Personal Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Story - Essay Example In this paper, I would like to draw on my personal experiences from my life in the same house with my stepmother making it clear that such relationship can negatively affect children’s life in every aspect. Typically, stepmothers have never represented anything good for children as they have least interest in what children are doing or what issues they confront as they grow up. Children are helpless when a stranger comes in their home in the form of one of their parents. This was my case, when I was a kid and my stepmother married my father. In the beginning, I used to like her, but I never knew that she acted nicely only to impress my father, but with time I started hating her for the things she did. Our relationship became very bad and we both never liked each other thereafter. Such sensitive relationship is certainly difficult to maintain. If any element is found missing then this relationship can become worst. To me it felt like that I was forced to enter into the relation ship without knowing where I was heading. I was just an ordinary child when my stepmother came into my dad’s life and our house. I was very excited as I had a new companion to spend my time with. Initially, she used to talk a lot and treated me like her own child. She helped me with my homework; she used to take me on swimming and dancing classes. She used to play and go shopping with me. Gradually, with time things started changing in a negative manner when her first son was born. In Chinese families, boys are always favored and they receive more attention than daughters. Every person in my family, especially my grandparents, was excited about the boy’s birth. I clearly observed that my stepmother’s affection and love shifted towards her own son. She was spending more time looking after him and I could feel that her interest in me was just a matter of making my dad happy, and she became least bothered about my needs. No matter how I wanted to be closer to her a nd tried to get attention from her, I felt inconspicuous. I could feel harshness in her tone and she started to scold me for smaller reasons. She was passing comments that clearly implied that she wanted me to stay away from her son, and also on numerous occasions she wished that my father could simply send me away to my grand parents house. My dad used to be out the whole day for business. Even when he used to come home he was too tired and never took any interest in what I said or complained about. The frequency of my stepmother manhandling me increased and I could feel that she hated my presence in the house. She was punishing me harshly by keeping me in the storeroom for hours. As I grew older, I accepted the fact that it had to go this way as I was helpless and there was nothing I could do. I started spending most of my time with friends outside my home. My stepmother continued to play her negative role by arguing with me and telling me that I could not do anything good in my l ife. She affected my ability to concentrate on studies and extracurricular activities. I had problems in communication and making friends. The agony at home continued till I decided to move out and make my way back into life on my own. I have no contact left with my stepmother and I occasionally speak to my father who acts to be unaware of the reasons for me leaving home. Over the years, this painful experience at home has affected me very badly as I am now presently scared of being alone in the room and

DQ's 10 & 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ's 10 & 9 - Essay Example Considering only diagnose and design model elements, explain how you as a manager would assist the team or group of employees starting the change management process regarding a specific process at work. Ans.: There is no ‘one-fit-for-all’ approach in formulating a change management strategy though each proposed management change is expected to be successful. Given only diagnose and design model elements to work on, a Manager can help introduce and manage the change by knowing the characteristics of this change like its purpose, scope, time frame, its possible effects on the impacted group, etc. Second, he must have prepared tactical solutions addressing anticipated resistance like communication and education. â€Å"From an individual level especially if these changes bring fear of the unknown, threat to one’s security, cause threat to economic stability and cause selective information processing to keep perception clear. On the organizational level, resistance to change may be caused by structural and group inertia, threat to expertise, threat to established power relationship and the limited focus of change in the organization whereby other subsystems will be declared obsolete or ineffectual† (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 580). Ans.: Diversity plays a major role in managing change in an organization. According to Robbins & Judge, this may be categorized to be â€Å"surface-level diversity (referring to thoughts and feelings) or a deep-level diversity which differentiate individuals through their inner self, inner values or their personalities, in general† (Robbins, 2013, p.42). â€Å"Contributing to the diversity are the following: age, country of origin, race, ethnicity, religion, physical abilities and sexual orientation, among others† (p.43). Components of diversity pose a greater and significant challenge for company leaders. Ans.: To achieve effective work diversity,

Effects Of Breakwater In The Civil Engineering Field Construction Essay

Effects Of Breakwater In The Civil Engineering Field Construction Essay Problems of erosion, reduction in shorelines, disappearance of beaches, and environmental impacts have led to the recession of many economies around the world. To resolve, engineers have devised man made structures like breakwaters and piers to address a variety of coastal problems such as shelter, fishing, docking and coast line recession. While these problems are resolved, new ones emerge when breakwaters and jetties are constructed in the areas. Clearly, breakwater engineering and related civil engineering fields are still at their rudimentary level, despite the fact that these structures have been in use since age old. In the following study, the researcher carries out investigation into the hydrodynamics of breakwaters, and their engineering aspects, with the view to gain insight into their importance to civil engineering fields. The researcher aims to explore, evaluate and analyse the impact of breakwaters on engineering professions, and ways that their knowledge limits or opens up new channels for engineering innovation. The results are compiled, and the researcher concludes that breakwater engineering has great scope in contributing to civil engineering knowledge, provided that its design and applications are researched further. Chapter 1 Introduction Background and Rationale A coast is a geological system that is subject to constant movement and change. Shorelines, beaches, and coastal areas in effect affect human lives, and vice versa. The diverse and complex nature of the coastal system is the result of processes involving waves, tides, currents and winds that affect the geological state of the coast in an attempt to keep a balance between land and water. However, these are not the only factors that influence and shape coastlines. Human activities for economic and social purposes contribute towards its modifications. Natural processes, coupled with human intervention, contribute towards erosion, sedimentation, and accretion (Hsu, Lin, and Tseng 2007). In fact, according to French (1997), human activities bring about changes that influence the environment adversely by creating new habitat and decreasing environment stability. Though not all changes affect the environment adversely, nevertheless the natural processes are affected by the unnatural conditions. Coasts and estuaries are not indifferent towards human intervention where a range of variations in their structure and environment can alter the geological, oceanological and marine system therein. Added to this status is the fact that coasts have become the ideal place for human population, industrialisation, commercialisation transportation etc. Human has, in effect, taken over to develop coastal areas to act as shelters, ports, docks, and for numerous other activities. The pressure for benefitting human lives has inevitably changed the environment drastically towards degradation. To compensate, a host of management strategies have been undertaken to operate, manage and sustain coastal areas, to control the activities and maintain a balance between nature and mankind (dAngremond and van