Role Of ICT In Research Information Technology Essay

Role Of ICT In Research Information Technology Essay Adoption of Information and Communication Technologies in teaching, learning and research has come a long way and so is the use of various web2.0 tools . The researchers need to change with changing times and need to understand todays fast changing knowledge base and its peculiarities. The article is written with an objective of finding out how is the academic researcher changed, helped, or hindered, by the use of ICTs in general and web2.0 tools in specific. ICT tools are mainly used by researchers for its ability to ease knowledge-gathering process and to enhance resource-development. Researcher in general value creativity and originality , thus the ICT tools which provide with the most open situations with great autonomy to the researcher can really help in identifying and solving research problems in the most creative ways. Some of web2.0 tools used for research related tasks are dealt in detail here to give a clear guidance to the researcher . The use of ICT is based on the indi viduals logical assessment of how various applications increase his/her effectiveness and efficiency in work and provide ease in communication with peers. Use of ICT tools for making research data and information available are plenty in numbers today , but the best use of ICT tools would be to improve cognitive skills and thus help discriminate , analyse and create information rather than simply accumulate ( Boyer Commission , 1996). As usually research process deals with large amount of complex information and requires a lot of skills to analyse and organize these well, any ICT tool which helps the researcher give meaning and precision along with adding value to the information generated would be rated above the ones which help in just gathering information. Generally, ICT tools help researcher in the following research related tasks identify appropriate information sources critically analyse information research effectively manage information use information to extend and communicate knowledge across subject fields search up to ten databases and electronic resources simultaneously receive results in a common format link to individual databases for more specialised searching select favourite resources and e-journals, save searches and records, and setup email alerts. The possibilities of conducting research with Internet and its virtual components by individuals and organizations are innumerable. While going thru the research papers among others, several authors have mentioned that ICTs support: instantaneous information exchange despite geographical distances , costless accumulation of data and documents, improvements in the precision of knowledge reproduction, innovative and more effective routines to design new products and conduct problem solving activities both at individual and organizational level. Now, lets look at the main steps that are usually taken to conduct a research. The first two steps in any research activity are 1. Identifying your own world view and situate your research for evaluation. 2. Problem Identification by Literature review and design of research questions Research starts with an idea that researcher has , and now to conduct a research , that idea needs to be converted into a proper research question . ICT has to come in first stage while the researcher needs to discuss the ideas with others to get better user involvement . Now lets consider some ways in which ICT tools can be used to find Research Topics and create bookmarks for later references. Search Engines A feature of the Web that enhances learning and research is the use of search engines. A search on the Web can be very effective in providing a context for an unknown quote or theory , in a timely manner. The use of search engines can save precious time in research. Research indicates that about 85% of Internet users use basic search engines and search services like google to find specific information. However, it is also found that users are not satisfied with the performance of the current generation of search engines for not giving focused results by way of providing articles and notes from personal blogs etc. along with quality research articles . so o rdinary search engines are helpful for researching business and popular culture, but theyre not very useful for finding academic research papers or scholarly journal articles. Journal articles are available in a variety of formats, ranging from citations or brief abstracts to full text delivered electronically or in hard copy. Some articles are provided free. Often, a fee is required, or access is restricted in some way. Searching the invisible web resources also can be very useful. The following are some of the useful search engines used for research activities , 1. www.ask.com -lists related searches ,2. www.base-search.net : a multi-disciplinary search engine for academically relevant web , 3. Bing Microsofts search engine lists related searches , 4. Google Scholar indexes scholarly research from many journals, books, papers, etc. across many disciplines ,and 5. Yahoo! Search