Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

Ladies, if you could equip your friends and family with an invisible “bulletproof vest” that would protect them from any unseen dangers, you would do it in a heartbeat. Having a secure way of ensuring your loved ones’ safety all day, every day, would definitely make your job easier. And what if I told you that your search for this invisible, yet effective “bulletproof vest” is merely a mouse click away? That lifesaving product is called sunscreen.

Sunscreen, when used properly, works much akin to a thin and almost invisible bulletproof vest that contains organic molecules that absorb, scatter, and reflect UV rays, thus protecting you from a silent killer called the sun. Over-exposure to UV rays means a significantly increased risk for skin cancer, which is the world’s most commonly diagnosed cancer.

In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, someone in the United States dies every hour from melanomathe deadliest form of skin cancer. Yet, 90% of skin cancers are preventable if we are proactive about properly protecting ourselves from over-exposure to UV-rays from the sun. Among the simplest, most effective preventative measures we can take is by properly and regularly applying sunscreen.

Two decades ago, sunscreen was relatively unheard of, whereas today it has become apart of our common jargon. Heightened awareness of skin cancer and the importance of sunscreen, even sun protective clothing have, in ways, only further confused us and perhaps even caused us to ignore the warnings.

Have you ever wondered why there have been occasions when you slapped on a pound of sunscreen before hitting the lake only to return home burnt to a crisp? The problem is, we are told to use sunscreen but we aren’t instructed on how to properly apply it; to maximize its efficacy.

Unlike a bulletproof vest, however, sunscreen must be re-applied in order for it to properly provide protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays. Consider the 30-20-2 rule: Apply a SPF 15+ sunscreen to your skin at least 30-minutes prior to going outdoors (even on cloudy days), then reapply within the first 20-minutes of being outside to reinforce the protective barrier the sunscreen provides, and then apply sunscreen consistently in two hour intervals. For children under 18, sunscreen must be applied every hour. The reason sunscreen works in this way is based on the mechanics of our skin.

Our skin works much like a sponge does. The top layer of our skin, called the epidermis, absorbs sunscreen, forming a protective layer on the skin that blocks UV rays from reaching the melanocytes (or “pigmentation cells”) that lie deep within the skin. Yet, your skinthe largest bodily organreaches its saturation point after approximately two hours, thus leaving you unprotected and causing sunburn and/or other skin-related damage. Hence, it is imperative that sunscreen must be reapplied in order to enhance its protective powers.

Alas, not all sunscreen products out on the market today work proficiently. To deliver optimum level of protection, sunscreen must have sufficient amounts of essential ingredients. In other words, when choosing a sunscreen product for your family, take a look at the bottle; make sure it contains proven effective agents such as zinc oxide and Parasol 1789.

Furthermore, make sure the product is a broad-spectrum formula, meaning that it blocks both UV-B and UV-A rays. If the sunscreen is not broad-spectrum formula, do not buy it. You are not being sufficiently protected nor “covered” if your sunscreen does not clearly indicate that it protects from both UV-A and UV-B rays.

The significance of a broad-spectrum sunscreen cannot be over-emphasized. UV-B and UV-A rays have varied affects on your skin, your immune system, and your body as a whole. UV-B irradiation disrupts the melanocytes (the cells deep beneath the epidermis of your skin responsible for your pigmentation), causing them to release the “redness” known as sunburn.

Any change in the color of your skin as a result of over-exposure to the sun is a sign of damage, even if your skin tends to “tan” as opposed to burn. When this occurs, your melanocytes are trying to tell you that normal, healthy cells have been severely disrupted and therefore are attempting to compensate for that damage.

On the other hand, damage to your skin caused by UV-A irradiation is far more serious. UV-A rays are especially harmful as they penetrate deeper, breaking bonds of DNA which lead to cancer. You typically do not see the immediate effects of UV-A rays, but they are the chief culprit behind photo-aging and wrinkling in addition to actinic keratoses, a pre-cancerous skin condition. Damage to your cells as a result from over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from a tanning bed is un-repairable.

Consider the following analogy: Have you ever left a basketball outside in the hot summer sun for a lengthy period of time? And after you retrieved the ball, you immediately notice that the elasticity of the ball is weakenedit feels “rubbery” and never quite “bounces back”? This is exactly what happens to your skin as a result of prolonged UV-A exposure. Both UV-B and UV-A rays have cumulative affects and coupled together often lead to melanoma skin cancer.