Roode 2004). One of these management control methods is building of breakwaters and jetties. Jetties and offshore breakwaters are man made structures designed to protect coastal areas from the natural and unnatural recession of the shoreline. Breakwaters are usually built parallel to the shore or at an angle to direct serious wave action from its destructive impact on the shoreline. Jetties, on the other hand, are built with the purpose to prevent erosion of the inlet or harbour area. Offshore breakwaters provide shelter as they are built based on wave refraction and diffraction (Putnam and Arthur, 1948). Similarly, groins are structures built to face seawards and at an angle to slope at the same angle as the normal beach. Groins are built at an elevation above datum to act as the stabilising structure and to increase the width of the beach by arresting the shore drift in part or as a whole (Paige 1950). Apart from these, coastal areas are subjected to geological problems such as natural processes including coastal erosion, deposition, sedimentation, tsunami, tidal waves etc. These require human intervention to protect and conserve human and natural habitat. For these purposes, an engineering field called coastal engineering has been introduced in the academic arena for enhancing the knowledge and skills of professionals to develop coastal areas with minimal damage to the natural and man made environment. Coastal engineering involves developing and protecting existing coastal protection work with the view to predict future natural coastal processes. Comprehending the nature and value of coastal processes, enables engineers to devise plans and strategies to protect these processes better. Moreover, knowledge of the coastal condition helps professionals in the field to construct, facilitate and execute better breakwater construction. Breakwater construction is a field that is directly related with coastal engineering. However, it also has close relations with other engineering fields like geology, construction, environment and computer engineering. It is within this context, that the researcher shall be investigating the importance of breakwater engineering and the ways it affects the engineering field. Aims and Objectives The aim of this dissertation is to investigate how breakwaters and their construction affect various civil engineering fields. The objective is to: a. Identify the various civil engineering fields that breakwaters affect b. Evaluate how breakwaters impact civil engineering professionals; and c. Study how the knowledge of breakwater construction adds to the skill knowledge of engineers Scope and Limitations The research, in essence, is not a pure scientific empirical study, but rather an exploratory one. The researcher is aware that in exploring the dynamics of breakwater engineering, he/she will have to link civil engineering techniques and skills, which makes it a successful defence structures for both, humans and marine life. In this context, the study shall limit its discussion to the various fields breakwater construction entails, and shall not delve extensive into any particular field which concerns its engineering perspectives, such as marine life or construction engineering. However, it will touch upon these topics byway, to enumerate on its role and effects on the engineering field. Audience readers shall find the study insightful and enlightening as it would provide the numerous aspects that coastal engineering of breakwaters impact. However, academics and scholars shall find the content of the study limiting as it shall not be holistically technical. Fellow students shall find the dissertation a good stepping stone for furthering their research into areas of specialisation like geological engineering, construction engineering and so on. Ne vertheless, the dissertation shall aim to address the social and scientific aspects of breakwaters. Outline of Dissertation To accomplish the above objectives, the researcher shall endeavour to carry out the study in the following manner: Chapter 1 shall introduce the background and the rationale for the study. Chapter 2 shall provide the theoretical background based on an extensive literature review on the aspects of the study outlined above. Chapter 3 shall outline the methodologies considered and the rationale for the chosen research approach. Chapter 4 will be the analysis segment in which the researcher shall evaluate the data gathered, and discuss with the aim to acquire conclusive results. Chapter 5 shall be the conclusion to the research, offering insights gained from the research, summarising whether the researcher has accomplished the objectives or not, and perhaps some recommendations for future research. Chapter 2 Literature Review Introduction Breakwaters and similar coastal structures are human interventions, which are exposed to strong waves, currents and other marine processes. The construction of such structures needs to be enduring, as well as fitting, with the natural environment. The design and construction of breakwaters and interrelated structures indicate that knowledge of pure engineering alone is not practical. In fact, it requires consideration for various empirical and theoretical knowledge for its design. To the extent of this knowledge, the researcher is of the view that civil engineering relating to large scale hydraulic structures has developed considerably. According to dAngremond and van Roode (2004), coastal problems of erosion, tides and currents have existed since the beginning of civilisation. However, the management of these movements and problems have gained considerable attention today due to the commercialization and population of coastal areas around the world. For these reasons, problems such as sea level rise, tidal asymmetry, sedimentation budget etc. need to be tackled. These are carried out through careful coastal defence and management practices, and engineering skills, which shall be discussed in the following sections. Coastal Engineering Ocean waves are generated by wind and propagated from the ocean towards the shoreline. The orbital motions of wave kinematics influence the depths and heights of the ocean bed. Near shore ocean beds are greatly impacted by the velocities and the wave strengths. As a result, sediment beds often change in topography due to continuous impact of the fluid forces of waves. Sedimentation response or impact is negligible, but, in effect, compound the problem of sediment transportation to and away from the local beach. The scale, depth, and extent of the influence of the waves on the beach may and may not result in coastal degradation. For these reasons, detailed investigation on the continental shelves, fluid dynamics, near shore motion and variation of ocean topography are required in order to monitor and maintain the natural barrier to land. When the problems of natural erosion and sedimentation become too great to manage, measures like construction of barriers, submerged shoals, breakwat ers and artificial headlands are undertaken to sustain the environment (Birbena et al 2006). Construction of this nature is triggered by defence planning, storm handling and flood prevention. In fact, coastal defence system and management require formation of framework for projects to be planned, investigated and implemented to meet the needs of the environment and its people. These are the civil aspects of coastal engineering (French 1997). Not only this; structures like breakwaters also require continuous monitoring and protection work to predict future performance. This is carried out through coastal engineering processes such as modelling to estimate the changing environment and angle of repose of shorelines, site investigation to study the cycles of hydrographic and marine life status, as well as processing these to build a profile for the shorelines on which breakwaters are constructed. For example, in Iskander et als study (2007), the authors studied and developed a monitoring model for studying coastal structure along the El Agami area of Egypt. The study indicates that where breakwaters exist, shoreline fluctuates, marine life is impacted, as well as wave hydraulics. Coastal engineers need to record and study the gradual change that takes place due to the presence of breakwaters. Issues concerning wave distribution, shoreline sand composition, coastal calibration, marine survey, and effect on the harbours population are taken into account. Apart from these, breakwaters also affect the coastal structure such as villages, ports, or other such human activities (Iskander et al 2007). Furthermore, coastal engineers also need to ensure that the construction of breakwaters and estuaries does not adversely affect human activities as a result