Researching the Background Literature for Any Project

Background research refers to the process that a writer uses to gain knowledge about a topic she does not know about, or much about. In our digital world, all writers, whether they are students or professionals, have or can gain access to previously published and unpublished information about just about anything. The role of the science writer is to sort through the noise and summarize information for people who dont have that luxury, but practicing that technique can be helpful to anyone planning a future in a scientific discipline. Background research is the first step of all good scientific studies, including archaeological investigations, used as an example here. There are three main sources of information available to people who are writing research papers today: internet sources, brick and mortar libraries and museums, and people. Wikipedia, Science Blogs and News Reports These days, Wikipedia is a reasonable starting place for general background information, but there are other starting points that you may find more useful and reliable, such as science blogs and news reports. Be cautious and find out enough information about the news outlet or blog writer so that you can be confident of that reliability—is the blog writers biography available and is that person qualified; do they cite scholarly references in their articles; is the tone of their blog sensible and balanced. And wherever you start, dont stop there. The problem with those types of resources, is they are not peer-reviewed. The peer-review process requires that before a scientific paper is published, it is reviewed by one or more experts for its validity. The process has its faults: but science changes very slowly, and what a researcher believes in her heart today may be disproven tomorrow. What scientists get published in peer-reviewed articles are far more conservative, by and large, than what they say to a news reporter, in their classes, or in their own blogs. To create a balanced research report of your own, you need both types of information: What do the partisans believe about the findings right now, and what do other sources say about it. Finding Peer-Reviewed Literature How do you gain access to peer-reviewed literature? A lot of academic papers are locked up by the publishers with exorbitant prices for downloading a single article—US$25-40 is common. If you are a college student, you should have access to the electronic resources in the university library, which will include free access to that catalog. If you are a high school student or independent scholar, you may still be able to have use of the library; go talk to the library administration and ask them what is available for you. Once youve logged on to the university library, where do you try out your topic keywords? Of course, you can try the university catalog: but sometimes a less-structured approach works better. While Google Scholar is excellent, it returns results from a wide variety of disciplines. So, for example, if you are researching the term seasonality in Google Scholar, you find information about the stock market and tourism and atmospheric circulations. You can add additional keywords to narrow down your search such as domestication or archaeology, but you can also turn to specialized article databases in your subject area. On the Internet: Specialized Article Databases Specialized article databases are typically assembled by people who are experts in those fields and part of discipline-based societies. For archaeologists, some good anthropology-based databases include Anthropology Plus, AnthroSource, and the Annual Review of Anthropology, which has assembled bibliographic essays on discipline-specific topics. Other fields have the same sorts of databases, just search for article databases and add a keyword for your field of endeavor. The Annual Reviews collection has a treasure-trove of peer-reviewed syntheses of topics in all scientific disciplines, from Analytical Chemistry to Vision Science. There are many others that you may have access to at the university library, or available via your laptop for a yearly or monthly subscription. JSTOR is a subscription-based repository for hundreds of back-catalog journals; Lexis-Nexis has been a tool for news reporters seeking information on individuals for over 30 years; and there are many publisher-specific sources such as Elseviers Science Direct, Wileys Science Solutions, and Taylor Francis Online. Brick and Mortar: Society Museums and Libraries Another great source for information for background research is topic-specific libraries and museums. Chances are the local university has a Chemistry or Geography library; you may also find public science venues, such as local historical or genealogical societies. These libraries have selected the most important research books and journals in that field, and you might also find books and memoirs of local residents involved in the studies that dont make it into the top searches of Google. Best of all, you may well find a librarian with a voluminous memory. Sadly, many of the public societies are shutting their facilities because of budget cuts—so if you still have one, be sure to visit this fast-disappearing resource. State Offices Many states and provinces have governmental offices where information concerning local aspects of scientific research are stored. State level offices include Natural Resources, History, Archaeology, and Environmental offices. All of these include information that is available to professionals for assistance with their research and might be available to you even if you are not a professional. For example, if you are a working archaeologist in a particular state, you can almost certainly obtain access to the records, articles, reports, artifact collections, and maps kept at the State Archaeologist office; but these are not always open to the general public. It wont hurt to ask, and many of the records will be open to students. The University of Iowa maintains a list of National Association of State Archaeologist Offices. People: Oral History Interviews One often overlooked area of background research is the oral history interview. Find people who know about your topic and go talk to them. By all means, do your background research on the subject before you reach out to your potential contacts. Dont expect them to simply tell you all you need to know about a particular subject: come with some knowledge about the subject and be ready with some pertinent questions. To find people, use your local university again, and see if there is someone in the anthropology (or other) department who knows about or has studied your topic. Reach out to the librarian at the topic library and see if they know of a friendly resource you might chat with. For an archaeological research paper, amateur archaeologists and historians may be excellent sources of information, as might retired archaeologists who have conducted work on a site. Members of the general public who live in the area and long-time museum directors may recall when investigations took place. If you dont have access to the university, use Google Scholar to identify recent research, and then using email, approach the authors for insight.   Who knows? An interview might be the capstone making your research paper the best it can be.

Taking a Look at Capital Punishment - 606 Words

Would you rather want the murderer of your loved one to have a capital punishment or do you want them to spend their entire life in a prison cell? That question raises a lot of controversy to the public because of the capital punishment. To prevent criminals from killing they are given a capital punishment who has committed horrendous crimes to satisfy oneself, but many people think that criminals shouldnt be given death penalty because it decreases the value of life. In the article â€Å"Death and Justice† Published in New Public in 1985 by Edward I. Koch, who has been a member of congress and later elected as mayor in New York City, he explains how the capital punishment is right and how it can bring justice to the people. He wrote this article to the readers and opposition voters of the new public, who was against capital punishment. He used the opposition argument and convinced his audience by using Ethos, Logos and Pathos to support his argument. Koch supports his argument by using his experience as credibility, to convey his reader and gaining his readers trust. He stated in his Article Death and Justice â€Å"During my twenty two years in public service, I have heard the pros and cons of capital punishment expressed with special intensity†¦ I support the death penalty for heinous crimes of murder†¦.i have sometimes been subject to emotional outrage attacks by the voters †¦. I still support the death penalty† (P.320). Koch explains that he is someone you can trust and he isShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Capital Punishment1003 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is a topic highly debated upon. For years the court systems have been debating whether the criminals deserve this strict punishment or not. However, despite the verdict from the judge, people have still been divided on whether capital punishment does more harm than good. A major subject that comes up is if the government has a justifiable reason for killing convicted people. Some only look at the negative but there are plenty of reasons why this is a positive action. Capital punishmentRead MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment677 Words   |  3 Pagesdeath penalty for alleged criminals in the United States needs to change because there is an unacceptable number of posthumous exonerations, and a negative generational impact on the family of the accused. The death penalty is a common method of capital punishment in the United States, used mainly for serious crimes such as murder. Currently, there are five different authorized methods of execution in this country: hanging, electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad, and lethal injection. Of these five,Read MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment1004 Words   |  4 PagesFurman had four main arguments: most western nations had abolished capital punishment because it was an unsuccessful way to deter crime; juries only handed out about 100 death penalties each year, and only about 50 prisoners were sentenced to death so capital punishment was not being issued objectively; national prison records stated that executions almost always involved black prisoners; and the only reason why capital punishment had not been abolished in the United States is because legislaturesRead MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment1080 Words   |  4 Pages Since 1608, legal systems have used capital punishment as justice. â€Å"As of November 2014, 32 states have the death penalty. There have been a total of 1348 executions from January 1977 to the end of 2014† (capitalpunishmentuk). The capital punishment only affects those who sentenced in the crime of rape or murder. The most popular death method is lethal injection. There are other options such as â€Å"electrocution, hanging, shooting, and the gas chamber† (capitalpunishmentuk) but theses alternativeRead MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment2178 Words   |  9 PagesCapital punishment also known as the death penalty is a sentence which requires the use of deadly force on high risk inmates. This form of punishment has become a controversial topic for many debates. 58 nations are currently using capital punishment in their justice systems, 97 countries have decided to abolish it completely. Canada decided to abolish capital punishment from the Canadian Criminal Cod e in 1976, and many argue whether the abolishment had any positive outcome on Canada’s justice systemRead MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment764 Words   |  3 PagesDeath penalty is also known as capital punishment. Capital Punishment is a penalty of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. The death penalty was established in America in 1608. The British influenced America to use the death sentence. The first recorded practice of the death penalty in America was to Caption George Kendall in Virginia, he was found guilty of being a spy for Spain. However, the death penalty came long before Captain George Kendall. The first establishedRead MoreCessation of Life: Who are we to choose?- A look into the Death Penalty686 Words   |  3 Pages The topic of capital punishment is a hot one. Human beings are capable of doing some monstrous things. For a victim of a heinous crime, sometimes the only justice seems to be an eye for an eye. And most of the time those victims look to our court systems to provide that justice. But is death the answer? I believe that with human fallibility and the fallibility of our court system as variables, that a sentence that cannot be overturned should not be passed down in any case, especially when thatRead MoreA Hanging By George Orwell1141 Words   |  5 Pagesconvey his argument against capital punishment. Orwell as an officer of the law is sworn to enforce the laws of the state, even if he disagrees with them morally. Orwell wrote â€Å"A Hanging† using an event he acted in to describe his point on why capital punishment is a crime against nature. Although as a police man he could not oppose the law, his story â€Å"A Hanging†, Orwell shows his opposition through many s ymbolic forms. Like Orwell I too am against capital punishment, by writing â€Å"A Hanging† GeorgeRead More Capital Punishment Essay - Justice in Retribution1470 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment: Justice in Retribution       The American government operates in the fashion of an indirect democracy. Citizens live under a social contract whereby individuals agree to forfeit certain rights for the good of the whole. Punishments for crimes against the state are carried out via due process, guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. The use of capital punishment is decided by the state, which is legal in thirty-seven states. It is a moral imperative to protect the states rightsRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is The Punishment Of Execution1247 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is the death penalty? The death penalty is the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. In the reading selection â€Å"The DEATH PENALTY in AMERICA† Bedau says that â€Å"The history of the death penalty in America can be useful if roughly divided into six epochs of very uneven duration and importance (3)†.The author is saying that the history of the death penalty can be usefully if it is separate into different time period. The author says â€Å"first, from the

