There are three basic types of questions that research projects can address.

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Types of Questions

There are three basic types of questions that research projects can address:

  1. When a study is designed primarily to describe what is going on or what exists. Public opinion polls that seek only to describe the proportion of people who hold various opinions are primarily descriptive in nature. For instance, if we want to know what percent of the population would vote for a Democratic or a Republican in the next presidential election, we are simply interested in describing something.
  2. When a study is designed to look at the relationships between two or more variables. A public opinion poll that compares what proportion of males and females say they would vote for a Democratic or a Republican candidate in the next presidential election is essentially studying the relationship between gender and voting preference.
  3. When a study is designed to determine whether one or more variables (e.g., a program or treatment variable) causes or affects one or more outcome variables. If we did a public opinion poll to try to determine whether a recent political advertising campaign changed voter preferences, we would essentially be studying whether the campaign (cause) changed the proportion of voters who would vote Democratic or Republican (effect).

The three question types can be viewed as cumulative. That is, a relational study assumes that you can first describe (by measuring or observing) each of the variables you are trying to relate. And, a causal study assumes that you can describe both the cause and effect variables and that you can show that they are related to each other. Causal studies are probably the most demanding of the three.

 

How important do you think communication skills affect your career success?

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Q1

Age

  • Under 18
  • 18-24 year old
  • 25-34 years old
  • 35-44 years old
  • 45 years and older

Q2

Gender

  • Male
  • Female
  • Other

Q3

Education: What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed?

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master’s degree
  • Professional degree
  • Doctorate degree
  • Other (please specify)

Q4

What is your ethnicity?

  • Asian
  • White
  • Native Hispanic or Latino
  • Black or African American
  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
  • Other

Q5

How important do you think communication skills affect your career success?

  • Extremely important
  • Very important
  • Moderately important
  • Slightly important
  • Not at all important

Q6

How familiar are you with Chinese and American universities’ admissions policies?

  • Extremely familiar
  • Very familiar
  • Moderately familiar
  • Slightly familiar
  • Not familiar at all

Q7

Do you have any experience studying in both the U.S. and China?

  • Yes
  • No

Q8

How comfortable are you communicating with new people?

Not at all comfortable Extremely comfortable
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Q9

How good at communicating do you think you are in general?

Not good at all Extremely good at it
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Q10

How likely would you be to improve your communication skills if entrance to a university required it?

Not at all likely Extremely likely
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Q11

If it is necessary for you to improve your communication skills, which of the following would you choose to practice?(select all that apply)

  • Participate more in class
  • Join societies/associations/clubs/activities
  • Go for lessons online
  • Talk to parents/teachers for help
  • Other (please specify)

Q12

Which of the following was the most important factor to you when you were in high school?

  • Grades
  • Personal Skills
  • Games
  • hobbies and interests
  • Other (please specify)

Q13

Looking back, do you wish your college required higher level communication skills?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Not Sure

 

  • Response (96 Chinese students)
  • 55%: the only thing: Grade :because No time to practice (there are a lot of students who study abroad for undergrads, if there are more samples study in Chinese universities, the percentage would be much higher)
  • 75%: comms is important and affect career success
  • 60%: wish their college required higher level communication skills: parents and teachers will pay attention on communications
  • Only if the university admission policy required communication skills, the official such as schools will pay attention on communications

 

Compare and contrast essay (Abraham Lincoln VS Martin Luther King Jr):How are they similar? How are they different?

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Compare and Contrast Essay – Two Authors, Two Perspectives

Comparison and Contrast is an analytical form of writing which builds upon the skill set of both descriptive and expository writing. In a comparison and contrast essay, two subjects are analyzed for their similarities and differences. Students are exposed to a wider variety of writing structures as they learn the classical organizational patterns of block arrangement vs. point by point. A comparison and contrast essay consists of an introduction, a body of several paragraphs and a conclusion.

Please select two different authors or political figures that we have discussed during the course of the semester. Compare and contrast their views on American principles of justice. How are they similar? How are they different? Be specific in your analysis; rely on details from the readings. Use APA in-text citations (not quotes) to support your statements. You may use any of the materials we discussed in class and can cite your lecture notes. Remember to include an APA formatted reference page as well.

Purpose: to compare and contrast

Length: 3-4 typed, doubled-spaced

Format : APA style

Title your essay (title should capture the essence of your thesis)
Submit your essay to Canvas

Interpret the coefficients of your regression and comment on their statistical significance.

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INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT I: TIME SERIES ANALYSIS AND FORECASTING

 

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

 

  • Just Eat is the FTSE-100 company for my report.
  • Data on the FTSE 100 Index prices and UK government Treasury bill is also attached as Data Set as a separate file.

