Computer Forensics in Biology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Computer Forensics in Biology - Research Paper Example Application A structured investigation is carried out to sort out what exactly happened to the computer, when it happened, how it happened, and who did it. This is exactly like solving a murder case and performing postmortem. The operator does not know that the evident information is transparently being created and stored by the computer’s operating system, which can only be extracted through computer forensics software tools and techniques. The crimes include misuse of computer systems, attack on computer systems, using a computer system to work against another system, failure of a computer system, and the like. Though, internet identity theft has made people uncertain about shopping and selling online, checking their bank statements online, visiting auction websites, or entering into business contracts or transactions; however, computer forensics has played its part in helping law enforcement agencies in gathering digital evidence and identifying stolen identities as well as the criminals involved. Computer forensics security solutions focus not only on recovery but also on prevention of security threats in order to provide security solutions that are quicker and cheaper than the conventional techniques. These solutions include intrusion detection system (IDS), internet security system, biometric security system, net privacy system, firewall set-ups, network disaster security system, identity theft prevention system, identity management security system, and so on (Vacca 146). Basic Scientific Principles Involved It is important for computer forensic investigators to follow a structured approach to solving computer and internet-based identity theft cases. Computer crime involving ID theft can be grouped as physical security breaches, personnel security breaches, communications and data security breaches, and operations security breaches. A detailed investigation of the case requires that every security breach is analyzed independently to get a more syst ematic approach towards case solving. The digital examination of ID theft cases requires great expertise at the investigator’s end. The evidence or data that is collected is the valuable asset and has to be dealt with sensitivity, as it will help in deciding the specifications of the crime. Digital data is so delicate that it can be altered with one mistaken tap on the keyboard or one inadvertent press of a key. The forensic investigator will have to use some offline techniques in addition to online techniques. Although offline techniques are not the responsibility of a forensic investigator, but of course, he can use them to help himself toward finding the evidential data. He will have to look for any counterfeit documents, fake checks and bogus bank statements in black and white, in addition to looking for digital evidence residing inside the fraudster’s computer system.  

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allan Poe Essay The many different works of Edgar Allan Poe all aim to do one thing. Strike fear into the heart of the reader. Simple, yet effective, he expresses fear through these many different themes and motifs. At full length, Poe’s stories all acquire a distinct theme or motif that moves the story forward. Whether you know it or not, many of his stories rely on themes and motifs to make the story more appealing to the reader. Time, duality, and dreams all play key roles in Poe’s short stories. They descriptively provide all of the necessary information in order to produce the whole concept of fear. Without them, these stories wouldn’t push you to the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. Time plays a major role in providing the story with the crucial data it needs to make the story frightening and suspenseful. It presents the story with a visual that makes the mood of the story transition into a very adverse setting. Dusk is probably the most common time of day in many of Poe’s stories. He chooses dusk because, during that time of day, it is very difficult to see. For example, in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the narrator begins to describe how it is very difficult to see while he is making his way towards his child hood friend’s mansion. When choosing the time of day that produces little or no light, Poe tries to make the setting as dark as possible. Light represents happiness and positivity, so Poe tries to eliminate anything that represents prosperity. By assembling negative forces, the story will generate fear into the reader. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† the narrator stalks his pray for seven days, but on the eighth night the narrator commits the horrible deed. The number eight is used frequently with Poe and his stories; in this case, it represents what day the narrator will kill the old man. With â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, time represents life. It represents life because once a person is infected with the red death; the infected person has only 30 minutes to live. The ebony clock also represents life, because after every hour the clock will ring, reminding the people that time is running out. This theme is very necessary for producing fear, because if Poe doesn’t clarify what time of day it is, the story loses suspense. So it’s apparent that time is a key necessity in conveying fear into readers. The narrator often produces dreams themselves. Frequently, it presents a distortion of reality for the narrator and the reader. Dreams in Poe’s stories draw the line between reality and fantasy. Many unexplainable things would occur and the narrator would instantly assume it would be his imagination or that he would be dreaming. Providing dreams will make the reader build curiosity into whether or not these bizarre things are real or just images of the narrators eccentric imagination. In â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, a huge party is thrown, to isolate the people from the disease. In the party, the guests have a great time by dressing up and having a â€Å"perfect† time, until the ebony clock rings. Once the clock rings, the party guests snap back into reality for a short moment. For that short moment, the reader realizes the severity of the situation. That short moment of severity produces fear. During his trip to Rederick’s mansion in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, the narrator feels like the trip is a dream because the environment of the mansion is so surreal. Alcohol provides the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† with a distortion of reality, because after he hangs the black cat, he comes across a cat that is identical to the one he hangs after he leaves the bar. The narrator is completely shocked by the resemblance to his previous cat. This similarity conveys fear into the reader, because you can’t tell if it’s the same cat or a different one. The distortion of reality in dreams really help produce fear due to the doubtful events that keep occurring. These events help generate fear and build up the suspense in the reader for a few moments. Duality in the characters conveys the most fear towards the reader. By having a dual persona, the character is able to build up that suspense by having a â€Å"good† side and a â€Å"bad† side. As an animal lover, the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† would always love to take care of animals, until he becomes â€Å"consumed by the imp of the perverse† which exposes his negative side. This negativity leads him to killing his cat and his wife. The insanity of having a dual persona helps transmit true fear into the reader. As a young caretaker, the narrator in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† has nothing against the old man he is looking after; the old man has done nothing wrong to deserve any negative treatment. During the day the narrator would go about his business taking care of the old man, until night came upon. At night, the narrator would be consumed by the old man’s eye. His â€Å"evil eye† leads the narrator to kill his wife and their pet. The duality in both of the these characters are very similar due to them being consumed by some object that leads them into killing their loved ones and pets. All of these themes help produce the backbone of Poe’s stories. Without these themes and motifs, these stories wouldn’t be as suspenseful as they are today. These stories rely on the descriptiveness and the intensity of these themes to carry the suspense and to convey fear into the readers. Today, as people still learn about Poe’s stories, they will still be able to consume the fear that they read due to these themes and motifs.