The Impact of the Iran Hostage Crisis free essay sample

Before one examines the impact of the Iran hostage, it is prudent that one understands the genesis of the conflict. Iran had always viewed America has an ally; as Britain and German had colonized countries. America thus seemed neutral in the eyes of Iranians. The conflict between Iran and America arose from oil. During that epoch, America and Britain control a large reserve of Irans oil. In 1951, the newly elected prime minister in Iran; Mohammed Mossadegh, had only one message; nationalize oil. This proposition was not favorable to America and Britain as nationalization was a communist agenda; at the of the cold war this was not acceptable. The American Cia conspired with the British Intelligence to oust Mohammed through a coup. After the successful coup, they replaced him with Shah; a descendant of the royal family. Shah managed to return the status quo. The successful coup marked an important precedent in America; they tried the same tactic in Cuba that failed in 1961 (Watson, 2006). Iranians were not pleased with Shahs style of leadership. They did not appreciate Americas involvement in their affairs. Shah was corrupt and ruthless. During his reign he established a police force, SAVAK that tortured and killed any dissenting voice. The Iranian government further spent billions of dollars in the purchase of American made weapons. The leadership was presumed to be in cohorts with America to the detriment of Iranians. In the eve of 1977, with full knowledge of the atrocities committed by Shah, President Carter referred to Shah as the island of stability in the Middle East (Watson, 2006). Iranians had enough and a revolution ensued. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini’s arrival in Iran, after two years in exile signified the downfall of Shah. In a meeting, in America President Carter choices were difficult. His advisors informed him that he could either; support Shahs regime and oppress the revolution or contact a revolutionist and ensure a smooth transition of government. He chose none of the options. Shah was ousted and escaped to Egypt in exile. He became ill and requested permission from President Carter to seek treatment in America. The President was relentless but after consultation with vice president Walter Mondale, he allowed Shah to get into America (Watson, 2006). This aspect was the genesis of the Iran hostage situation and the beginning of hostilities between America and Iran. The Impact of the Iran Hostage Saga The hostages were held in captivity in Iran for over 440 days and were released on the date Ronald Reagan was being sworn in as the president. The situation took a political angle when the revolutionary government of Iran supported the students. Ayatollah Khomeini seized the opportunity to build his support base by supporting the students. To America the message portrayed was that the whole Iranian nation plus its government hated the American people. Before the crisis, the relation between the two countries was cordial. America had invested in Iran, and had thousands of Americans residing in Iran. The crisis ended this cordial relationship. Irans attempt to lessen the hostility is seen in its act to releasing the hostages on the date the President Reagan was being sworn in (Watson, 2006). The significance of this act was to inform America plus the government that they only had an issue with Carter leadership. The release of the hostages was a conciliatory message aimed at cementing peaceful relations between the two countries. The new American regime plus the American public saw it differently; they believed that the matter was already long overdue, and Iran was facing economic hardship because of the sanctions. Release of the hostages was the plausible option for Iran (Kenneth, 2004). The relationship between the two drifted even greater. Both countries viewed each other as an enemy. America knew that, with its superior military and economic power, they would retaliate with force and that Iran was afraid of that. On the other hand, Iran knew that, without hostages, they had no power over America (Kenneth, 2004). What followed after the release of the hostages, were bloody confrontations between the two. Iran’s Attack on America During the hostage crisis, the Iranians had studied America. They observed the obsession the American had with their media, and the power the media had in changing the countrys policy. During the Vietnam War, the power of the media was revealed yet again. Iran, through their Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp, trained Hezbollah militia to attack Americans. The militia launched their attack on an American base in Beirut killing more than 200 American personnel. President Reagan ordered a withdrawal of troops from Lebanon immediately. Later on Iran, through Hezbollah again managed to kidnap more Americans. Among the kidnapped was a CIA officer, William Francis Buckley (Watson, 2006). He was tortured in captivity and later died. Iran used the hostages to broker a deal between it and America. For the exchange of hostages; America was to sell weapons to Iran. The transaction was done through Israel. America strengthened Iran by attacking Iraq twice. Iraq under Sadam Hussein was Irans worst enemy. During that period, Sadam boasted one of the largest armies in the world. The ousting, trial and execution of Sadam left a power vacuum in the Middle East; Iran gladly filled the slot. It managed to use the position to strengthen its influence in the Middle East as the super power. In 2003, they were accused of enriching Uranium m for purposes of building a nuclear weapon. This showcases the growth of Iran to a super power in Middle East. During the second Iraq war, America faced a rise in insurgence. After investigation, they established that Iran was training and arming the insurgents. America’s Attack on Iran America began attacking Iran during the hostage crisis period. They imposed sanctions on Iran and froze the countries assets. During Clinton’s administration, they imposed a trade Embargo on Iran. All American companies were banned from trading with Iran. In the case of United States vs. Banki an American Citizen was convicted for violating this law. In 1980 during the war between Iran and Iraq, America first chose to remain neutral. Henry Kissinger opined that it was a shame that both parties could not lose (Watson, 2006). America became involve in war through the support they gave to Iraq. The strengthen sanctions against Iran while gave support to Iraq. In 1988, America launched an attack on Iran. The attack was one of the largest naval attacks ever deployed by America since the Second World War. During the same year, a U. S naval ship gunned down an Iranian airbus that was carrying Iranian passengers; killing all of them. In 1998 during Clintons administration, they put a trade embargo on Iran (Watson, 2006). Since 2003, when America revealed that Iran was enriching Uranium for purposes of creating a nuclear bomb; the United States of America has been spying on Iran through drones. America has imposed more sanctions on Iranians financial institutions. They have carried out covert operations against Iranians a number of times (Nick, 2009). It is clear that, the once cordial relationship between America and Iran has evolved into a hostile relationship between the two. Many have been killed as a result of their actions. It does not seem that there is ever going to be a solution on this matter. Towards Reconciliation Ever since Shah was ousted from power, the American and Iranian regimes have never seen eye to eye. Once Ronald Reagan ascended into power, he did not seek reconciliation. The trend has been carried on by George Bush senior to George Bush Junior. When Clinton was in power, he assented into law the Iran sanctions act. George Bush referred to the nation of Iran as the axis of evil. Khatamis government was the closest thing to arriving at a consensus between the two, but the Bush administration passes the opportunity. There seems to be hope since Obama assumed office. It is clear that President Obama is opening talks. His strategy for Iran is referred to as engagement policy. He opines that instead of viewing Iran as a problem; it is best you engage him in finding a solution. Obama is under considerable pressure from the public. Americans still prefer sanctions over dialogue as it has proven it works with Iran (Meir, 2012). On the other hand Ahmadinejad, although under criticism from part of his nationals, a majority of Iranians still do not trust America. Ahmadinejad is cautious with the Obama proposal. He sees the move as a public relations move by America to absolve them of any fault. This is to the extent that if Iran does not agree to Obamas terms, then, America is justified in issuing stricter sanctions (Nick, 2009) The hostility between America and Iran can best be tackled through dialogue. Sanctions will only hurt the common man in Iran. Dealing with Iran can be a problem especially and vice versa. As much as this is the case, Brazil and Turkey are two countries that understand Iran. In fact, it was Turkey that sought to broker a deal between Khatamis regime and Bushs regime (Hoomad, 2012). The countries should be utilized in ending the hostilities. It is time America and Iran refuse to be prisoners of the past.

Relationship between indirect and physical aggression on television and in real life

This research paper is holistic and covers the researched topic in great detail. The authors conducted an extensive literature review as evidenced by the references. The research methodology used was appropriate. The results are conclusive and suitable inferences can be drawn from them.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Relationship between indirect and physical aggression on television and in real life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The research was conducted by Tiffany Slotsve, Alex del Carman, (lectures at Texas University), Mary Sarver Rita Watkins (lectures at Sam Houston state university).The principle aim of conducting this research was to scrutinize people’s self reported exposure and perception to television violence and their perceived behavior. The title of the article reflects the subject matter. The author stipulates that it is a retrospective study. This is a type of longitudinal analysis t hat looks backwards asking subjects to recall events that happened earlier in their lives. The authors effectively researches on this subject. An alternative title would be; television violence, its harmful effect on children. The writer of the article tries to explain the effect of television violence on children. The writers relate the relationship between television violence and behaviors. The literature is thorough and offers an extensive background effect of television violence on children. The writers demonstrate that viewing aggressive videos, films, rock music and even internet affect the behavior of children. This research will help recognize how common and harmful television violence can be among adolescents. The research also enlightens the reader on how television violence influences some individuals to act in a certain way. A sample size of 130 students was used. This was considered 95% accurate in providing a relationship between exposure to television and perceived be havior. This sample was sufficient enough to ensure a 0∙005 level of confidence.Advertising Looking for article on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this study, non-probability method was used. This was due to constriction on time and resources. Power sampling was used to determine the sample size required. A survey was carried out to measure students’ perception on television aggression and their perceived behavior. The students were asked to answer questions relating to their past when they were young (ages 5 to 15 years), question relating to the present time and on demographical information. The survey instrument consisted of 39 questions within three sections -nominal, ordinal and interval data. Ethical considerations are not mentioned. The researchers do not state whether they sort consent from either the head of the school, the parents or even the students. The researchers conclude that there i s a relationship between viewing aggression on television and perceived behavior .Behavior is defined as either positive (not meant to be harmful to others such as extreme sports) or negative aggression (behavior that harms others such as hurting animals and crime). This suggest that a person exposed to aggressive television as a child is likely to participate in extreme sports(positive aggression).The researchers also concluded that a person who watches television violence is also likely to get into trouble at school (negative aggression) The researchers conclusion were justified .This is due to the extensive research that they carried out. These research findings can be trusted because they were carried out by a team of experts. Adequate sampling was done and the data collected was effectively analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used as an effective means of summarizing the degree to which values of two variab les relate to each other. Reference Slotsve,T.; Carmen, A.; Sarver, M.(2008). Television violence and aggression: a Retrospective study. Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 5(1). pp. 22-49.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Relationship between indirect and physical aggression on television and in real life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This article on Relationship between indirect and physical aggression on television and in real life was written and submitted by user Tessa Mercer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Research on Terrorism Before and After the September 11, 2001 Attacks