originally a Web directory, it now features a reliable search engine. Metasearch engines allow to query various search engines simultaneously providing a single list of results. These can avoid duplication and provide additional ideas . Some of the very useful and popular metasearch engines are Clusty (Vivisimo) , Dogpile , Ixquick and Mamma.com. Subject Directories allow to browse Web pages by category , and are best used when there is a need to find a list of general Web sites pertaining to a topic . These are often compiled by human editors and provide annotated links pointing to reliable Web sites. Apart from the google and Yahoo Directory these are a few others worth consideration are the open directory www.dmoz.org and www.opendoar.org/search.php . Subject-specific search engines tend to focus solely on a topic and allow to narrow results and ensure that these are relevant . Many subject specific resources can be found listed by various University Library departments in the Library Research Guides. The following tools represent only a sampling Pinakes A Subject Launchpad , Infomine ,Scirus , Hakia, Education World and Business.com . Loading Social Bookmarking is tagging a website and saving it for later. Instead of saving them to web browser, we are saving them to the web. Having started out as a way to store browser bookmarks online so that they can be utilized on different computers and shared, social bookmarking has grown to such an extent that it can now be used to search the web instead of relying on traditional search engines. In fact, social bookmarking sites are being used as intelligent search engines. Most social bookmarking sites allow to browse through the items based on most popular, recently added, or belonging to a certain category like technology, politics, blogging, news, sports, etc. Examples of Social Bookmarking sites are Del.icio.us , Magnolia, Blinklist, esnips etc. Social News , another feature of web 2.0 is websites like Digg , Reddit and Propeller focus on social bookmarking of news-related items such as politics, sports, technology, etc. Social news sites are different from standard social bookmarking sites by focusing on specific articles and blog posts rather than websites. Because of this, they can be a great source of news, and they also offer the ability to participate in the discussion by leaving comments on popular news items. Evaluating and citing Web sites There are some words of caution while gathering information from web : 1. all types of information are not available on the Web, and especially not for free. 2. unlike traditional published sources, Web documents have not necessarily been evaluated hence the need to assess the quality of the documents is very crucial for a researcher. Information on the Web can originate from many different sources including individuals, organizations, governments, academic institutions and companies. It is therefore important to quickly assess the reliability of the sources found. The major points of check when evaluating a Web site are : Currency , Authority , Purpose and Point of view . 3. Design the study and develop your method(s) In this phase of research there has to be active Participant Involvement. The researchers has to have proper Survey Design , correct Sampling and have to sort out all Statistical issues for conducting Qualitative/Quantitative Research . In the following three ways ICT Tools can be used by researchers for qualitative research As a medium of communication ICT tools provide powerful communication channels mostly text based but increasingly enhanced with moving and still images and sound, thus competing fairly with the traditional medium of interaction. Researchers can log into any of these channels and practices , either for studying the way people use computer mediated communication in cultural context or can utilize these to interact with participants by initiating a discussion. As a network of computers -Internet , the most popular and powerful ICT tool, breaks all boundaries and makes physical distances between people disappear thus providing a platform like online communities, blogs and discussions forums to reach out to people all across the globe for collective and collaborative research with seamless possibilities for the researcher to utilize this space particularly for collecting information. As a context of social construction The web2.0 facilitates the researchers to witness and analyse the structure of conversation by either participating or simply observing , the social structures that emerge. This gives a good insight to the researcher while gathering data and then during analysis , how language builds and structures social reality. Regardless of the use of any of the above said framework that is used , a qualitative research can be conducted by utilizing Internet based other web2.0 tools for research on any social phenomenon at the same time a qualitative research can conducted on any of the web2.0 tools as a specific social phenomenon as well. 4. Collect and collate the data Data collection requires Collaboration . A word of caution to the researcher is to take care of