of design fault of these structures. For example, in Donnell et als article (2006), the authors indicate that the breakwaters on Tedious Creek estuary on the shoreline of Chesapeake Bay in Dorchester County, MD caused substantial damage to local vessels than the benefits it provided for its shelters. The setup of breakwaters is aimed at protecting the boat dock and public piers from storms, but, in reality, the projects design fault has resulted in under performance, both in functionality and structure to benefit the locals. It is in instances such as these that coastal engineers need to be ascertained of the need and importance for breakwater structures. Similarly, breakwaters can also result in beach morphology that effectively negates the protection objective when breakwaters are constructed with limited knowledge applied relating to practical engineering. Accurate study of the shore area through cross shore distribution, long shore sedimentation transport rates and performance of breakwaters in advance, as well as using model calibration and validation, hydrodynamic module, wave modules etc. could positively affect the performance of the structures. Therefo re, coastal engineers are responsible for studying the wave conditions, down drift side, expected erosion and current patterns behind submerged breakwater, to gauge incident waves. These mechanisms, according to Ranasinghe and Sato (2007), can relatively influence the function and utility of breakwaters function. Thus, coastal engineering is greatly influenced by the type and design of breakwaters structures. Construction engineering Breakwaters and such coastal structure construction combine design and functionality with the view to protect the coastal area. The design process is similar to structural design of buildings as it entails paying attention to functional requirements, limitations of the state of the structure, exposure, construction phases and occurrence of natural conditions. Breakwaters also require considerations for knowledge of construction materials including quarry stone, concrete blocks, caissons and similar types of materials to apply to its construction. Equipments for both floating and rolling breakwaters too need to be studied and related to the specificity of the breakwaters site, function and design. The development of breakwaters also requires functional and structural monitoring of performance, with enduring characteristics. According to Camfield and Holmes (1995), coastal structures like breakwaters and jetties are influenced by long periods of water level changes. They need to be built parallel to the entrances, in an attempt to stabilise entrances and safe navigation. Construction along the shore should be carried out with the direction of the channel in mind, to prevent migration of channel thalweg, rapid shoaling and erosion of the coastline (Morang 1992 qt. Camfield and Holmes 1995). This is because construction o f jetties and breakwaters often creates a new equilibrium for the tidal system. For this purpose, surveys of adjacent shorelines, natural bypass and the material that may ebb tidal activities need to be carried out for effective construction of the structures aligned with the regional dynamic and hydraulic processes. Construction engineering approach such as cross sectional relationship of inlet and tidal prism, as well as depths of the jetties and breakwaters, and water flows are studied before finding the ideal balance between performance, flow conditions, and natural marine activities. Knowledge of construction material, as mentioned earlier, is imperative for choosing and designing breakwaters to complement the need of the local landscape and environment. Since breakwaters are made up of rubble mounds or caissons or are concrete filled, knowledge of construction material adds to the skills required for developing structures for dispersing wave currents to minimise impact, as well as conserve energy from wave hydraulics where possible (Arena and Filianoti 2007). Not only this; new construction material knowledge also provides an edge over the design and planning of the breakwater armour unit. Reedijk et al (2008), for example, indicate that the development of Xbloc by Delta Marine Consultants in 2001 has innovated armour concepts in terms of designs, tests and prototypes. Xbloc are concrete blocks designed to armour shore protection and are being used in breakwater construction actively by engineers today. Muttray et al (2003), in their study of the suitability of Xbloc in breakwater construction, indicate that Xbloc are shaped to suit the harsh environmental conditions of waves, and such hydraulic activities. When placed interlocked with each other, Xblocs not only reduce concrete volumes, but also achieve the stability required for achieving breakwaters impact from wave loads and damage (Muttray et al 2003; Reedijk et al (2008). Added to this fact is the cost of layering breakwaters with Xbloc, which is significantly reduced as compared to other armour blocks. Furthermore, coastal protection design and construction require development and use of probabilistic design tools to gauge uncertainties, prediction of wave impact, as well as structure stability. One of the main concerns for construction engineers is that the structures can sustain its functionality for coastal protection, regardless of the wave conditions and transformations of water bodies. The basic premise is that wave transformation in foreshores and offshore areas cannot be relied upon through model designs. In fact, it requires construction engineers to have knowledge of coastal shores by using prediction models for wave transformation to study the effect of wave height, setup and distribution before designing the breakwater and jetty structures (Muttray et al 2001; Coduto 1999). Consideration for these aspects would help design structures to achieve its long term goals, as well as retain beach composition from long shore transport processes. Analytical engineering Breakwaters are constructed based on engineering approaches and processes that exploit the nature of wave parameters and hydraulics. According to Huizinga (2003), breakwater engineering often fails after 5 to 10 years as a result of poor design. Engineers fail to grasp the concept of breakwater designs and modelling, which uses propagation of water around of breakwater with the assumptions that water is the ideal fluid and incompressible. Waves are small in amplitude and can be analysed using the linear wave theory. Their flow is usually rotational, which can be analysed through Laplace equations. Breakwaters depth is constant and its dynamics are determined by diffraction, refraction or reflection (Huizinga 2003). Diffraction analysis takes into account of the water height, and the interaction of breakwater and waves. The wave energy is assumed to disperse as the waves come into contact with breakwater structures, which could be understood using linear diffraction theory. In this context, a rubble mound breakwater is a diametric form, with certain density and diameter designed to disperse wave motion. The velocity of the waves is retarded by its action, in contact with the breakwater. The change in direction of the wave affects the sediment supply, composition, wave properties, topography, and breakwater properties. Therefore, the variables in the breakwater interaction change in response to the caisson. The underlying assumption set forth is that the physical movement of breakwater is associated with the wave action, the permeability of the breakwater surface, seabed composition and response of the breakwater over a long period of time (Huizinga 2003; Twu and Chieu 2000). Alternatively, wave reflection and wave run up is the model for analysing breakwater through a cross section and slopes. In this method of engineering, wave reflection is determined by the 3 guage method. Wave conditions comprise of relative depth, height, steepness, and breaker index. Measurement of wave conditions is accomplished by analysing its reflection at the seaward direction when the wave surface comes into contact with the structure and foreshore. The water surface comes into contact with the breakwater as a toe and an anti knot. The wave run up and run down impact the breakwaters wave resistance. When engineers analyse the efficacy and effectiveness of breakwater, they study the angle of the incident wave, as well as its reflection coefficient, to determine the impact of regular wave action. The analysis is critical for gauging the significance of wave run up and run down on breakwater surfaces, and inevitably its longevity. This is achieved by using the higher order wave theory for assimilating waves and horizontal seabed asymmetry. Furthermore, wave