Literature review about data warehouse

Literature review about data warehouse CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 2 provides literature review about data warehouse, OLAP MDDB and data mining concept. We reviewed concept, characteristics, design and implementation approach of each above mentioned technology to identify a suitable data warehouse framework. This framework will support integration of OLAP MDDB and data mining model. Section 2.2 discussed about the fundamental of data warehouse which includes data warehouse models and data processing techniques such as extract, transform and loading (ETL) processes. A comparative study was done on data warehouse models introduced by William Inmons (Inmon, 1999), Ralph Kimball (Kimball, 1996) and Matthias Nicola (Nicola, 2000) to identify suitable model, design and characteristics. Section 2.3 introduces about OLAP model and architecture. We also discussed concept of processing in OLAP based MDDB, MDDB schema design and implementation. Section 2.4 introduces data mining techniques, methods and processes for OLAP mining (OLAM) which is used to mine MDDB. Section 2.5 provides conclusion on literature review especially pointers on our decision to propose a new data warehouse model. Since we propose to use Microsoft  ® product to implement the propose model, we also discussed a product comparison to justify why Microsoft  ® product is selected. 2.2 DATA WAREHOUSE According to William Inmon, data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, and non-volatile collection of data in support of the managements decision-making process (Inmon, 1999). Data warehouse is a database containing data that usually represents the business history of an organization. This historical data is used for analysis that supports business decisions at many levels, from strategic planning to performance evaluation of a discrete organizational unit. It provides an effective integration of operational databases into an environment that enables strategic use of data (Zhou, Hull, King and Franchitti, 1995). These technologies include relational and MDDB management systems, client/server architecture, meta-data modelling and repositories, graphical user interface and much more (Hammer, Garcia-Molina, Labio, Widom, and Zhuge, 1995; Harinarayan, Rajaraman, and Ullman, 1996). The emergence of cross discipline domain such as knowledge management in finance, health and e-commerce have proved that vast amount of data need to be analysed. The evolution of data in data warehouse can provide multiple dataset dimensions to solve various problems. Thus, critical decision making process of this dataset needs suitable data warehouse model (Barquin and Edelstein, 1996). The main proponents of data warehouse are William Inmon (Inmon, 1999) and Ralph Kimball (Kimball, 1996). But they have different perspectives on data warehouse in term of design and architecture. Inmon (Inmon, 1999) defined data warehouse as a dependent data mart structure while Kimball (Kimball, 1996) defined data warehouse as a bus based data mart structure. Table 2.1 discussed the differences in data warehouse structure between William Inmon and Ralph Kimball. A data warehouse is a read-only data source where end-users are not allowed to change the values or data elements. Inmons (Inmon, 1999) data warehouse architecture strategy is different from Kimballs (Kimball, 1996). Inmons data warehouse model splits data marts as a copy and distributed as an interface between data warehouse and end users. Kimballs views data warehouse as a unions of data marts. The data warehouse is the collections of data marts combine into one central repository. Figure 2.1 illustrates the differences between Inmons and Kimballs data warehouse architecture adopted from (Mailvaganam, 2007). Although Inmon and Kimball have a different design view of data warehouse, they do agree on successful implementation of data warehouse that depends on an effective collection of operational data and validation of data mart. The role of database staging and ETL processes on data are inevitable components in both researchers data warehouse design. Both believed that dependant data warehouse architecture is necessary to fulfil the requirement of enterprise end users in term of preciseness, timing and data relevancy 2.2.1 DATA WAREHOUSE ARCHITECTURE Although data warehouse architecture have wide research scope, and it can be viewed in many perspectives. (Thilini and Hugh, 2005) and (Eckerson, 2003) provide some meaningful way to view and analyse data warehouse architecture. Eckerson states that a successful data warehouse system depends on database staging process which derives data from different integrated Online Transactional Processing (OLTP) system. In this case, ETL process plays a crucial role to make database staging process workable. Survey on factors that influenced selection on data warehouse architecture by (Thilini, 2005) indentifies five data warehouse architecture that are common in use as shown in Table 2.2 Independent Data Marts Independent data marts also known as localized or small scale data warehouse. It is mainly used by departments, divisions of company to provide individual operational databases. This type of data mart is simple yet consists of different form that was derived from multiple design structures from various inconsistent database designs. Thus, it complicates cross data mart analysis. Since every organizational units tend to build their own database which operates as independent data mart (Thilini and Hugh, 2005) cited the work of (Winsberg, 1996) and (Hoss, 2002), it is best used as an ad-hoc data warehouse and also to be use as a prototype before building a real data warehouse. Data Mart Bus Architecture (Kimball, 1996) pioneered the design and architecture of data warehouse with unions of data marts which are known as the bus architecture or virtual data warehouse. Bus architecture allows data marts not only located in one server but it can be also being located on different server. This allows the data warehouse to functions more in virtual mode and combined all data marts and process as one data warehouse. Hub-and-spoke architecture (Inmon, 1999) developed hub and spoke architecture. The hub is the central server taking care of information exchange and the spoke handle data transformation for all regional operation data stores. Hub and spoke mainly focused on building a scalable and maintainable infrastructure for data warehouse. Centralized Data Warehouse Architecture Central data warehouse architecture build based on hub-and-spoke architecture but without the dependent data mart component. This architecture copies and stores heterogeneous operational and external data to a single and consistent data warehouse. This architecture has only one data model which are consistent and complete from all data sources. According to (Inmon, 1999) and (Kimball, 1996), central data warehouse should consist of database staging or known as operational data store as an intermediate stage for operational processing of data integration before transform into the data warehouse. Federated Architecture According to (Hackney, 2000), federated data warehouse is an integration of multiple heterogeneous data marts, database staging or operational data store, combination of analytical application and reporting systems. The concept of federated focus on integrated framework to make data warehouse more reliable. (Jindal, 2004) conclude that federated data warehouse are a practical approach as it focus on higher reliability and provide excellent value. (Thilini and Hugh, 2005) conclude that hub and spoke and centralized data warehouse architectures are similar. Hub and spoke is faster and easier to implement because no data mart are required. For centralized data warehouse architecture scored higher than hub and spoke as for urgency needs for relatively fast implementation approach. In this work, it is very important to identify which data warehouse architecture that is robust and scalable in terms of building and deploying enterprise wide systems. (Laney, 2000), states that selection of appropriate data warehouse architecture must incorporate successful characteristic of various data warehouse model. It is evident that two data warehouse architecture prove to be popular as shown by (Thilini and Hugh, 2005), (Eckerson, 2003) and (Mailvaganam, 2007). First hub-and-spoke proposed by (Inmon, 1999) as it is a data warehouse with dependant data marts and secondly is the data mart bus architecture with dimensional data marts proposed by (Kimball, 1996). The selection of the new proposed model will use hub-and-spoke data warehouse architecture which can be used for MDDB modelling. 2.2.2 DATA WAREHOUSE EXTRACT, TRANSFORM, LOADING Data warehouse architecture process begins with ETL process to ensure the data passes the quality threshold. According to Evin (2001), it is essential to have right dataset. ETL are an important component in data warehouse environment to ensure dataset in the data warehouse are cleansed from various OLTP systems. ETLs are also responsible for running scheduled tasks that extract data from OLTP systems. Typically, a data warehouse is populated with historical information from within a particular organization (Bunger, Colby, Cole, McKenna, Mulagund, and Wilhite, 2001). The complete process descriptions of ETL are discussed in table 2.3. Data warehouse database can be populated with a wide variety of data sources from different locations, thus collecting all the different dataset and storing it in one central location is an extremely challenging task (Calvanese, Giacomo, Lenzerini, Nardi, and Rosati, , 2001). However, ETL processes eliminate the complexity of data population via simplified process as depicts in figure 2.2. The ETL process begins with data extract from operational databases where data cleansing and scrubbing are done, to ensure all datas are validated. Then it is transformed to meet the data warehouse standards before it is loaded into data warehouse. (Zhou et al, 1995) states that during data integration process in data warehouse, ETL can assist in import and export of operational data between heterogeneous data sources using Object linking and embedding database (OLE-DB) based architecture where the data are transform to populate all validated data into data warehouse. In (Kimball, 1996) data warehouse architecture as depicted in figure 2.3 focuses on three important modules, which is the back room presentation server and the front room. ETL processes is implemented in the back room process, where the data staging services in charge of gathering all source systems operational databases to perform extraction of data from source systems from different file format from different systems and platforms. The second step is to run the transformation process to ensure all inconsistency is removed to ensure data integrity. Finally, it is loaded into data marts. The ETL processes are commonly executed from a job control via scheduling task. The presentation server is the data warehouse where data marts are stored and process here. Data stored in star schema consist of dimension and fact tables. This is where data are then process of in the front room where it is access by query services such as reporting tools, desktop tools, OLAP and data mining tools. Although ETL processes prove to be an essential component to ensure data integrity in data warehouse, the issue of complexity and scalability plays important role in deciding types of data warehouse architecture. One way to achieve a scalable, non-complex solution is to adopt a hub-and-spoke architecture for the ETL process. According to Evin (2001), ETL best operates in hub-and-spoke architecture because of its flexibility and efficiency. Centralized data warehouse design can influence the maintenance of full access control of ETL processes. ETL processes in hub and spoke data warehouse architecture is recommended in (Inmon, 1999) and (Kimball, 1996). The hub is the data warehouse after processing data from operational database to staging database and the spoke(s) are the data marts for distributing data. Sherman, R (2005) state that hub-and-spoke approach uses one-to-many interfaces from data warehouse to many data marts. One-to-many are simpler to implement, cost effective in a long run and ensure consistent dimensions. Compared to many-to-many approach it is more complicated and costly. 2.2.3 DATA WAREHOUSE FAILURE AND SUCCESS FACTORS Building a data warehouse is indeed a challenging task as data warehouse project inheriting a unique characteristics that may influence the overall reliability and robustness of data warehouse. These factors can be applied during the analysis, design and implementation phases which will ensure a successful data warehouse system. Section 2.2.3.1 focus on factors that influence data warehouse project failure. Section 2.2.3.2 discusses on the success factors which implementing the correct model to support a successful data warehouse project. 2.2.3.1 DATA WAREHOUSE FAILURE FACTORS (Hayen, Rutashobya, and Vetter, 2007) studies shows that implementing a data warehouse project is costly and risky as a data warehouse project can cost over $1 million in the first year. It is estimated that two-thirds of the effort of setting up the data warehouse projects attempt will fail eventually. (Hayen et al, 2007) cited on the work of (Briggs, 2002) and (Vassiliadis, 2004) noticed three factors for the failure of data warehouse project which is environment, project and technical factors as shown in table 2.4. Environment leads to organization changes in term of business, politics, mergers, takeovers and lack of top management support. These include human error, corporate culture, decision making process and poor change management (Watson, 2004) (Hayen et al, 2007). Poor technical knowledge on the requirements of data definitions and data quality from different organization units may cause data warehouse failure. Incompetent and insufficient knowledge on data integration, poor selection on data warehouse model and data warehouse analysis applications may cause huge failure. In spite of heavy investment on hardware, software and people, poor project management factors may lead data warehouse project failure. For example, assigning a project manager that lacks of knowledge and project experience in data warehouse, may cause impediment of quantifying the return on investment (ROI) and achievement of project triple constraint (cost, scope, time). Data ownership and accessibility is a potential factor that may cause data warehouse project failure. This is considered vulnerable issue within the organization that one must not share or acquire someone else data as this considered losing authority on the data (Vassiliadis, 2004). Thus, it emphasis restriction on any departments to declare total ownership of pure clean and error free data that might cause potential problem on ownership of data rights. 