Thusly, make sure you understand “SPF” when purchasing a brand of sunscreen, and do not be fooled by those that claim to deliver a high level of protection. For starters, “SPF” stands for sun protection factor (or “sunburn protection factor”). The way SPF works can be best described by the following example: A SPF 20 sunscreen is only allowing five out of every 100 UV protons to reach your skin. In other words, it is blocking out 95% of the UV rays from reaching your skin.

That being said, dermatologist-oncologist Sancy A. Leachman, director of the Tom C. Mathews Jr. Familial Melanoma Research Clinic at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, recommends a SPF 15 sunscreen as ideal for daily, year-round use. Yet, if you are planning a long, leisurely day at the lake (or even a marathon day on the ski slopes), you will want to opt for a SPF 30 sunscreen, such as Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, and be sure to apply the 30-20-2 rule so as to prevent a painful reminder of your day of recreation.

In reality, sunscreen usage among Americans today has decreased by nearly 60%, according to a recent report by the American Academy of Dermatology. Could the lack of sun safety behavior be contributing to the ever-increasing skin cancer incidence and mortality? Certainly, the world’s most common cancer could be easily prevented if we are proactive about choosing effective sunscreens and properly, proactively maximizing their efficacy.

Danielle M. White, CEO www.SunSavvy.net, offers a FREE newsletter including proper use of sunscreen & other sun protection products.

When I was in junior high and high school I really had to work
hard to earn good grades. Then my freshman year in high school I
made a marvelous discovery. I learned how to study.

I had been practising good study habits for years, but the
problem was that the methods I had been taught were not the most
effective for my particular learning style. When I discovered,
quite by accident, the methods that were the best match for my
individual learning style the difference was immediately
apparent. My grades increased and I had to spend a lot less time
studying to achieve those better results!

Discovering your own individual learning style can have just as
dramatic an impact on your ability to learn. Chances are you
already have some idea of what your learning style is, but many
students simply blame themselves or their teachers for their
failure to learn and/or succeed in the classroom. In truth the
blame can often be placed on a mismatch of learning style and
technique.

There are several different dimensions that impact each person’s
individual learning style (preferences for temperature, light,
food intake, biorhythms, working with others, deep and surface
approaches) but one of the primary factors is the way we process
information — both taking it in and giving it out.

There are five basic groups that most learners fall into:

~ Visual

~ Aural

~ Read/Write

~ Kinesthetic

~ Multimodal

Visual

Visual learners learn best by sight. They learn best from
graphic elements such as pictures, videos, posters, slides,
graphs, and charts. Color also helps them learn. Visual learners
also get the most of lectures that involve graphic elements and
textbooks that include diagrams and pictures.

Visual learners gain understanding by studying the spatial
arrangements and connections (flow charts and time lines, for
example) of their study.

Aural

Aural or auditory learners learn best by hearing. They learn
best from lectures and discussions.

Read/Write

Learning is actually a two-step process for Read-Write Learners.
They learn from reading written material but only when paired
with writing. Writing is key to the learning and processing of
information and includes writing ideas, definitions, and notes
into the learners’ own words.

Kinesthetic

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and experiencing. It is a
much more hands-on approach to learning than the other methods.

Multimodal

Multimodal learners either have no strong preference and can
learn with any method or have a strong preference for more than
one style.

If you’d like to learn more about these learning styles and
which type of learner you are then you can take this online
questionnaire:
http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire .

Learning about your preferred learning style and tailoring your
study habits to meet the needs of your unique learning style can
have a dramatic impact on your success as a student.

Many of us know that Van Gogh cut off his ear. Thou it is lesser known that he was so poor at twards his final years he lived on coffee and sugar and milkThis is why his teeth always look bad in films about him. As far as his ear goes some think he cut it to impress the prostitute that he gave it to. He was also an epilipetic and an absenth drinker this may have caused the erratic movement to cut off his ear.

Picasso the grandfather of all Modern art, his innovations have created the Cubist movement and art would never be the same. His life and love life were wild and colorful. Picasso had many Women over the years. Durring one stage Picasso was living in a brothel of which he named the piviotal work marking the begining of Cubism the Des Madmosel De Avignon.

Dali was not sexual like Picasso he was more the oppisite. his parents created a fear of sex by leaving books out and open with sexualy transmited deseases. Imagine the mind of young Dali a brilliant genius child and std photos.