reflection measurement is determined by its dynamics such as local wave height, wave pressure, wave energy dissipation and wave penetration into the structure (Muttray and Oumeraci 2002). How waves break or non break is dependent on the breakwater slope and the reflection set for critical wave incident impact (Clyne and Mullarkey 2008). These analytical approaches are various forms of analytical engineering, which are engaged to evaluate the strength, longevity, efficacy and effectiveness of the breakwater functionality. Alternatives in analytical engineering, therefore, help construction of the breakwaters more effective, as they establish the baseline for stabilisation potential, as well as extend the life cycle of the structure (Wiegel 1962). Environment engineering Breakwaters and jetties are engineering solutions to resolve the problem of erosion and sedimentation of shorelines. These are constructed with the view to sustain the shoreline, and in turn benefit the local human communities. Just as breakwaters and jetties affect the hydraulic system of the areas, they also produce long and short term impacts on marine life. Hydrodynamic conditions, sedimentation patterns, wave motion, physical and chemical factors tend to alter the composition and nature of the habitat. Not only this; the habitat tends to change in its characteristics and life cycle due to the change induced by the presence of breakwaters. No doubt, there is an imperative relationship between biological life form and breakwater structures. Even though breakwaters are developed with the objective to provide shelter to marine life, as well as harbour for human activities, the type of alleviation, shoaling and access to aquatic floral and faunal also gets impacted when breakwaters are constructed without careful monitoring of quality, composition and marine lifecycle. In fact, construction of breakwaters for creating inlets often results in f loral and faunal morphology of marine life due to the quality of sand, water chemical properties and the wave action. Water temperature, with variation through seasonal change, substantially affects the fish population, as well as other marine life forms. For example, the components of macrozoobenthos, algaes and polychaetous worms densities change (increase/decrease) according to the increasing or decreasing water depth. Thus, construction of breakwater tends to adversely affect the micro constituents of marine biology (Biological effects of breakwater construction 1985). At times, colonisation of fishes within the vicinity is affected due to the elevated turbiditys and suspended solids concentrates near the breakwater. Moreover, maintenance of the depth of entrance to the area, and exposure of the same, can alter the sustenance level of fish populations. By streamlining the natural sand bypass, the morphological performance can be improved to simulate waves, currents and sediment transport, which corresponds with the marine life processes (Broker et al 2007). The reliability of the effect of breakwater calibration process ensures that the constructed structure does not hinder marine life forms. For this purpose, marine engineering knowledge, combined with the breakwater development know how, can help local engineers to establish dynamic coastal structures to fit within the parameters of the natural environment. Risks and failures While it is clear that breakwaters have their own functionality and utility for which they are used to sustain beach line sustainability and continuity, they are also risky.The utility and functionality of breakwaters and jetties depend on the model, material and simulation upon which they have been based. Measurement for their horizontal and vertical fluid velocities, breakwater composition (porous or non porous), energy dissipation rate and modification intensity, all contribute towards its impenetrable nature. However, any variation and standard deviation in the design such as surface elevation, velocity variation, calibration, and structure permeability can result in its wear and breakage. According to Kobayashi et al (2007), breakwater permeability can affect its situation in the beach zone, effectiveness in eliminating serious wave impact and structural longevity. In fact, breakwater transformation as a result of wave load, pressure and velocity can lead to shattering. This is dependent on the design of the breakwater and its sensitivity and test against breaker ratio. Steepness of seaward slope, wave breaking motion, and wave parameters greatly influence the structure, to the extent of predicting its durability (Kobayashi et al 2007). In fact, Oumeraci et al (2006) are of the view that analysis of saturation due to liquefaction phenomena in sand gravity structure tends to increase the risk of structural failure. Vertical breakwaters, especially, are vulnerable to permanent deformation of the subsoil, which leads to irreversible strains at the peak stress level. As a result, breakwaters structures can give way to wave load induced by the fluctuation in pressure along the seabed and the pore pressure in the concrete itself. Failure of such monumental nature affects the stability, composition, and cyclic mobility. Failure is also the result of the nature of the breakwater structure, whether it is designed for offshore or onshore coastal defence. It is greatly influenced by the depth, and nature of the sand composition underneath the seabed upon which the breakwater is constructed. The relative density of the sand, pressure of the fluid, as well as storm yield, all contribute towards its endurance (Oumeraci et al. 2001). Apart from these physical risks and failures, breakwaters are also vulnerable in terms of their effect on marine life forms. Changing chemical composition due to displacement of fauna colonisation, as well a toxicity of the structures along the sediment banks, can result in breakwater biota fluctuations. While the human benefits of breakwaters last for 5 to 10 years, the long term effects of marine life cycle and fishery can alter the nature of the coast altogether if careful engineering approaches are not undertaken for the construction of breakwaters (Biological effects of breakwater construction 1985). Conclusion The above discussion has been carried out with the view to provide an overview of the relationship between breakwater construction and its impact on engineering fields. While engineering is a vast discipline, in this study the researcher has included engineering fields related to the construction of breakwaters and their maintenance. The discussion indicates that breakwater structures are not merely coastal construction monuments, but have multidimensional impact on the physical, biological and human life. For this purpose, engineering and designing of these structures need to be analysed, planned and implemented with care, for its impact. Chapter 3 Research Methodology The nature of research problem determines the choice of its methods. Before one chooses the research method, its objectives, audience and underlying assumptions should be justified. The methodologies are then weighed and evaluated to justify for its choice. The theoretical perspective of the study should provide the background reality, as well as the constituent for increasing readers knowledge. Within these dimensions epistemology is concerned with providing a philosophical grounding for deciding what kinds of knowledge are possible and how we can ensure that they are both adequate and legitimate (Crotty 1998). The epistemology, therefore, allows the researcher to decide the application and the underlying academic literature that is required for adding knowledge to the existing consciousness. Generally, there are two options objectivism and constructionism. The objectivistic approach entails the investigation of existing knowledge and spanning it to extend its consciousness. The aim is to discover the objective truth. On the other hand, the constructionist approach entails the research which requires interaction with the world, and finding the truth in the process. Underlying the constructionist approach is the premise that research endeavours need to explore views from multiple angles before deciding on the objective truth. This approach is grounded in the qualitative methodology (Crotty 1998 qt. Levy 2006). Alternatively, researchers in the applied field usually conduct research based on quantitative methods that entail action research and evaluations for studying particular aspects and issues. The premise for choosing action research is to endeavour to capture the reality with certain degree of control on the phenomena under research. Although, the nature of the coastal engineering field mandates that research activities be subject