Intellectual property related issues in advance before using Internet and web2.0 tools for data collection and storage . The qualitative research process starts with a Questionnaire / Survey Design . Survey can be created using ICT tools Web, Word Processors (WP), Spreadsheets and now most popular online tools like google-forms and surveymonkey.com, and can be distributed using email and discussion boards. The data collected using one or many such online tools needs a proper Database structure for storage and retrieval thus tools like relational databases ( SQL Server, ORACLE etc.) ; open sources databases using MySQL and Access, Flatfile database using Spreadsheet, wikis, GIS [Google earth, Google Maps, Flickr, Arcview/explorer]) can be used. Data Analysis is a an area where a lot of works is being done and a huge collection of open source tools are available for researcher e.g. for Relationship mapping techniques like Herring or fish bone mind maps, SWOT Analysis, PMI, Venn etc. software like Inspiration, kidspiration, smart ideas, Cmap, Mindmapper, freemind would be useful and also the opensource Online tools available at www.gliffy.com/, www.mindmeister.com , www.drawanywhere.com/ . An open source statistical software programming language like R is found very useful by researcher. For preparing Graph using Spreadsheet, digitizer , for typical data analysis using Calc or excel, preparing Checklist (any Word Processor , Spreadsheet) and Mashing tools like intel mash up is now very common . ICT in Qualitative Data Analysis The applicability of ICT based analytical tools in qualitative research is debated as it is argued, that the original meaning inherent in the data could be distorted or lost in the process of data analysis. Thus the employment of computer programs in qualitative data analysis is a practice that should be viewed with caution. Analysing qualitative material that is based on speech or texts derived from interviews and conversations must have regard for the context and the integrated whole. Computer based systems to aid with analysis are, often based on the natural scientific view of the world that sees social phenomena as reflections of the higher level ordering of an objective social structure. The ideal data type here is one which is amenable to quantifying and segmentation into discrete categories as this allows for numerical manipulation and analysis. Researchers who make use of these packages must remain alert to the need to preserve the integrity and context of the original materi al and not lose sight of this during the process of coding and subsequent analysis. 5. Reporting and dissemination The final step in the process of any research activity is Writing up Research by Research Reporting Guidelines advised using the wordprocessors. Disseminating Research : To make the research outcomes reach maximum numbers of stake holders proper planning for printing, mailing and/or posting on community forums plus translation is required . Making research results accessible to various audiences through website, Research Portfolio, Newsletter, and other Community reports is now a common practice. Presenting research at Conferences/ Seminars and thus making findings known to users should be planned. Events happening across the globe on the theme of research can be found out easily today through Internet. Bibliography : Web pages, as with journal articles, books, encyclopedias and other material consulted while researching , need to be properly cited in a bibliography, a reference list or a list of works cited. There are a lot of Citation Style Guides online which provide more information on citation. Thus , there are some innovative tools available today that support researchers in the entire research process i.e. researcher can get help to Search intelligently, assess the quality of search results, help in recording, organizing and producing information using online notecards , and also help in formatting the bibliography in MLA, APA, or Chicago/Turabian whichever style that is required. Bibliographic information of this paper: STÉPHAN VINCENT-LANCRIN , What is Changing in Academic Research? Trends and Futures Scenarios , European Journal of Education, Volume    41 ,   Issue    2 , Pages169   Ã‚   202 © 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation  © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd Aitken, Wendy (2007).    Use of Web in Tertiary Research and Education.    Webology, 4(2), Article 42. Available at: http://www.webology.ir/2007/v4n2/a42.html accessed on 15/3/2010 http://www.weblens.org/scholar.html accessed on 29.4.2010 Handbook of Research on Web 2.0, 3.0, and X.0: Technologies, Business, and Social Applications, San Murugesan (Editor) http://www.igi-global.com/reference/details.asp?id=34850, Information Science Research, Hershey New York, October 2009, ISBN 978-1-60566-384-5 Understanding Web 2.0, San Murugesan, IEEE IT Professional, 2007, http://www.computer.org/portal/web/buildyourcareer/fa009 Use the Web to Find Research Paper Topics, Wendy Boswell, About.com Guide, accessed on 12/03/2010 Roberts, Kathryn A. Wilson, Richard W. (2002). ICT and the Research Process: Issues Around the Compatibility of Technology with Qualitative Data Analysis [52 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 3(2), Art. 23, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0202234. Vaccaro, F. Veloso, S. Brusoni, The Impact of Virtual Technologies on Organizational Knowledge Creation: An Empirical Study, hicss, pp.352, Proceedings of the 41st Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2008), 2008 Andreas Hotho,Robert Jà ¤schke,Christoph Schmitz,Gerd Stumme, Information Retrieval in Folksonomies: Search and Ranking, Link http://www.springerlink.com/content/R8313654K80V7231 , accessed on 20.6.2010