A Research on Terrorism Before and After the September 11, 2001 Attacks Abstract The events of September 11, 2001 undoubtedly forever changed the perception of terrorism among Americans. This paper explores the significant changes that occurred with regard to terrorism following the events of 9/11.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on A Research on Terrorism Before and After the September 11, 2001 Attacks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A brief introduction to terrorism and the various forms of terrorism that have been practiced through the years will provide a rich backdrop from which the discussion on the characteristics of terrorism before and after 9/11 will be discussed. By focusing on the differences between the pre and post 9/11 terrorism activities, the new features that emerged following the actions that were precipitated by 9/11 will be discussed. As such, the paper will highlight the role that 9/11 played in necessitating this changes. An elaborate discussion following th e facts advances that while there have been gains from the war on terror, an overemphasis on the military approach to dealing with the problem may lead to an indefinite end to the war. Introduction While acts of terrorism are as old as human civilization and the United States has always been prone to the nefarious actions of terrorists, the horrific events of 11th September 2001 (9/11) brought home the painful reality to Americans of the capability of terrorist attacks to disrupt society life. Terrorists had achieved the unthinkable on the very soils of America causing massive losses of life and property. On that tragic day, the Al-Qaida terrorist group who are sworn enemies of the Western civilization in general and the United States in particular proved that they did not just trade empty words but were capable of striking on American soil with devastating results. From that day onwards, modern day terrorism emerged as the most perilous global problem and nations in the world are s till struggling to end this vice for the safety and freedom of humanity. Gearson (2002) documents that this new age of terrorism is characterized by fanaticism and religiously motivated groups which are equipped with weapons of mass destruction and ready to use them to achieve their ends.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In light of the change in our perception of terrorisms as a result of the events of September 11 and the raising impact of religious fanatics who are quoted many a times declaring death and destruction to the USA and all her allies, it would be a worthwhile endeavor to perform a critical analysis of terrorism. To this end, this paper shall set out to perform an in-depth analysis of terrorism with reference to September 11. The paper shall begin by giving a brief introduction to terrorism and proceed to highlight the various types of terroris m in existence. The paper shall then access terrorism activities prior to the 2001 World Trade Center bombing and how terrorism organizations and counterterrorism efforts have reinvented themselves after the events of 9-11. A brief Introduction to Terrorism As at the present, there is no universally acceptable definition of â€Å"terrorism† and each nation or organization prefers to use its own definition. This lack of a unified description springs from the fact that what may pass as â€Å"terrorism† for one party may be legitimate use of violence by another. However, terrorism is generally defined as the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change† (Hoffman, 2006). The political angle sets apart terrorism from other kinds of crimes and as Hoffman (2006) insists, one should distinguish terrorists from other types of criminals since most terrorism organizations have a deeper ideology an d higher motives that common criminals or irregular fighters. While the evils of terrorism are undeniable to all, Gearson (2002) asserts that defining a person or a group as terrorists implies a moral judgment which varies depending on the position from which it is being taken from. While there exist many motivations for terrorism, most terrorism activities are driven by politics. This statement is reinforced by the fact that throughout history, terrorism has been the preferred tool by revolutionaries, nationalists and in some cases even governments who want to maintain state power. In general, terrorist organizations engage in unconventional styled warfare since they lack the capacities or capabilities to engage in conventional warfare as a state/nation can (Kendall, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on A Research on Terrorism Before and After the September 11, 2001 Attacks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the fact that a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 denounced terrorism as endangering and taking innocent human lives and jeopardizing fundamental freedoms, most of the early terrorism organizations sprout forth from the strong anti-colonialism sentiments expressed by the people (Walter 2004). As such, the organizations did not view themselves as anti-democratic movements which endangered the lives of people but instead, the movements purported to safeguard their people from some oppression. Historically, freedom fighters have adopted terrorist tactics at times to advance their cause. The relationship between terrorism and colonialism was therefore very strong from the earlier years since the international law did not make an exception for a just causes as justification for terrorist activities. A good example of a liberation movement that gained terrorism status is the Hezbollah group which traces its roots to the long standing crises of the Shiite community in the post independence Lebanon. Hamzeh (2004) notes that the main reason for the emergence of Hezbollah as a potent fighting apparatus was the invasion of Lebanon by Israeli troops whose aim was to destabilize the Palestinian Liberation Organizations operations in Lebanon. Israels invasion led to the legitimization of Hezbollah as a militant movement group which engaged in guerrilla warfare against the foreign invaders. As such, Hezbollah emerged in the 1982 as a Shiite Muslims organization in the Lebanese whose aim was to fight against foreign invasion as well as injustices to the Shia population n Lebanon. This type of political terrorism is still widely favored by groups which think that their pleas can only be heard if they engage in acts of violence. One of the defining characteristics of terrorists is that they seek maximum publicity. It is for this reason that most terror attacks are not aimed at military targets but rather at civilian population since the impact is felt greatest if a large audience is obtained (Gearson, 2002). The reason behind this is that most terrorist movements seek to make a statement and the best venue to do this is by atrocious means which are bound to catch the eye of the public. However, this notion of publicity has been questioned in recent years as a result of a rise in the number of unclaimed attacks in various regions of the world.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has brought about an even more disturbing theory as to the purpose of terrorist activities; to punish people or avenge the citizens of the offending nation. Brown (2003) asserts that theory may hold true for most of the modern terrorism groups which are mostly made up of brainwashed religious fanatics. Types of Terrorism While terrorism activities all have the key characteristic of imposing fear on the masses and rampant destruction of property or even lives, there exist some particular differences in the various forms of terrorisms practiced. A particularly potent form of terrorism in existence is the state sponsored form of terrorism. As the name suggests, this are terror activities which are funded and in most cases overseen by legitimate government. This of course goes contrary to popular misconception that all terrorism activities takes place independent of the involvement of governments. According to Wilkinson (2004), state funded terrorism is especially effective since i t grants the terrorist group some degree of organization, training and the finance with which to purchase weapons. It is worth pointing out that state funded terrorism can be committed on an internal basis against perceived enemies of the state or against foreign adversaries of the country who mostly exist in the international sphere. In both cases, the attraction of this form of terrorism is that the state cannot be held accountable for the actions of the terrorists since their direct involvement cannot be proven beyond doubt. While the end of the Cold war led to a dramatic decrease in the number of states using terrorism as a weapon of foreign and domestic policy, there still exist a number of countries (predominantly in the Middle East) that still extensively assist terrorist groups. Griset and Mahan (2003) declare that states favor the use of terrorism instead of conventional armies for strategic reasons. The most obvious reason is that modern warfare is extraordinarily expensiv e and is almost inevitably bound to provoke a counterattack. A states covert sponsorship of terrorism on the other hand is cheap and it gives the state a chance to deny its roles as an aggressor thus avoiding retaliation. As such, the relationship between the state and the terrorist organization which it sponsors is mutually beneficial since the terrorist can obtain surplus supply of finance to maintain its operation and expand its projects. Another unique form of terrorism is the transnational terrorism. Coolsaet (2008) defines transnational terrorism as the engagement in violent struggle by sub-state groups on an international level.† Such kinds of groups have been in existence since the early 1970s and the defining characteristic of such groups has been their presence in multiple countries and the attack of civilians in states other than their own. The globalization phenomenon which has led to n increased in the interaction between nations has been partly responsible for th e prevalence of transnational terrorism. Members of such organizations spend most of their time laying the groundwork for a long-term sustainable environment and they lead normal lives far from any connection with terrorist activities. They only become active once they are ordered to do so by their organization. Coolsaet (2008) further notes that what makes this form of terrorism so formidable is their ability to assimilate into the population which makes the operatives of the terrorism organizations all the more hard to detect. While the events of 9/11 may have given religious terrorism the notoriety with which it is viewed today, Brown (2003) notes that even before the tragedies of September 11, the role of religiously motivated international terrorism had become increasingly prevalent. Religious terrorism is earmarked as being especially dangerous to international security since those who engage themselves in this form or violence view it as a morally justified struggle of good a gainst evil. While indiscriminate attacks among the faithful of a particular religion or sect are virtually unheard of, Brown (2003) affirms that the exclusivity of the faith may lead religious terrorists to dehumanize victim’s even more than most terrorist groups†. While almost all major religions are involved in some form of religious terrorism, Islam stands out as being the one religion that has had a majority number of terrorism acts carried out in its name. The Ethnic form of terrorism is a form of violence carried out to with the aim of encouraging a â€Å"communal identity† that is contrary to the identity proposed by the government. The major differences between ethnic and ideological terrorism is that while ideological terrorism is strongly dependent on political factors like freedom and democracy, ethnic terrorism might be independent of this factors. Ethnic terrorism has one major goal which is to achieve freedom from a foreign or alien oppressor. This leads to the groups seeking out a unique identity through terrorist activities which are aimed at creating communal bonds that result from retaliation from the government or rival communities. Byman (1999) observes that most countries that have ethical terrorism tend to be ethically heterogeneous and have often experienced a particularly troubled development to democracy. At the extreme, ethnic terrorism results in creation of fear which leads to the voluntary emigration of other people who are not a part of the ethnic group therefore leading to ethnic homogenization. Another type of terrorism is the Lone-wolf terrorism which involves an individuals acts of violence as part of a revolutionary activity. This terrorism form borrows from the Russian anarchist theorist, Mikhail Bakunin who proposed that individuals or small groups of people should kill those who represented an oppressive form of social order. Reports by the Instituut voor Veiligheirds (2007) show that most Lone-wolf te rrorism cases in America are of a domestic nature and are carried out mostly by white supremacists and anti-abortion activists. However, the reports also acknowledge that in addition to lone-wolf terrorists being motivated by white supremacy, there also existed those whose primary motivations were Islamist fundamentalism and national-separatism. Perhaps one of the most effective lone-wolf terrorist of our time is Theodore Kacynski who ran an 8 year bombing campaign in America. His attacks resulted in public anxiety but despite this, the authoritys perception of the lone terrorist as a security risk remained fairly low in the years preceding 2001. Terrorism before 9/11 One of the most distinctive features of terrorism prior to 2001 was that until 9/11, most international acts of terrorism targeting U.S. interests took place outside of the country. Owing to this lack of significant attacks on U.S. soil, many people were under the illusion that the country was mostly exempt from this i nternational phenomenon that had wrecked havoc throughout the world. Scaperlanda Kane (2002) declare that these assumptions were naive since terrorism organizations had made known their desire to attack U.S. targets as a means of exploiting their own goals. In addition to this, before September 11, most of the terrorist acts had been perpetrated by use of bombs and against buildings. This Brown (2003) assets is the reason why analysts failed to anticipate the 9/11 attacks. Experts in the field of counterterrorism pointed to the declining number of attacks against airliners between the 1970s and the 1990s and from this fact, they deduced that the airline screening of passengers and increased security had all but removed the terrorism threat from the skies. Before the attacks on the World Trade centers, most major terrorist organizations had a form of leadership that governed the particular organization’s activities and finances. While most major terrorist groups before 9/11 w ere veiled in secrecy and their leadership structure unknown to the outside world for security reasons, research indicates that most of them e.g. Hezbollah, The Palestinian Liberation Organization, Al-Qaeda and the Tamer Tigers all had a clearly defined structure. Without doubt, terrorism organizations and in particular bin Ladens Al-Qaeda had been involved in terror attacks. Over the ten years prior to 9/11, Al-Qaeda had been credited with numerous attacks against US interests including the earlier attacks against the World Trade Center and the bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. However, the scales of these attacks were relatively small and they therefore did not elicit major action on the part of the government. Arguably one of the forms of terrorism that has faced a marked change from the pre 9/11 era to the post 9/11 years is the transnational terrorism. Prezelj (2008) argues that prior to 9/11, the Western world failed to recognize terrorism as a major internati onal security threat and as such, collective anti-terrorist response was unwarranted. In addition to this, the threat that transnational terrorism posed to Americans was by the end of the 20th century significantly lower than that posed by the same to European countries (Farer, 1999). Traditionally, political terrorism had in Europe and parts of Latin America facilitated transnational crimes. These transnational crimes were aimed at providing money, arms and equipment for terrorist activities. For this reasons, European and Latin American countries were wary of transnational terrorism. However, laxity in airport securities and lack of resources by intelligence units resulted in the terrorists operating