If you love art visit the local library, read up on your favorite artists and please come to our site to look around, add to our forum or just join us. Picasso / Van Gogh

Art has marked us and we have marked it since the beginnings of time from cave paintings, before our ancestors to Leonardo Da Vinci more intelligent then most of the best minds today 500 years later. Art of the greatists will always hold a place in our hearts like the works of Dali or Van Gogh.

Discover some of the lesser known stories of the artists you have always loved. For example many people don’t know that Picasso use to carry a gun around and shoot it in the air at random. Also many people don’t know that Dali borrowed $500 from Picasso when he was traveling to the United States for the first time. Enjoy your life, create and live.

“Artist student of art and life. B.A. in Fine Art at UC Santa Cruz. I have a passion for the arts. I see something in painting that is so needed in our world. It it is like we are moving too fast to see the paintings now. A painting is a way to stop and leave this world briefly at the same time engulfed in the moment.” Andrew Zirkin

I get so much passion from the greats like Dali, Leonardo Da Vinci, Monet, Degas, as so many others. Check out our museum at http://www.ezmuseum.com

The ETS, which contemplating the change in GRE, even announced the date of implementation once again given the relief of shy to the students by delaying its implementation for exactly a year. The highly anticipated and complex changes to the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will begin in October 2007 rather than October 2006, a whole year later in the fall of 2007, company officials announce last week.

Another wave of changes has swept over the Graduate Record Examination according to the Educational Testing Service, which, beginning in October 2006 delayed until October 2007, will affect the approximately 400,000 U.S. students who take the test annually. “It will undergo its biggest overhaul from October 2007 in the 57 years of GRE history. ETS believes the delay will better serve test takers and graduate institutions across the country as ETS transitions from the current computer- and paper-based forms of the test to the new Internet-based (iBT) version.
“The higher education and graduate communities are excited about the revised GRE,” explains Mari Pearlman, Senior Vice President of ETS’s Higher Education Division. “They worked with us to create this revised test, and they are looking forward to using this test. The new launch schedule will enable us to complete the expansion of our Internet-based testing operations worldwide.”

The change was announced last year, but details have not been released until now. These changes will impact important aspects of the test such as score range; the type of questions asked how the officials will evaluate the scores, and more.

Madeline Hamblin, director of the Office of Graduate Affairs at the University, said that the delay was sensible. “I think it was a good move,” she said. “It would not be wise to start a new test before test centers were set up.”

Test development, design and field testing will continue for the new GRE test. The new iBT delivery platform is already being used to deliver the innovative new Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) exam worldwide. ETS plans to improve student access to its tests by adding thousands of testing sites worldwide in the next two years.

The GRE exam measures critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and are not related to any specific field of study.

Changes to the exam included: greater emphasis on higher cognitive skills and less dependence on vocabulary, expansion of computer based tasks, on-screen four-function calculators with square root features, and more focused questions to ensure analytical writing.
Highlights of Changes which ETS Considering:

>>> The new GRE General Test will be slightly over four hours long, an increase from the current two-and-a-half-hour exam. It will also no longer be offered in a computer-adaptive format, where the difficulty of the test is determined by the test taker’s right or wrong answers. Instead, it will be offered in a linear format, in which every student takes the same exam.

>>> Unlike the current exam, each version of the revised GRE General Test will be used only once, and no test takers will encounter the same questions on different dates. Instead of continuous testing, the exam will be given 29 times a year worldwide. The number of administrations in any given region will depend on the test volumes in that region.

>>> The revised GRE General Test will be administered in the ETS global network of Internet-based test centers and through Thomson Prometric, the world’s largest computer-based testing network.
Changes in the Verbal and Quantitative Score Scales
The new score scales will have 40–50 scale points. The scales will increase in one-point increments and will be centered between 120 and 179. The actual score ranges will be finalized in 2006 based on field test results.

>>> A concordance table to compare old and new Verbal and Quantitative scores will be available.

>>> The analytical writing section will continue to be scored using a six-point holistic scale.‘These changes are intended to make the GRE General Test a more accurate gauge of how qualified prospective students are to do graduate-level work,” David Payne, Executive Director of the GRE Program in ETS’ Higher Education Division explained recently to the Signal. “We’ll also offer more interpretive information to graduate deans and faculty, including providing access to test takers’ essay responses on the Analytical Writing section.”
Have a Question Ask Now

www.achieverspoint.com

Accounting is defined as the measurement of assurance about certain information in the aid of resource allocation for managers and other decision makers. The most popular and most commonly practiced branch of accounting is financial accounting. This branch of accounting involves processes where data is recorded, summarized, analyzed, organized, interpreted and communicated to others concerned. Many individuals are enticed to enter the accounting field because it can be a very lucrative job.