2.2.3.2 DATA WAREHOUSE SUCCESS FACTORS (Hwang M.I., 2007) stress that data warehouse implementations are an important area of research and industrial practices but only few researches made an assessment in the critical success factors for data warehouse implementations. He conducted a survey on six data warehouse researchers (Watson Haley, 1997; Chen et al., 2000; Wixom Watson, 2001; Watson et al., 2001; Hwang Cappel, 2002; Shin, 2003) on the success factors in a data warehouse project. He concluded his survey with a list of successful factors which influenced data warehouse implementation as depicted in figure 2.8. He shows eight implementation factors which will directly affect the six selected success variables The above mentioned data warehouse success factors provide an important guideline for implementing a successful data warehouse projects. (Hwang M.I., 2007) studies shows an integrated selection of various factors such as end user participation, top management support, acquisition of quality source data with profound and well-defined business needs plays crucial role in data warehouse implementation. Beside that, other factors that was highlighted by Hayen R.L. (2007) cited on the work of Briggs (2002) and Vassiliadis (2004), Watson (2004) such as project, environment and technical knowledge also influenced data warehouse implementation. Summary In this work on the new proposed model, hub-and-spoke architecture is use as Central repository service, as many scholars including Inmon, Kimball, Evin, Sherman and Nicola adopt to this data warehouse architecture. This approach allows locating the hub (data warehouse) and spokes (data marts) centrally and can be distributed across local or wide area network depending on business requirement. In designing the new proposed model, the hub-and-spoke architecture clearly identifies six important data warehouse components that a data warehouse should have, which includes ETL, Staging Database or operational database store, Data marts, MDDB, OLAP and data mining end users applications such as Data query, reporting, analysis, statistical tools. However, this process may differ from organization to organization. Depending on the ETL setup, some data warehouse may overwrite old data with new data and in some data warehouse may only maintain history and audit trial of all changes of the data. 2.3 ONLINE ANALYTICAL PROCESSING OLAP Council (1997) define OLAP as a group of decision support system that facilitate fast, consistent and interactive access of information that has been reformulate, transformed and summarized from relational dataset mainly from data warehouse into MDDB which allow optimal data retrieval and for performing trend analysis. According to Chaudhuri (1997), Burdick, D. et al. (2006) and Vassiladis, P. (1999), OLAP is important concept for strategic database analysis. OLAP have the ability to analyze large amount of data for the extraction of valuable information. Analytical development can be of business, education or medical sectors. The technologies of data warehouse, OLAP, and analyzing tools support that ability. OLAP enable discovering pattern and relationship contain in business activity by query tons of data from multiple database source systems at one time (Nigel. P., 2008). Processing database information using OLAP required an OLAP server to organize and transformed and builds MDDB. MDDB are then separated by cubes for client OLAP tools to perform data analysis which aim to discover new pattern relationship between the cubes. Some popular OLAP server software programs include Oracle (C), IBM (C) and Microsoft (C). Madeira (2003) supports the fact that OLAP and data warehouse are complementary technology which blends together. Data warehouse stores and manages data while OLAP transforms data warehouse datasets into strategic information. OLAP function ranges from basic navigation and browsing (often known as slice and dice), to calculations and also serious analysis such as time series and complex modelling. As decision-makers implement more advanced OLAP capabilities, they move from basic data access to creation of information and to discovering of new knowledge. 2.3.4 OLAP ARCHITECTURE In comparison to data warehouse which usually based on relational technology, OLAP uses a multidimensional view to aggregate data to provide rapid access to strategic information for analysis. There are three type of OLAP architecture based on the method in which they store multi-dimensional data and perform analysis operations on that dataset (Nigel, P., 2008). The categories are multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP), relational OLAP (ROLAP) and hybrid OLAP (HOLAP). In MOLAP as depicted in Diagram 2.11, datasets are stored and summarized in a multidimensional cube. The MOLAP architecture can perform faster than ROLAP and HOLAP (C). MOLAP cubes designed and build for rapid data retrieval to enhance efficient slicing and dicing operations. MOLAP can perform complex calculations which have been pre-generated after cube creation. MOLAP processing is restricted to initial cube that was created and are not bound to any additional replication of cube. In ROLAP as depict in Diagram 2.12, data and aggregations are stored in relational database tables to provide the OLAP slicing and dicing functionalities. ROLAP are the slowest among the OLAP flavours. ROLAP relies on data manipulating directly in the relational database to give the manifestation of conventional OLAPs slicing and dicing functionality. Basically, each slicing and dicing action is equivalent to adding a WHERE clause in the SQL statement. (C) ROLAP can manage large amounts of data and ROLAP do not have any limitations for data size. ROLAP can influence the intrinsic functionality in a relational database. ROLAP are slow in performance because each ROLAP activity are essentially a SQL query or multiple SQL queries in the relational database. The query time and number of SQL statements executed measures by its complexity of the SQL statements and can be a bottleneck if the underlying dataset size is large. ROLAP essentially depends on SQL statements generation to query the relational database and do not cater all needs which make ROLAP technology conventionally limited by what SQL functionality can offer. (C) HOLAP as depict in Diagram 2.13, combine the technologies of MOLAP and ROLAP. Data are stored in ROLAP relational database tables and the aggregations are stored in MOLAP cube. HOLAP can drill down from multidimensional cube into the underlying relational database data. To acquire summary type of information, HOLAP leverages cube technology for faster performance. Whereas to retrieve detail type of information, HOLAP can drill down from the cube into the underlying relational data. (C) In OLAP architectures (MOLAP, ROLAP and HOLAP), the datasets are stored in a multidimensional format as it involves the creation of multidimensional blocks called data cubes (Harinarayan, 1996). The cube in OLAP architecture may have three axes (dimensions), or more. Each axis (dimension) represents a logical category of data. One axis may for example represent the geographic location of the data, while others may indicate a state of time or a specific school. Each of the categories, which will be described in the following section, can be broken down into successive levels and it is possible to drill up or down between the levels. Cabibo (1997) states that OLAP partitions are normally stored in an OLAP server, with the relational database frequently stored on a separate server from OLAP server. OLAP server must query across the network whenever it needs to access the relational tables to resolve a query. The impact of querying across the network depends on the performance characteristics of the network itself. Even when the relational database is placed on the same server as OLAP server, inter-process calls and the associated context switching are required to retrieve relational data. With a OLAP partition, calls to the relational database, whether local or over the network, do not occur during querying. 2.3.3 OLAP FUNCTIONALITY OLAP functionality offers dynamic multidimensional analysis supporting end users with analytical activities includes calculations and modelling applied across dimensions, trend analysis over time periods, slicing subsets for on-screen viewing, drilling to deeper levels of records (OLAP Council, 1997) OLAP is implemented in a multi-user client/server environment and provide reliably fast response to queries, in spite of database size and complexity. OLAP facilitate the end user integrate enterprise information through relative, customized viewing, analysis of historical and present data in various what-if data model scenario. This is achieved through use of an OLAP Server as depicted in diagram 2.9. OLAP functionality is provided by an OLAP server. OLAP server design and data structure are optimized for fast information retrieval in any course and flexible calculation and transformation of unprocessed data. The OLAP server may either actually carry out the processed multidimensional information to distribute consistent and fast response times to end users, or it may fill its data structures in real time from relational databases, or offer a choice of both. Essentially, OLAP create information in cube form which allows more composite analysis compares to relational database. OLAP analysis techniques employ slice and dice and drilling methods to segregate data into loads of information depending on given parameters. Slice is identifying a single value for one or more variable which is non-subset of multidimensional array. Whereas dice function is application of slice function on more than two dimensions of multidimensional cubes. Drilling function allows end user to traverse between condensed data to most precise data unit as depict in Diagram 2.10. 2.3.5 MULTIDIMENSIONAL DATABASE SCHEMA The base of every data warehouse system is a relational database build using a dimensional model. Dimensional model consists of fact and dimension tables which are described as star schema or snowflake schema (Kimball, 1999). A schema is a collection of database objects, tables, views and indexes (Inmon, 1996). To understand dimensional data modelling, Table 2.10 defines some of the terms commonly used in this type of modelling: In designing data models for data warehouse, the most commonly used schema types are star schema and snowflake schema. In the star schema design, fact table sits in the middle and is connected to other surrounding dimension tables like a star. A star schema can be simple or complex. A simple star consists of one fact table; a complex star can have more than one fact table. Most data warehouses use a star schema to represent the multidimensional data model. The database consists of a single fact table and a single table for each dimension. Each tuple in the fact table consists of a pointer or foreign key to each of the dimensions that provide its multidimensional coordinates, and stores the numeric measures for those coordinates. A tuple consist of a unit of data extracted from cube in a range of member from one or more dimension tables. (C, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa216769%28SQL.80%29.aspx). Each dimension table consists of columns that correspond to attributes of the dimension. Diagram 2.14 shows an example of a star schema For Medical Informatics System. Star schemas do not explicitly provide support for attribute hierarchies which are not suitable for architecture such as MOLAP which require lots of hierarchies of dimension tables for efficient drilling of datasets. Snowflake schemas provide a refinement of star schemas where the dimensional hierarchy is explicitly represented by normalizing the dimension tables, as shown in Diagram 2.15. The main advantage of the snowflake schema is the improvement in query performance due to minimized disk storage requirements and joining smaller lookup tables. The main disadvantage of the snowflake schema is the additional maintenance efforts needed due to the increase number of lookup tables. (C) Levene. M (2003) stresses that in addition to the fact and dimension tables, data warehouses store selected summary tables containing pre-aggregated data. In the simplest cases, the pre-aggregated data corresponds to aggregating the fact table on one or more selected dimensions. Such pre-aggregated summary data can be represented in the database in at least two ways. Whether to use star or a snowflake mainly depends on business needs. 2.3.2 OLAP Evaluation As OLAP technology taking prominent place in data warehouse industry, there should be a suitable assessment tool to evaluate it. E.F. Codd not only invented OLAP but also provided a set of procedures which are known as the Twelve Rules for OLAP product ability assessment which include data manipulation, unlimited dimensions and aggregation levels and flexible reporting as shown in Table 2.8 (Codd, 1993): Codd twelve rules of OLAP provide us an essential tool to verify the OLAP functions and OLAP models used are able to produce desired result. Berson, A. (2001) stressed that a good OLAP system should also support a complete database management tools as a utility for integrated centralized tool to permit database management to perform distribution of databases within the enterprise. OLAP ability to perform drilling mechanism within the MDDB allows the functionality of drill down right to the source or root of the detail record level. This implies that OLAP tool permit a smooth changeover from the MDDB to the detail record level of the source relational database. OLAP systems also must support incremental database refreshes. This is an important feature as to prevent stability issues on operations and usability problems when the size of the database increases. 2.3.1 OLTP and OLAP The design of OLAP for multidimensional cube is entirely different compare to OLTP for database. OLTP is implemented into relational database to support daily processing in an organization. OLTP system main function is to capture data into computers. OLTP allow effective data manipulation and storage of data for daily operational resulting in huge quantity of transactional data. Organisations build multiple OLTP systems to handle huge quantities of daily operations transactional data can in short period of time. OLAP is designed for data access and analysis to support managerial user strategic decision making process. OLAP technology focuses on aggregating datasets into multidimensional view without hindering the system performance. According to Han, J. (2001), states OLTP systems as Customer oriented and OLAP is a market oriented. He summarized major differences between OLTP and OLAP system based on 17 key criteria as shown in table 2.7. It is complicated to merge OLAP and OLTP into one centralized database system. The dimensional data design model used in OLAP is much more effective for querying than the relational database query used in OLTP system. OLAP may use one central database as data source and OLTP used different data source from different database sites. The dimensional design of OLAP is not suitable for OLTP system, mainly due to redundancy and the loss of referential integrity of the data. Organization chooses to have two separate information systems, one OLTP and one OLAP system (Poe, V., 1997). We can conclude that the purpose of OLTP systems is to get data into computers, whereas the purpose of OLAP is to get data or information out of computers. 2.4 DATA MINING Many data mining scholars (Fayyad, 1998; Freitas, 2002; Han, J. et. al., 1996; Frawley, 1992) have defined data mining as discovering hidden patterns from historical datasets by using pattern recognition as it involves searching for specific, unknown information in a database. Chung, H. (1999) and Fayyad et al (1996) referred data mining as a step of knowledge discovery in database and it is the process of analyzing data and extracts knowledge from a large database also known as data warehouse (Han, J., 2000) and making it into useful information. Freitas (2002) and Fayyad (1996) have recognized the advantageous tool of data mining for extracting knowledge from a da

