Thursday, October 31, 2019

Supervision Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supervision - Assignment Example Michael would be encouraged to participate in peer counseling. This would help in building self-confidence, self-direction and independence. This will serve to enhance his counseling skills, provide reassurance, self-growth and allow him to approach his counseling sessions in a professional manner. The supervisor’s role as consultant As a consultant to Michael, I would encourage him to be independent in thoughts and actions. He would be provided with various options and alternatives rather than answers. He would be encouraged to discuss the problems experienced by clients, and to brainstorm alternatives or interventions for each situation (Pearson, 2004). While I am acting as a process observer and collaborator, Michael would have the ultimate responsibility for the resolution of the problem (Young & Basham, 2010). Supervisory shills for each role The role as a teacher can incorporate the skill of process or intervention. This is to help Michael to focus more on what he learnt rather than contemplating if he did it right (Ward).

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Food chemistry lab report about Philadelphia cheese

Food chemistry about Philadelphia cheese - Lab Report Example All the results given below were found experimentally and then compared with those given by McCance and Widdowson. Methodology The experiments were carried out by reference to a given set of methods (see Appendix 1), although some changes had to be made, and some sections had to be omitted. For example, Philadelphia cheese does not contain any vitamin C or sugar, and as such those experiments were not undertaken. Between experiments, the cheese was kept refrigerated as instructed by the packaging. To prepare the Philadelphia for use, all that was required was to remove an appropriate sample of cheese and place this in the appropriate receptacle ready for use. Results Moisture Content of Food Mass of tin (g) Mass of tin + sample (before) (g) Mass of tin + sample (after) (g) Sample mass (g) % Moisture 24.56 27.29 25.37 2.74 29.70 24.20 27.61 25.33 3.42 33.20 25.10 27.46 25.87 2.36 67.10 Mean 24.62 27.45 25.53 2.84 43.33 Standard Deviation 0.45 0.16 0.30 0.53 20.66 Calculations used: (t in+sample)initial sample – (tin+sample)final mass x 100 = % Moisture mass of sample Ash Content of Food Mass of cruicable (g) Mass of cruicable + sample (before) (g) Mass of tin + sample (after) (g) Sample mass (g) % Ash 11.50 14.45 11.54 2.95 1.44 10.59 13.42 10.63 2.82 1.42 9.96 12.82 9.97 2.86 0.36 Mean 10.69 13.56 10.72 2.88 1.08 Standard Deviation 0.77 0.82 0.79 0.06 0.62 Calculations used: final mass-crucible mass x 100 = % ash mass of sample Determination of the protein content of food Mass of sample (g) Titre /ml Factor (from ‘Pearson’) %N % Protein in 0.32 1.96 6.38 0.86 5.47 0.34 0.99 6.38 0.41 2.60 0.33 2.11 6.38 0.90 5.71 Mean 0.33 1.69 6.38 0.72 4.59 Standard Deviation 0.01 0.61 0.00 0.27 1.73 Calculations used: Titre x 0.0014 x 100 = N% mass of sample Titre x 0.0014 x 100 x Factor = Protein % mass of sample Fat analysis by Buchi method    Sample weight (g) Empty cup weight Cup weight with fat Grams of fat per 100g sample    7.61 29.60 32.47 37.7 1    7.34 29.22 32.83 39.18 Mean 7.48 29.41 32.65 38.45 Standard Deviation 0.19 0.27 0.25 1.04 Calculations used: cup weight with fat – empty cup weight x 100 original sample weight Final results table: Experimental Values % McCance & Widdowson Values % Moisture Content 0.43 0.58 Ash Content 1.08 2.40 Protein 4.59 8.60 Fat 38.45 31.00 Carbohydrate 12.55 Trace Discussion The results gained experimentally were calculated in a similar way to those found in Atwater and Bryant’s tables that were published in 1904, all obtained by difference. The water, fat and protein content were all calculated and then subtracted from 100 to give a carbohydrate value. This is different to the McCance and Widdowson values, and this shows in some of the results. The experimental value for the ash content was 1.08%, which is only very slightly different from the given value of 2.40%. This suggests that the ash content measurement used (see Appendix 1) was fairly accurate. The standard devi ation for this value was only 0.62, which is very small, again suggesting that this measurement is accurate and very consistent. The moisture content found, 0.43%, was also very similar to the given value of 0.58%. However, the standard deviat

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Information Seeking Behavior of Graduate Students

The Information Seeking Behavior of Graduate Students People seek information in different ways and using different methods to access the information they need. One individual might prefer to get the information from a news agency while another might prefer to access the latest news online or from TV, newspapers, and SMS services. Academics and students have their own unique seeking behavior and their own ways of obtaining information whether it is from a scholarly database, the web, library collections, or from their peers, therefore, it is important for us to know in this thesis how students go about seeking and obtaining their information needs taking into account their behavior. Another important factor that this research is looking at is whether the information seeking behavior of the graduate students follows an already previously established information behavioral model, and if that model can help us explain more clearly the seeking behavior and the process students go through when searching for and obtaining the information they need. From my experience as a university graduate student in Kuwait University, graduate students face problems related to how to search and seek out related information in the appropriate databases for their work. Because there is an absence of a course and a curriculum in Kuwait University that teaches the basics of information, information types, information searching process, information seeking behavior, and an information seeking guide or strategy design, the graduate students spend most of their time struggling to find a suitable way