across nations with little hindrance. Terrorism after 9/11 As this paper has suggested up to this point, the events of September 11 acted as a turning point of how the international community in general and the United States in particular perceived terrorism. The modes of operation of terrorist groups also changed so as to align themselves with the new challenges and opportunities that availed themselves as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Arguably the most significant change following the 911 attacks was that governments all over the world began viewing terrorist groups as a significance threat to world peace. Hoffman (2001) accentuates this point by illustrating that a month after the 9/11 attacks, when the infamous Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden appeared on a major international broadcast declaring war on the United States, the US government took his threats with a preternatural seriousness. This is unlike previous threats which had been disregarded as empty words. In addition to this, the Western World led by the USA decided to take a more proactive role in fighting terrorism. Previously, efforts against terrorism were mainly of a reactive nature only taking action to contain the situation once the terrorists had struck. However, 9/11 led to the nations huntin g down the terrorists with an aim of permanently disabling them. One of the significant actions taken against terrorism consequent of 911 was the waging of the â€Å"war on terror† which was commissioned by the then US president George W. Bush. The war on terror, also known as the global war on terrorism is the term used to refer to a campaign that was launched with the sole aim of curbing the rise of terrorism. The US government under President Bush introduced this war in an attempt to face out terrorist groups that were threatening the peace and stability of the nation. The war included various military, legal, political and ideological actions that would be taken against terrorists. Miniter (2004) accentuates the fact that the core aims of the war on terror on the onset were the Capturing of Osama bin Laden, the man seen as the mastermind of the September 11 attacks. Afghanistan, which was the alleged safe haven of the terrorists, was also to be made â€Å"unsafe† f or the terrorist organizations by placing some form of legitimate government which would not condone any terrorist organization within its borders. While religion fanaticism has been the basis of terrorism for many years in history, religious terrorism has become even more prevalent in the post 9/11 world. It has been argued that this rise in religion fanaticism has by large been as a direct result of the declaration of the international war on terror was the birth or a new form of terrorism and as Laqueur (2003) explains â€Å"the ‘new’ terrorism has increasingly become indiscriminate in the choice if its victims. Its aim is no longer to conduct propaganda but to effect maximum destruction†. Echoing this sentiments is Wilkinson (2001) who notes that religious terrorism is more violent and destructive since the perpetrators think that they are serving a higher purpose and the outsiders with whom they are at war are not seen as people but merely as infidels or her etics. This from of fanaticism which is mostly as a result of radicalization has and continues to play a major role in terror attacks and as Wilkinson (2001) observes, it is not the exclusive preserve of any single major religion but a characteristic of most religions but in varying degrees. The United States government has done a lot to reduce the scope and influence of state terrorism. The identification of states which sponsor terrorism and the subsequent blacklisting of the same as primary threats to the United States and its allies is one of the steps taken by the United States after 9/11. Griset and Mahan (2003) note that most of these countries are from South Asia, the Middle East and Northern African. To discourage these activities, the US has imposed economic and political sanctions which are intended to force the states to renounce the use of terrorism, end support to terrorists, and bring terrorists to justice for past crimes (Griset and Mahan, 2003).This use of sanctions against states that sponsor terrorism has contributed to the economic stagnation of the affected states. However, the effectiveness of such means as a tool to fight terrorism has been questioned by many since in most cases, this sanctions only end up depriving the ordinary citizens since they result in starvation as a result of increase in food prices and decrease in earnings. In addition to this, sanctions have at times benefited the very terrorist organizations that the US is trying to snuff out by making the disgruntled masses recruit to the terrorist organizations. In the widening war against terrorism which came about as result of the September 11 attacks, the U.S. forces has engaged in the training of local militaries to fight terrorist. Perl (2003) noted that U.S. marines have been deployed in some countries such as Yemen to assist in training efforts to equip the local military to fight against terrorists. These efforts combined with the stepping up of intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation with other governments to root out terrorist cells has been credited for the destruction and dispersion of many terrorist cells especially in Afghanistan and the Northern Asia region. This move by the U.S. government to train foreign troops and share intelligence represents a marked difference in the approach taken prior to 9/11 where intelligence information was hardly shared to other organizations. Owing to the crackdown on large well established organizations such as Al-Qaida, modern day terrorism has taken a new form; localized cells which are able to operate with little guidance or support of the major organizations. While such cells are by far less formidable than the large well organized organizations, their survivability is guaranteed as a result of their autonomous nature. Brown (2007) explains that â€Å"new age Islamic fundamentalist organizations like Hamas and the bin Laden network consist of groups organized in loosely semi-independent cells that have no single commanding hierarchy. The authority of leadership is irrelevant to such groups since they seek to wage fanatical terrorist campaigns against their enemy in line with their religious duty. The recruitment process of the terrorism cells also underwent a radical change due to the significant weakening of major terrorism organization. The recruitment process has taken on a bottom up rather than the traditional top down perspective, As such, individuals bring in their family members and friends to the organization. The Lone-wolf terrorist drew little attention before 9/11 and he was overshadowed by the threat of larger terrorism organizations which were perceived to have a higher capability to inflict damage. However, the events of 9/11 and the ensuing war on terror triggered proposed changes in the legal provisions aimed at preventing lone-wolf terrorism (Instituut voor Veiligheirds, 2007). Of particular concern with these changes in the legal provisions was th e enactment of new law enforcement powers beyond those contained in the USA patriot Act of 2001. This mandates enabled law enforcers to obtain a foreign intelligence warrant where there was probably cause that a targeted individual was acting on behalf of a foreign power (Scahill, 2006). This warrant would be issued regardless of whether a person as affiliated with an international terrorist group or not. This change is believed to enhance the investigation of lone-wolf terrorists who may not have active ties to an established terrorist group. One of the consequences of the 9/11 attacks was an increase in the security especially in airports and a greater emphasis on surveillance. This compounded by the sharing of intelligence by international agencies meant that terrorist could no longer operate with the ease with which they had prior to 2001. In addition to this, Perl (2003) highlights that by the end of 2002, the US treasury department had succeeded in freezing off assets belongin g to terrorism organizations and their financiers worth more than $121 million. While most of the financial flow of terrorist funds is said to take place outside of formal banking channels, the freezing of their bank assets was a major blow to the organizations. As such, the ability of terrorists to move and operate internationally was greatly hampered. This lead to the need for members of the terrorism organizations to reinvent the way in which they operated. A captured al Qaeda operative, Ressam, attests to this by his confession that unlike the previous era whereby professional terrorists were well funded, he was given only $12,000 as seed money and instructed to raise the rest of his operational funds from petty thievery (Hoffman, 2002). Coolsaet (2008) also asserts that owing to the inhibitions to carrying out terror attacks on Western countries as a result of increased security and intelligence measures following 9/11, most cells have resulted to attacking Western interests th at are local to them. Discussions The increased pressure on governments to join the anti-terrorism campaign has bore fruits as is evident by the willingness of certain previously acclaimed state sponsors of terrorism to distant themselves from extremist groups (Perl, 2003). Libya for example had made efforts to cut down on its relationship with terrorist groups and Sudan has taken measures to ensure that no terrorists are trained in her territories. While these moves are but a tip in the iceberg of cracking down on terrorism, they point to a change in perception of terrorism by the international community. No longer is terrorism in any of its forms seen as acceptable and with more countries united to fight against terrorism, this war can be won. While most people do concede that the drastic measures taken following the 9/11 attacks were necessary to safeguard American and the rest of the world from the terrorism, there have been arguments that some of the measures infringe on people rights. This is a valid fear considering the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act amendment which dictates that a person may be arrested or searched on speculation of affiliation with an international terrorist group even though there is absolutely no proof of the same (Scahil, 2006). This combined with the Amendments which allow for a U.S. citizen to be detained indefinitely on suspicion of terrorist activities has led to fear that our rights as U.S. citizens are being stifled in the name of fighting terrorism. However, a majority of U.S. citizens concede that a minor infringement on their privacy is a relatively small price to pay if it will lead to the prevention of future terrorist attacks. For all the successes of the global war against terrorism that was started in 2001, there has been a huge pouring of foreign troops into Afghanistan. Military invasions almost invariably lead to a feeling of alienation by the local populace. Bin Laden and his ilk have therefore been able to capitalize on the widespread sense of alienation that exists in invaded regions such as Afghanistan and the Pakistan border regions therefore leading to the advancement of their objectives. Barret (2008) asserts that the continued campaigns to dislodge the Taliban and destroy Al-Qaida have led to the formation of an alliance of the two terrorist groups leading to their continued survival even in the face of relentless attacks. This point to the complexity of dealing with terrorism since as it has been demonstrated, the use of force may lead to empowerment of the movement. An interesting argument raised following the events of 9/11 is that the use of violence by the Al-Qaeda terrorism group was designed to gain publicity and provoke reprisal by the U.S. government. This retaliation would subsequently lead to the undermining of the government to the and hence a heightening of popularity for the terrorism organization. Gearson (2002) contends that this is a valid argument considering that the 11 September campaign by Osama bin Laden involved a small number of individuals who were able to evoke retaliations of epic proportions by the U.S. military. Meanwhile, the war against terrorism that was started in the wake of the September 11 attacks at the world trade center still continues to be waged with little sight of an end. This is despite the U.S. and her allies pumping in billions of dollars and thousands of troops to the war efforts. This clearly demonstrates that military victory alone will not secure a lasting peace and the beefing up of intelligence capabilities will only retard terrorist; not completely vanquish them. Scaperlanda and Kane (2002) suggest that the best hope at securing peace it to respond to the cultural factors that make so many people sympathetic and supportive of the groups that reign terror. Conclusion This paper set out to shed light as to the face of terrorism before and after the tragic events of September 11 in America. From the variou s arguments presented, it is clear that terrorism and counter-terrorism efforts underwent a drastic change following the events of 9/11. Most of these changes were as a result of a new appreciation by the Western world that terrorism presents a very real threat to the society. To highlight these changes, this paper has illustrated the state of terrorism before 9/11 and the state of terrorism after 9/11. From the discussions presented in this paper, it is evident that most terrorist organization fundamentally believe that their are serving a good cause which is designed to achieve a greater good, an armed retaliation against the terrorist may only serve to strengthen him as have been demonstrated by the Afghan invasion. As such, it has been suggested that the best means to tackle any form of terrorism is to address the underlying causes and support mechanism for terrorism. Policymakers and analysts alike must recognize that the war against terrorism cannot be won only by military mea ns since this may end up giving the terrorists platform from which to advance its agenda and help in recruitment efforts. Instead, governments should recognize that concessions and understanding of the cultural aspect of the terrorist organizations can be used to fight terrorism without backlash. This together with increased cooperation among various intelligence agencies and nations on terrorism issues can lead to the creation of a world free of the menacing threat of terrorism. References Barret, R. (2008). Seven Years After 9/11: Al-Qaida’s Strengths and Vulnerabilities. Eden Intelligence and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence (ICSR). Brown, C. (2007). The New Terrorism Debate. Turkish Journal of International Relations. Brown, E. M. (2003). Grave New World: Security Challenges in the 21st Century. Georgetown University Press. Byman, D. (1999) The Logic of Ethnic Terrorism. Studies in conflict Terrorism, 21: 149-169. Coolsaet, R. (2008). Jihadi Terrorism and the Radicalisation Challenge in Europe. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Farer, J. T. (1999). Transnational Crime in the Americas. Routledge. Gearson, J. (2002). The Nature of Modern Terrorism. The Political Quarterly Publishing Co. Ltd. Griset, L. P. Mahan, S. G. (2003). Terrorism in Perspective. SAGE. Hoffman, B. (2002). Rethinking Terrorism and Counterterrorism Since 9/11. Studies in Conflict Terrorism, 25:303–316, 2002. Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside Terrorism. 2nd edn. Colombia University Press. Instituut voor Veiligheirds (2007). Lone-Wolf Terrorism. Web. Kendall, D. (2007). Sociology in Our Times. Cengage Learning. Lauquer, W. (2003). No End to War. New York: Continuum. Miniter R. (2004). Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush is Winning the War on Terror. Regnery Publishing. Perl, R. (2003). Terrorism, the Future and U.S. Foreign Policy. Web. Prezelj, I. (2008). The Fight Against Terrorism and Crisis Management in the Western Balkans. IOS Press . Scaperlanda, M. Kane, C. M. (2002). The War on Terrorism After Spetermber 11: A perspective from Americas Heartland. Web. Scahill, T. (2006) The Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003: A Glimpse into a Post-PATRIOT Act Approach to Combating Domestic Terrorism. CR: The New Centennial Review, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 69-94. Walter, C. (2004). Terrorism as a challenge for national and international law: security versus liberty? USA: Springer. Wilkinson, P. (2001). Terrorism versus Democracy: the Liberal State Response. Routledge.