The Risks that Follow The Consumption of Red Meat Essay -- cavemen, ca

Title (Unknown) â€Å"Not eating meat is a decision, eating meat is an instinct† (D. Leary, 1992) Humans have historically been carnivores, as modeled from the cavemen. However, in today’s world, due to sensitive stomachs, endless health research for the â€Å"perfect diet†, and the unrelenting empathy for our four-legged friends, vegetarianism and veganism are becoming much more prevalent. While many critics claim a diet without meat is less nutritionally beneficial than one that includes it, the topic is still wide open for debate. Protein is essential to the human body because of the essential amino acids it provides. Yet, the uncertainty as to whether or not red meat is the best source of protein leaves people tentative. The risks that follow the consumption of red meat may be too dangerous for people to chance. There are numerous influences that affect a person’s choice to eat red meat, but the crucial need for dietary change in our population prompts these q uestions of food choice to be answered. There is a never-ending list of health do’s and don’ts that people keep coming up with, whether they are credible or not. It is hard to identify the right exercise program, lotions, drinks, vitamins, or foods for better health inside or out. The correct amount and sources of protein will benefit the body in many aspects. It is the foundation of hair, skin, and muscle. The growth and development of children, the strength of the immune system, muscle growth and repair, glands, and organs are all places that protein largely impacts (Coleman, 2014). Protein plays a big role in the pH balance of your bodily fluids. A drastic change in pH can lead to chronic symptoms and numerous health problems (Boyers, 2014). Protein counteracts aci... ...ays to Get Protein Without Eating Meat." Good Food Life. 23 May 2012. Healthy Eating. 16 Apr. 2014 http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/23/8-ways-to-get-protein-without-eating-meat/ This website tells how essential protein is to a human body because we were made to function and thrive as carnivores. However, they say due to â€Å"delicate stomachs†, environmental concerns, and animal protection, there are other sources to get the essential protein in your diet. They include Nuts, seeds, dairy, soy, supplements, bars, cereal, spinach, etc. 5. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/meat.html I found my hook quote from this website. 6. Annigan, Jan. "Adverse Effects of Red Meat." Healthy Eating. Demand Media, 02 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. 7. "The Protein Functions That Keep Your Body Running." - For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons, n.d. Web. 06 May 2014

A Study on Comparison Between Chinese Values and American Values

On the culture shock in the film of Gua Sha Culture shock was introduced to descried the anxiety produced when a person moves to a completely new environment, especially when a person arrives in a new country where he is confronted with a new cultural environment. In our modern society, more and more people get this sick. You step into a new culture world. Everything around you is new. You begin to adapt. One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign environment.Culture shock can be described as consisting of at least one of five distinct phases: Honeymoon, Negotiation, Adjustment, Mastery and Independence, are the most common attributes that pertain to existing problems, further hindrances include: information overload, language barrier, generation gap, technology gap, skill interdependence, formulation dependency, homesickness, infinite regress, boredom, response ability. There is no true way to entirely prevent culture shock, as individuals in an y society are personally affected by cultural contrasts differently.But, this process takes time. Generally speaking, culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. Culture shock involved two aspects: physical symptoms of culture shock and psychological symptoms of culture shock. And, how can we cure culture shock? The first coping mechanism is called â€Å"repression. † This happens when we pretend that everything is acceptable and that nothing bothers us. The second one is called â€Å"regression. † We forget everything, and something we become careless and irresponsible.The third kind of defense mechanism is called â€Å"isolation. † It is one of the worst coping mechanisms we can use because it separates us from those things that could really help us. Grandfather Xu comes from China to visit the family of his son, Datong Xu, in St. Louis. While there, he gives his grandson, Dennis X u , a treatment of Gua Sha to treat a slight fever. The authorities, however, mistake the harmless traditional Chinese medical treatment for child abuse due to the obvious marks left on Dennis' back. The family goes through hell when the child is taken away by the child protection agency.Meanwhile, Grandfather Xu leaves America because he finds that the living environment is really not suitable for him, as he feels that a simple, harmless treatment like Gua Sha, which is so common in China, is treated as child abuse in America. Furthermore, he cannot converse in English. An American friend of the father, Benton Davi), tries gua sha and proves that the treatment leaves painful-looking marks that are not actually painful or harmful at all. Finally, the father is able to return home and the family is reunited.Returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same effects as described above. This results from the psychosomatic and psychological conseq uences of the readjustment process to the primary culture. The affected person often finds this more surprising and difficult to deal with than the original culture shock. This phenomenon, the reactions that members of the re-entered culture exhibit toward the re-entrant, and the inevitability of the two are encapsulated in the saying â€Å"you can't go home again,† first coined by Thomas Wolfe in his book of that title.Honeymoon phase During this period, the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new food, the pace of life, and the locals' habits. During the first few weeks, most people are fascinated by the new culture. They associate with nationals who speak their language, and who are polite to the foreigners. This period is full of observations and new discoveries.Like most honeymoon periods, this stage after some time, differences between the old and new culture beco me apparent and may create anxiety. Excitement may eventually give way to unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as one continues to experience unfavorable events that may be perceived as strange and offensive to one's cultural attitude. Language barriers, stark differences in public hygiene, traffic safety, food accessibility and quality may heighten the sense of disconnection from the surroundings.While being transferred into a different environment puts special pressure on communication skills, there are practical difficulties to overcome, such as circadian rhythm disruption that often leads to insomnia and daylight drowsiness; adaptation of gut flora to different bacteria levels and concentrations in food and water; difficulty in seeking treatment for illness, as medicines may have different names from the native country's and the same active ingredients might be hard to recognize.Still, the most important change in the period is communication: People adjusting to a new cu lture often feel lonely and homesick because they are not yet used to the new environment and meet people with whom they are not familiar every day. The language barrier may become a major obstacle in creating new relationships: special attention must be paid to one's and others' culture-specific body language signs, linguistic faux pas, conversation tone, linguistic nuances and customs, and false fries.In the case of Gua Sha, some develop additional symptoms of loneliness that ultimately affect their lifestyles as a whole. Due to the strain of living in a different country without parental support, international students often feel anxious and feel more pressure while adjusting to new cultures—even more so when the cultural distances are wide, as patterns of logic and speech are different and a special emphasis is put on rhetoric.Again, after some time, one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host cou ntry no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more â€Å"normal†. One starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the culture and begins to accept the culture's ways with a positive attitude. The culture begins to make sense, and negative reactions and responses to the culture are reduced.In the mastery stage assignees are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages. It is often referred to as the biculturalism stage. You step into a new cultural world. Everything around you is new. We should devise defense mechanisms to help us cope with the effects of culture shock.

Values in Workplace

Values in Workplace Work is the place where people spend most of their time. Coming there early in the morning and leaving late in the evening, many people work at night and spend weekends there trying to achieve results.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Values in Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Work is the way to become financially independent and successful for many people, others consider work as the way to enjoy the things they like. Anyway, different people have various values in the workplace. As for me, I consider motivation, result and healthy environment in the workplace as the greatest values. I can easily explain why I have such belief. Motivation should be one of the strongest values in the company. I am inclined to think that if people are not motivated accordingly, their working performance becomes lower, they fail some tasks, clients are dissatisfied and it brings to many specific problems which create additiona l complications for the company in the means of gaining profit. Highly motivated employees work better. They have better mood and all the work they perform they do with pleasure. There are different ways how employees may be motivated, financially, by career development, by means of the personal growth, and other specific conditions aimed at satisfying the employees’ needs.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, motivating employees, it is possible to achieve better work performance and higher efficiency for the company. Result is another value which is to be considered. The desire to achieve result should be the primary purpose in the company. Working either individually or in team employees should spend much time on planning the possible outcome of the performance and working on the goal achievement. Result should be valued for many reasons. First of a ll, this is the main condition for getting income; second, result is the last stage of the task performance which is important. Employees should see what they have achieved. Third, result is one of the main measures of the working performance. It helps understand the efficiency of the working process, the competence of the employees and their interest in the work. Bringing value on a result, the employees show their interest in the company success. Finally, the healthy environment in the company should be highly valued. The healthy environment involves many specific measures and conditions aimed at achieving the only result, at making sure that all the employees are satisfied with the work and with the people they are surrounded with and at reducing negative feelings. The value of the healthy environment at the workplace shows that the company managers take care of their employees and want to make sure that the conflicts are absent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sa mple on Values in Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The companies with unhealthy working environment have many difficulties in work performance and result achieving. Healthy environment covers supportive relationships, successful ethical norms and legal behavior in the company. Therefore, it may be concluded that having various values, I highly appreciate the companies which appraise motivation, result and healthy environment at the workplace. Being the central values for the company, these issues help successfully complete the working process, develop personally and professionally and remain satisfied with the work which are the most important aspects in the rush and highly depressive world we have to live in. Spending much time in the working place, it is essential to be satisfied with what one does as it is going to influence human condition and life performance.

