Thursday, October 31, 2019
Education High School Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Education High School - Article Example In this respect, education is not imparted by the teacher but should be developed by giving activities which enables students to think. The article stresses that so often, students are given the materials containing the information which they should memorize robbing them of the time to really develop their mental abilities. In essence, the article emphasizes that the role of the teacher is to "elicit from the pupil what is latent" in every human being and this is the rule of reason. Instead of being sausages, it sees pupils as oysters and the teachers duty is for the finest pearls to develop from within. With my current point of view, the article is an eye-opener for me. Having believed all my life that students are empty sausages where education is filled in throughout their lifetime, I must say that reading the article shows learning in a new light. To be honest, it came as a shock because I have always believed that teachers do really have to infuse knowledge that students should absorb. However, a deeper probe makes me realize that in learning, the student take a more active role than the teacher. Thinking things through, I agree with the article that knowledge should not be stuffed but should be elicited from the pupils. As the article stresses, each of us has the latent ability to reason. Every born individual has a functioning mind when he is born and should be developed as he matures. When a child reaches three years old, I have observed from my experience that he can give reasons to defend himself when his behavior is questioned. Even though this behavior is repressed in some societies, the child still learns to reason and defend his actions even to elders. This personal observation makes me realize that yes; each of us has the ability to reason which should be the most important tool in acquiring all the knowledge that through our interaction with the teachers. Eliciting knowledge from the student then calls for a unique way of teaching and learning. In the part of the teacher, eliciting knowledge then becomes much more complicated than just assigning readings and books for the students to read. I believe that Plato has modeled the classic way of bringing out and refining the reasoning skills of an individual through dialectic. In this method, the teacher asks the students probing questions which makes them think and rethink. Having been in the time where Sophists are the influential teachers, this method has been repressed by the society. However, this type of knowledge cultivation produced two of the most influential thinkers that we know today, Socrates and Aristotle serving as a proof that this method works. And I believe that this teaching method can still be applied in today's world. However, I also have concerns with the advancement of technology which now provide more avenues for the students to learn. If technological development can be utilized in such a way that it does not solely present the information that one needs but will nurture a pupil's ability to think and analyze, then it will be most efficient.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
IDENTIFY AND DISUCUSS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THE Essay
IDENTIFY AND DISUCUSS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THE 19TH CENTURY ORGANIZED INTERNATIONAL PEACE MOVEMENT - Essay Example Thus, two related issues are evolved from them. One is to provide peace in the society by restricting the apparent inevitability of war. Another is a steady increase in prosperity among all categories of people such that they do not go for any conflict. The first period of peace movement includes the ethical position of the Christian. This movement originated from the religious groups, mainly the Quakers in England and the Presbyterians in America. In the early nineteenth century, the ââ¬Å"Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peaceâ⬠was established in London, followed by several other peace foundations across Europe and America. In the year 1843, the first World Peace Conference took place in London. After the conference, the traditional Christian position was enriched with human values which were more fundamental in nature (Cooper 1991, p.14-15; Dungen and Wittner 2003, pp. 363-364; The International Peace Movement, n.d.; Sneh 2008, pp.2-5). The international peace movement got upsurge in the late nineteenth century after the First Geneva Convention in 1864 where international laws are passed to protect the war victims. The movement was initiated by the Nobel Peace Laureate Henri Dunant, the initiator of ââ¬Å"International Committee of the Red Crossâ⬠. The main objectives of the convention were ââ¬â The convention is closely related to the foundation of International Committee of Red Cross. The convention thus intended to impose international law for the protection of war victims, the medical personnels and the medical facilities at war against any hostile act. The convention generalizes the Red Cross sign on white zone as a sign of medical care and nursing at the war front. This convention is the initialisation of the international peace movement. All of the conventions are related to the welfare of the war victims. The Red Cross did not advocated for the stoppage of war, but pleaded for the
Sunday, October 27, 2019
The Rite Of Nokan Or The Encoffinment Religion Essay