to quantitative empirical methods whereby researchers carry out extensive action research strategies and processes. However, in this case, the researcher has opted for the qualitative approach as it complements the nature and topic under discussion. Whereas the study of breakwater is pragmatic, the exploration of its connection and impact on the engineering field is qualitative in nature. Furthermore, to understand the implications of breakwaters and their effect on civil engineering profession, investigation into the subjective views of experts within the field is required, rather than engaging in empirical research to achieve its findings. Having said that, the researcher is also aware that qualitative research requires a paradigm for basing the enquiry. According to Gummesson (2000), a paradigm is a very general conception of the nature of scientific endeavours within which a given enquiry is undertaken (p.18). It is a world view which allows the researcher to base his/her research outcomes and understanding. Research paradigms can be divided into positivist, which is characterised by the world as the external dimension and must be researched through facts and fundamental laws, and by studying concepts through sampling. On the other hand, the phenomenological paradigm involves the social construction of the subject, and characterised by the understanding of the totality of the situation by investigating the issue through established phenomena. For the current study, the researcher shall adopt the phenomenological paradigm for analysing the effect of breakwaters on the engineering field. The rationale is based on the premise that even though through the course of discussion some technical and practical aspects shall be discussed, the analysis shall regard the ideology, decision logic and utility behind breakwaters and their link with civil engineering fields. While the researcher is aware that the phenomenological paradigm is not suited for engineering and scientific research, he/she also has the understanding that research of this qualitative nature

Anna Kingsley Essay -- essays research papers fc

Anna Kingsley, a woman of strength and determination overcame many odds not expected of an African American slave. She married a slave owner, owned land, and was once a slave herself. She was well known in a free black community she helped establish. Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley was the wife of plantation owner Zephaniah Kingsley. She was the daughter of a man of high status. Her father’s sides were descendants of the well know Njaajan Njaay, the creators of the Jolof Empire. Her father was killed in April 1806, the day she was captured. The tyeddo warriors invaded her village and collected all the villagers to be sold as slaves. That day she not only lost her freedom and her home, but also her dignity and her youth (Harvey, 41). Anna and the others were lead to a ship and they sailed from Senegal to Havana, Cuba to be sold as slaves. The Havana Market was the center of commerce of Spain’s colonies in America (Schafer, 23). Anna arrived in Florida in 1806. She was thirteen years old. Zephaniah Kinglsey Jr was a citizen of Spanish East Florida. He was born in England, but raised in Charleston, South Carolina. His father, a merchant, moved his family to Nova Scotia because he was banished from South Carolina for giving support to King George III at time of the American Revolution. In 1808, Kinglsey moved to Florida, where he pledged his fidelity to Spain and imported slaves on his plantation (Schafer, 21). Once purchased, Kingsley boarded Anna on the ship Esther and they sailed to Laurel Grove Plantation north and on the west of the St. Johns River. This would be her new home. She did not stay in the slave quarters, but she did stay in his two-story home. He thought of her as his wife and she was carrying his child. A few months before Anna gave birth; she became manager of Kingsley’s household located at Laurel Grove. Most of the slave’s came from East and West Africa. The plantation consisted of corn, cotton, mandarin oranges, sugarcane, potatoes and beans. According to Kinglsey â€Å"color ought not be the badge of degrading,† only the distinction should be between slaves and free, not between white and colored (Schafer, 32). Anna and Zephaniah were open about their relationship. She was the head wife or woman in a polygamous household. One March 4, 1811 after five years of enslavement, Anna was emancipated by her husband. She was now a free woman again. In 181... ...she once again had to leave the home she created because Florida seceded the union. The Civil War soon followed. After the Civil War, Anna never had the wealth and power that she once had. Her personal wealth was acquired through ownership of her slaves. There is no true documentation as to when Anna died, but it is thought to be between 1860 and 1870. Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley was buried in a peaceful grove off the St. Johns River in Florida. She is surrounded by many family members including her daughters. She rests peacefully in an unmarked grave sheltered from the violence that followed her through a life marked by danger, courage, tenacious defense of family, flight, and triumphant return (Schafer, 121). She was a remarkable and determined black woman who achieved many accomplishments that are extraordinary. She became a well known figure in a free black community. Works Cited Harvey, Karen. Daring daughters: St. Augustine’s feisty females. Virginia Beach, VA, 2002 Schafer, Daniel. Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley. Florida, 2003 Tilford, Kathy, Anna Kingsley: A free woman.† OAH Magazine of history 12, 1997 http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazone/women/tilford.htm

Investigation Completion and Analysis Essay

Evaporation is a process where liquid is converted to vapor with the purpose of separating it from a dissolved solid or from a liquid that is higher in boiling point in experiments or investigations on how to separate soluble solid in liquids (Holland, 2005). Evaporation technique was chosen for the experiment because it is easy and simple to execute compared to other methods of separation such as distillation. 2. Distillation Distillation is an investigative technique used in separation of mixtures based on conditional and differences required to change the components phases of the mixture. It can be applied in a mixture of liquids, and the mixture of soluble solutes and solvents like in this experiment. During the distillation process, the water is heated into the gas phase of the vapor leaving the salts deposits, then condenses back into liquid form that is then collected. The process is then repeated again to improve the water purity (Porteous, 2010). This method was obtained because pure water can be obtained 3. Crystallization This technique is a process of solid crystals formation from a solution. This technique is a technique of separating solids and liquids in which transfer of solute from a solution to a solid crystalline which pure occurs (Jones, 2002). This method was chosen because pure solutes can be obtained. Modifications made, and justification for the changes 1. In evaporation, I applied some heat from flames to the containers holding solution of water and salt. I applied the heat to increase the rate of evaporation instead of leaving it open in the air and under the sunshine that is slow. 2. I used ice in the condenser to condense maximum amount of vapor. Moreover, I re-distilled the condensed water to get maximum dissolved salts again. 