Accounting is a very exciting field. It presents many opportunities for growth and development. It is perfect for individuals who are fond of solving problems and who are comfortable with working with numbers.

So you wanted to learn accounting and become a professional accountant? Don’t know what accounting school is right for you? With the increasing number of schools and colleges offering accounting courses, the choice of accounting school can get really confusing.

The best thing you can do in choosing an accounting school is to first determine and preferably list down the things you are looking for in a school. After doing this, the next step is to weigh the pros and cons of each school to determine which one could meet your needs.

The next thing to do is to perform the actual search for the accounting school. You can start by asking people you know, particularly those who have taken up or who are currently taking up accounting. You can visit the schools, colleges or universities near your location. You should also make very good use of technology. The Internet is a very good place to search the best accounting schools. Not only will it save you time and energy, the Internet can also be a very convenient way to compare accounting schools. Most schools list down course requirements and curriculum on the Internet.

These may seem like very tedious tasks. Yes, it definitely would take some time, but you can never be too careful when it comes to your education. Below are other tips to find the best accounting school.

Be sure of the things you want to gain by enrolling in an accounting school. Do you want an accounting degree or do you just want to simply learn the fundamentals of accounting? If you want a degree in accounting then you must consider schools that offer accelerated levels of teaching. But if you simply want to learn accounting then this is not very important.

If you are busy or if you are already working, then it is highly advisable that you choose an accounting school that will give you the greatest flexibility. Do you want to learn from home? Then choose an accounting school that offers distant online learning and courses. Distant learning schools are excellent choices for busy individuals. If you do not want distant learning, then choose schools that offer night or weekend classes.. For sure there are many of those out there.

Choose the schools that offer the best financial plan. Most schools offer financial plans that will help you and other students afford the high cost of getting and education.

Getting the right accounting school is very important. It is the choice that will determine the learning that you will acquire and most probably your future in accounting. So weight your options very carefully. Perform a very good research before you enroll and take up an accounting course.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides accounting resources on www.aboutaccounting.info.

An Oxford student has been convicted of downloading child pornography and has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. However, the student continued to study in Oxford for several weeks after his conviction and did not inform his college or the University.

The student, whom The Oxford Student has decided not to name, was convicted on 5th May on eight counts of possessing child pornography and sentenced to a three year Community Rehabilitation Order as well as being placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register. Neither Oxford University nor the student’s college were aware of the conviction before being contacted by The Oxford Student.

A Senior Member of the college’s staff told this newspaper: “We were not aware of this and we have to respect whatever process he was put through.” A spokeswoman for the University admitted it could not necessarily prevent convicted students from returning to Oxford: “The way the criminal justice system works means that there is no obligation for a student to inform the University of any conviction.

“We do co-operate closely with local police but if a student is convicted outside of Oxford there is little the University can do.” When this newspaper spoke to the student, he confirmed he had been convicted and given the rehabilitation order. He added he had first been arrested 13 months before the hearing.

However he maintained: “The sentence was excessive, I am considering appealing” Before The Oxford Student spoke to him, he had not been contacted by the University or his college over the matter. The student had been charged under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, Chapter 33 Section 160: Possession of an indecent photograph of a child.

At the hearing, where the student pleaded guilty, his lawyer, Mr Smith [name has been changed], said that his client had been downloading images from websites like ‘Gay Teen’ for three or four years but stressed that he had not been seeking child pornography and would often have been looking at males who were only two years younger than himself. However the presiding District Judge rejected claims that the defendant had stumbled across the images by accident.

He said: “Those files are there because he selected them and there’s what looks like an eight-year-old boy among them. “There’s no doubt into what waters your client was fishing, Mr Smith.” The Oxford Student understands that at a preliminary hearing, the student did not enter a plea. Sentencing the student, the Judge said: “These photos are not large in number. Some are grotesque, all are revolting, and now, at the 11th hour, you have admitted that you sought them out and downloaded them.” The student was told by the Judge: “If you re-offend during this period [the three year Community Rehabilitation Order] with a matter of this kind you will be going to jail.” The order placed on the student allows for his case to be transferred between Oxford Probation Services and his local Probation Services as he moves between Oxford and his home.