4 tips for talking work-life balance with your boss

4 tips for talking work-life balance with your boss From time to time, almost every working adult will struggle with work-life balance. But what does work-life balance even mean? Simply put, work-life balance is how your obligations at work and home are prioritized. It boils down to how many hours a week you spend focusing on your career  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ completing projects, turning in assignments, responding to emails – versus the time in a week you spend engaging in activities in your personal life, like spending time with friends and family, running personal errands, exercising, or even just relaxing.Americans work a lot. In fact, a 2015 Gallup poll found that Americans who are employed full-time work 47 hours a week on average, or the equivalent of nearly six days a week. And, nearly four in 10 workers reported logging more than 50 hours a week working.With this amount of time being devoted to our professional lives, when the scales tip in work-life balance, it’s usually towards more work and less play. That can be fine for short periods but long term it can be problematic.When the delicate balance between your career and personal life are out of whack – and stay out of whack – it can leave you feeling off-kilter, frustrated, and resentful. But, since a demanding work life often stems from a demanding boss, it can be difficult to know how to broach the topic.We’ve compiled 4 tips for having a productive conversation with your boss or manager about work-life balance. Read on to learn how to find the balance you seek.Do some soul searchingBefore you discuss the issue with your manager, do your best to get to the root of the problem. Is your personal life suffering because of unrealistic expectations from your superiors at work, or is it possible that these expectations are self-imposed and that you are â€Å"overworking† your job?How do you judge? One way to gauge whether the problem lies with you or whether it lies with your boss is to work a normal 40-hour week and see w hat happens. Skip staying late for one week. Forbid yourself from logging work time over the weekends and then just wait.If your boss doesn’t notice that you haven’t worked longer hours or completed extra work, the demand might be self-inflicted. If your boss does notice and mentions it, make a note. This will become important in later discussions.Identify the problemIf you’ve determined that the pressure you feel at work is, in fact, coming from your manager, next you must identify the exact problem.Ask yourself: Is your work-life imbalance stemming from an unreasonable workload that is impossible to complete within the confines of a 40-hour work week? If so, you aren’t alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-third of employed people in the U.S. spend some part of their weekends doing work.For others, the problem of balancing life and career lies in a rigid schedule that doesn’t offer the flexibility to duck out of work for, say, a n annual doctor’s appointment or important errand. Both scenarios can be frustrating and confining.Identify the source of the problem before you meet with your boss. This will allow you to come to the meeting armed with suggestions on how to handle the situation at hand.Arrange a meeting and come prepared with ideasOnce you have identified the problem, ask for a meeting and come equipped with solutions. This will look different for everyone but here are some possibilities:Suggest ways to delegate tasks to spread the workload more evenly across your team to lighten your workload.Request flexible hours that work better with your schedule. For example, if you are a parent and want more time with your children, you might suggest a schedule that allows you to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of the normal 9-to-5.Suggest an amended schedule. Instead of working five days a week, ask to work four 10-hour shifts. This will enable you to have three days off each week instead of the t ypical two-day weekend.Request a longer lunch break. This will allow you to run errands or attend appointments without taking time off work.Suggest one work-from-home day each week. Cutting your commute out of your day even one day a week can free up additional hours.While not ideal, asking for unpaid time off can be a solution in a pinch.Know when to move onA severe work-life balance can wreak havoc on your well-being. If you’ve exhausted all these possibilities and still can’t make headway in achieving a reasonable work-life balance, it may be time to move on. This means you’ll have to dust off your job application skills, and get ready to build a resume and cover letter for each new opportunity you discover. Put aside some time each week to begin looking for a new job. Finding this time will likely be tough, given that your work-life balance is already out of whack, but it’s critical that you find it. You’ll never move on to a better work-life b alance situation if you don’t.The best way to ensure a rational work-life balance next time around? Ask about it during the interview process, or do some research on the company you land an interview with to see what its employees (or past employees) have to say about work-life balance.