To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Elements Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Elements Essay To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Elements Essay Unit 3EA2 Sadie Whitney Mr. Diggins 4/1/15 Loss of Innocence Loss of innocence is a recurring theme throughout the book for both Jem and Scout. One of the loss of innocence scenes is when Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s flowers because she had been calling Atticus names, just like almost everyone in Maycomb. Jem snaps and caves in to the what recent events have brought to Maycomb. This passage shows multiple literary elements. The most obvious literary elements are imagery, setting, and external conflict. These paragraphs come to show just how easy it is to spot these literary elements. So now i’ll show how I found three simple literary elements in this small passage. In this passage, multiple literary elements can be seen. For example, Imagery is one of the literary elements found in this passage. Imagery is â€Å"the descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures.† In the passage it says, â€Å"He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camelia bush in Mrs. Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves.† This helps show a picture in your head and shows how jem might of felt when he destroyed the camellias. In a book, to describe the setting, the author uses imagery. Imagery is often the only way of imagining the scenes. Without imagery and setting the book would be really boring and plain. Setting is one of the most important elements of a book or movie. The setting is, â€Å"the time and place in which a story happens.† Setting can change the attitudes of the character, their opinions, their tone of voice, setting can change everything. One quote is, â€Å"He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camelia bush in Mrs. Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves.† This quote fits with imagery perfectly by describing vividly what Jem is doing. When the book describes Jem destroying the camellias, it tells me that the setting has changed. Mrs In some cases changing the setting can either cause or solve conflicts. Another literary term found in this passage is the external conflict. The external conflict is the â€Å"struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force.† This passage shows Jem trying to cope with his conflict (the people of Maycomb.) Both Jem and Scout have experienced children and adults calling Atticus names. In this case, Jem breaks after Mrs. Dubose calls Atticus a name. â€Å"We had just come to her gate when Jem snatched my baton

Ask an Expert How to Boost your Author SEO Reedsy

Ask an Expert How to Boost your Author SEO Reedsy How to Boost your Author SEO: An Interview with Murray Izenwasser As an author in the beginning stages of a marketing strategy, where do you start when it comes to author Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? It can be very daunting having to compete with large publishing houses as well as already successful and well-known authors. To help tackle this really important topic, we had SEO expert Murray Izenwasser give his insights on how exactly author SEO works.Click play below to watch the video chat or read the transcript below! Hi Murray, I really appreciate you talking with me today. Why don’t you start out by giving us a bit of background on yourself and Biztegra?Thank you! I’ve been doing the online stuff since the 90s so a long time, but Biztegra has been around for about 6 or 7 years now. When we started Biztegra we wanted to bring the digital agency and the way we approach it to a smaller organization. We do two things: marketing on one side and technology on the other. With marketing, we do the optimizations for searches on social and mobile applications and for technology we have developers in Argentina who build out the web, social, and mobile applications we need to support those marketing programs.Last year, we launched a product called Publishr, which is a platform where our publishing clients will be able to move their websites over and onto. In the publishing industry, we’ve found that there’s a lot of opportunities for websites to improve. Historically, people in p ublishing were â€Å"bound† to traditional printing and now the people who are left are the onesThat's great and I agree with you that it really just does come down to time and not annoying your audience. This has been very helpful for our authors who are either trying to rank higher on Google or building their author website or trying to gain traffic on their blogs. Thank you so much, Murray!Follow Murray Izenwasser and Reedsy on Twitter: @MurrayIz and @ReedsyHQHave you experimented with SEO and Content Marketing? Do you have a marketing strategy for your next book launch? Let us know your thoughts, or ask Murray any question you want, in the comments below!

Psychological and spiritual conquest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychological and spiritual conquest - Essay Example The Confession Manuals depict lust as the most prevalent sin, above drunkenness, lying, murder or stealing and did not value the Indians’ norms that governed the transition into adulthood. This portrays the missionaries as a group of self-righteous people who are out to satisfy their own lust, despite accusing the Indians of lust. They are missionaries who are expected to be well conversant with the 10 commandments, but are only focused on the sixth one. It does not help that they even raped virgin Indian women. On the Indians’ part, they may have punished both men and women equally for sexual transgressions, but they also had their unconventional norms that allowed them to dissolve marriages or change partners for reasons that seemed purely for adventure. In conclusion, the reading brings forth both the missionaries and Indians as having unconventional norms, albeit the fact that the norms have guided their lives before encountering each other. The different values come out distinctly as inappropriate for the modern

How to save money while saving the environment Essay

How to save money while saving the environment - Essay Example Energy crises have struck all around the world, even US is experiencing energy crises due to which tariffs are increasing day by day (Carr 367). Individuals experience a common problem, they have tendency of letting their application and systems that operate on energy remain operational when they are not even in use. Getting a second job to pay your electricity bills is not the solution to this problem. This problem can only be solved if individuals take responsibility of their actions and turn off applications that require electricity while they are not using that application. Another energy crises experienced throughout the world is decrease in the quantity of petroleum and oil. This shortage has been caused due to increase in the number of people who use this energy and due to the appliances that operate on this energy. During winter session people spend thousands of dollars on heaters and heating applications. This does not only cost heavy amount of money to consumers, it even increases negative externalities as these heaters are consuming heavy amount of oil energy. Just by making a small change to lifestyle individuals can save this expenditure. Individuals can replace heaters with sweaters which cost way low than the total cost of using heating equipments. People do not have a habit to turn off appliances that use energy resources. Due to this they fail to save energy even if they want to save it. A good alternative to this issue is the purchase of up to date appliances that switch off automatically when they are not in use or when they have been used for a certain amount of time. These appliances may seem to be quite expensive, but they are only a one time cost and these applications help in saving money and energy over a long period of time. The entire world is experiencing energy crises, energy crises have contributed to increase in concern for both the current and

Introduction economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introduction economics - Essay Example and S. Brue, 2005). That people have different mental, physical, and aesthetic talents are verifiable realities. That some have who may have inherited the exceptional mental qualities and that are essential to such high paying occupations such as corporate leadership and medicine (McConnell. and S. Brue, 2005; Frank, 1996; Jennings, B. et al, 2002). Others are also gifted or borne with the physical capacity and coordination to become highly paid professional athletes. Further, one can observe that a few have talents can aspire to actually become artists and musicians while allowing the others to have beauty to become to fashion models (McConnell. and S. Brue, 2005). Unfortunately, others have weak mental talents and may spend their lives working in low-paying occupations. In some cases, they may be unluckily incapable of earning any income at all. The rest of people may have intelligence and skills that come between two the extremes. People differ also in terms of education and training. Some people have native ability, and some people might further develop and refine their talents capabilities through education and training. With difference in education and training their capacity will also vary to cause them to have varying income. Companies employing discrimination in hiring also causes in equality in income. As in the United States, discrimination could restrict racial and ethnic minorities to low-paying occupations (McConnell. and S. Brue, 2005). The reality of preferences and risks chosen by different people (Bonvin and Farvaque, 2005; Esters and Ledoux, 2001; OHalloran and Linton, 2000) for work relative to pleasure, to work in the household and the types of market work definitely will cause differences in income as riskier jobs would normally get paid higher. Wealth produces income and the unequal distribution in the former could be factors in causing inequality as well in income distribution. A wealthy person who

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 4

Strategic Management - Essay Example which British Petroleum is a leading name requires expenditure of large sums on huge projects that are technically sophisticated and demand a certain managerial depth. Thus, British Petroleum has achieved its growth as a result of sound managerial decision making over the years in all facets of its business. This brief essay presents a discussion of some of the more interesting strategy aspects that confront the company in the present global business environment. British Petroleum Plc, or BP, had its origins as the former Anglo – Persian Oil Company in the early 1930s (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2008, â€Å"BP PLC†). The name of the former Anglo – Persian Oil Company was changed into British Petroleum in the year 1954 and later in the year 1998, BP merged with the Amoco Corporation of the United States to join the ranks of the largest oil companies in the world. Clearly, British Petroleum has a long history and much experience in the petroleum business. However, the economic environment in which BP has to operate is constantly changing and this means that this company has to have the right approach to strategy if it is to remain at the leading edge in its industry sector. Operating profits for British Petroleum exceeded US$ 20 billion in the year 2007 and this means that the firm not only applied a very substantial amount of capital in its operations, but also generated substantial profit in an industry that can be expose d to substantial operating risks (British Petroleum, 2008, â€Å"Financial Report – 2007†). Although profits look healthy for British Petroleum and the world has witnessed record prices for crude oil in the year 2008, it has to be appreciated that this company also encountered some problems which had a negative impact on its operations and safety record in the year 2007 (British Petroleum, 2008, â€Å"British Petroleum Strategy Presentations†) and (Wikipedia, 2008, â€Å"BP). The company faces new challenges as a result of sector inflation, rising