The Rite Of Nokan Or The Encoffinment Religion Essay The rite of Nokan or the encoffinment where the corpse was placed in a casket during the funeral. Traditionally, the ceremony was to relieve the family of their grief by cleansing the dead of all his worldly suffering, while hoping they would have a better life in the afterlife. The specialist handled all the necessary requirements for ease of passage into the afterlife. In early times there were two main traditions practiced Shinto and Buddhist traditions. According to Shinto traditions, the dead as well as the family unit from which he/she came from were considered to be unclean and impure; therefore the corpse had to be washed for purification. Traditional Japanese believed that the dead persons soul remained impure for some period following death before purification through memorials done by the relatives of the dead; thereafter the soul was deindividuated into an ancestor god or goddess. Traditional Japanese opinion that dead people are impure is based on the Kojiki myth, where maggots came out of the rotting body of a god. Traditionally burial gowns were also considered garments for travelling that prepared the dead when travelling to the other world. The encoffinment rite was done by the family members as death was unclean. In modern times, in keeping with this rite, family members wipe the corpse clean with a cotton cloth dipped in alcohol with the assistance funeral specialists. Traditionally Japanese funerals were to serve as prayers for the deceased persons soul while also serving as the familys time for public mourning as it was meant to keep their loved one in their memories. Typically a Japanese funeral follows the sequence: when someone dies, they are placed to rest in their homes. The corpse was placed with the head pointing the North, copying the deathbed of Gautama, and the head of the bed is well decorated. Then the previously mentioned encoffinment process. The first night after ones death is called the Tsuya; and it is for close family and friends to remember their beloved. In the morning, a cleansing meal is served called Okiyome. The funeral is thereafter carried out where the Jukai rite also known as receipt of commandments gives the dead an opportunity to receive the Buddhist commandments, automatically making the dead a disciple of the Buddha, and the dead person is accepted into Buddha hood. After all this, the deceased embarks on the journey to the other world as the coffin is carried out of the house and burnt in a crematorium to ashes. Presently about 99% Japanese are cremated while only about 1% are interred. These changes in preference on the method of sending off the dead have been brought about by the Countrys main religion, changes in dwelling environments and changes in technologies. During the high-growth era of the 1970s, cremation became popular outside of metropolitan areas and crematoriums were built in several places as a matter of national requirement. VIEWS HELD BY JAPANESE ON CORPSES Generally the elderly Japanese do not perceive the body and soul as a duality, that is flesh and spirit. The corpse is considered a very important part and if funeral rites are not carried out, the deceaseds soul will not be mourned. It is very important that the corpse is attended to and the death is mourned by as many people as possible. Additionally the corpse must be well taken care of until all rites have been carried out. The body is not just considered a vehicle or an object or a shell for the soul but it is considered an entity with a will, hopes and rights therefore the family has a responsibility to care for them, respect them and accord them a befitting farewell.. CONTINUATION OF LIFE AND DEATH The Japanese considered death a passageway leading to the continuation of death and life. The Japanese held contradicting ideas concerning the dead. Even though they wish for and hope that the dead resurrect, they live in fear of the spirit and the possible return of the dead founded on the Shintoist principle of impurity, as explained earlier on in the funeral rites. They believe impurity is transmissible and transferrable and that, a house that experienced a death and even those involved in handling the corpse are also impure. Therefore Japanese funerals have a combination of rites to reaffirming death, protect the dead, and prevent bad luck and curses and prevent the dead from resurrecting. Some practices invoke the spirit of the dead from having a feeling of longing; which include Ichizen-meshi a single bowl of rice given to the dead and Matsugo-no-mizu which is water given to the dead at the time of death. There are other contrasting customs like the Sakasa-buton or upside-down futon, whereby the dead persons blanket is placed facing upside-down, and the Sakasa-byobu or upside-down folding of the dead ones screen, where a folding screen is placed upside-down on top of the head of the deceaseds bed, and Sakasa-mizu or upside-down water, where the water for cleaning the corpse is prepared by adding hot water into cold water rather than pouring cold water into hot water as normal. All this is done with the primary aim of separating the scary situation of death from peoples day to day lives and also to prevent pulling others in to death. Other customs were also used traditionally to make it impossible for the departed soul to remain in this life or to make an attempt to return to this life. They included making burial gowns without closed stitches or backstitches , and the practice of turning the coffin three times when taking it out of the house which was done in order to confuse the deceased