The only data you are required to download is the monthly price series of your selected (Just Eat) from Yahoo Finance or any similar data source.

 

Yahoo Finance (https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/quote/JE.L?p=JE.L)

 

  1. The assignment must be word-processed.
  2. The whole assignment must be no more than 1000 words in length including any, GRAPHICS BUT NOT REFERENCES. The word count must be stated on the front page of the assignment.
  3. The assessment criteria detailed overleaf will be used to mark your assignment. Please bear the criteria in mind when preparing your assignment.

MAIN PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to make students familiar with some with the basics of time series analysis and forecasting.

SCENARIO

You are a Junior Stock Analyst for F&H Investment Plc, with responsibility for tracking FTSE 100 stocks on the London Stock Exchange. One of your core duties is to determine the right price and return of stocks, which in turn, informs traders on buying or selling decisions of the stocks in their portfolio.

 

The asset returns/pricing model used is the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), which proposes the market (systematic) risk as the single determinant of stock value.

The CAPM is estimated using the following empirical mode

)                                                                                   (1)

where, i= 1,…, N and t=1,…,T

= return on asset i at time t (your selected stock, e.g., Barclays)

= return on the risk-free asset at time t (UK govt three (3) months Treasury bill price)

= return on the market portfolio at time t (FTSE 100 Index)

and  are the coefficients to be estimated.

Your task for the month is to produce a report detailing the time series pattern, return analysis and forecast of a stock that is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index (refer to list of FTSE 100 firms). The main body of your report should be structured based on the following sections.

Time Series Analysis

Stock Returns Analysis

Forecasting

Below are detailed requirements for each component of your report.

PART ONE: TIME SERIES ANALYSIS

  1. Produce a time-series graph of the monthly price series for (i) the selected stocks, (ii) the risk-free asset and (iii) the market portfolio for the past 15 years.
  2. Provide a description of the patterns observed for your series plots, that is, whether you observe a trend, season, cycle, structural break, random walk or a combination of them).
  3. Identify an economic/fundamental reason for the patterns observed in each of the series analysed above.

[20 marks]

PART TWO: STOCK RETURNS ANALYSIS

  1. Estimate a monthly return series for your chosen stock (), the risk-free asset (), the market portfolio.

Due to the desirable properties of logarithm transformation, the following log-return formula is to be used for calculating the return series:

where, Rt is the return on asset i at time t,  is the price of the asset at time t,  the price of asset at time t-1, ln is the natural logarithm and  is the return on stock i.

  1. Plot a time-series graph of all the return series estimated and comment on how their pattern differ from that of the price series in part one.
  2. Estimate a static linear regression of the monthly return series using equation (1).
  3. Interpret the coefficients of your regression and comment on their statistical significance.
  4. Comment on how the presence of autocorrelation is likely to affect your analysis of the result above.

[40 marks]

PART THREE: FORECASTING

You are expected to provide forecasts of your chosen stock. These forecasts will inform the trading division on their buy and sell decisions.

  1. Produce a forecast of the monthly price and return series of your chosen stock for the last 3 years using (i) the moving average method, (ii) exponential smoothing method and (iii) the regression estimates from your previous section.
  2. Compute the mean square error (MSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for all the three forecasting methods and comment on the accuracy of your forecasts.

[30 marks]

FORMAT OF REPORT

Executive summary, introduction, logical structure, clear explanation and appropriate referencing.

[10 marks]

WRITTEN REPORT FORMAT

The written report should be 1,000 words (plus or minus 10%) in length (including, introduction, main report and conclusion, but not the reference list), word-processed and should be of a professional format suitable for the audience.

ASSESSMENT AND MARKING SCHEME

The majority of the marks will be given to students that produce evidence of:

  • A good understanding of time series analysis.
  • A good understanding of time series regression analysis and forecasting.
  • Critical thinking in the interpretation of the findings.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

An executive summary should be no more than 10% of the final word count. This is not part of the word count.

 

Take a stand, who was right? Who was wrong? What should have been done?

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Directions for Case Study:
My Ethics and Professional students:

As you no doubt have all been diligently reading the booklet ” Hamilton Cop Arrested in Toronto Gang Raids” I now wish to provide you with directions on how to do your case study and what I am looking for:

Maximum four (4) pages in length, double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman or Arial. Standard 1 inch margins.

Not more than 3 spaces between the titled sections: Synopsis, Stakeholders, Ethical Dilemma and Opinion.

Please consider using SPELL CHECK

HEADINGS:

Synopsis: Brief outline of the story that gives the reader the gist of the story.