Smith confirmed that his client’s Community Rehabilitation Order had been transferred to Oxford Probation Services whilst his client was in the city. For the initial period of the order, he has to report to a supervisor every week although it is subject to review after three months. The University Proctors’ Office could not confirm or deny that they were dealing with the case, but Statute XI of the university regulations states: ‘43. (1) If a student member has been convicted of a criminal offence of such seriousness that an immediate term of imprisonment might have been imposed (and whether or not such a sentence was in fact imposed on the student member) the Proctors shall refer the matter to the Disciplinary Court which may … expel the student member from his or her membership of the University or impose such lesser penalty as it thinks fit.’ The offences of which the student was convicted are of such seriousness.

The student told this newspaper he intends to stay in Oxford and complete his degree, however a senior source within the University have told The Oxford Student it is likely he will be sent down. The University would not comment specifically on the case, but a spokeswoman said: “If a student was perceived to be a danger to other students, it would be something the University Marshall would have to take a decision on.”

Gianfranco Fracassi is the webmaster of two popular free stuff web sites.
You can find many subjects that will interest you. Check out his web sites at: http://www.isjustfree.com or http://www.freestuff4net.com

Following the tragic events of 9/11 there is today a much greater awareness throughout society about such issues as homeland security, airport security, public safety and management, international terrorism, criminology and criminal psychology and many other related subjects. Interestingly these are all subjects you can major in or obtain specializations in through degrees in criminal justice/criminology. And more interestingly, such a degree in criminal justice/criminology can get you a job a lot more easily than a degree in a number of other subjects. This is because the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified careers in criminal justice as one of the top five careers in the coming years in terms of future job opportunities.

You can get degrees in criminal justice/criminology from both traditional schools as well as online schools. If you are a working adult, online courses will suit you a lot more than a traditional program since to complete an online program you do not have to give up your job or relocate or disrupt your life in anyway.

More importantly, if you are a working adult already working in the field of criminal justice, an online degree will get you that much coveted promotion or switch to a more well paying job. You can also get a degree much quicker than through the traditional route as most online criminal justice/criminology programs allow you to take credit for your working experience or any on-the-job training that you may have gone through.

A degree in criminal justice/criminology will open up many different careers for you at the local, state or federal government level as well as in the private sector. You can also get teaching jobs in various colleges and universities if you have a master’s or a PhD degree in criminal justice/criminology.

Within the broad field of criminal justice/criminology you can specialize in different fields such as criminal justice administration, criminology, criminal and business law, court procedures, policing, corrections, juvenile justice, domestic violence, court report writing, private security, homeland security, public safety and management, economic crime and fraud management, cyber crime, paralegal studies, forensic science, crime scene investigation etc.

Depending on your major or specialization, a criminal justice/criminology degree in any of these areas will make you eligible for jobs in local, state or federal law enforcement, law firms, agencies such as the FBI, banks and insurance companies, corrections facilities, law courts, organizations responsible for public safety and a host of similar organizations. The salaries in these careers are also quite attractive with median salaries for such careers being around $40,000 a year.

Jim Greenberg recommends you visit the Online Criminal Justice Degree Guide for more information on criminal justice careers and salaries.

It’s often said that pupils learn the most from what their
teachers do, rather than what they say. Here are eleven good
practices you need to adopt if you want your kids to lean good
habits rather than bad.

Ensure that computers and software are set up and working
properly before the lesson.

Observe health and safety regulations and common-sense rules,
such as not eating or drinking at the computer.

Observe the correct procedures for using the equipment, such as
by shutting down properly rather than simply switching the
computer off.

Save your files in folders on the hard disk or on the network
with meaningful names, not Doc1, Doc2, or Joan1, Joan2 etc — in
fact, you should have a system for naming your files.

Organise your computer workspace well.

Save your work frequently.

Use the correct terminology, and not confuse “memory”, say, with
“hard disk space”.

Back up your work regularly.

Use ICT to produce signs for displays.

Use computers for administrative tasks, such as producing lists
of pupils, producing quality worksheets, communicating with
other schools, exchanging data with examination boards and so on.

Use ICT overtly for real tasks, such as giving each pupil a
sticky label with his/her name and class on, obviously
mail-merged.