The Issue of power in the story The Road To Salvation by Premchand and Research Paper

The Issue of power in the story The Road To Salvation by Premchand and Punishment by Rabindranath Tagore - Research Paper Example In Punishment, on the other hand, Tagore describes the inequalities of gender relations in rural India, which may as well reflect the problem of sexism that continues to put women in a powerless position in society in many parts of the world. While both Tagore and Premchand sharply presents the power relations among humans in society during their respective times though, they also push the concept that unfair or unequal arrangements could be corrected either through fate or through non-violent appeals to conscience of the dominant force. In this regard, both short stories did not dwell on the issue of genuine justice as administered by the legal institutions in society. Although these are quite effective in arousing people about the issue of unfair power relations, these fail to encourage them to seek justice. Instead, both stories have the intention of dousing cold water on any emotional reaction to unjust power structures. However, these also did not provide ideas on the alternative actions that can be taken rather than to simply accept the concept that there are those who are powerful while the rest are fated to be subjugated. These are the reasons why a situation where people are passive and docile despite their oppr ession and exploitation exists. Economic wealth is proportionate to political power and social influence. As portrayed in both short stories, economic status is the basis for the clout that one yields over others in the community, a premise that is not only valid in the historical setting in Premchand’s and Tagore’s works but is also true for the rest of the modern world. Such clout or power, on the other hand, is mainly used to further make one richer and to protect his valuable properties. The perpetuation of one’s power therefore is a necessary step to sustain one’s preferred way of life. Even without an established political

Indian Arts and Clothing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Indian Arts and Clothing - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that Indian sculpture focuses towards the spirituality, elegance, magnificence and mysticism. All these are important factors for the Indian sculpture. In India sculpture over the years has been one of the most preferred medium for the artistic expressions. Sculptures have significant contributions in the context of Indian Arts. Wall painting is also an important part of the Indian Arts. It is a unique artistic concept which is highly regarded by the Indian as well global artists. Wall painting has very long presence in the rich tradition of Indian Arts. During prehistoric time there was a concept of rock painting from which the concept of wall painting has come into the picture. Indian wall paintings offer aesthetic continuum which showcases Indian historical reformations. Wall paintings of India are globally recognized by the various experts. Wall painting in the places like Ajanta and Ellora are highly attractive for t he global tourists. Miniature paintings are the integral parts of the Indian Arts. Generally these kinds of paintings’ are being done on the books, papers and in any small places. Indian miniature paintings are significantly classy and delicate in nature. It indicates prosperity and richness of Indian Arts. The concept of this Indian Art came from the state of Bengal. Slowly but surely this art has caught the attention of global arts lovers. All these paintings have multidimensional characteristics which indicate versatility of the miniature painting. In India cultural diversity is significantly evident; in their miniature paintings also those cultural diversities are clearly evident. Without jewelry, Indian Art is incomplete. Over the years jewelries have contributed significantly towards the Indian Arts. Its exotic styles and glitters have made this thing one of the most prominent Arts in the country. Indian jewelry has long tradition and history. Since the historical perio d up to independence the country has been ruled by the various kings. Jewelry designing also has gone through lots of reformations and changes. In jewelry designing, influences of diversified Indian arts and cultures are easily found.

Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects Essay Example for Free

Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects Essay The two sources that I am going to compare are Source 3 and Source 2. Source 2 is an article aimed for anyone who is interested in swimming or even people who like to read about incredible accomplishments made by other people. The text is formal and is about Philippe Croizon who in 2 years learnt to swim without his limbs. He lost of all of his limbs in 1994 while he was removing a television aerial from a roof and it hit a power line. However source 3 is a book extract aimed at adults who like reading about geography in general. The text is formal and is about Christopher Ondaatje who crosses part of Lake Victoria. On his journey there he talks about the spectacular sunrise he sees behind Mwanza. He also talks about the experience with ferry rides and the past experience about one of those ferries going down just outside Mwanza and that people were killed. In comparison with source 3, source 2 is a happier and also more exciting and the reader feels more drawn to the fact that after 16 years after losing all of his limbs, Philippe Croizon crosses Channel than the fact that in source 3 the story is taken more calmly and less exciting to be taking a ferry across the lake. Furthermore, in source 2 the contrast between the fact that the man, 2 years ago â€Å"could barely swim at all† and him saying after the channel swim â€Å"I did it. I’m so happy† is evocative. Moreover, this shows that despite the fact that he lost all of his limbs, he could still do something incredible which occurs at the beginning of the article, engaging the reader and setting a tone of excitement and most of all pride. However in source 3, there are only a few evocative moments in the extract – â€Å"the fish eagles screeched their mocking cry†, â€Å"spectacular sunrise†. However none of which express excitement or pride. The difference in language used for effect is that in source 3, short sentences are employed to enhance meaning and effect: â€Å"an idyllic spot†, â€Å"no other sounds†, â€Å"spectacular sunrise†, the alliteration of the ‘s’ add an emphasis to the experience of them looking at the sunrise and the reader is able to emphasise with them. However in source 2, the language used is that alliteration occurs with â€Å"treacherous tides† â€Å"sofa sportsman† for emphasis –just like in source 3, and engagement. Moreover, the similarities between these 2 sources is that they both have an element of drama in the texts. In source 3, we are left with not knowing if they make it across the lake in the ferry because â€Å"a year earlier, one of these ferries went down just outside Mwanza, and people were killed† this makes the reader shocked and eager to carry on reading. However in source 2, the element of drama is when the text explains how the man lost all of his limbs, â€Å"Mr Croizon’s legs and lower arms were amputated after he suffered a calamitous electric shock while removing a television aerial from a roof in 1994 when it hit a power line†. This leaves the reader with the unanswered question of how did he manage to do it, which leads into wanting to read the rest of the text. The language used in both texts is formal. The reader is able to read with ease as the texts are informative. In source 2 â€Å"an average channel swimmer takes around eight hours†, â€Å"21 miles from Folkestone to the French coast†. In source 3 – â€Å"Mwanza, a vibrant African city†, â€Å"the people pressed up against the front of the ferry, along the sides and against the rails†

Freedom and Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay -- Story Hour essays

Freedom and The Story Of An Hour      Ã‚  Ã‚   When I first read Kate Chopin's "The Story Of An Hour", my instinctual response was to sympathize with the character of Mrs. Mallard.   This seemed to me to have been intended by the author because the story follows her emotional path from the original shock upon hearing of her husband's supposed death to her gradual acceptance of the joy she feels in anticipating her new freedom to the irony of her own sudden death.   However, one fact cannot be overlooked when judging my personal reaction to this piece. Because this story's theme is basically an issue of what a woman has the right to expect from her life, the fact that I am a woman living in a society where freedom and independence are valued above all else weighs heavily on the way I look upon the actions of Mrs. Mallard and also on the way I judge Chopin's message.      Ã‚  Ã‚   It is interesting to note that even in the story's opening, before Mrs. Mallard's response has run it's full course,   her reaction to the news of the accident which is presumed to have killed her husband is already being contrasted to the one   which society would deem appropriate.   It is mentioned that "She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance"(pg 275, P3). Though upon discussion of the story I found that this sentence had placed a kernel of suspicion in the minds of some as to the authenticity of Mrs. Mallard's display of emotion, I had taken once, with sudden, wild abandonment"(pg 275, P3) endeared her to me all the more because I felt that it meant she was very much in touch with the workings of her heart andimmediately at their mercy, and this made her reacti... ....   As a woman who wants what these women wanted, I find this hard to grapple with.   I appreciate the fact that this story was written in a time when feminism was unheard of, but I wish that Chopin, who had been liberated enough to conceive of a character who would think like Mrs. Mallard, could also have imagined a situation in which she could have survived. Work Cited: Chopin, Kate. "The Story of An Hour." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Ed. R.V. Cassill and Richard Bausch. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 106-109. Works Consulted: Cixous, Helene. "Laugh of the Medusa." Feminisms: An Anthology of Literary Theory And Criticism. Ed. Robyn R. Warhol and Diane Price Herndl. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1991. Moi, Toril. Sexual/Textual Politics. New York: Routledge, Chapman and Hall, 1988.   