to seek and obtain the information they need correctly. This information seeking process is done on a trial and error basis by the graduate students during their coursework assignments and projects. It would be more helpful to have this kind of information incorporated in the universitys courses and curriculum especially in the first year of study to help the students improve their information seeking process. Some students also face access problems bec ause they are not given access to the databases from outside the campus by some universities. This thesis will investigate how students go about seeking and obtaining their information needs taking into account their behavior. It is also important to know in this research whether the students were satisfied with the material they found during their searching process, and whether the resources found was enough for them in which they got to a point where they stopped searching for any more materials. Another important area of investigation that this research is looking at is whether the information seeking behavior of the graduate students follows an already previously established information behavioral model, and if that model can help us explain more clearly the seeking behavior and the process students go through when searching for and obtaining the information they need. It is interesting that there arent many or enough previous research studies that study graduate students research activities and problems students faced during the information seeking process. For this reason, graduate students information seeking behavior will be examined to identify the types of search activities undertaken, and the problems they faced during their coursework and research papers. Although a number of studies have been conducted on information seeking behavior, but the issue of research activities interrelation with topic-related activities, how the results of the search activities were understood by the students, and whether the students feel that they have satisficed their information needs and achieved information fulfillment particularly in the context of Kuwait University graduate students in Kuwait, as one of the developing countries, have not been given much consideration. Also, there is a gap in the information seeking models described in the literature revi ew, whereas the models dont show the integration of students library usage or knowledge about their resources as well as citation analysis. There needs to be an integration of library use and citation analysis in these models to give a better understanding of students information seeking behavior. It is important to understand how students browse the variety of resources because it helps educators in developing and assessing courses designed to instruct their students in library and electronic usage. However, there might be a possibility that students may not be familiar with library resources, or not be aware of which resources a library might have, or how to make use of them. It is therefore of interest to us to try and understand what makes one student go out and explore library resources, while another one might not use the library for printed material but instead uses only electronic or web resources to access the material needed from a remote location such as from the working offices or from home (Waldman, 2003). 2. Related Work Since this thesiss research questions focuses on investigating the information seeking activities that are undertaken by graduate students, when students feel that they have satisficed their information needs, and did the students achieve information fulfillment, it is important to define these terms in relation to this research. There is an increasing recognition that in order to understand information seeking we need to understand the context in which it takes place and which to some extent shapes it (Allen and Kim, 2001; Brezillon and Saker, 1999; Chang and Lee, 2000; Cool, 2001; Kuhlthau and Vakkari, 1999; Solomon, 2002; Sonnenwald, 1999; Talja et al., 1999; Vakkari et al., 1997; Wilson and Allen, 1999 cited in Ford, 2004, p. 183). Information seeking within its broader context is often termed information behaviour, defined by Wilson (1999, p. 249, cited in Ford, 2004, p. 183) as: those activities a person may engage in when identifying his or her own needs for information, searc hing for such information in any way, and using or transferring that information. The notion of information behavior broadens that of information seeking by including consideration of the use of information in satisfying the purposes for which it was required. But taking into account such wider context may also have a narrowing effect, since the contextual elements that broaden the focus of a model may at the same time narrow its generality, in that they may be specific to particular domains of activity (Ford, 2004, p.183). Simon defines satisficing as a decision-making process through which an individual decides when an alternative approach or solution is sufficient to meet the individuals desired goals rather than pursue the perfect approach (Simon, 1971, p. 71 cited in Prabha et al., 2007, p. 78). When individuals satisfice, they compare the benefits of obtaining more information against the additional cost and effort of continuing to search (Schmid, 2004 cited in Prabha et al., 2007, p. 78). In fact, in many organizations, problems are considered resolved when a good enough solution has been found, that is the manager satisfices as she looks for a course of action that is satisfactory (Choo, 1998, p. 49 cited in Prabha et al., 2007, p. 78). Theoretically, decision makers consider all potential alternatives until the optimal solution emerges (Stroh et al., 2002 cited in Prabha et al., 2007, p. 78). However, such an exhaustive analysis would require additional time and expenditure which information se ekers must weigh against the likelihood that they will find additional information of sufficient value to offset the cost of continued searching. The consequences of putting time and effort into finding optimal solutions can be costly; therefore, decision makers must be willing to forgo the best solution in favor of one