As you can see, none of this is rocket science — or even
complicated. Makes a big difference, though, especially when
carried out day in and day out, week in, week out.

Vastu is one of the most ancient sciences of Indian architecture and is composed of specific rules, regulations and directions, set down by sages of the vedic times. For the modern society it is the highly evolved, comprehensive building philosophy.

According to vastu, a building or a premises is a living organism and can be designed in harmonic resonance with the underlying energy structure of the universe. Such a building or premises becomes a generator of coherence, attuning the occupants to the universal laws and increasing health, wealth and spiritual well being.

Prosperity of Famous Tirupati Temple

World famous Tirupati temple is found adhering to the principles of vastu shilpa shastra. Its prosperity legendary thanks mainly to the exemplary implementation of the principles of Vastu Shastra. The main temple is situated on the South - West side of the temple complex. On its North - East direction is a lake and pond. The dining hall of the temple is on South-East side while the North-West and North side of the temple is allocated to the godown for grains and items require in the kitchen. The entire temple complex is of square shape as a result of which its axis and that of the Earth are perpendicular to each other. The main temple is occupying only the one fourth area of the total areat and on its Eastern and Northern side is open area. Thus the Tirupati temple of Lord Balaji is an ideal place according to the norms of Vastu Shastra which is why it is the most prosperous temple on the earth.

Prosperity of Japan

Inspite of a small country, Japan has progressed tremendously. It has a large water body - the Pacific ocean in its North-East direction. The eastern side of Japan is widely spread and open. Thus Japan gets full benefit of the rays of the sun. This gives Japan a maximum benefits of Vastu & made this country rich and prosperous. But it has sea in Southeast and south, which is a place for Fire, this The Japan has suffered the attack of atom bombs explosion and earthquake ,as it has sea in south east and south.

Prosperity of London

Prosperous city London is ideally situated according to the principles of Vastu Shastra. The Thames river is in the east direction. It has more parks & garderns in the North west & East. Many famous Educational institutes & universities are located in the North east corner. The boundry of the England is more towards North & East directions- a positive directions to capture benefical morning sundrays ,according to vastu.

Prosperity of America

Looking at the map of America, the country is more located towards east side than west. Also the extention is more towards north east, which is auspicious. It has huge lakes in the north east location. As one progresses towards North-East in United States of America the land becomes richer and richer, it is found.

At the root of the progress and prosperity of the cities like New York, London, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. are always the benedictory principles of Vastu Shastra, it is found.

Prosperity of Mumbai

Mumbai, a rich port has a water body to its North – East. All major lakes for drinking water are situated in the North east direction of Mumbai. It has an atomic plant represting Agni (Fire) in the south east of the Mumbai. Fire is a key factor in prosperity of any vastu premises or location. It has more ocean in the West, the perfect location for Vayu (Air).

Spiritual prosperous India

In India, Slope is more towards east, which is auspicious. All important rivers are flowing towards east, that is why country is more rich in spirituality. Thousands of westerners flock to India for spiritual enlightenment. India has the Himalayas in the North of the country which is against vastu, thus there is lot of poverty in the country. There is water in Southwest and southeast side of our nation, thus we have to face the attacks of foreign empires & lot of expenditure on defence.

About The Author

Dr. Nitin Parmar

http://www.vastu999.com

parmar@vastu999.com

10 Tips to Selecting a Thesis or Dissertation Topic

Welcome to TA-DA! FinishLine Newsletter. This newsletter was
designed to help you accomplish your educational goals — to get
started, to keep going, and to finish your degree. Because
writing a thesis or dissertation is a lonely process, you should
use this newsletter as a tool to keep connected to others like
yourself and to keep on task.

TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished™ CD is based on a
step-by-step process to help you complete your masters thesis or
dissertation. If you read the first newsletter, How to Start and
Finish Your Thesis or Dissertation This Year, you already know
the importance of setting a deadline and posting your goals for
others to see. If you haven’t set a start date yet, you can get
started by going to our website, filling out a commitment
certificate, printing it out and posting it on your wall. To
those of you who have already filled out the commitment
certificate, I want to say congratulations on taking the first
step to completing your degree!

The next step involves selecting a topic. Although selecting a
topic might seem to be simple and easy, the prevailing research
on this issue finds that some graduate students take over two
years to complete this task — this does not have to be you.
Understand that the longer you take to complete this task — the
more money the university makes on your continuous registration.
Hence, educational institutions are not encouraged to help you
figure the thesis and dissertation process out.