Microcredit Repayment in Malaysia Essay

To investigate whether gender of borrower influence microcredit repayment. Hypothesis 1 Ho: Gender of borrower does not influenced microcredit repayment. H1: Gender of borrower does influence microcredit repayment. 2. To investigate whether types of business activities influence microcredit repayment. Hypothesis 2 Ho: Types of business activities does not influenced microcredit repayment. H1: Types of business activities does influence microcredit repayment. 3. To investigate whether amount of loan influence microcredit repayment. Hypothesis 3 Ho: Amount of loan does not influenced microcredit repayment. H1: Amount of loan does influence microcredit repayment. 4. To investigate whether repayment period influence microcredit repayment. Hypothesis 4 Ho: Repayment period does not influenced microcredit repayment. H1: Repayment period does influenced microcredit repayment. This chapter is discussing about the research design, data collection method, research instrument, questionnaire design and sampling frame to meet the objectives of the study. In this study, descriptive research will be conduct to obtain the information needed. It will involve acquiring primary data, preparing questionnaires and sampling method as well as deciding on how the variables will be measure and being analyse. This study will be conducted among the teachers at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Port Klang, Selangor. 3. 0Data Collection Method There are two ways in gathering data for the study. First is the primary data which is specially collected by the researcher and second is the secondary data or any information gathered from resources collected and published by others. . 0. 1Primary Data Primary data refer to information obtained first-hand by the researcher on the variables of interest for the specific purpose of the study (Sekaran, 2010). Obtaining primary data can be expensive and time consuming as it requires researchers to observe and conduct an experiment on something to gather information about specific problems. It will take time in collecting data. (a)Questionnaire A set of questionnaire has been designed to obtain a quantitative primary data for this research. The purpose is to gauge the relevant information to achieve the research objectives besides to determining and evaluate the level of microcredit repayment among employees. The primary data will be collected from questionnaire that will distribute to the teachers at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Port Klang,Selangor. (b)Journal Researcher will also use journal as the primary data for data collection method in order to elicit the information regarding for the research. 3. 0. 2Secondary Data Secondary data that will be collected can be use and these data can be located quickly and cheaper in terms of cost. Secondary data could be collected through internal and external sources. Internal data are those generated within the organization while external sources of data in other hands are generated by sources outside the organization. For the purpose of this study, the researcher will obtain the external sources from books, library references, articles, website and others. These are some of useful information that will serves as the groundwork for theoretical framework and literature review. . Research Instrument Regarding Malhotra (2004), defined that questionnaire is a structured techniques for data collection consisting of a series of questions, written or verbal that respondent answers. In addition, it is called a schedule, written form, measuring instrument, or formalized set of questionnaires for obtaining information from respondents. The standardized questionnaire will ensure comparability of the data, increase speed and accuracy of recording, and facilitating data processing. It needs to capture primary data is questionnaire. Questionnaire is a formalized instrument for asking information, directly from the respondent. It is designed to facilitate data gathering, which is directly related to the study. Questionnaires will be distributed directly to the respondents for them to answer. The questionnaires for this research consist of two sections. The first section will consist of questions related to profile of the respondents and the second section will consist of question regarding of loans. The format used for the questionnaire will be structured in rating scale which is liker scale and multiple choices. The liker scale is (1) = strong disagree, (2) = disagree, (3) = average, (4) = agree and (5) = strongly agree are used. The questionnaires will be distributed randomly to the teachers at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Jalan Pandamaran, Port Klang, Selangor. 5. 0Questionnaire Design In this research, in order to get information from respondents, the researcher will choose the structured questions. 5. 0. 1Structured Questions Structured question specify the set of response alternative and the response format that could be multiple choices and scale. The structured question was the most frequently used in the marketing research. i)Multiple Choices The researcher provides choices of answers and respondents will be asked to select one or more of the alternatives given that mostly closely match their own response. For this study, the researcher will use this kind of question for respondent profile at section A. ii)Scale For this study, the Liker Scale questionnaire will be use widely where requires the respondents indicate strongly disagree or strongly agree with each of series of statement about the Microcredit Repayment. What is the level of microcredit repayment among employees? 2. Does gender of borrower will influence microcredit repayment? 3. Does a type of business activities will influence microcredit repayment? 4. Does amount of loan will influence microcredit repayment? 5. Does repayment period will influence microcredit repayment? 7. 0Sampling 7. 0. 1Sampling Design Based on Malhotra (2004), a sample is a subgroup of the population selected for participant in the study. Population is aggregate of all the elements that share some common set of characteristics and that comprise the universe for the purpose of the marketing research problem. According to the Zikmund (2003), the simple size can be 30 units and more, whereas Sekaran (2003) has mentioned between 30 units to 500 units, so only 100 respondents were selected and accepted for this study. The sampling design process includes five steps that are sequentially in the figure 2. 0 below. Figure 2. 0: The sampling design process 1)Defining target Population The first step of the sampling design will be specifying the target population. The target population means the collection of elements or subjects that possess the information sought by researcher and about which inference are to be made (Malhotra, 2004). According to Sekaran, (2003), population refers to the entire group of people, events, or things of interest that the researcher wishes to investigate. For the purpose of this study, the population will consist of employees at Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Jalan Pandamaran, Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor 2)Determining sampling Frame A sampling frame is a representation of the elements of the target population that consist of a list or set of direction for identifying the target population. However, as for the sampling frame, this study has narrow down the elements of the target population to those employees within a few divisions or units at Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Jalan Pandamaran, Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor. The rationale is because the researcher will be only target to collect 50 respondents for this study. 3)Determine the Sample Size Sample size refers to the number of elements to be included in the study. Regarding to this study, the sampling size were decided around 50 respondents only due to the time and money constraints. The targeted respondents will comprise the employees of divisions and units at Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Selangor. 4)Execute the Sampling Process In execute the sampling process, once the target population, sampling frame, sampling technique and sampling size has been determined, allocation of the sample will be quite easy to execute.

Agricultural Farmland Investments Essay

If you are worried about inflation, the best investments to protect yourself are so-called real assets that will rise in value along with inflation. If you are interested in a real asset that pays good current income and dividends, hedges against inflation and also has tremendous value, consider farmland investments. We took farmland as an investment and sees agriculture as the premiere asset class for the next decade. Why invest in farmland? Green World believes that farmland is among the best alternative investments for retail investors. In keeping with Green World’s theory that it is important for any investment to be on the right side of global macro trends, and as the graph from the UN demonstrates, the amount of arable land worldwide is dwindling. Simultaneously, the world’s population is forecast to jump to more than 9 billion by 2050 from 6.9 billion today. Simple economic principles of supply and demand dictate that when there is an increasing shortage of an asset combined with growing demand for it, the prices of that asset are likely to go up. This trend and the accompanying high prices for agricultural commodities has created a substantial concern amongst world governments around the issue of â€Å"food security† and has led many large institutional investors – including governments – to launch agriculture and farmland funds. Shrinking Arable Land and Global Food Security Just to summarize, the points below provide a good overview of reasons for including farmland in your portfolio: 1) Food inflation looks set to continue for the foreseeable future, as the amount of arable land globally is actually shrinking whilst the global population is continuing to grow. To meet growing global food demand the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates an extra six million hectares of additional farmland investment is needed every year for the next 30 years, creating a massive new opportunity for farmland investors. 2) Northen part continue to use Quantitative Easing to create new money on a massive scale. Farmland is an excellent hedge against inflation, which, is the inevitable effects of this printed money entering the real economy. 3) Farmland pays high current income and dividends from the sale of crops. As interest rates are near zero and likely to stay that way for some time, prudent savers are forced to look elsewhere for current in come. Farmland is an excellent option for obtaining that income. 4) Farmland stands out as an asset class that can be a safe haven from global financial and economic instability, as it provides diversification to a portfolio since farmland does not respond to the same factors as those which influence financial assets such as stocks and bonds. 5) Finally, investing in farmland is also a play on China’s continued rapid growth. One of the places where arable farmland is shrinking quite fast due to development is China, and indeed China has now become a net food importer, causing great worry in the government about the issue of â€Å"food security†. With US$3.1 trillion of reserves, when China wants or needs something, it goes out and buys it. Food and farmland are no exception, and indeed China has been buying farmland all around the world. One other point worth noting is that Dream World’s favorite investing on a huge proponent of investing in farmland. They believe that we are only in the â€Å"third inning† of the farmland story, and the asset class still has plenty of room to run. It is also worth noting that it also â€Å"eats his own cooking† so to speak, as he offers two farmland funds targeted at institutional investors, one of which invests in different allocations of farmland in India of Dream World’s farmland projects is located. The next question to consider is how to invest in farmland? You could, of course, invest in a Dream World farmland fund, but Dream World funds target high net worth for institutions with minimum requirements of thousands of Rupees. Dream World, by contrast, offers direct farmland investments for retail investors, with minimum requirements as low as Rs.5000.00. Furthermore, Dream World’s farmland investment projects provide for the direct ownership of the underlying agricultural land – i.e. the retail investor actually owns farmland directly, rather than having indirect exposure through an expensive farmland hedge fund. It is now possible for individual investors to make direct investing in farmland a part of their portfolio, as there are an increasing number of projects where large tracts of land are purchased, and then individual parcels are sold directly to retail investors. These investments are a full â€Å"soup-to-nuts solution,† as everything from the cultivation of the land to the planting and harvesting and the sale of the sale of the crops are performed by an existing farm manager who is part of the project. That means these are perfect passive investments for individuals looking to diversify their portfolios. The aims of the participatory process in the project were: * to perform reflections on the causes and the consequences of the change in the man-forest relationship and on the opportunity to acknowledge new expectations and needs arisen from society towards the forestry sector through participation; * to define, through study cases, a procedure capable of integrating participation into landscape forest planning and to develop a method suitable for all the different situations in Italy * to evaluate the perception of the forest and of forest management within the local communities; * to integrate the traditional knowledge with the technical content of the plan; * to make the population aware of the planning process; * to carry out the mapping of the stakeholders; * to involve, through a targeted reach-out, stakeholders who would otherwise not have been able to voice their concerns.

How to Write an Acceptance Speech Essay Example

How to Write an Acceptance Speech Essay Example How to Write an Acceptance Speech Paper How to Write an Acceptance Speech Paper Before we begin talking about how to write an acceptance speech, let’s talk about what it basically is. Acceptance speeches are given by those people who have received an award of any kind like a degree or memento. If you are a person that is due to get an award for something then it is probably a good idea for you to learn how to write an acceptance speech. The reason why it is suggested that you pre-write an acceptance speech is because it is a lot more challenging than it seems. Why this is so is because you have to deliver a speech in a short amount of time which is captivating, original and witty too. This is why it is recommended that you write and rehearse your acceptance speech before the time comes when you have to go on stage and deliver it. Although acceptance speeches are written on different subjects, there are certain areas or rules that are same for all and you need to learn all of them. Â  First thing first, you need to thank the person who is presenting the award to you. You need to show gratitude and do it in a way that the presenter feels proud. It sometimes happens that the person who is supposed to receive is not present and so you have to receive it on their behalf, in such a case make sure to mention that you are speaking in reference to that person and not yourself. In all your life time, you will have seen at least one award ceremony right? Whether film, drama or music, if you have then you without doubt must have heard these celebrities speak of the people who have made this award possible. Well this is exactly what you need to do, you have to mention the names of all the people who were involved in the award. Don’t mention a long list of people but instead keep it short but focus on the larger group of people. Once you are done with all the thanking, mention how it is you reached to the point for which you got the award. You can talk about many different things and even teach a lesson or two in the process. Talk about the events that lead up to the place where you are and show that you were steadfast and untiring. The last thing to mention is the emotional value behind the award, remember to state that it is not just a trophy that is meant to go on a showcase but represents so much more.

