he seems oblivious to my presence. A few seconds later, he sinks back into his seat and stares back into the screen. An attractive blond female student (subject # 20130128/2) appears at the door. We make an eye contact and smile at each other. She is wearing an orange and blue Gettysburg track and field sweatshirt, crinkle blue tight jeans, a snug and agile pair of pink, Nike running shoes. She makes an eye contact with the professor, greets him, and the two begin chatting. I pick up pieces of the conversation. Seeming to ignore my presence, the student is explaining that last night’s electronic homework was delayed because her computer crashed. Professor, with a mildly flippant attitude but underlying seriousness, squeezes a genuine smile: he seems to be giving the benefit of doubt to the student, although his look tells me that he has a well-honed bullshit detector. Unlike the hurried words from student, he speaks slowly using a careful word choice and without contradictions, is sensitive to the nuances and precision of language, but not devoid of empathy. Interestingly, both appear intent on avoiding eye contact, and after a few minutes, sensing the conversation is coming to a close, she looks up at him again as a sign to leave, and, seeming to receive assent, turns around to exit. I eye my computer clock. It reads 4: 47 PM. I sit for three more minutes. Nobody is around now, the professor back at his computer. I conclude my mission, shut down my laptop, say goodbye to my professor and head out of the room.