Stakeholders: Provide a brief description of each, including their involvement in the case. List a maximum of six (6) stakeholders.

Ethical Dilemma: This should be the longest part of your paper, (the meat and potatoes…sorry vegetarians and vegans for the reference) Explain the ethical dilemma faced by each of the main stakeholders you listed. Link what you have learned in class and in the text book. Why was the dilemma experienced? What were the contributing factors?

Opinion: This is your time to shine, this is YOUR OPINION. Take a stand, who was right? Who was wrong? What should have been done? Your opinion of Det. Constable Craig Ruthowsky. Back your opinion.

What barriers to entry is the company is using to defend itself?

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AMA 6BUS1184 Coursework Brief
Section
Heading & Contents
Word count guide
Marks available
Section 1
Executive Summary
A concise overview that will enable the Board to become quickly acquainted with the purpose of your report, the models and frameworks you have used and the structure of your report.
This section should capture the reader’s attention
200 words
5 Marks
AMA 6BUS1184 Coursework Brief
Section 2
Company Overview
A brief description of the business, i.e. its size, markets it operates in, and key competitors.
200 words
5 Marks
AMA 6BUS1184 Coursework Brief
Section 3
Key Opportunities and Threats
Identify what youconsider to be the top three opportunitiesand top three threatsfor the company, in order of priority, explaining each and JUSTIFYINGyour reasons i.e. EXPLAIN WHY they are an opportunity or threat and what might be the potential future IMPACTon the business.
You could consider the following factors (not all of which may be relevant, and this is not intended to be a comprehensive list);
Competitors and industry rivalry
Barriers to market entry and threat of new entrants
Bargaining power of customers and suppliers
Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors
Note:You should refer to, and apply, appropriate analytical models and frameworks where appropriate
600 words
20 Marks
Section 4
KeyStrengthsandWeaknesses
Identifywhatyouconsidertobethetopthreestrengthsandtopthreeweaknessesofthecompany,inorderofpriority,explainingeachandJUSTIFYINGyourreasonsi.e.EXPLAINWHYtheyareastrengthorweaknessandwhatmightbethepotentialfutureIMPACTonthebusiness.
Youcouldconsiderthefollowingfactors(notallofwhichmayberelevant,andthisisnotintendedtobeacomprehensivelist);
ForStrengths:
•Whatkeystrategicallyimportantresourcesandcapabilitiesdoesthebusinesspossessthatprovideitwithacompetitiveadvantage?
•Howcanthecompanyusetheseuniqueresourcesandcapabilitiestotakeadvantageofnewmarketopportunitiesordefendagainstexternalthreatsandcmpetitorsinthefuture?
ForWeaknesses:
•Whataspectsofbusinessperformanceneedto improve and why?
•Howdoesitsperformancecomparewiththatofitskeycompetitors?
•Whathavecustomerscriticiseditfor?
•Howdothirdpartiesjudgeitsperformance/levelofservice?
600 words
20 Marks
AMA 6BUS1184 Coursework Brief
Section 5
FinancialAnalysis
Asummaryofthefinancialperformanceandpositionofthebusiness,highlightingkeyareasoffinancialstrengthandweakness.Note:FinancialRatiosshouldbeincludedintheappendicesofyourreporttosupportyouranalysis
300 words
10 Marks
AMA 6BUS1184 Coursework Brief
Section 6
Conclusion & Recommendations
With reference to the preceding sections, suggest how the company could (i) develop its strengths (ii) resolve its weaknesses (iii) exploit opportunities and (iv) avoid or mitigate threats.
600 words
20 Marks
AMA 6BUS1184 Coursework Brief
Section 7
Appendices
A.SWOT Analysis
B.Financial Summary and Ratios Analysis
Maximumonepageforeachoftheaboveappendices.
C. References

What techniques should be used to overcome the barriers to change?

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Read the integrative case “Sometimes a Simple Change Isn’t So Simple” (Integrative Case 7.0) starting on page 600. Conduct research beyond the textbook (2 additional resources) and provide in-depth analysis of the case.

You will take on the role of Kate from this case study, and you will be creating a Presentation for the hospital’s administrative team. After reading the case study, create a Presentation with in-depth speaker notes that address the following questions:

(1) What structural change is indicated at Integrated Health?

(2) What caused MAR to fail? (3) Why are the nurses resisting the MAR project?

(4) What techniques should be used to overcome the barriers to change?

What is the effect of stress on teachers work productivity?