preventing them from ever coming back home. Similarly the deceaseds bowl of rice is shattered, and the deceased exits the house through an exit that is not the front door. Throwing of salt is also another practice aimed to remove the uncleanness and impurity brought about by the death. Up to now, there is the Kichu custom a 49-day mourning and grieving period, during which the family does not attend any festivities. During this period, since the family was made unclean by the death it is shunned and avoided. There is also Mochu which is a one-year period. A time when the family mourns the death of their member and remembers the departed. Conclusion In conclusion we have discussed in this assignment how traditional Japanese viewed death their traditions and their myths concerning death and all the elaborate preparations they carried out when sending off their dead relatives. Why and how all the rites were practiced. How the deceaseds family had a responsibility to give the dead a befitting burial and respect them because it was assumed that the dead retained their individuality as they had it before their deaths. The idea and belief that death is a station led to a continuation and made it possible for communication between the old and the dead.
Friday, October 25, 2019
The Natural Environment and the Human Condition :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation
To consider the human condition apart from the natural environment is both foolish and inconceivable. It is in unity with a modern mode of thought that humans are raised to think that they are in some way separated from their natural environment. In developed society the weather has become nothing more than something to discuss with the person standing next to you in the checkout line. Population refers to how many people will be at the movies this weekend. Agriculture is what shows up in the produce section of the grocery store and fire is something you can find on You_Tube and watch on your television screen. Practically nothing directly relates to the environment that we are so intrinsically a part of. Humanity has neglected to develop a consciousness about its position in a world, which includes but is not defined by human society. As far as we know, the beginnings of humanity date back to 3.5 million years ago. Homo erectus (the earliest form of man) was roaming the earth, in Africa, with his hands free enabling him to travel great distances and utilize basic stone tools. The species Homo erectus lived in small, hunter-gatherer groups. Because of constant movement, in search of vegetation and game in addition to a small population, he was unable to leave a lasting impact on the environment. (Ponting) Essentially, he was a very smart ape. (McCrone) Just 100,000 years ago came the development of Homo sapiens whom had a larger brain case and far more advanced hunting techniques, using bolas stones, snarling and trapping. And 30,000 years ago came the development of Homo sapiens sapiens. The bow and arrow was developed along with the needle and thread. Tools and technology were quickly developing and man had the resourcefulness for global spread. The manipulation of fire is regarded as one of mans greatest feats concerning early technology. There is a debate as to when man first intentionally used fire, McCrone argues that Homo erectus was successfully using fire as a tool about 1.5 million years ago. He doesn't think that Homo erectus would have been able to spread its population the way it did without the use of fire which would have facilitated cooking, food preservation and tool making; all of which would have been necessary to migrate great distances. There is evidence of hearths being used in Europe as early as 400,000 years ago, which clearly require controlled use of fire.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Interview analysis Essay
The results of the interviews: The interviewees have been asked a bunch of questions regarding the ethical issues in the field of la enforcement. Before looking at the results of the interviews, it would be better to look at the questions first. These questions were as follows: 1. Why are ethics and character so important in the field of law enforcement? 2. Do you feel that police are more ethical today, or were they more ethical ten years ago? 3. Why do police officers become involved in misconduct? 4. Do you feel that there is enough training offered in ethics at the police academy level? If not, why is that? 5. Should ethics training be offered as an on-going process for law enforcement officers? 6. Do you feel that education and/or training in ethics would reduce incidents of police corruption? Now the results can be presented here. The answer of each question will be reported separately here. As far as the first question is concerned, both of the interviewees have expressed great regards for the ethical values associated with their positions. Although the two interviewees belong to two different generations, their perspectives on ethical values in the field of law enforcement are similar. Both of them stressed the need of ethics and character in the field of law enforcement. According to the jail super indent he could not have performed his duty well in his long career without following ethical norms; whereas the junior police officer believes that without giving proper respect to ethics he could not have been trustable to the society. According to both of them importance of ethics in the field of law enforcement is huge. As law enforcement practitioners they feel that