that is acceptable (Stroh et al., 2002, p. 94 cited in Prabha et al., 2007, p. 78). In so doing, information seekers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦satisficeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and choose the one [solution] that produces an outcome that is good enough' (Stroh et al., 2002, p. 94 cited in Prabha et al., 2007, p. 78) The foregoing examples suggest that users may satisfice their need for information based on what they are able to find and thus stop looking for more information. Users may also stop looking for information prematurely if the information systems are difficult or unusable. The very abundance of information makes it crucial for information seekers to decide what information is enough to meet their objectives. (Prabha et al. 2007, p. 78). Information Fulfillment can be defined as the achievement of all information needs. The provenance of the term can be traced back to the 1870s when it was used to describe the fulfillment of a commercial order. The aim of an information system is to ensure that the end user is able to function effectively within the organization and able to access all the necessary information in order to complete a task. There have been a variety of information models proposed which aim to plot the sequences of events from the initial information seeking to information finding (Burke, 2006, p.446). Seeking information is still a fundamental activity which involves searching, collecting, organizing, storing, retrieving, and using information (Abouserie, 2007). Abouserie (2007) stated that it has become easy to save time and make less effort in retrieving information on a subject or to get a information source by its title, author, subject, and date of publication through the use of information based research tools. He also explained that the tasks of making several information seeking strategies and retrieving information have been improved by the emergence of new generations of hardware and software (Machionini, 1995 cited in Abouserie, 2007, p.3). Adequate knowledge about the information needs of users is imperative for libraries in re-orienting their collections, services and activities to synchronize them with the information seeking behavior of users. New technologies have affected the information seeking process. These technologies have affected some functions and processe s in universities, schools, libraries, and information centers (Abouserie, 2007). Abouserie (2007) also described that storing, organizing, retrieving, and providing access to information are the main processes that have been positively affected. Many library materials are available in online databases. In addition, it becomes possible for many users to use each database at the same time without affecting the quality of the service or the response rate. He also stated that information seeking is a broad term that includes the ways individuals formulate their information needs, seek, evaluate, select and use the needed information. Many factors contribute to the selection and use of different information sources such as: cost, past success, accuracy, reliability, comprehensiveness, usefulness, currency, response time, accessibility, technical quality, and the format. Investigations into the information needs and information seeking patterns of individuals would help improve the current information systems and resources for providing to the continuous changing needs of their users (Abouserie, 2007). In this thesis information seeking behavior is described as an individuals way and manner of gathering and sourcing for information for personal use, knowledge updating and development (Kakai et al, 2004 cited in Ajiboye, 2007, p.546). Waldman (2003) stated that information seeking behavior is the way people search for and utilize information. It is important to understand what factors are relevant in motivating a person to seek out information. A particular focus of inquiry has been on those factors that play a role in deciding to use the library and its resources as a place to seek information, either physically or virtually, as opposed to just surfing the Internet. He also stated that it would appear that more people are using the Internet to find information they need, and information that is unmediated by the library. He stated that informed library users are aware that libraries have resources that are more comprehensive and scholarly in nature than most Web resources available on the Internet. Also, libraries may provide access to scholarly literature that is not freely available on the Web, or may not be online at all. Equally important, users become aware of libraries resources, usually while having to write research papers in their undergraduate or graduate studies. Waldman (2003) also said that it is critical to understand what makes students use the librarys resources whether (print and/or electronic) while others will not think of the library as a place to find scholarly resources for their papers. One difficulty to the use of a librarys resources, and in particular its electronic resources, is that they are not seen as being direct. In contrast to an Internet search engine, where a single keyword search will usually result in thousands of hits, no matter what the topic is, on the other hand, in the library, students have to choose a particular database and be more selective in the search words they use according to Waldman (2003). 