Start Writing a Book 7 Best Practices to Become an Author Fast

Start Writing a Book 7 Best Practices to Become an Author Fast Start Writing a Book: 7 Best Practices to Become an Author Fast Writing a book is intimidating.When youre not sure how to start writing a book, it can paralyze you. But we have the best top steps to start writing a book today so you can become an author!Beginning the process of writing a book and presenting it to a worldwide audience is very exciting but also a little scary espeically if you mess it up and end up making a fool of yourself.Its a fear we all have, trust me.You have amazing book ideas that you want to share with the world, and you’re more motivated than ever to educate your readers about them!Here are the steps for how to start writing a book well cover:Set up your writing environmentDevelop a writing habitCreate a book outline to start writingFocus on writing your book ONLYMaintain your focusSchedule book writing timeDeal with writing distractionsStart writing your book!Once you begin, you may realize that writing a book is hard work. There are many obstacles that can prevent you from writing and can create stress leading t o anxiety. For example, you may find yourself in front of a blank page unable to type and thinking of stressful questions like:â€Å"How do I even start writing a book?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do I need to blog first?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Should I start without an outline†?Writing a book shouldnt be this hard!But many get overwhelmed because they lack a writing process.Start Writing a Book for Success with FREE TrainingIf you want to skip right ahead to what willreally help you start writing, then youll want to check out this free training we put together for you.With your FREE training, we can help you understand HOW to start a book and self-publish it so the maximum number of people can enjoy it.Just click the button below to TAKE ACTION on your dream and lets do this together.Click here to save your spotHow to Start Writing a BookStep-by-StepIf you’re feeling demotivated when it comes to starting your book, you’re not alone. Writing can still be one of the hardest parts for mos t authors even if they havebeenwritingfor a long time!Fortunately, there are some extremely effective techniques for how to start writing a book and overcoming these hurdles.Well cover what you can put into action to assure you show up with a game plan to get your thoughts out of your head, down on paper, and into the minds of your readers.Ready to start your journey to becoming a bestselling author? Lets go!How to Start Writing a Book for BeginnersBelieve it or not, writing a book isnt as difficult as its made to seem. At least, getting started isnt.We have a complete guide that will cover best practices to start writing a book asap even today if you sit down and put your pen to paper, so to speak.#1 Set Up Your Book Writing EnvironmentOne of the most importantthings to remember if you want to start writing a book is designing an environment that allows your creativity to flourish unhindered.Create an environment that is designed to help you stay focused.Whether you prefer noisy environments or absolute solitude, it’s up to you to determine  which will get you into the writer’s flow.What you want to avoid is a super messy environment, even if you think you work well in those types of spaces (like the one featured below).If anything can distract you from writing, its not worth it.Here are a few ideas to create your ideal space for writing:Have collections of inspiration.Decorate your work area with inspiring quotes or pictures that house references to deep work.Unclutter your space.Create an uncluttered open space to help organize not only what you need, but also your thoughts.Be Flexible.Your creative space doesn’t need to be one spot, it can be anywhere. Even your favorite authorshave discovered their best ideasin the most unexpected places.Buy a calendar:Your book will get written faster if you have set goals for the week/day. The best way to manage this is by scheduling your time on a calendar. Schedule every hour that you commit t o your author business. What gets scheduled, gets done.Create a music playlist for inspiration:Many authors can write to the sound of their favorite tunes. Is there anything that gets you working faster? Do you write better with deeper focus when listening to rock music or classical? Set up several playlists that you can use to get into the flow of writing.Try Multiple Locations.You wont know how creative you can be if you dont try different spots to write. Maybe writing from your bed is your ideal creative space. What about working in a noisy cafe? Change up your location frequently particularly if you feel creatively spent.Here are some more tips for starting your book and putting together your writing environment:How to Start Writing TipExecutionMinimize Distractions- isolate yourself from family/friends/even the family dog - remind everyone it's YOUR time - Turn your phone off - Close ALL web browsers - Close your emailGet Comfortable- invest in a GOOD chair - or resort to using a stand-up desk for more energy - fill the area with motivational quotes - make sure you're physically comfortable for the next 30 minutes or an hourChoose Beneficial Background Noise- turn off all sounds if it distracts you - turn on lyric-less music to help you concentrate - choose energizing music to help you focus#2 Develop a Writing HabitThe number one reason authors fail to publish a book is because they never finish the book they intend to publish. Why?Because they didn’t form a good writing habit.Feeling overwhelmed when writing a book is natural, but you must remember that this  journey always begins with the first page. And in order to write your first page, you must take action.For example, schedule your writing time daily so that you can stick to a solid writing routine that will allow you to make real progress.This is why having a writing habit will develop your writer’s flow.Your writing habitcan start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself thinking t hat you must write your every thought on the page. You can start with a few paragraphs, a sentence, or even just a word.The purpose of this exercise is to commit to your writing session every day until it has become second nature. #3 Create an OutlineA clear book outline provides clarity and direction to your story. It is also the roadmap for your book that keeps you on track and ensures you have all your ideas organized in a natural flow. And thats not even to mention that it helps you write a lot faster, too.There are many types of outlines you can use here.We highly recommend starting with the mindmap outline and then moving to the sticky note method, as our students find it the most helpful.When you get stuck or suffer writers block, you can always go back to your outline to find what comes next regardless of whether the book is 100 pages or 300 pages long. It will help you see the overall picture.If youre not sure how to outline a book, weve got a handy video right here for yo u to learn: Before you write, spend some time creating your outlinewith these steps:Brainstorm:  List every thought and story idea you want in your book by creating a mind map.Organize:  Combine all related ideas together.Order:  Arrange ideas into subsections from general to specific.Label:  Create main and subheadings that will eventually be your chapters. Action Step: Spend a good portion of your time constructing an outline. If you want more on creating it, be sure to check out our guide.#4 Work on ONLY WritingOne challenge many authors experience is taking on multiple new projects when they should be focused  on one because their minds are full of amazing book ideas.Although enticing, the division of attention can spread your energy thin producing bad writing or worse, failure to complete your book.But dont worry. Weve all experienced shiny new book idea syndrome before!There’s only one clear solution to this problem: Cut the clutter and focus on one project u ntil it’s finished.Be fully committed to starting your book by doing the following:Create an action plan that breaks down the entire project into realistic portions to complete.Set hard deadlines for each and every phase of your book.Learn to say â€Å"NO† to any additional projects no matter how intriguing they appear. Action Step:Create an action plan and commit to it. Learn to be selfish and practice saying NO often. Its better to complete one book and get it right than to write two books with poor results.#5 Maintain Your FocusOnce you get into the flow of starting your book, you want to remain focused through the duration of your writing session. Any break to your concentration can set you back 20-30 minutes and disrupt your flow.We become less efficient when we are distracted, and it can end up taking twice as long to complete our writing.Thankfully, there are very effective techniques that can help you remain centered andin the moment.Leave the distractions beh ind by doing the following:Create a writing schedule.   Schedule your writing for the same time each day. This conditioning will develop your writing habit until it becomes as natural as knowing when to brush your teeth.Use the Pomodoro Technique.  This is a time management strategy that breaks down work into intervals separated by short breaks. With a clock ticking, you will less likely be distracted by email or social media.Turn off your phone. Your phone is the most addicting device that steals your precious attention. Don’t let it take that from you, turn it off. If you dont want to turn it off, then download a writing software or app that limits distractions.Have a Task Management app.  Task Manager apps, like Todoist,  helps you organize your tasks by their time and priority, so you know exactly what to do in what order the next day.Disconnect from the Internet. Want to ensure you dont get distracted by email notifications, Facebook notifications, etc.? Disconne ct your computer from the Internet and enjoy distraction-free writing time. Action Step:Experiment with each of these productivity techniques and optimize your writer’s flow. By becoming a productivity expert, you will easily double your output and complete your book in no time.#6 Schedule Your Writing TimeJerry Seinfeld is one of the most popular comedians of all time, and he attributes his success to his unbelievably strong writing habits. In the early days of his career, Seinfeld was asked how he managed to have such great content.He said, â€Å"The way to be a better comic is to create better jokes, and the way to create better jokes was to write every day.†Seinfeld used the â€Å"Calendar Method†, otherwise known as the â€Å"Don’t Break the Chain† method, and it worked like this:Get yourself a calendar, and hang it on the wall.For each day you write, draw an X on the calendar for that day. By the end of the week, you should have a row of Xs at the end.If you miss a day, start over and see how long you can go before breaking the chain.If you can keep this chain going, you will write your book faster than you can imagine. Action Step:Buy yourself a calendar and get started on the â€Å"Calendar Method! Being held accountable will keep you motivated and not â€Å"Break the Chain.#7 Deal With Writing DistractionsDistractions can hinder you and your deisre to start writing a book.Resistance is a common obstacle that has the ability to distract us for too long. Its a form of fear that intimidates you from writing and can throw you off your writer’s flow.Not only do you have the distractions of everyday life, but if someone in your life has qualms with you spending time to write, it can be extra difficult to concentrate and just write.Everyone has encountered this awful feeling, but it doesn’t have to defeat you.Here are a few ways to deal with resistance:Read morning affirmations.Affirmations are powerful sn ippets of positive words that set the tone and atmosphere for writing. An affirmation could be a quote from a writer, a motivational speech from a public figure, or an inspirational video.Free Flow for 10 Minutes.Julia Cameron, the bestselling author of The Artist’s Way, called these morning pages, and its purpose is to clear your mind of all the anxiety and junk rolling around in your head onto a piece of paper. Write anything. You don’t have to edit, publish, or have a word count, it’s simply a 10-minute exercise to clear out heavy thoughts and prepare you for a more productive day.This is best done with pen and paper instead of typing into a document with your digital device.Exercise.Exercising is not only good for your healthbut will help keep you mentally sharp. Working out will increase the blood flow to the brain which will sharpen your awareness and give you the energy you need to tackle your book. Action Step:Create a resistance plan! Figure out which m ethods best filter out the negative noise and get you to prepared to write.Start Writing a Book TODAY!If you want to become a published author, you must take ownership of your writing habits. By following these seven strategies, you can have a completed book within months and be on your way to becoming a successful writer.But what can you do right now to ensure the success of the book youre going to start writing? Weve got them for you.#1 Join your free training!Thats right! We have free training thatsjust for you! Chandler Bolt will walk you through everything you need to go from blank page to published author in as little as 90 days.