3. In crystallization, I left the crystallization process to proceed slowly undisturbed instead of fast cooling. This was to prevent impurities from getting attached to the salts and also to get bigger crystals. Ways to ensure the accuracy To ensure accuracy, I ensured that the same amount of solvent and solution was used in the three experiments. Moreover, an equal amount of time was applied on all the experiments to get accurate results. Lastly, I ensured that the salts and the water had no impurities that could affect their boiling points. Ways to ensure reliability Reliability in the techniques was determined by the experiments producing consistent results. To ensure reliability, I started with the evaporation method which the results were salt and water, distillation and crystallization also produced consistent results of salt and water.Ways to ensure validity Validity indicates the extent to which the applied technique in the separation process separated the components it was intended to separate. To ensure the validity, I ensured that salt and water which were the components of the solution that was to be separated were the end products. The process requires a lot of heat energy which might be expensive. However, solar heat is slow and evaporates small quantities of the solution. The method is suitable in situations where salt is the only product needed. However, collection of water vapor is difficultDistillation The distillation process desalinate water removes dangerous heavy metals like mercury, arsenic and lead, and the soluble salts that harden the water such as magnesium, calcium and phosphorous. Therefore, it is preferable for distillation of drinking water. However, this process is ineffective in separation of soluble salts that has lower boiling points than water such as synthetic chemicals, chlorine solutions, herbicides and pesticides (Porteous, 2010). Moreover, it requires large source of heat which is costly. Lastly, the distillation process strips water its natural trace elements; hence the hydrogen composition in water increases and makes water acidic (Porteous, 2010). Crystallization The process is complex compared to the evaporation method. It is also unsuitable where water is to be collected as an end product. However, it is advantageous since pure salts can be obtained for usage (Jones, 2002). b) Suggestions of possible improvements Alternative sources of heat could be used such as the use of solar energy to reduce high costs incurred in the evaporation and distillation process. Despite the fact that solar energy cannot produce a high amount of energy needed to heat the large amount of the solution for a longer duration of time, it is the best cost-wise. Given that some dissolved salts have lower boiling points than the water hence difficult to separate them from water, the boiling point of water can be lowered by lowering the gas pressure above the liquid. The distillation process strips water its natural trace elements, hence making water to be acidic due to increased proportion of hydrogen. To avoid water being acidic, beneficial salts can be added into the water for human consumption such as calcium that is good in formation of bones. References Holland, C. D. (2005). Fundamentals and modeling of separation processes: absorption, distillation, evaporation, and extraction. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall. Jones, A. G. (2002). Crystallization process systems. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Porteous, A. (2010). Saline water distillation processes. London: Longman. Source document

Creative Thinking Techniques

IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques Creative Thinking Techniques Derrick Brown, Director Jan Kusiak, General Manager IRM Training Pty Ltd ABN 56 007 219 589 Suite 209, 620 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia 03 9533 2300 [email  protected] com. au jan. [email  protected] com. au Introduction This extract from IRM’s training material looks at how systematic, creative thinking techniques can be used to design practical solutions to business problems. Successful designs don’t just happen.Whilst we can sometimes get ‘flashes of brilliance’, successful designs are more likely to occur as part of a systematic process. Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) The first step in developing a solution is to identify and define the problem – see the IRM paper Problem Analysis Techniques. Using the problem definition as a starting point we can appl y a number of creative thinking techniques to identify potential solutions, then further analyse and refine these to give us an optimum solution for the problem at hand.This paper discusses some of the successful creative thinking techniques used by business analysts and describes a generic model which can be used to guide the process. ________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1. 0 2. 0 2. 1 2. 2 3. 0 3. 1 3. 2 4. 0 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 5. 0 6. 0 7. 0 Successful design strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Design methods †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Vertical thinking †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Creative thinking †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 The brain †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Left and right brain functions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Blocks to creativity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Creative thinking techniques †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Brainstorming †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 A bridge – process flow analogy †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The six thinking hats †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Business process re-engineering: 20 questions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Validation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Creative thinking – generic process model †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Balance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 1 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 1. 0 Successful design strategies The design strategies that we choose are crucial to a project’s success – a strategy that initially looks good but that proves to be difficult to implement is not a good strategy. Many projects fail because the strategy proves to be too ambitious and breeches the agreed constraints.Consider the 80/20 rule – often we can solve 80% of the problem with only 20% of the resources, the other 80% of the resources being needed to cater for what may be considered inconsequential factors. This initial consideration may influence all subsequent thinking. Characteristics of succe ssful designs†¦ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ meet the agreed objective(s) solve the defined problem(s) are technically feasible are developed (and operate) within constraints are capable of implementation can absorb medium term business growth are acceptable to the user community Great system. Well done! Thanks†¦ 2. 0Design methods Design is an iterative process and first designs are often thrown away. An outline design is required first, then the details should emerge progressively. Any system design method must: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ force partitioning of the problem progress from the most abstract to the more detailed concentrate on logical design first and physical design last produce a specification that can be understood by its readers There’s nothing wrong in copying ideas that are in general circulation from other businesses. Quite often an idea can be transferred across industry boundaries with great results.People make the difference. The best design teams usually have mixed backgrounds – they bring different experiences and different approaches to the problem. A team of people with IT backgrounds are likely to tackle a problem in the same way, whilst say a customer service representative may have an entirely different outlook – and this is what we need. Don’t rush through problem analysis – good problem analysis will give you a clear understanding and definition of the problem. This definition is critical when communicating potential solutions to stakeholders.  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. rm. com. au 2 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques Danger !! IT staff (and others) frequently get swamped far to quickly in the detail of technical design. Much time is then wasted when the outline changes, rendering the details irrelevant. It is an important principle to focus on the major issues first. Leave the detail until later – get t he outline design (the concepts) approved first. A good example of this is found with screen and report designs. Many analysts, designers and users can be quickly sucked into endless discussion on the best-looking, most appropriate design.Much of this discussion will focus on the physical aspects – which are irrelevant to the major issue. This is all detail and is best left to the technical design phase. If system output is the focus of the design discussion then agreement should be sought only on the output data itself, not on the method or format of output. 2. 1 Vertical thinking This tends to be easier for many of us – it is more detailed and physical. It is where many of us feel most comfortable. Vertical thinking†¦ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ is logical results in unique or few solutions is convergent is more natural for ost of us Many of our clients will also be happiest at this level – discussing the screen or report details, for example. However , be aware that we should not get into these details until we have decided in principle what design strategy to adopt. Otherwise much time and effort will be wasted in detailed discussions – only to find out later that none of it is relevant. JAD (Joint Application Development) groups often get focussed on these details – and can soak up much time in doing so. P R O B L E M S SOLUTION Vertical thinking – applicable to detailed, technical design 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 3 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 2. 