3. Objective of the research and the proposed methodology The aim of this thesis is to know how students go about seeking and obtaining their information needs taking into account their behavior. It also aims at knowing whether the students were satisfied with the material they found during their searching process, and whether the resources found was enough for them in which they got to a point where they stopped searching for any more materials. Another important factor that this research aims at is whether the information seeking behavior of the graduate students follows an already previously established information behavioral model, and if that model can help us explain more clearly the seeking behavior and the process students go through when searching for and obtaining the information they need. The following objectives will be used in the study to structure the inquiry and to guide the development of the research procedures and methodologies: To identify and synthesize the literature relevant to information seeking behavior. To determine the place of this research within the published literature. To select and develop a method of data collection. To examine and analyze how students obtain the information they need. To gather and represent data on the information seeking activities and strategies of students. To investigate the extent to which model of the information seeking models could explain the information behavior of graduate students. To test the applicability of a generic (Wilsons first information seeking behavior model of 1981) and a non-linear information model (Fosters 2005 information behavior model) to the information behavior of graduate students. To examine what difficulties students face and what types of behavior they experience during their information seeking process when finding or not finding the appropriate information. For this reason, an exploratory qualitative research approach with semi-structured, in-depth interviews was chosen as the methodology, because this research focuses on studying the information seeking behavior of graduate students, and the most suitable method to study the behavior of students as well as their information needs and process of acquiring information is through the qualitative method. According to Ambert et. al. (1995) qualitative research seeks depth rather than breadth, and instead of drawing from a large sample of an entire population, qualitative researchers seek to acquire in-depth information about a smaller group of persons. The aim of qualitative research is to clear about how and why people behave, think, and make meaning as they do, rather than focusing on what people do or believe on a large scale. In addition, qualitative research frequently results in discovery of new information, and new practices or behaviors rather than verification. It may also involve complete redirection, or modification of, or additions to, existing ideas or models. Qualitative methods are a set of data collection and analysis techniques that can be used to provide description, build theory, and to test theory Van Maanen (1979 cited in Shah and Corley, 2006, p.1824). The reason why quantitative method is not being used in this research is because this thesiss aims and objectives are not to develop and employ mathematical models and hypotheses concerning phenomena using calculations and statistical procedures. Qualitative research is a better method to be used for this thesis because it provides a deeper understanding of the issues and insight into the process we are studying. Researchers in this field such as George, C. et al. (2006) study explored graduate students information behavior related to their process of inquiry and scholarly activities. Qualitative method was used through in depth, semi-structured interviews that were conducted with one hundred graduate students representing all disciplines and departments from Carnegie Mellon Univers ity. Other researchers like Foster (2005) offers a new, nonlinear model of information seeking behavior, which contrasts with earlier stage models of information behavior and represents a potential cornerstone for a shift towards a new perspective for understanding user information behavior. The model is based on the findings of a study on interdisciplinary information-seeking behavior. The study followed a qualitative approach using interviews of 45 academics. The interview results were inductively analyzed and an alternative framework for understanding information seeking behavior was developed. The research approach that will be applied in this thesis will be the use of Grounded Theory (GT). This thesis and its research questions try to find an answer or an explanation to the phenomenon which is the graduate students information seeking behavior. This research has no previous theory or a hypothesis to test, but it seeks to generate a new idea, information, added value, or a theor y to previous research done in the subject of information seeking behavior of graduate students. Therefore, the most suitable qualitative data analysis method chosen for this thesis is Grounded Theory (GT). Grounded Theory is a general, inductive, and interpretive research approach which was originated in 1967 by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). Glaser defines grounded theory as an approach that is based on the systematic generation of theory from the data collected and analyzed that is obtained from social research. Theory is generated during the actual research, and this is achieved through continuous interplay between analysis and data collection. Researchers who use GT as their research method do not test or verify any preconceived hypothesis. In contrast, researchers in this approach develop new theory based on the collected data. Instead of having hypotheses to test, researchers in GT studies have research questions to address. In grounded theory, a researcher should keep his/her mind open to any possible evidence that might exist in the dataset. In Glasers words (1992, p. 8) GT is inductively generating theory through qualitative analysis of qualitative and/or quantitative data. To define the meaning of qualitative analysis, Glaser (1992, p. 1) states that qualitative analysis entails any kind of analysis that generates findings or concepts, as in grounded theory, that are not arrived at by statistical methods. Although GT is a well-established methodology, it is an approach to research rather than a detailed research method. The general goal of GT research is to develop theories in order to understand the phenomenon under study. GT has been developed and also used within the field of social science, and has been successfully employed by people in a variety of different disciplines including information science. In addition, Pace (2004) states that the main and essential stages in the process of GT development involves first coding the data collected, memo writing, sorting the data, and then writing the theory. This study is also significant because the uses of information resources especially electronic resources are used by students in universities and academic libraries. Since the access and use of electronic resources is faster and less time consuming, it makes it more appealing for students than that of obtaining printed resources. This research will be applied in Kuwait University in the College of Graduate Studies by choosing a sample of graduate students to study, because students in Kuwait face problems related to how to search and seek out related information in the appropriate databases for their research papers. Graduate students in Kuwait University need a strategy to guide them in their information seeking process. New information, added value, and a theory integrated with the information seeking models will be proposed in this research paper. 