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The assignment is a literature review
The literature review will include
• Introduction: The introduction will include definition of stress and causes of stress in the educational environment leading to occupational concern of the people working in this sector. The introduction will also include how stress affects productivity and how it can be minimised for the well-being of educators. (300-600 words)
• Body: containing the information that retrieved from the literature, Analytical reading of books and papers, Evaluation of the situation, and Compare the previous studies results. (4500-5000 words)
• What are the Causes of the stress (general causes, stress at work and especially in educational context)?
• What is Burnout and what are the causes and how it can be prevented?
• What is the effect of stress on teachers work productivity?
• What is the management roles in protecting the educators from stress? And how they create stress-free work environment? What are the measures that have been done previously in the literature?
• What is the effect of workplace policy on teacher’s wellbeing?
• What is the definition and the criteria of positive learning environment?
• What are the deficiencies in the literature that need to be address?
• Conclusion: summarise the important aspects of the subject that include the evaluation of the current situation, identify gaps in existing knowledge; areas for future study. (300-600 words)

What is the optimal tree with one node only? What is the associated error?

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Question A

  1. The tvshows data set from AI:FCA-1 (exercise 7.3) is shown below:

Assume that we are reporting errors based on the absolute error value (basically, each error counts as 1). Gove very brief answers to the following questions:

  1. What is the optimal tree with one node only? What is the associated error?
  2. What is the optimal tree with a depth of 2 (i.e. a root node with leaves as children)? What is the associated error? Which instances end up at each leaf?
  3. What is the smallest tree that classifies correctly all training instances? How will it classify a new instance described as (Comedy = true, Doctors = true, Lawyers = true, Guns = true) and another one as (Comedy = false, Doctors = false, Lawyers = true, Guns = true)? Which of the two test instances allow us to say that the tree is able to generalize?
  4. If you were building the tree using the information gain as a splitting criterion, what would be the root?

 

Describe, analyse, and evaluate the opportunities for pastoral care in your church’s practice of public worship.

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Theology and Practice of Pastoral Care
Assessment 2019-20
Case Study (1000 words) due 16th December 2019
Select one of the two case studies below and apply Carrie Doehring’s model of pastoral care to it.
a. Grace is a seventeen-year old girl. She is normally a keen participant in church activities, including the choir, worship services, and youth camp. She helps with the church’s mid-week Bible Club for primary school children. The pastor often praises her as a shining example to other youth in the church. A bubbly personality, she gradually becomes sullen and withdrawn. Nobody can establish what is wrong. Eventually, Grace tells the church’s head of youth ministries that she is pregnant.
She is distressed, fearful, and angry. Her local GP has confirmed that Grace is pregnant, but there has been no discussion about what to do next. She is afraid to tell her parents, who are prominent members in the church, very strict, and hold out high hopes of her going to university, and achieving great things in life.
The eighteen-year old boy responsible for making her pregnant is reluctant to assume the responsibilities of fatherhood. He is pressuring Grace to have an abortion. She is concerned that if she tells the pastor and her parents about her situation she they will judge and condemn her as promiscuous.
OR
b. Benjamin is an elderly man in his late seventies. He came to England from the Caribbean in the early 1960s. A long serving member of his church it seems as though everything in his church is changing. A new leadership team seems determined to introduce a contemporary style of worship. Many of his friends have died or returned to the Caribbean. He feels lonely and isolated. Benjamin has worked hard all his adult life, asking nothing of anybody, paying his taxes, and giving a tithe to the church, but now he is frail and suffers from acute problems with his legs that make it hard to walk. He sometimes gets confused. A gang of three youths: Asian, White, and Mixed Race assaulted Benjamin and robbed him, when he made a recent trip to the local corner shop to buy some milk. They punched Benjamin in the face and kicked him while he lay on the ground. He is struggling to understand the changes taking place in the world around him and in his own life as he ages.
Now, he rarely ventures outside of his flat. He is angry and fearful at the same time. The police arrested three youths based on his description, but he could not remember what his assailants looked like, when he attended an identity parade to, potentially, identify his assailants. It seems to him that God and his local church have abandoned him.
Essay (3000 words) due 6th January 2020
Essay 1
State your understanding of the theology and practice of pastoral care in dialogue with two of the contemporary pastoral theologians. You must choose two theologians from the list below:
 Stephanie Crumpton
 Carrie Doehring
 Paul Goodliff
 Emmanuel Lartey
 David Lyall
 Barbara McClure
 Neil Pembroke
 Eugene Peterson
 Stephen Pattison
 James Poling
 Andrew Purves
 Anthony Reddie
 Derek Tidball
 Margaret Whipp
Or
Essay 2
Describe, analyse, and evaluate the opportunities for pastoral care in your church’s practice of public worship.