without obeying ethical norms it is quite difficult to present themselves as the protector of the society. They feel that without having ethical norms to guide their conduct, they would be no better than the bad guys whom they arrest. Society put police on a very high position on account of their responsibility to the society. So it is extremely important for these guys to do right things and in order to do these they need to follow ethical norms. According them, even if their fellow practitioners do not bother about paying reverence to ethics and do not like other to do so, it is very important to do their respective duties in ethical ways. In case of the second question, the jail superintendent finds it very hard to make a comparison between the present situation and the situation that existed ten years ago. In his twenty five years of career he has seen lots of incidences of violation of ethical norms by police officers. He told that corruption in the field of law enforcement is not a new phenomenon. He himself saw a number of cases of violation of ethical norms in past by police. Police used to be accused of various crimes even ten years ago. He, however, feels that most of the departments are trying to becoming better in enforcing higher ethical standards for the practitioners. According to the jail superintended every department are trying to employ best officers for representing the respective agencies. He himself put emphasis on examining ethical values of the officers before appointing them in his department. The junior police officer on the other hand was not at all agree to draw a comparison between the two period as he feel that serving only three years in the police force he cant judge the situation that existed ten years ago as he lack proper experience. He, however, feel that at present higher authorities are paying great attention to ethical values of police, they are trying to strengthen ethical norms. He even cited an example of suspension of three junior police officers, one senior police officer and five constables on account of violation of ethical norms in last three years. He feel that today, may be in fear of suspension, police officers are trying to maintain the ethical codes of their respective positions. Although exceptions are there, he finds most of his fellow police officers obeying ethical norms. As far as the third question is concerned, both of them feel that it is not right to accuse entire police department of involving in misconduct. They feel if the entire system got corrupted, then it would not be possible for any government to maintain peace in the society. According to them, the situation have not deteriorated to such an extent that an emergency can be called upon. It simply tells the fact that there still exists good officers who are well aware of their responsibilities and perform their duties with great care. They however, did not forget to express their concern over the presence of some bad apples in the basket. Both of them are of the opinion that through the loopholes if the system some bad people enter into the system and do bad staff by taking advantage of their positions. These people have a tendency to develop a perception about themselves that they are above law and can do whatever they want to. The jail superintend as well as the junior police officer are of the opinion that the bad activities of these few people spoil the image of the entire system. They also feel that involvement of these bad people in undesired activities sometimes provokes others to involve in these acts as temptation is huge there. However, they feel that it is not right to accuse entire department of involving in misconduct. As for the forth question, the jail superintendent is of the opinion that the training system is enough for grounding ethical values among the officers. He said that the training system has been designed at a gross level. He said that the training system can not be made individual specific as it would bring huge complexities. In general the training system is well designed to guide a police officer in right direction. But he feel that ultimately the issue boils down to the fact that how an individual officer will utilize his training and follow the rules and regulations and become an example of an excellent officer. He thinks that no extra training can change a person who have a mentality to do his own staff and entered into the system only to take bad advantages of his position. The junior officer however differs to some extent from the point of view of the jail superintendent. This junior officer feels the training system is good but it can be made better as there exists wide scope for the betterment of the existing training system. He feels that a general level of time sometimes is not appropriate, particularly when people from diverse culture and background join the force. Some people inherits personality traits like greed, stubbornness in negative way, aggression, etc. hich are capable enough of diverting their focus from their responsibilities. The training system should have a method of finding out people with these personality traits and offering them special training in order to ensure that their focus will be kept only on their assigned responsibilities. Thus according the junior police officer theb training system should be modified by some extent. As far as the fifth question is concerned, both of the interviewees feel that ethical training should be made an ongoing process for the law enforcement officers. The jail superintendent said that