Project Management (organizing a talent show) Essay

Project Management (organizing a talent show) - Essay Example Second section presents critical reflection of team work, key skills of project managers and skills and competencies gained during the project. Last section critically discusses the four articles on Project management from academic journals that are related to the study area focused during the project management task. Table of Contents Section No Title Page No Critical Evaluation 1.1 Introduction 1.2 SWOT Analysis 1.3 PESTLE Analysis 1.4 Gantt Chart 1.5 Cost Volume Profit Analysis 1.6 Summary Critical Reflection 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Team Work 2.3 Leadership 2.4 Skills and Learning 2.5 Summary Critical Discussion 3.1 Evaluation of Journal Articles Critical Evaluation 1.1 Introduction This section is an endeavor to critically evaluate the significance and implications of four out of the ten techniques namely SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, Gantt chart and CVP analysis in managing the project. The analyses of these tools and techniques would then be made part of the subsequent presentat ion to discuss their validity. From an objective point of learning, the study and utilization of these techniques is not only critical to educational domain but also crucial to existing practices in the industry. 1.2 SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis is an instrumental subjective tool to identify the internal organizational factors, Strength and Weakness, and external factors, threat and opportunities to best align the organization with its strategic objectives and identify the best possible scenario for operation by augmenting the decision making process as guide reference and not with precision. Although it is a much acknowledged and widely used tool in industry, but Fine (2009) has questioned the limitations of SWOT analysis to effectively determine the strategic objectives and course of actions to be adopted by any organization. Wikipedia (2011) pointed that it is quite possible for an organization to overlook certain key facts and view the overall scenario as quite simple since the t ool lacks precision in its application. Because of its simplicity to become a mere list of facts, Cartwright (2002) suggested carrying out further analysis and research for determining the relation between negative and positive factors and how they affect each other, their magnitude and their significance in comparison to that of competitors. Piercy and Giles (1989), is of the view that categorizing facts in internal and external factors is a subjective exercise and may not deal with inherent uncertainty prevailing in the market. According to Pickton and Wright (1992), since the tool is subjective in its application, there is strong probability that accomplishments may be categorized as strength, threats as opportunities and weaknesses as decisions. As a counter argument, Coman and Ronen (2009) stressed that SWOT analysis is an effective tool to build a company’s strength, maximize opportunities, reverse its weaknesses and overcome threats. He further adds merits to the capab ility of this tool for effectively identifying the core competencies of the company. Felton (2004) goes on adding that it is not the failure of the effectiveness of a tool to present good analysis rather failure of applying it effectively. Besides the inherent limitations associated with SWOT analysis and criticism by many authors questioning its

Foreign Direct Investment---Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign Direct Investment---Economics - Essay Example What exactly are foreign direct investments, and why have they increased so steadily What factors make foreign direct investments such a popular global occurrence A foreign direct investment, as the name states, involves corporations who invest long term overseas. There are four types of FDI's for business corporations to choose from. The most commonly preferred for more corporations are mergers and acquisitions. They involve a transfer of assets from the originating corporation to the one which is foreign based. (Wikipedia, 2006). Greenfield investments are investments or expansions for a new corporation. There are two forms of vertical foreign direct investments which involve backward vertical FDI and forward vertical FDI. Backward vertical FDI involves an out of the country business which provides resources/assets to a domestic business. Forward vertical FDI involves a business abroad that sells the amount produced of a business's domestic production(s). A.T. Kearney Inc. is a global management consulting firm that is an active member of the Global Business Policy Council. This council aids and advises head executives on geopolitics, macroeconomics, technological changes, and macroeconomics worldwide (A.T. Kearney, 2006, p.1). A.T. Kearney spent over seven years surveying numerous head executives from over one thousand corporations worldwide for their opinions on future FDI growth and objectives. The companies and their executives that were surveyed comprise seventy percent of the cumulative FDI. In December 2005, A.T. Kearny published their findings in their FDI Confidence Index. The survey was comprised of sixty-eight countries that contribute ninety percent of the global FDI (A.T. Kearney, 2006, p. 2). They selected the top twenty-five countries according to their FDI confidence. These countries were ranked by a score given from zero to three. Scores closer to three was given to those countries with the highest amount of FDI conf idence. For example, China received the highest FDI confidence rating for a score of 2.197. Why would China be interested in foreign direct investments A country such as China is interested in FDI's to improve the economic state of its own country based on the numerous benefits of foreign enterprise investing. There are many advantages and attractions for foreign markets to invest in one of the worlds largest and growing markets. China's population was estimated in 2005 at over 1.3 billion people. It holds a large share of twenty percent of the world's total population estimated at 6.5 billion people. (Prasad, Eswar & Wei, Shang Jin,2005). Many multinational corporations will choose to invest in densely populated countries such as China. Companies will choose China because their own country lacks a sufficient labor supply. The cost of China's labor force is dramatically low in comparison to other surrounding Asian countries. Many foreign direct investors have found this cost effective and have created and brought millions of jobs to China. The US, a country which owes the m ajority of its yearly population growth from immigration, would find China to be a valuable source of manpower as well as an ever increasing and developing economy. On the other hand, the population growth has become so overwhelming high for China that the government has had to

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 4

Strategic Management - Essay Example which British Petroleum is a leading name requires expenditure of large sums on huge projects that are technically sophisticated and demand a certain managerial depth. Thus, British Petroleum has achieved its growth as a result of sound managerial decision making over the years in all facets of its business. This brief essay presents a discussion of some of the more interesting strategy aspects that confront the company in the present global business environment. British Petroleum Plc, or BP, had its origins as the former Anglo – Persian Oil Company in the early 1930s (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2008, â€Å"BP PLC†). The name of the former Anglo – Persian Oil Company was changed into British Petroleum in the year 1954 and later in the year 1998, BP merged with the Amoco Corporation of the United States to join the ranks of the largest oil companies in the world. Clearly, British Petroleum has a long history and much experience in the petroleum business. However, the economic environment in which BP has to operate is constantly changing and this means that this company has to have the right approach to strategy if it is to remain at the leading edge in its industry sector. Operating profits for British Petroleum exceeded US$ 20 billion in the year 2007 and this means that the firm not only applied a very substantial amount of capital in its operations, but also generated substantial profit in an industry that can be expose d to substantial operating risks (British Petroleum, 2008, â€Å"Financial Report – 2007†). Although profits look healthy for British Petroleum and the world has witnessed record prices for crude oil in the year 2008, it has to be appreciated that this company also encountered some problems which had a negative impact on its operations and safety record in the year 2007 (British Petroleum, 2008, â€Å"British Petroleum Strategy Presentations†) and (Wikipedia, 2008, â€Å"BP). The company faces new challenges as a result of sector inflation, rising

Foreign Direct Investment---Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign Direct Investment---Economics - Essay Example What exactly are foreign direct investments, and why have they increased so steadily What factors make foreign direct investments such a popular global occurrence A foreign direct investment, as the name states, involves corporations who invest long term overseas. There are four types of FDI's for business corporations to choose from. The most commonly preferred for more corporations are mergers and acquisitions. They involve a transfer of assets from the originating corporation to the one which is foreign based. (Wikipedia, 2006). Greenfield investments are investments or expansions for a new corporation. There are two forms of vertical foreign direct investments which involve backward vertical FDI and forward vertical FDI. Backward vertical FDI involves an out of the country business which provides resources/assets to a domestic business. Forward vertical FDI involves a business abroad that sells the amount produced of a business's domestic production(s). A.T. Kearney Inc. is a global management consulting firm that is an active member of the Global Business Policy Council. This council aids and advises head executives on geopolitics, macroeconomics, technological changes, and macroeconomics worldwide (A.T. Kearney, 2006, p.1). A.T. Kearney spent over seven years surveying numerous head executives from over one thousand corporations worldwide for their opinions on future FDI growth and objectives. The companies and their executives that were surveyed comprise seventy percent of the cumulative FDI. In December 2005, A.T. Kearny published their findings in their FDI Confidence Index. The survey was comprised of sixty-eight countries that contribute ninety percent of the global FDI (A.T. Kearney, 2006, p. 2). They selected the top twenty-five countries according to their FDI confidence. These countries were ranked by a score given from zero to three. Scores closer to three was given to those countries with the highest amount of FDI conf idence. For example, China received the highest FDI confidence rating for a score of 2.197. Why would China be interested in foreign direct investments A country such as China is interested in FDI's to improve the economic state of its own country based on the numerous benefits of foreign enterprise investing. There are many advantages and attractions for foreign markets to invest in one of the worlds largest and growing markets. China's population was estimated in 2005 at over 1.3 billion people. It holds a large share of twenty percent of the world's total population estimated at 6.5 billion people. (Prasad, Eswar & Wei, Shang Jin,2005). Many multinational corporations will choose to invest in densely populated countries such as China. Companies will choose China because their own country lacks a sufficient labor supply. The cost of China's labor force is dramatically low in comparison to other surrounding Asian countries. Many foreign direct investors have found this cost effective and have created and brought millions of jobs to China. The US, a country which owes the m ajority of its yearly population growth from immigration, would find China to be a valuable source of manpower as well as an ever increasing and developing economy. On the other hand, the population growth has become so overwhelming high for China that the government has had to