4. Results of data collected The sample was drawn from the population of graduate students enrolled at the College of Graduate Studies at Kuwait University. The 24 students that were interviewed and observed in the library and computer labs were from the Information Systems, Social Sciences, and Library Departments. The data that was collected from the students transcribed interviews were coded into meaningful categories using qualitative data analysis and represented in the figure below and will be described in 8 key points that will hopefully help in answering the research questions of this thesis and address the gap or problem in this research. From the data collected it is clear that the students information seeking behavior and activities were only caused by their course-related homework and that they mainly used online resources to find information they needed for their coursework in a hope to reach information fulfillment. Also from the data collected during the interviews, the students expressed that the y dont seek information or make any research activities outside their university coursework or for personal use. Plus, so far from the data collected, the students seem to follow Wilsons first information seeking behavior model of 1981 and Fosters 2005 information behavior model that were explained in the literature review and they are applicable in their situations. The findings were summarized in the following key points, topics, or themes: types of research activities, activities interrelation with topic, library usage and role in obtaining information needs, Internet usage and role in obtaining information needs, result of search activities understood by students, support from instructors and fellow students in getting information, achieving satisfaction with information needs, and achieving information fulfillment. 4.1 Data Analysis The main approach to the data analysis involved a detailed analysis of the interview transcripts collected from the graduate students at Kuwait University. First of all, notes from each interview, made both during the interview and immediately after it, were reviewed and then highlights as well as new concepts were identified. Secondly, the transcript from each interview was reviewed and coded. Thirdly, each new interview was compared to the previous ones for confirming or disconfirming evidence. Open coding using Key Point Coding was used for coding the responses from the interviews to give P1, P2, and so on where P indicates key point (Allan, 2003). The codes are then analyzed and those that relate to a common theme are grouped together. Concepts are then grouped and regrouped to find categories. Then these concepts and categories lead to the emergence of a theory. If the data has been analyzed without a preconceived theory or hypothesis, that theory is truly grounded in the data b ecause it came from nowhere else. Preliminary patterns describing the factors that influence information-seeking behavior were developed based on concepts identified during the literature review (Mansourian, 2006). Key Points Responses from sample P1: Types of research activities Only university courses related activities from (I1 to I27). I3, I26 also researched for personal work. P2: Activities interrelation with topic Activities are interrelated with topics from (I1 to I27) P3: Library usage and role in obtaining information needs I3, I4, I6, I9, I11,I13, I16, I22, I25 P4: Internet usage and role in obtaining information needs I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11, I12, I13, I14, I15, I16, I17, I18, I19, I20, I21, I22, I23,I24, I25, I26, I27 P5: Result of search activities understood by students I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I9, I11, I12, I13, I14, I15, I16, I17, I18, I19, I20, I24, I25, I26, I27 P6: Support from instructors and fellow students in getting information I1, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I9, I10, I11, I12, I14, I15, I16, I17, I18, I19, I20, I21, I22, I23, I24, I25, I26, I27 P7: Opinions on achieving satisfaction with information needs I1, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8, I10, I11, I12,I13, I14, I15, I16, I17, I18, I19, I20, I21, I22, I23, I24, I25, I26, I27 P8: Achieving information fulfillment I18, I24, I25 Key Points are presented using the code (p) as in key point no.1 (P1), key point no.2 (P2). Responses from the sample that was interviewed are presented as (I1, I2). The code (I) refers to Individual 1, Individual 2. This thesis examines what types of research activities are undertaken by graduate students, and how these activities were interrelated with topic-related activities. This thesis identifies how the results of the search activities were understood by the students, when students feel that they have satisficed their information needs, and did the students achieve information fulfillment. Also, this thesis sets out to investigate the extent to which model of the information seeking models could explain the information behavior of graduate students, and to test the applicability of a generic (Wilsons first information seeking behavior model of 1981) and a non-linear information model (Fosters 2005 information behavior model) to the information behavior of graduate students. From the data collected during