2 Creative thinking Most of us are not natural creative thinkers. Telling oneself and the team ‘to be creative’ does not usually yield results. Some special techniques are required to help us use our brains in a different way – to change our usual thinking process. The issue with creative thinking is that almost by definition any idea that has not already been examined is going to sound crazy. But a good solution will probably sound crazy – at first.Unfortunately, that’s why we often won’t put it forward. Creative thinking†¦ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ is imaginative generates many possible solutions is divergent is lateral S O L U T I O N S Applicable to – major company problems – business systems design – overall flow of information 3. 0 The brain In order to find ways of being consciously creative, we must first understand how the brain works. Experimentation on the brain has proved to be very difficult and it is only in the last few years, with advanced scanning technology, that science has discovered much of what we now know.Put simply, the brain consists of two hemispheres joined by a bridge of nervous tissue called the Corpus Callosum. In unusual cases, some people have been born with a split corpus callosum where the two halves of the brain are not connected. Split brain patients are excellent subjects for studying how functions are localised and in which part of the brain they are performed. This has shown that anatomical features in one half of the body are controlled by the opposite half of the brain – the brain is crossed.  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 4 IRM Training – White PaperCreative Thinking Techniques In one experiment, a split brain subject is shown the words ‘Hat Band’. Each eye sees the whole visual field. The right visual field is processed by the left side of the brain, and the left visual field is processed by the right side of the brain. When the subject is asked what has been read, they reply ‘band’. When asked what sort of band, the subject must guess – Rubber band? Jazz band? The subject has no idea what kind of band. The conclusion is that the left side of the brain is the word processing side and of course, it is this side which reads the word ‘Band’.The right side has received t he impression of the word ‘Hat’, but, because of the cut corpus callosum, this is not transmitted to the left brain. Since the subject cannot say that they have received the impression of the word ‘Hat’, we can deduce that the right brain is not capable of word processing. This and similar experiments allow a model of the brain to be drawn showing the localisation of functions between the two halves. This model is true for right-handed people. There is less specialisation of the two halves when the subject is lefthanded. 3. Left and right brain functions It is found that in right-handed people, the left brain deals with the senses and movement of the right of the body, together with speech, reading, mathematics and analytical (logical) thinking. The right brain deals with the senses and movement of the left side of the body together with creativity, the interpretation of shape and the relationship of objects in space. This is, of course, an oversimplificati on. For example, when a person is brain damaged and loses say movement of one side of the body, the other side of the brain can often be trained to take over the missing brain functions.We can see that the left brain is the text processor and the right brain is the picture processor. Further research tells us that the logical left brain analyses new ideas generated by the creative right brain – and turns these ideas into words. Unfortunately, the left brain is found to be dominant and tends to filter out many ideas because they appear to be crazy. The reason behind this dominance of the left brain is probably rooted in our evolutionary past. Primitive man had few left brain functions and relied on right brain functions for survival.An intruder’s intentions were judged as hostile or friendly by stance and facial expression. When the left brain functions evolved, the left brain suppressed the ‘suspicious’ mistrusting right. Modern man needs to find a way of suppressing left brain activity to allow the right to express itself via the generation of ideas – even, and most importantly, the ‘crazy’ ones.  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 5 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 3. 2 Blocks to creativityWe may fear†¦ †¢ making mistakes †¢ looking foolish †¢ being criticised †¢ being alone †¢ being outcast †¢ disturbing tradition †¢ being associated with taboos We may also suffer from†¦ †¢ left brain dominance †¢ incompatible objectives †¢ hostility For these reasons we find that subconsciously we are hindered from coming up with new ideas. If asked at a meeting for ideas to solve a particular problem, most of us are unlikely to do so. We are simply afraid of looking foolish. And our logical left brains prevent the examination of the ideas, seemingly rejecting them before we consciously recognise them!We must take specia l steps to try to prevent this from happening. One way to inhibit the left brain from its dominance is to give it something to do. A right body physical movement will do nicely – like playing with a piece of blu-tack, or doodling. Perhaps you’ve found yourself doodling while listening – it may be something that you’ve found helps you to focus on ideas. Test this for yourself – read a passage from a book aloud, with an observer. Now repeat the exercise, but this time do something with your right hand, say, toss a coin repeatedly. Your reading will suffer!Your left brain has to multi-task and the word-flow is more disjointed.  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 6 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 4. 0 Creative thinking techniques Many techniques exists to stimulate creative thinking and whilst the following list is not exhaustive, the examples below can work well when solving business problems. No specia l tools are needed. 4. 1 Brainstorming The process†¦ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Organise the team, materials and scribe Appoint a chairperson State the problems we are trying to solve Restate the problem a number of times: – How to reduce time to †¦ How to speed up †¦ Inhibit the left brain Have a warm up session e. g. – Other uses for: – A gumboot – A torch – A paper clip Brainstorm the restated problems and record the ideas When the session slows down, invite the ‘wildest idea’ At the end of the session, classify all ideas then evaluate do not eliminate ideas too quickly Request assistance from management on matters of policy, don’t speculate †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To be successful, brainstorming sessions need a good chairperson.It is vital that no discussions are allowed on any idea during the session, the idea is just recorded. The chairperson’s role is to keep the ideas coming, often fast and furious, with people striking sparks off each other. The evaluation is the hard part, but don’t strike out the crazy ones too quickly – they might just be the key to a good solution. Evaluate ideas against a checklist such as the one below: Idea 1 Does it meet the objectives Does it solve the problem Does it introduce new problems Will it fit in with current systems Can it accommodate growth Idea 2 Idea 3 Idea†¦nTry not to make the checklist too comprehensive at this stage. We want to eliminate the ideas that are clearly unworkable but retain all that are worth further consideration.  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 7 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 4. 2 A bridge – process flow analogy Solutions to bottleneck or flow problems.. A congested road bridge makes a good theme for a brainstorming session. There are many conceptual similarities between traffic and process flows.Many so lutions fall into one of the following classes: †¢ Speed up the flow †¢ Reduce the flow †¢ Divert the flow These generic solutions apply to many systems, whether traffic, production lines or information flows. We are mainly concerned with information flows and the bridge analogy often helps. Thinking about road traffic problems should also remind us to consider social, political, environmental and economic factors when creating our solutions. 