Corporate Sponsorship Essay

Although ephemeral, our high school years are the most important. Our grades and education can determine what colleges accept us, and sports scholarships can also play a major role. However, if schools don’t have the necessary funding to support students education and sporting programs, it poses a major problem for college acceptance. High school Corporate sponsorship solves this unnecessary conflict. Corporate sponsors give funding to improve school and sports facilities. Admittedly, some people are concerned that corporate funding may defile students education through biased material. This concern is grandly grotesque for corporate funding does not interfere with students education, but in fact offers them a better education through up-date-materials and facilities. High school corporate sponsorships have a variety of positive effects on high school students education and sports opportunities. With sporting brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor, schools are given funding for uniforms, new fields, gyms, and other sports facilities. This helps better sporting programs, making it more likely for students to be offered sports scholarships for college. Also certain advertising companies offer schools funding for new materials like textbooks, computers, iPads, and smart boards, in return for advertisement. These new and up-to-date materials help improve students education and interests them in what being taught. Also this school funding limits budget and teacher cuts, allowing for smaller class sizes and extracurricular programs like art and music. These changes offer students a well rounded education which many colleges are interested in. Being a high school student, I offer an empirical opinion that having funding for sports gives me a better opportunity to succeed and having up-to-date school materials keeps me interested in learning and I often pay more attention in class. Although corporate sponsorship offers many great opportunities, some gibe at the thought. A small percentage of people are concerned that corporate sponsorship may interfere with students learning, stating that the corporation may include biased material in the books they’re funding for, ergo polluting students education with false material. However, these  concerns are chaff, and I elucidate that there is no need for concern. Corporate sponsors have little influence in educational information, but in fact make educational information more current and available through their funding. Corporate sponsors can impact students nation and worldwide with the funding opportunities they offer. Many remain uneducated about its positive effects and how largely this could impact students like me. High school student have a better chance at a brighter future if only we were given the opportunity to succeed, and that involves the right facilities; the answer is corporate sponsorship.

The Fight Against Advertisement Analysis Essay Topics

The Fight Against Advertisement Analysis Essay Topics Advertisement Analysis Essay Topics - What Is It? Remember you have to compose an essay. The essay isn't the simplest task to master. All things considered, a process analysis essay isn't difficult to write as long because you can communicate clearly and concisely to your readers and stick to the fundamental guidelines. It is a kind of essay that tries to explain how something can be done. Most the topics utilized for writing process essays are associated with academics. There are two kinds of process essays. There are several sorts of expository essays, and each one among them has its particular purpose and tone. Browsing our essay writing samples can provide you a good idea whether the standard of our essays is the quality you're looking for. Allow the professional academic writers help to your informative paper! There are a few well-known topics for such essays that just about all students like. If they want to write an elaborate essay, they should conduct a proper research and perform the process themselves before actually explaining it to the reader. Therefore, many students and employees decide to get inexpensive essay rather than writing it themselves. The Argument About Advertisement Analysis Essay Topics You've already done a good deal of reading and lots of writing in your life. It is possible to even locate a funny method to teach your readers how to modify their settings. The reader might have a difficult time to decipher what you're attempting