the interviews and observation, it is clear that the students search activities were interrelated with topic-related activities. Their information seeking behavior and activities were only caused by their course-related homework and that they mainly used online resources to find information they needed for their coursework in a hope to reach information fulfillment. Also from the data collected during the interviews, the students expressed that they dont seek information or make any research activities outside their university coursework or for personal use. Plus, so far from the data collected, the students seem to follow Wilsons first information seeking behavior model of 1981 and Fosters 2005 information behavior model that were explained in the literature review and they are applicable in their situations. The findings were summarized in 8 key points, topics, or themes. The students all expressed that they always feel that they havent satisficed their information needs and dont achieve information fulfillment. They also face problems during their information seeking behavior and demanded that Kuwait University find a solution to these obstacles to improve their i nformation seeking experience. One student recommended that, Kuwait University must provide us with training courses and workshops for all types of searching that is organized with the library and should be incorporated within our courses. Also, skilled librarians should be hired who are aware of other fields and majors so that they can help us with our searching process and save us time when finding materials. Plus, the university should subscribe to more databases as well as English and Arabic journals in addition to the ones that are already available. Moreover, there should be one web page or portal to unite the access to all database web sites by entering just one username and password, because there is the burden and difficulty of entering a username and a password for each database web site. There is no portal that unites all of the universities databases where only one username and password is entered at the beginning and then you can browse all the databases. Another studen t suggested that, My information seeking process and obtaining experience could be improved by being able to download all articles from the universitys databases, because right now I face a problem in downloading some articles. Also, the university needs to subscribe to more databases so that I have a variety of resources to search for my topics. The databases that the university is currently subscribed to should work. Finally, there needs to be more organization in the university library in terms of keeping articles or books so that we can easily find them and not take so much time in searching for resources that could be lost without us knowing. Furthermore, a student said that it would be lovely to see the university, Provide me with full access to databases off the university campus. Additionally, meetings should be organized with librarians and students to help them on the ways of searching for materials, and on how to get the printed and electronic resources available physical ly at the library or on the universitys online web site. Equally important, all students suggested that the university should provide them with up-to-date software programs and good hardware devices with no technical problems or defaults. 4.2 Graduate Students Information Seeking Behavior Model at Kuwait University The following proposed model describes and shows the steps and process of what graduate students actually go through and what they do in their information seeking behavior. The boxes in the model show processes, inputs, outputs, steps, and people, and the arrows represents a mixture of information and decision making trajectories and the relationships and inter-relationships between them. First, the graduate student is given the option of choosing his or her topic to do a research on, or a topic is assigned to them by the instructor during the coursework. The topic is interrelated with the research activities or the information seeking behavior. Then, the students seek for information either from the library or from the Internet. The graduate students use mostly electronic resources from the web via Google Scholar, The Invisible Web, and from the databases that the university is subscribed to. When the students are experiencing their information seeking behavior, they sometimes get h elp, support, and advice from their instructors and fellow students or friends. Afterwards, the student gets the results of his or her search activities and the information seeking behavior might result in satisfaction and happiness to the student or non-satisfaction which then leads to lack of satisficing and information fulfillment. Finally, the satisfaction of the information should lead to information fulfillment for the student. 5. Conclusion Academics and students have their own unique seeking behavior and their own ways of obtaining information whether it is from a scholarly database, the web, library collections, or from their peers, therefore, it is important for us to know in this thesis how students go about seeking and obtaining their information needs taking into account their behavior. Another important factor that this research is looking at is whether the information seeking behavior of the graduate students follows an already previously established informatio

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay --

Cifunsa Cifunsa pertenece al Grupo Industrial Saltillo uno de los grupos industriales mà ¡s grandes de Mà ©xico, fundado en 1928. Y como su pagina web lo dice, CIFUNSA es una de las fundiciones de hierro independientes mà ¡s grandes del mundo. Ofrecen alta calidad en la fabricacià ³n de productos con precios competitivos y servicio de clase mundial. Propà ³sito: "Contribuir al à ©xito de nuestros clientes proporcionando los mejores productos y soluciones de ingenierà ­a." Misià ³n: Fabricar piezas de hierro maquinadas y/o ensambladas para la industria en el mercado global, creando valor para nuestros accionistas, clientes, personal y comunidad donde participamos, en un ambiente de seguridad, trabajo en equipo, à ©tica, disciplina y mejora continua. Visià ³n: Ser reconocida como una empresa de clase mundial rentable y competitiva que ofrece productos de fundicià ³n de hierro maquinados. Con la persona que fui no me supo decir cuantas personas trabajan ahà ­, ni el estimado de ganancia anualmente, pero el Grupo Industrial Saltillo da empleo aproximadamente a mà ¡s de 9,000 personas y tiene ingresos anuales de mà ¡s de $860 millones de dà ³lares. Tienen varias plantas, las plantas 2, 3 y 4 està ¡n ubicadas en Saltillo Coahuila. La planta 5 està ¡ ubicada en Irapuato. En el centro del paà ­s desde donde facilita las entregas a las plantas automotrices de la regià ³n del Bajà ­o en Irapuato, Silao, Querà ©taro, Aguascalientes, Toluca y Guadalajara. Esto da a CIFUNSA una gran ventaja para la exportacià ³n de sus productos hacia los mercados automotrices en la regià ³n NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y Europa, manteniendo un portafolio de negocios balanceado exportando directa o indirectamente 85% de su produccià ³n. Polà ­tica ambiental: â€Å"En Cif... ... a 2011. Administracià ³n por procesos: Se sigue implementando la administracioÃŒ n de procesos a nivel taÃŒ ctico y operativo en todos los Negocios. Para ello, se trabaja en la consolidacioÃŒ n de los planes de venta y operacioÃŒ n, desarrollo de nuevos productos, innovacioÃŒ n y mantenimiento, entre otras acciones. Gestià ³n de riesgos: Para elaborar planes de mitigacioÃŒ n o eliminacioÃŒ n de riesgos, se debe contar con informacioÃŒ n que permita identificar las eventualidades que ponen en riesgo las operaciones y proyectos estrateÃŒ gicos. En 2012, los Negocios del Grupo alcanzaron el nivel 3 de competitividad, en una escala de 5. Este indicador denota que el balance entre las fortalezas y debilidades operativas permite lograr los objetivos comprometidos. Grupo GIS presenta una innovacià ³n tecnolà ³gica inigualable, la cual los hace ser là ­der del sector en las à ¡reas que se especializa.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Christian Views on Racial Harmony and Religious Freedom Essay

St. Paul taught Christians that other races and religions were equal in the eyes of God. â€Å"It is through faith that all of you are God’s sons in union with Christ Jesus. You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free men, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. It is because believers share a love of Jesus that they are equal, St Paul says. The Bible opens up with a description of God creating humans in his own image, therefore, Christians believe that everybody should be respected as God’s creation. This means that prejudice and racism are wrong. There are many more teachings in the Old and New testaments which reinforce this, like the Good Samaritan. Most modern Christians believe that people should be free to follow whatever they like, or none at all. There are, however, three different Christian approaches to religious freedom. Exclusivism: Some people are excluded from heaven. Jesus said â€Å"I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one goes to the father except by me. † Some Christians believe this means that only those who follow Christian beliefs can go to heaven. Inclusivism: Some Christians believe that while all religions can help to reach god, only Christianity has the complete answer. This is because Jesus taught that people should believe in him to get to heaven, and only Christians believe in Jesus as the Son of God. This is often the view held by Roman Catholic Christians. While other faiths should be respected, the right path should be explained to them. Pluralism There are many religions. Some Christians believe that all religions will lead to God, none is superior and none is wrong. People are free to followthe way that suits them best. These Christians do not regard the Bible as ‘the word of God’, but rather as holy writings like many other sacred books. These Christains do not think they should try to persuade people to change their religion.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Art Appreciation Essay

The Baroque period of art was from the 1600’s to the 1700’s. This period in art history began with the Catholic Church launching an internal reformation to establish clear definitions of the church’s theologies, as well as their doctrines. A sector of the church’s reform was to educate the members. One way in which this was accomplished was by the implementation of art. Religious art had to be redirected to present inspiration, persuasiveness, and evoke spiritual emotion. Three artist of the Baroque art period that made contributions were Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Peter Paul Rubens. Each of these artists created powerful religious images that were strong in their statements. In 1600, Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio was commissioned to paint two portraits of Rome’s patroned saints, Peter and Paul (â€Å"Caravaggio: The Conversion on the Road to Damascus† n. d. ). Although, Caravaggio did not have a personal philosophy about art, he did however, created his art with the identical components that were evident in his personal character (â€Å"The National Gallery† n. d. ). His artworks were brimming with violence, arrogance, and rebellion, all of the elements that made for dramatic and controversial images. The image of ‘The Conversion of St. Paul’ was an outstanding representation of the actual moment when St. Paul was converted. It was stated in the Biblical book of Acts of Apostles that Paul had heard the voice of Christ and lost is sight temporarily. This oil painting portrays this act excellently. Paul is lying on is back stunned with his eyes closed after falling off the horse (Preble, 2011, p. 263). He is appearing as though he is in awe while his hands are in the air at the bright light Running Head: Baroque Works of Art from God that is streamed over the horse’s back. This particular piece had a significant meaning to the Roman Catholic Church to validate their theology. Being that the Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio was sanctioned by Roman Catholic Church, his style of painting using