Why You Wish to Attend the University Essay Example for Free

Why You Wish to Attend the University Essay Frequently Asked Questions Still searching for the answers to your questions? Don’t worry. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions just for that purpose. Check out the questions below to see if your questions made the list! As always, you can always give us a call at 209.946.2211 or contact us. Questions About PacificIs Pacific a public or private university? Whats the difference between a college, a school and a university? What type of university is Pacific? What is Pacific known for? Is Pacific a religious or church-related university? How big is the campus? How old is Pacific? Is Pacific accredited? Who is the President of Pacific?Questions About Student LifeHow many students go to Pacific, and where are they from? What is the ethnic breakdown of the student body? Whats there to do on campus for fun? Do most students stay on campus during weekends? Are students able to get housing? What kind of housing is available? Is there a freshman dorm? What are the residence halls like? Which one is the best? Do residence halls have Internet access? Do I need a computer? Will I have a roommate? How are roommates matched? Do you have sororities and fraternities? How big is the Greek System? What role do social fraternities and sororities play at Pacific? Should I bring a car to campus? Hows the parking on campus? How many students have cars? How safe is campus? Is there an escort service? What is the alcohol policy? Do students drink on campus? Is there an alcohol problem on campus? Is Pacific a dry campus? What is Stockton like? What about outside of Stockton? What is the weather like? What types of sports does Pacific have? Are athletic scholarships offered? Didnt Pacific have varsity football? What happened?| Questions About AcademicsHow many majors are there? What are the largest/most popular majors? Whats the student/faculty ratio? What is the average class size? How many faculty members are there, and what are their qualifications? Are classes taught by professors or graduate students? What kind of advising program is available? Can you graduate in four years? When can students take classes in their major? How many students are in the school/college or major Im interested in?Questions About Admission and Financial AidWhat does the Office of Admission look for in an applicant? What is the difference between Early Action and Regular Admission? Is Early Action Binding? When is the Application deadline for your accelerated Pre-Pharmacy and Pre-Dentistry programs? What if I missed the deadline or apply late? Which Standardized tests do I need to take? I didnt send my score until the deadline; how long will it take you to receive them? Are you using the SAT Writing Section or ACT Writing Section for admission evaluation? Ive been taking college courses while in high school. Will they transfer? What is the difference between a weighted and unweighted GPA? Should I take AP/ Honors classes even though you do not take a weighted GPA? What scores from AP/ IB exams do you accept for credit? Is there a special admission process for students with learning differences? Does Pacific accept home-schooled students? How do you apply for financial aid? How much financial aid will I get? What types of financial aid are available?| Questions About Pacific Is Pacific a public or private university?| TOP Pacific is an independent university. This means that anyone who qualifies can attend, but we do not receive direct funding from the government. What’s the difference between a college, a school, and a university?| TOP A college usually is comprised of several different departments and grants bachelor’s degrees in liberal arts or science or both. A school gives instruction in a specialized field and usually grants a degree particular to its field. A university includes several schools and colleges, and grants bachelor’s degrees, as well as master’s degrees and sometimes, doctoral degrees. What type of university is Pacific?| TOP Pacific is a national doctoral university with three campuses and eleven schools and colleges. Eight of our schools and colleges provide undergraduate education on the Stockton campus, including a college of liberal arts and sciences (College of the Pacific). The Stockton campus also has a graduate school. The other two campuses are the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and the School of Dentistry in San Francisco. What is Pacific known for?| TOP We are known for our excellence in the strength of the undergraduate education and the relationships between our faculty and students. The variety of academic and co-curricular choices, our small class size, our long-standing reputation for innovation and the beauty of our campus are also characteristics of which we are proud. Is Pacific a religious or church-related university?| TOP No. Pacific was founded by the Methodist Church. We do have a chapel, a full-time chaplain and a number of religious-oriented clubs. Our academic department of religious studies also offers a major in religion for students who wish to learn more about it. How big is the campus?| TOP The Stockton campus (including South Campus and the area north of the river) is 175 acres. We have more than 75 academic and residential buildings. How old is Pacific?| TOP We became California’s first chartered institution of higher education in 1851. We were also the first co-ed university (the first graduating class had five men and five women). We celebrated our sesquicentennial year (150th Anniversary) in 2001. Is Pacific accredited?| TOP Pacific is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Many of our academic programs also have additional accreditation by appropriate professional organizations as well. Who is the President of Pacific?| TOP Pamela A. Eibeck became the 24th President of University of the Pacific on July 1, 2009. She is Pacifics sixth President since the University moved to Stockton in 1924. Her Presidency follows a distinguished career as a researcher, teacher, educational reformer, and university administrator. back to top Questions About Student Life How many students go to Pacific and where are they from?| TOP The Stockton campus has about 4,500 students (3,360 undergraduates, 620 professional pharmacy students, and 540 graduate students, mostly in Education and Business). Approximately 80% are from California, the rest are from 43 other states and 42 other countries. What is the ethnic breakdown of the student body?| TOP 44% of our undergraduates are from ethnic and racially under-represented American minorities, and another 4% are from other countries. (eight percent did not state ethnicity.) African-American 3% Asian/Pacific Islander 30% Hispanic 9% Multi-Ethnic 1% Native American 1% White/Caucasian 45% International 3% Unknown 8% What’s there to do on campus for fun?| TOP A lot! There are more than 100 student organizations and dozens of athletic activities. There are social, academic, athletic, ethnic, political, religious, service and special interest clubs. There’s a great Theatre Arts department which produces five to seven shows a year, including plays, musicals, and dance — and all students are encouraged to try-out and participate. The Conservatory of Music presents more than 100 performances each year. There are 25 intramural sports, 8 club sports and 16 Division I intercollegiate sports. There are Residence Hall Associations and Student Government groups for both the University as a whole and for each school or college. There are social and professional sororities and fraternities. (And lots of other things too!) Do most students stay on campus during weekends?| TOP Most students stay on campus during the weekends, although some will leave. It depends on the time of year. We are close to many great recreational areas, which students can easily get to on a weekend. Are students able to get housing?| TOP More than 60% of students live on campus. The University of the Pacific requires all students of freshmen and sophomore class standing who are under the age of 23 to live on-campus. Students are exempted from the residency requirement if the student lives with their parents/guardians in their permanent residence within 50 miles of the University of the Pacific’s Stockton campus. Students must submit the [emailprotected] form along with any proper documentation to support their request. What kind of housing is available? Is there a freshman dorm?| TOP There are residence halls, apartment complexes, suite-style learning communities and housing for sororities and fraternities. There is no â€Å"freshman dorm,† although all freshmen live in a residence hall. Upper class students can live in any of the on-campus environments they wish to or they may move off campus. What are the residence halls like? Which one is the best?| TOP One of the great things about the residence hal ls is the variety of sizes and themes. There is no best residence hall — it depends on what you want. If a student wants to live in a big or small hall, one with a theme or one without, we have them all. Do residence halls have Internet access?| TOP All of the residence halls have direct broadband access to the Internet. Do I need a computer?| TOP Well, you will probably want a computer. But University of the Pacific does have many computer laboratories on campus where you can go to use a computer, printer or access the Internet. Will I have a roommate? How are roommates matched?| TOP Almost all freshmen will be assigned roommates. This matching is done using the information the incoming student provides during the summer. It’s very important to fill out this housing information card accurately and honestly. Entering students can indicate a preference of roommate. Do you have sororities and fraternities? How big is the Greek System? What role do social fraternities and sororities play at Pacific?| TOP Between 20% and 22% of undergraduates join the social or multicultural Greek system. So it’s large enough to be active, but not so big that it’s overwhelming. If a student wants to be involved, it’s available. If not, it’s not the only social life on campus. Students can’t join a social or multicultural sorority or fraternity at Pacific until the spring semester of their freshmen year (it’s called â€Å"deferred rush†), so students can learn about the Greek system before deciding whether or not to join. Pacific has 14 social or multicultural Greek houses. Should I bring a car to campus?| TOP Most students agree that a car makes it easy to get around. Stockton, like most cities in California, is quite spread out. City buses regularly leave campus, so it is up to the student to decide if the responsibility of having a car on campus is worth the convenience. How’s the parking on campus? How many students have cars?| TOP Any student can have a car on campus. Cars must be registered and have a parking permit. Parking is available around campus. A â€Å"reasonable† estimate is that about 50% of our undergraduate students have cars. How safe is campus?| TOP Campus is very safe, but you still need to pay attention to what’s going on around you. The University has an excellent safety record and is very proactive in making campus as safe as possible. Our Department of Public Safety is a trained police force that patrols campus 24 hours a day. There are also approximately 60 emergency â€Å"blue light† phones around campus connecting you immediately to Public Safety. Is there an escort service?| TOP Public Safety will provide an escort for anyone who requests it. What is the alcohol policy? Do students drink on campus? Is there an alcohol problem on campus? Is Pacific a â€Å"dry† campus?| TOP Here’s the basic policy. State law stipulates that only persons 21 and older may possess and consume alcohol. It is the student’s responsibility to comply with the law. Possession and consumption of alcohol on campus is permitted in several areas designated for events and gatherings. The University has several programs to educate students and provide alternatives to alcohol. What is Stockton like?| TOP Stockton is the 11th largest city in California and the 74th largest city in the United States. The population is close to 290,000. Stockton has many of the advantages of a large city: lots of restaurants, several shopping malls, movie and civic theaters, a symphony, museums and recreational activities. But it is small enough so you won’t get overwhelmed. It has been a multicultural city since 1850, where people from all ethnic groups work well together. It is a great place to learn about community. Stockton is on the San Joaquin Delta, a 1,000-mile waterway, where you can water ski, jet ski, wind surf, sail, etc. What about outside of Stockton?| TOP Stockton has the good fortune to be located in a position to take advantage of all that Northern California has to offer. We are 45 minutes south of Sacramento, 90 minutes east of San Francisco, Napa or San Jose, only 2 hours from Santa Cruz or Yosemite National Park, and less than 3 hours from Lake Tahoe. What is the weather like?