at the beginning of his career the training was used to be offered only at the time of entering into the police force. Although sometimes some special training used to be offered, it was not made a ongoing process as a result of which many officers were found to have forgotten their actual duties. A police officerââ¬â¢s social responsibility is huge than a mere service man or an ordinary citizen. A process of updates of ethics training is essential at regular interval to keep them reminding of their duties and how to conduct themselves while performing their duties other wise they would fall apart. The junior police officer also feels that it is very important to remind constantly every officer of their responsibilities and the way of conducting their duties otherwise there exists a huge probability of forgetting the purpose of their service. Thus h also stressed on making ethics training a ongoing process for the law enforcement officers. As for the sixth question, both of the interviewees here feel that education and ethics training can play a great role in reducing the incidents of police corruption. Proper education and ethics training can grow among the officers a feeling of responsibility towards the society and to their respective departments. They are of the opinion that proper training and education can make the officers understand that their misconduct not only ruin their image but also the image of their departments as well as of their families and thus law enforcement officers can become more cautious while performing their duties and try to refrain from engaging any king of misconduct. Analysis of the results of the interviews: The results of the two interviews show that the law enforcement practitioners are quite sensible and possess adequate knowledge about the current situation. In spite of being a part of the law enforcement system they did not hesitate to point out its loopholes. An interesting thing has come out by analyzing the perspectives of these law enforcement officers. Looking at their answers it seems that sometimes media exaggerate the incidents and blame the entire system for the misconduct of one individual. Of course there are many examples where police officers have been accused of violating ethical norms, like misbehaving with people, involving in sexual crimes, involving in corruption like taking bribes, paying least attention to the suffering of the masses, focusing on their own personal gains and so on. Both of the interviews have admitted these facts, but they do not feel it right to accuse the entire system of these misconducts. Looking at these examples, they have also stressed on the importance of ethics training in the criminal justice system. Looking at their answers it seems that continuous ethical training is the only ways of reducing these sorts of misconducts. Although, they do not possess any clear idea about whether police were more ethical ten years ago than now, they have accepted that violations of ethical norms were quite prevalent in past too and thus it is not a new phenomenon. In essence the interviewees put stress on the importance of ethics in the field of law enforcement field and point out the importance of ethical training and education as a significant tool of reducing misconduct and corruption by police officers as ethical training and education can act as moral booster and make officers aware of their responsibilities. Conclusion: The interviewees seem to be quite right in their answer. In spite of being a part of the law enforcement system they did not try to cover up its shortcomings. The actual scenario seems to be quite similar to what the interviewees have pointed out. As the two interviewees pointed out, the importance of ethics in the field of law enforcement is huge. The issue of ethics is not new in the field of law enforcement, in fact the topic of ethical behavior have been in this field for centuries. With time concerns over ethical issues have become more and more difficult to address. In todayââ¬â¢s society ethical standards have taken a very complex shape. Not only that, but ethical standard of law enforcement officers are also being continuously scrutinized by the public. Therefore, law enforcement officers should carry their tasks following ethical codes. Law enforcement personnel are set at a high position by the society, and hence it is the duty of these officers to perform their job in an efficient and professional way. They are not allowed to express any personal views or emotions while performing their duties. To accomplish this, they are required to adhere to the codes of ethics and conduct. Ethical standard of law enforcement officers requires them to do right thing in the right way at the right time for appropriate causes. Keeping the essence of ethical standard in mind, the ââ¬Å"International Association of Chiefs of Policeâ⬠set up a code of ethics (Grant, 2002, p. 1). This code of ethics has to be followed by every member of this association. This ethical code dictates how the officers would conduct their jobs. People have established a set of social norms and values that they want all law enforcement personnel to practice. In order to follow these norms and values and to gain respect from public, it is necessary for law enforcement officers to behave in ethical way and conduct themselves accordingly not only on duty, but also off duty. This ethical code accompanied by proper ethics training encourages officers in the field of law enforcement to become a part of an ethical profession. (Grant, 2002, pp. 1-2).