chiaroscuro, with his usage of dark and light, worked well in accordance with his controversial style and ideology of religious/human experience, which most definitely made a spiritual impact on the viewer. ‘The Conversion of Paul’: By Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio (1600) The pronounced artist and Italian architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, had developed a personal philosophy in regards to his style of art. He implemented sensuality, immorality, and spirituality in his statues. This type of personal philosophy is what led Bernini to have notoriety, particularly within the Roman society. Gian Lorenzo Bernini created the Baroque image ‘The Ecstasy of St. Teresa’ (1647-1652). This marble, gilt bronze, and stucco statue, which is located in the Cornaro Chapel in Rome, Italy, is a segment of her life that is derived from St. Teresa’s spiritual autobiography (Preble, 2011, p. 64). ‘The Ecstasy of St. Teresa’ is a depiction of a Running Head: Baroque Works of Art 3 cupid-like angel is standing over her, and piercing her heart with a fire gold tipped arrow/spear, this action sends Teresa into a state of spiritual euphoria. With her eyes closed, she is overwhelmed by the love of God and collapses. The statue is the centerpiece of a more complex composition. The artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, sculpted his vision for two specific reasons. The first was for the Cornaro family, and secondly, for the worshippers that were faithful. On every wall that is perpendicular to this centerpiece, are the impressions of members of the Cornaro family members witnessing the miracle. Due to its raw spiritual meaning, ‘The Ecstasy of St. Teresa’, displays a connection between Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and the Baroque period. This work of art is a definite statement to his mysticism and his departure from the Renaissance era. ‘The Ecstasy of St. Teresa’: by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1647-1652) Peter Paul Ruben, Baroque Flemish painter, composed images that had religious epitaphs. Ruben’s became a baptized Catholic, after the death of his father (â€Å"Peter Paul Running Head: Baroque Works of Art 4 Ruben’s Biography† 2013 ). His emotionally filled paintings are rich with religion throughout his work. Peter Paul Ruben has a philosophy of religious themes that are very prevalent. Peter Paul Ruben’s, ‘The Raising of the Cross’ (1610-1611), is an embodiment of religion and spirituality (Preble, 2011, p. 265). It is currently located at the Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady in Spain. The oil painting on canvas is a large triptych, which is completed in three separate sections. Peter Paul Ruben created this piece based on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for the St. Walpurgis church in Antwerp (â€Å"Peter Paul Ruben’s Paintings and Biography† n. d. ). The Baroque style oil painting illustrates the cross on an angle as the nine soldiers are struggling to lift it. There is a dog that is located at the bottom left of the painting, it establishes this technique and skill he gathered from others. The painting is of Baroque style with its intense religious theme with a Flemish combination. ‘The Raising of the Cross’: by Peter Paul Reuben (1610-1611) Running Head: Baroque Works of Art 5  All three of these Baroque artistic pieces have qualities that are rather comparable. Each of these artists are excellent examples of the Baroque period because this was when the Roman Catholic Church made the decision, during Counsel of Trent which was also a response to the Protestant Reformation, that artists should convey emotional engagement, and produce religious themes. The Baroque style of architecture and art made for dramatic expressions of power and in addition to making lasting impressions. The two paintings, ‘The Conversion of St.  Paul’ and ‘The Raising of the Cross’ are prime examples of the Baroque period at work in art. Both of these images present clear representations of human emotion. They are symbolic of spiritual relevance. The two paintings are done in oil on canvas and are in Catholic sanctuaries and are highly influenced by the Renaissance period in art. The colors that are utilized are very suggestive of the realism of each event. The detailing of the images assists in creating an effect of action. Chiaroscuro is prevalent throughout each painting. This implementation provides a more dramatic appeal for the onlooker. The sculpture of ‘The Ecstasy of St. Teresa’ also shares common factors with ‘The Raising of the Cross’ and ‘The Conversion of St. Paul’. Not only does this statue have a depiction of a religious capacity, it makes a powerful spiritual statement. Although these works of art have similarities, they also have contrasts as well. One major contrast is that two of these three pieces are paintings and the other is a sculpture. The sculpture is marble with gilt bronze and stucco. ‘The Ecstasy of St. Teresa’, the marble statue, contains three divisions that work as one, whereas ‘The Raising of the Cross’ is in three sections as well, but each segment can stand alone as one individual art form. The form of the statue is very life-like and offers a tangible effect. Running Head: Baroque Works of Art 6 In conclusion the artists, Peter Paul Ruben, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio made major artist achievements to the Baroque period. During the Baroque period, it was not the simplest task for the Catholic Church to launch a reformation. These artists made it possible for the church’s ideas and beliefs to be observed. All of the artists mentioned developed dramatic images that were direct, drew the viewer to the focal point of the piece, and depicted psychological and emotional intensity. When it came to the form of each art work presented here they had a dramatic use of color, significant contrasts with dark and light, and spectacular embellishment and decoration. The planes are also clearly defined, in addition to being isolated from each other. There is a continuation of overlapping of all of the elements. These works of art are superior representations of the Baroque period.