| TOP Stockton’s climate is very nice. We are far enough north that we get all four seasons, but none of them are extreme. The annual temperature ranges from 37 degrees in January to 94 degrees in July. Yes, some summer days are hotter, but it usually cools off in the evening thanks to breezes off the Delta. Our winters are warmer than the northeastern and mid-western parts of our country (no snow), but it is a bit cooler than Southern California. Our occasional, famous â€Å"thick winter fog† (known as â€Å"tule fog†) isn’t quite as much fun as playing in the snow, but it does resemble the weather in San Francisco or London. What types of sports does Pacific have?| TOP We have three types: Intercollegiate, Club and Intramural. Our Intercollegiate sports compete in NCAA Division 1A mostly in the Big West Conference. Our club sports all have coaches and travel to compete against other colleges and universities in northern and central California. Intramurals are sports, in which students at Pacific create their own teams and then compete against other Pacific student teams. Some examples of intramurals include: softball, basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and inner tube water polo. Are athletic scholarships offered?| TOP Yes. All Division I intercollegiate teams have scholarships available. If a student is interested in information, she or he should contact the specific coach directly. Didn’t Pacific have varsity football? What happened?| TOP Yes, we did have a football team for many years but the costs of running a Division 1A team prohibited the continuation of the program at that level. back to top Questions About Academics How many majors are there?| TOP There are over 80 majors in eight different undergraduate schools and colleges. Students may enroll in classes offered at any of the University’s undergraduate schools or colleges — a Psychology student can take Business classes, or an International Studies student can take Conservatory classes. What are the largest/most popular majors?| TOP 33% of our undergraduates are students in the arts and sciences (College of the Pacific), but they are majoring in almost 40 different subjects. The largest programs throughout the University are business, pre-pharmacy, biology, international studies, sports sciences, and engineering. What’s the student/faculty ratio?| TOP 14:1. This means that we have one faculty member for every 14 students on campus. What is the average class size?| TOP Our average class size is 20 students, and over 80% have fewer than 30 students. Some classes are as small five to eight students, and very few have more than 50 students. How many faculty members are there and what are their qualifications?| TOP There are 370 highly qualified faculty members, 93% hold a doctorate or the highest degree in their field. Most faculty members are involved in research, but their primary responsibility is to teach undergraduate students. Are classes taught by professors or graduate students?| TOP Almost every class is taught by a professor. Some labs or discussions may be led by a Teaching Assistant. What kind of advising program is available?| TOP All faculty members serve as advisers. Every entering student is assigned both a faculty and student adviser at orientation. Can you graduate in four years?| TOP That’s the plan. University of the Pacific is the first university in the nation to guarantee that a student could graduate in four years if they are enrolled in a four-year program. When can students take classes in their major?| TOP Students can start taking classes in their major in any program as early as freshman year. How many students are in the school/college or major I’m interested in?| TOP The College of the Pacific is the arts and sciences division, and has about 1400 undergraduates enrolled in 40 different majors. The largest majors are Biology, Sport Sciences, Communication and Psychology. Many students start out as Exploratory (our term for undeclared). The Conservatory of Music has about 170 undergraduates in six majors: Music Performance, Music Composition, Music Education, Music History, Music Management and Music Therapy. The Eberhardt School of Business has about 550 undergraduates who all have the same major: Business Administration. There are, however 11 different concentrations to choose from: Accounting, Arts Entertainment Management (in Music, Visual Arts or Theatre Arts), Business Law, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Finance, General Business, Human Resources, International Business, Marketing, Management Information Systems, and Real Estate. The School of Engineering and Computer Science has over 500 undergraduates in nine majors: Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Management, Computer Science, and Computer Information Systems. Benerd School of Education has 170 undergraduates studying to be elementary school teachers, works with another 200 from other majors who are pursuing secondary teaching credentials, and has 300 credential and/or graduate students. The School of International Studies has about 150 undergraduates in four majors: International Relations, Global Economic Relations, International Environmental Policy, and International and Regional Studies. The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences includes the largest single major, Pharmacy. There are about 900 total students in Pharmacy, about 415 pre-pharmacy undergraduates and about 620 PharmD. professional students. This School also includes our graduate program in Physical Therapy, undergraduate program in Dental Hygiene and both our undergraduate and graduate programs in Speech and Language Pathology. Center for Professional and Continuing Education, Pacific’s adult re-entry division offers an evening degree program in Organization al Behavior that enrolls 20 students. back to top Questions About Admission and Financial Aid What does the Office of Admission look for in an applicant?| TOP An applicant’s achievements and accomplishments will be personally reviewed to determine if they are prepared to succeed at Pacific. Primary consideration is given to an applicant’s academic course selection and achievement. We do not use formulas or indexes in admission decisions. Successful applicants are expected to have completed a college preparatory program, including English (4 years), Math (3 or 4 years), Lab Science (2 or 3 years), Foreign Language (2 years of same language), History or Government (1 year), Fine or Performing Arts (1 year), and academic electives (1 to 3 years). These requirements are similar to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) A-G requirements. What is the difference between Early Action and Regular Admission?| TOP Pacific has two different dates for you to apply. Our Early Action date is November 15. Early Action provides students an opport unity to apply to Pacific before the Regular Admission Deadline of January 15. Students who apply in Early Action will typically receive a decision on their file by January 15. If the Office of Admission does not accept you during Early Action, your file will automatically be reconsidered during Regular Admission. Students who apply under Regular Admission or who have been deferred to Regular Admission, will receive their decision by March 15. Is Early Action Binding?| TOP No. If a student applies to Pacific as an Early Action candidate, they are under no obligation to attend the University if they are admitted. Once a student has been admitted, they have until May 1 to confirm with Pacific. When is the Application deadline for your accelerated Pre-Pharmacy and Pre-Dentistry programs?| TOP Students considering the accelerated Pre-Pharmacy and Pre-Dentistry programs as major options must apply by November 15 to be considered as on time. What if I missed the deadline or apply late?| TOP We encourage you to apply, even if your application will be late. Priority of review and Admission goes to students who have applied by the appropriate deadlines. Which Standardized tests do I need to take?| TOP You must take either the SAT or ACT in order to apply to Pacific. When we review your application we will take the highest individual scores from any two tests. Subject Tests are NOT required to complete an admission application or to be admitted. The following SAT Subject Tests are, however, strongly recommended for the indicated groups because they will be used for placement purposes if a student enrolls. All Students should take either of the SAT Subject Tests in Mathematics Students applying for the following majors should take the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Chemistry-Biology, Civil Engineering, Dental Hygiene, Dental/Pre-Dental, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Pre-Pharmacy I didnt send my score until the deadline; how long will it take you to receive them? Because Pacific receives your test information electronically, it should only take one week for your scores to arrive after you have designated University of the Pacific to receive them. In most cases, there is no need to rush your scores to us. Are you using the SAT Writing Section or ACT Writing Section for admission evaluation?| TOP While Pacific will receive your scores from the writing section of the SAT or ACT, those scores will not be used for your admission evaluation. Data about how to use these scores will be collected and researched to determine its best use in for future groups of applicants. I’ve been taking college courses while in high school, will they transfer? Pacific encourages its students to take college classes, as long as they feel that they can complete them successfully. To get an idea if a class you have taken will transfer look at the list of colleges provided. Simply scroll down the list of colleges and select the school where the course was taken. Once you have selected the school you will see a list of the course numbers that we accept from that institution. If a college course appears on your high school’s official transcript it will be included in your GPA computation. You must send us an official transcript from every institution from which you have taken a college course. What is the difference between a  "weighted† and â€Å"unweighted† GPA? A weighted GPA means that the Honors/ AP/ and IB classes you have taken have a maximum value of 5.0 (for an A), as compared to a â€Å"normal† 4.0. When Pacific reviews your application we take out the extra points for your Honors/ AP/ and IB classes and base your GPA on a 4.0 system. Should I take AP/Honors classes even though you do not take a weighted GPA? YES! We encourage you to take the most rigorous course schedule possible. A more competitive course load will make your application and chances for admission more favorable. In addition to increasing the likelihood that you will perform more strongly on standardized tests, the personal nature of our application review process means that we are reviewing your file individually and with great detail. The classes you have taken and your successes in those classes are two of the strongest factors of the application review. What scores from AP/IB exams do you accept for credit? College credit (four units per examination) may be granted to students who achieve scores of 4 or higher on Advanced Placement examinations and/or scores of 5 or higher on International Baccalaureate exams taken at the higher level. Is there a special admission process for students with learning differences? There is no special application review process for students with learning differences. We do recommend that you send either an essay or a letter of recommendation that informs us that you have a learning difference and may be seeking accommodations. To receive accommodations, once admitted, students at University of the Pacific must forward appropriate documentation to the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities in the Educational Resource Center. Does Pacific accept home-schooled students? Pacific encourages all variations of home schooled and individually educated students to apply. If a student does not have a transcript proving that they are registered with a school district then a student must take either the GED or High School Proficiency Exam. While we will accept â€Å"narrative† assessments of subject performance, for application review, Pacific strongly suggests that students send in a grade report or transcript that shows a graded assessment of course work, so that a GPA can be established. You must have a GPA if you wish to receive or be eligible for Merit Based Scholarships for Pacific. In all cases, home schooled students must take standardized tests. How do you apply for financial aid?| TOP We require only the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a form you can pick up from your high school guidance counselor, download online, or submit online. First time applicants are required to send the Office of Financial Aid a copy of the student and the parents’ current year’s income tax return. How much financial aid will I get?| TOP That depends on a lot of factors including family income, number of students in college, assets, savings, etc. Your parents’ retirement funds and equity in the family home are not taken into consideration. What types of financial aid are available?| TOP There are three types of financial aid: scholarships or grants, loans and employment. back to top