4. 3 The six thinking hats Design options can generate much discussion during the evaluation process. This needs to be controlled if we are to make good use of our time.It is easy to take sides, to defend our own ideas and to attack what we may see as opposing ideas. This may not be constructive. An approach that helps to avoid confrontation and which channels our critical analysis is the ‘Six Thinking Hats’ approach (Dr Edward de Bono). Using this technique a group can evaluate an idea and can argue both the pros an d cons whilst remaining as objective as possible. A chairperson should formally facilitate the process. An individual may ‘wear’ a hat to produce a comment without any possible attached stigma – ‘wearing the black hat for a moment I don’t think that this will work†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢.The person who is always critical without being constructive has to become constructive (or lose face) when asked by the chair – ‘now let us wear the yellow hat and see what good things may result from this idea’. Caution!!! The process does need to be facilitated. Like any of these methods, it may not be useful and may even be counter-productive unless managed correctly. The hats†¦ 1. White hat – neutral – (think of white paper) Information – What do we know? What information do we want? What do we need? 2. Red hat – fire, warmth Feelings, emotion, intuition, hunches 3. Black hat – caution Legality, judgement, moral ity 4.Yellow hat – sunshine Positive, optimism, benefits 5. Green hat – growth New ideas, new slants, options, opportunities 6. Blue hat – sky Overview, control of the process, agenda, next step, action plans, conclusions  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 8 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 4. 4 Business process re-engineering: 20 questions This process works well as a design tool (and also as a problem analysis tool – see the IRM paper: Problem Analysis Techniques). The last question of each group (†¦should†¦? ) makes us consider the broader design options. The last group of questions (How†¦? encourages us to focus on the method. It’s important that the What group of questions is asked first, and the How group of questions is asked last. 1. What? †¢ †¢ †¢ What is being done? (what is being achieved) Why is it necessary? What else could be done? What else should be done? Where is it being done? Why there? Where else could it be done? Where else should it be done? When is it done? Why then? When else could it be done? When else should it be done? Who does it? Why this person/group? Who else could do it? Who else should do it? How is it done? Why this way? How else could it be done? How else should it be done? 2.Where? †¢ †¢ †¢ 3. When? †¢ †¢ †¢ 4. Who? †¢ †¢ †¢ 5. How? †¢ †¢ †¢ Use the ideas generated from the brainstorming sessions, apply the BPR 20 questions technique and re-visit the most promising.  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 9 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 5. 0 Validation Prior to commencing detailed specification, the analyst should appraise the outline design using the following checklist: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ have the objectives been met? have the problems been solved? what new problems have been introduce d? (there are always some) is the design vulnerable to change in the working environment? ill the design cater for reasonable growth? Characteristics of good ideas.. †¢ †¢ †¢ solve, or partially solve, more than one identified problem can be implemented quickly. Your client will often be attracted to a partial solution that relieves the problem, while you continue to work on the complete solution can be implemented independently. In IT we often put forward complex solutions that depend upon the successful implementation of other systems. When a problem occurs with one system there is often a domino effect of delays mesh well with overall business strategies. These will always find favour with management. an be implemented step-by-step, incremental implementation. Implement a basic solution, then implement more sophistication. In this way you offer a faster solution delivery – albeit not a complete solution – at first. Management may well be willing to wa it for the full solution, especially if the business concepts are new †¢ †¢  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 10 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 6. 0 Creative thinking – generic process model Problem Identification Problem Analysis Problem Definition Brainstorm Bridge Six Hats BPR Solution DesignsValidation Solution Hints and tips†¦ †¢ †¢ Modelling the current system (logical & physical) can aid problem understanding Chose creative techniques applicable to the problem and your team. Not all problems lend themselves to all techniques. Be flexible and willing to try a different technique or a combination of some or all of them Be open to new information – for example, facts uncovered during a brainstorming session may require you to revisit your understanding of the problem Essential modelling techniques help give an uncluttered view of the proposed solution Don’t disregard a solution just ecause it doesn’t solve the whole problem. Your final solution may be built from several ideas, each relevant to a different part of the problem †¢ †¢ †¢  © 2005-2007 IRM Training Pty Ltd www. irm. com. au 11 IRM Training – White Paper Creative Thinking Techniques 7. 0 Balance Time Time Budget All solutions are compromises. We may need to balance how many functions we automate against the time and money required to achieve this. We may weigh the merits of automating a process against the frequency (and therefore inconvenience) of doing it manually.Before these decisions can be made, we must establish the basic facts as far as is reasonable (estimating where necessary). Wherever a system design option exists, weigh up the facts, consult the client or your colleagues as appropriate and recommend or make a decision. Never be afraid to think outside the square and to seek alternative solutions, or to re-define the problem. There’s always another wa y of doing it. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)

3 Cases of Dangling Participles

3 Cases of Dangling Participles 3 Cases of Dangling Participles 3 Cases of Dangling Participles By Mark Nichol Dangling participles are verbs that are intended to refer to a particular noun but that, because of how the main clause of the sentence is crafted, do not support the noun. The main clause, and the subordinate clause (often appearing at the head of the sentence), may in and of themselves be grammatically valid, but they do not match- often with unintentionally humorous results. Here are three sentences that suffer from dangling participles; each is followed by a discussion and a revision. 1. Growing up as an undersized kid, punk music helped him find some sense of belonging. This sentence erroneously identifies punk music as an undersized kid. To correct this error, a subject that the participle applies to must be inserted at the head of the main clause, which must be further revised to convey the intended idea: â€Å"Growing up as an undersized kid, he found some sense of belonging in punk music.† The sentence can also be recast as a simple main clause (â€Å"Punk music helped him find some sense of belonging as he grew up as an undersized kid†), but this version is more prosaic. 2. Formally established on May 23, 1947, a primary role of this part-time military force is to conduct surveillance or sovereignty patrols as required. Here, a primary role, rather than the military force assigned the role, is said to be formally established on a certain date. In this case, the dangling participle can simply be relocated as a parenthetical following the sentence’s subject: â€Å"A primary role of this part-time force, formally established on May 23, 1947, is to conduct surveillance or sovereignty patrols as required.† 3. Seemingly perfectly preserved on the outside, the archaeologists were dismayed to find extensive damage within the chamber. In this sentence, archaeologists are described as being perfectly preserved on the outside. In some cases, the best way to avoid such errors is to thoroughly recast the entire sentence: â€Å"The archaeologists were dismayed to find that despite the chamber’s seemingly perfectly preserved exterior, the chamber itself had suffered extensive damage.† (This revision also places the key information at the end of the sentence, resulting in a greater impact.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical Words34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better WriterTreatment of Words That Include â€Å"Self†