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Berkshire Partners: Bidding for Carterââ¬â¢s Essay
1. Berkshire brought expertise in finding the right financing structure and operational and strategy related to the retail and manufacturing industry. Berkshire managers believed that the equity portion of a capital structure should be at least 25% to order to achieve the desired results as far as return and to show true commitment to the lending base. When determining the capital structure, they also seriously took into account such questions as: Is this the appropriate amount of leverage for a business of this type; what do the rating look like; how difficult will it be to get financing and what about financing costs? Once Berkshire had taken an equity position in a firm, Berkshire would help the firm management by prioritizing key objectives, improving organizational design, building a quality team of managers and aiding the integration process of a subsequent acquisition. Berkshire would add value up front with extensive due diligence, addressing opportunities for companies, and aligning strategically and building a strong relationship with management. Since Carterââ¬â¢s was an established business, they would receive a great deal of care and attention up front and then moderate to low oversight during the rest of the investment until exit. Berkshire also added value by exiting most of their investments by sale of a company instead of the typical IPO used by most private equity firms. Berkshire was more apt to facilitate an IPO in the middle of ownership with the intention of staying involved with the management and helping the company grow. Berkshireââ¬â¢s deep acquisition experience and familiarity with capital markets enabled very attractive financing to be put in place, as Berkshire solicited the views of a range of potential partners including Merrill, First Union, Lehman etc. in order to ensure the optimal financing structure. In addition, Berkshire had met with the Carter Management on two occasions and had a strong, open line of communication. Therefore, Berkshire should have a strong understanding of Carterââ¬â¢s goals. Ultimately, Berkshire used ââ¬Å"internal and external resources to undertake a thorough planning process that both built a road map to guide managementââ¬â¢s operating execution, but also served to coalesce the team around the significant potential inherent in the opportunities ahead of their company.â⬠2. Berkshire had developed a focus on ââ¬Å"building strong, growth oriented companies in conjunction with strong equity incented management teams.â⬠Carterââ¬â¢s was definitely financially strong as mentioned in the last question and growth orientated, as they recently diversified into the discount market for baby and young childrenââ¬â¢s apparel and were looking to move into the two to six year old playwear segments . They had shown success in a competitive, non-seasonal industry. Carterââ¬â¢s management team was disciplined and working to increase operating efficiencies by shortening development cycle and aiming to use 100% offshore sourcing in the near future. Management was also set on building on relationships with major customers (top eight wholesale customers represented 74% of wholesale revenue), and to continue to build profitable retail outlet stores. Berkshire liked the fact that Carterââ¬â¢s was a strong recognizable brand that could be leveraged across multiple channels and be viewed as a consumer products company. The only problem could be that Goldman Sachs was using a staple on financing structure. Berkshire felt this structure limited their ability to get an edge in the bidding process by bringing more creative financing deals to the table with Carterââ¬â¢s Investcorp wanted to exit the company in mid 2000 because they were at the end of a 5 year investing period and wanted liquidity in order provide quality returns for investors to set the stage for future financing. They could of went public (IPO) with Carterââ¬â¢s in 2001 but it would take over a year to exit the situation after the IPO and the IPO market was at a standstill. In addition, in summer of 2001 Carterââ¬â¢s was on the path to operational and financial success. From 1992 to 2000, the company increased revenue at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% with EDITDA increasing 22.1%. Since Carterââ¬â¢s was bought by Investcorp, the firm had a improved brand recognition, a lower cost structure, expanded into the discount channel with Tykes, and the movement of some manufacturing operations offshore to reduce cost. These improvements and Carterââ¬â¢s ability to weather economic swings made the company a attractive commodity among financial buyers.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Statistics Paper Essay Example