to say. Your readers may be searching for techniques to have a professional website ready to go whenever possible. It is possible to create a process analysis essay on the best way to make the ideal potatoes pie. When writing a good and easy process analysis ess ay, it's wise to remember that you're presenting to your readers procedural, step-by-step details about anything. Before learning how to compose a process essay of A level, it is important to define the expression. The process essays are usually written for companies or people who need tutorials. A methodical strategy is required to compose a process essay. If you wish to increase your essay-writing abilities, produce an outline which will help you not to omit any important info or idea. The tools have to be readily available to the audience or can readily be improvised. Finally, it's important to pick topics that one feels comfortable to write on so you can do justice to them. It is probably that an individual may not locate a specific topic interesting which others might. Simply give your reader a last statement on what you've been discussing so they can put off your article and be content with what they have read. Needless to say, the content and data might be different, based on the sort of the essay. You should select a topic that fulfills your instructor's guidelines and such that may grab the reader's interest. The topic shouldn't be overused as the readers may get bored and choose not to read it in any way. Always choose a topic you could comfortably write about. Opt for a subject, which you're well versed. In case the topic is absolutely free, that usually means you own a privilege. It should be relevant to a certain group of people. The reader might not have the slightest idea about how to begin the procedure and so, by leaving out some information, you deny them a chance to learn. The conclusion should offer fundamental information regarding the procedure and permit the reader is aware of what they will learn after they are done reading. Consider a variety of competencies that the audience ought to have to be able to execute the procedure or understand the way the process that you're explaining works. There isn't any particular order or rules on how best to compose a process analysis essay outline. There's no need to incorporate any background in the procedure breakdown essay. After you choose the procedure you need to concentrate on, you then need to earn a list of steps necessary to attain the aims of the activity. The main objective is to describe various organizational patterns. The more subdivided steps you've got, the larger risk for the reader to become confused. The reader has a better chance of understanding the instructions. In addition, do not forget to explain why he is to perform each step and what the overall purpose is. Moreover, it's important to alert the reader of what might fail and what can be done in order to prevent potential mistakes.

Taking a Look at Veganism - 629 Words

For this assignment, I volunteered at the Earthstock celebration on April 25th. Earthstock is a week long, campus-wide event that is used to educate students, alumni, and the general public about sustainable practices that help the environment. During the final Earthstock celebration, exhibitors from many different organizations, such as EmPower Solar and Vegan Outreach, set up tables displaying information regarding healthy lifestyle practices, alternative diets, and sustainable forms of energy. For this event, I was unfortunately assigned the task of helping other student volunteers and exhibitors check in and set up their tables. However, after volunteering, I was able to observe and learn about many of the organizations that had attended the event. One of the most notable parts of Earthstock for me was the reciting of the Green Pledge. Just by reciting the pledge, I realized that there were many other ways to promote environmental sustainability other than just recycling. For example, by registering to vote you are helping the environment because it gives you a say in environmental policy decisions. I learned about groups such as Pride Patrol, and I learned about the impacts that certain events, such as Recyclemania, have on our campus and the environment as a whole. Another notable moment for me was learning about the benefits of a vegan diet from the Vegan Outreach organization. I learned more about the horrors that occur in slaughterhouses and poultry farms, and IShow MoreRelatedThe On The Vegan Society1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vegan Society may have come into the picture 70 years ago, consequently veganism has been around much longer. There is evidence that dates as far as 2,000 years of people choosing to avoid animal products. Veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism, and though the term was brought to life in 1944, the concept of animal free eating can be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies. Researcher have looked back as early as 500 BCE, the Greek philosopher and mathematicianRead MoreThe Effects Of Food On Food And The Processed Materials Essay1313 Words   |  6 Pagesroute of veganism. Due to religious reasons, people who honor Hinduism do no partake in eating meat. Others give up certain foods rich in animal fat due to their declining health, and some do not have access to expensive meats and animal products due to their financial status or location. These restrictions all have direct reasons that are tangible. Values and statistics of weight, money, blood pressure etc. alone could support the argument for these dietary restrictions. One reason for veganism, howeverRead MoreVeganism And Vegetarianism, By Tzachi Zamir939 Words   |  4 PagesIn Veganism written by Tzachi Zamir digests the complexity of Veganism and Vegetarianism. He expresses the different perspectives through five arguments that argue for either Veganism or Vegetarianism. The first part of his argument simply paints the picture for the reader to understand the relationship between animals and humans and the dynamic of the relationship. The second and third arguments are similar because they dissects the ideal of humans choosing the fate of an animal. Zamir researchRead MoreThe Effects Of Food And Related Processed Materials1383 Words   |  6 Pagesextreme route of Veganism. People who honor Hinduism do not partake in eating meat. Others give up certain foods rich in animal fat due to their declining health, and some do not have access to expensive meats and animal products due to their financial status or location. These restrictions all have direct reasons that are tangible. Statistics comprised of weight values, money, blood pressure etc. alone could support the argument for these dietary restrictions. One reason for Veganism, however, bafflesRead MoreDescription Of A Vegetarian On The Vegan Zone Essay1474 Words   |  6 PagesTOPIC: Veganism TITLE: Life in the Vegan Zone GENERAL PURPOSE: To inform SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience about what it means to be a vegan THESIS: To inform my audience that veganism cannot be simply distinguished through one single characterization, it is a dietary choice, a belief, a compassion that is a catalyst for one’s self, animals and even the environment. I. INTRODUCTION i. A vegan in the U.S. saves 198 animals per year from cruelty, however, that is a very small number comparedRead MoreThe Shattered Into Pieces : Veganism934 Words   |  4 PagesShattered into Pieces: Veganism After having my heart shattered into pieces and taken out of my body. I finally decided it was time for me to get up. I couldn’t let this break up get the best of me. So in order to get my mind off the heartache, I decided that I needed to take this break up as a new beginning in which I would focus on myself and my goals. One of my goals was always to be able to get toned and build some muscle mass. In order to achieve this, I needed to learn how to meal prep sinceRead MoreAnimal Vegetable Miserable Essay982 Words   |  4 Pagesand conscience are something we learn, and can be programmed or reprogrammed at will. During his article, Steiner bemoans the social difficulties of committing to veganism. He claims to have only 5 vegan friends and that â€Å"he has lost more friends than this over arguments about animal ethics† (847). This might be in part because veganism is far more radical than Steiner may realize. The human race have been omnivores since we developed as a distinct species. Steiner is fighting a way of life ingrainedRead MoreChoosing Life Over Death, Kindness Over Killing Essay1059 Words   |  5 Pagesthese decisions, they all have ethical implications for which we are accountable. My decision is veganism. In recent times the popularity of veganism has risen greatly, but so has the negative views surrounding it. In the articles ‘Do animal lovers need to be vegan?’ (Telegraph UK, Peter Wedderburn, 11 Aug 2015) and ‘Meat is more than just dead animals’ (Peter Schaller, Feb 14, 2015), the concept of veganism is discussed in regards to compassion. In this article I will discuss the three reasons why IRead MoreKara Manolovitz. Mrs. Fingarson. English 11. 10 March,1741 Words   |  7 PagesJunior Research Paper: Pro Veganism Did you know that per calorie, broccoli has more protein than beef? It has about 4.5 grams per 30 calories and unlike beef, broccoli is also packed with amino acids, fiber, and vitamin B6 that improves your mood. This fact stumps the argument that while being vegan you do not get enough protein, but are in fact getting valuable nutrients. Broccoli is one of the many vegetables that is packed with many kinds of nutrients. Through veganism there are so many more optionsRead MoreA Healthier Diet Style, A Better Choice For You3059 Words   |  13 PagesYen Lu Ruby Fowler Eng. 102 - 1049 4th Dec., 2014 Veganism: A Healthier Diet Style, a Better Choice for You Everyone in this world eats a variety of foods every day. Some eat this; some eat that. Some consume meat, while some do not. Different foods provide different nutrients. Some foods don’t have any nutrients in them at all, and they are just harmful for one’s health. One should considers a vegan diet because it not only reduces the risks of some cancers and diseases, but it also provides other