Don’t wait until you are finished with your
qualifying/comprehensive exams to start thinking about a thesis
or dissertation topic. Use your graduate courses to pursue a
possible topic. Procrastination in selecting a topic can
sometimes cause gridlock in your graduate career. Without a
topic, you cannot proceed to writing or defending the proposal
phase; and more importantly, you cannot begin researching or
writing the thesis or dissertation

I have provided 10 tips to help you get moving toward your goal
of completing your degree:

1. Don’t Panic — Keep Things in Perspective Let’s face it, not
too many people will read a masters thesis or doctoral
dissertation. A thesis or dissertation is not the type of
document that piques the general public’s interest mainly
because of its academic rigor and writing style. The topic is
generally of interest only to the student, experts in the field
and the student’s advisor and committee members.

2. Be Organized — Maximize Your Research Efforts In order to
maximize your research efforts, you must be organized and
efficient in your search efforts. The more organized you are in
the beginning, the more time you will have to write your thesis.
Be diligent about keeping track of your files in the early
phases of your research to reduce your stress levels later on
when your enthusiasm begins to wane. If you have to back track
on your research efforts, being organized from the beginning
will help make the process less painful.

3. Choose a Subject Area First — Then a Topic The more
information you consume in your broad subject area, the more
patterns will emerge. In your coursework readings, you may
notice repeated results and conclusions by more than one source,
or facts that favor one view more than another. Paying attention
to these patterns should help you become more conversant with
the relevant literature as well as help you to narrow your
focus. Narrowing your topic should be done with help from your
advisor and committee members.

4. Consider Expanding a Masters Thesis Into a Dissertation If
you’re working towards a PhD and you wrote a Masters thesis,
consider expanding on that topic for your dissertation. You
already are familiar with the topic and much of the research is
done. This approach can accelerate your progress towards your
goal: Completion!

5. Make Sure The Topic Is Interesting It is imperative that both
you and your advisor are interested in your thesis/dissertation
topic. Some advisors are reluctant to suggest topics because of
the implicit responsibilities associated with guiding a student
through the process from start to completion. Your advisor’s
enthusiasm for your topic will determine his or her willingness
to read, support, fund, and provide timely feedback and
direction to your work.

6. Choose a Solvable And Manageable Research Problem It is
important to select a problem that is narrow enough that you can
address it or solve it in a reasonable period of time. You
should select a topic that can be completed within a two-year
time frame.

A longer time frame could allow many unexpected and competing
events to occur. If you find yourself spending an exorbitant
amount of time pursuing and identifying a research problem, it
is possible that the problem is not solvable. With a longer time
frame, you also run the risk of someone else identifying and
solving the problem before you do. Hence, the concept of
“original” contribution to the field is lost and you might have
to start over. Moreover, you run the risk of your enthusiasm
diminishing.

7. The Research Problem Must Be Worthy Of Your Time Choosing a
topic that is compelling enough to sustain further research is
critical. Employers evaluate potential employees based on the
student’s ability to not only finish the dissertation but also
make future contributions to the field.

8. Make Your Research Topic Original- Has It Been Done Before?
The prerequisite for finding a new research topic is to be
informed because most things have been studied before. Staying
on top of the current debates in your academic field puts you in
a position to identify the gaps in knowledge. After identifying
the gaps, all you need to figure out is what kinds of
information will fill these gaps.

9. Hone Your Research Skills One way to evaluate your research
skills and make sure they are up to par is to pursue a potential
topic in your Research Methods or Statistics courses where you
can get immediate feedback from an instructor. You can use these
courses to work out potential problems in your methodology or
your review of the literature; thus allowing you to work out any
kinks earlier in your academic career rather than later.

10. As You Read — Ask the Following Questions.

* What is the Research Question in the Study? * Did the
Researcher Focus on the Wrong Group/subjects? * Did the Research
Leave Some Group/Something Out? * Is the Methodology Faulty? *
Were the Findings Faulty? * Can I Pursue the Author’s
Recommendation for Future Research? * What Are the Limitations
of the Study? Reprinted from TADA! www.tadafinallyfinished
.com Dr. Carter’s motto is a Good Thesis/Dissertation is
a Done Thesis/Dissertation. Contact her at:
drcarter@tadafinallyfinished.com