Healthcare/Statistics Paper Essay Example Healthcare/Statistics Paper Paper Healthcare/Statistics Paper Paper Alice makes an appointment with her primary care physician to talk about her arthritis. She tells her doctor that she has seen on TV this wonderful new medicine that in only days will relieve the pain that she has in her fingers and hands. The ad shows people playing golf, sewing and even typing on a computer ââ¬â all people who before the medication could not do any of these things without pain. The ad had two people ââ¬â a man and a woman ââ¬â who both explained how their lives were totally changed once they started using the medication. She pulls out a notepad and gives her doctor specific information from the TV ad: According to Dr. Jonas Smart ââ¬â the doctor who created the medicine a ââ¬Å"major medical studyâ⬠showed that 98% of the people who used the medication found relief ââ¬â many of them totally. Alice wants to try the medicine but it can only be ordered by mail and is very expensive (Alice lives on a fixed income and the $75.00 price tag is high for her) and is seeking her doctorââ¬â¢s OK to buy it. In light of the above scenario, discuss this situation and then add to it a discussion of ads that you have seen on TV, heard on the radio, or seen in newspapers or magazines where medicines or treatments are advertised. As each one of us may agree, certain medical products that are distributed in the market are coupled with persuasive advertisements, which are often coupled with researches. Nowadays, people are becoming more conscious and cautious about their health, especially with the skyrocketing number of individuals with diseases of the vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and other notable diseases, thereby realizing the need to stay healthy and to possibly be free from all sorts of ailments. As such, people tend to scrutinize their prospective products and see the benefits that they could possibly get from it. In line with the aforementioned need comes the advent of informative advertisements that are frequently seen on TV, heard on the radio, or seen in newspapers or magazines, where medicines and various treatment modalities are being laid down to render facts to a vast array of consumers. Nevertheless, with the current global recession and fiscal crisis in the economy, people also have a tendency to be vigilant about the price of the health products that they are to use. Indeed, the aforesaid facts can be seen in the above scenario involving Alice, who wanted to make sure that the new medicine she was eyeing for arthritis would be worth her limited income. For this reason, she sought the advice of an expert, who is, of course, her doctor. Discuss items like the following: What do you think of the ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠that are used to support the claims? To what degree can the information be trusted? When ââ¬Å"major studiesâ⬠are claimed, what does this mean? The data that are used to support the claims must have been obtained from actual researches are conducted to measure the effectiveness of a particular product to the individuals who have tried using it. For instance, in the new anti-arthritis medication, the research participants are the ones who are covered by data, including their responses as to the effect of the said medication to their condition. In this way, the 98% of the people- who, according to Dr. Jonas Smart, felt improvement in their condition because of the medicationââ¬â¢s relieving effect- can be said as the data that support the claims of the medicationââ¬â¢s efficacy. On the other hand, when dealing about the accuracy, reliability and trustworthiness of the data for claimed research/studies, many critics refute, even regarded those studies as having prevailing bias (Ioannidis, 2005). Furthermore, according to Ioannidis (2005): Too large and too highly significant effects may actually be more likely to be signs of large bias in most fields of modern research. They should lead investigators to careful critical thinking about what might have gone wrong with their data, analyses, and results. (p. 700) At this point, if we were to look at the 98% positive response to Dr. Smartââ¬â¢s medication, we can easily discern that it has ââ¬Å"too high significant effectsâ⬠, which may lead to a significant bias, as regarded in the above quotation. Hence, for major studies to be hailed as ââ¬Å"claimedâ⬠, it must be assumed ââ¬â¢perhaps, hoped forââ¬â¢ that they must have accurate, reliable, and careful analyses of data and results (Ioannidis, 2005). References Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). Why Most Published Research Findings Are False. PLoS Medicine, 2, 8, pp. 696-701. [Ioannidis JPA, 2005 Why Most Published Research Findings Are False. PLoS Med 2(8): e124. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124]
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