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A Guide to Research Methodology: An Overview of Research Problems, Tasks and Methods
by Shyama Prasad MukherjeeResearch Methodology is meant to provide a broad guideline to facilitate and steer the whole of a research activity in any discipline. With the ambit and amount of research increasing by the day, the need for Research Methodology is being widely appreciated. Against this backdrop, we notice the dearth of well-written books on the subject. A Guide to Research Methodology attempts a balance between the generic approach to research in any domain and the wide array of research methods which are to be used in carrying out different tasks in any research. Discussions on these research methods appropriate in various disciplines have focused on the research tasks, keeping in mind the fact that a single such task like a comparison among alternatives may involve several methods from seemingly distinct areas. Unique features of this volume, as will be evident to a discerning reader, include: A detailed discussion on problem areas for research in several domains An illustrative and ampliated list of research problems drawn from different disciplines which can be pursued by interested research workers A comprehensive delineation of Research Design supported by illustrations An elaborate engagement with models with a note on model uncertainty Focus on recent and emerging models, methods and techniques A novel treatment of data analysis where the nature of data and the objective(s) of analysis justify drawing upon a variety of techniques for analysis This book will serve the purpose of a pre-PhD or a Master-level course-work for students of any discipline with a basic knowledge of quantitative analysis. In fact, anyone aspiring to take up meaningful research work will find the content useful and interesting.
Guide to RIBA Domestic and Concise Building Contracts 2018
by Sarah LuptonThis latest title from the author provides comprehensive guidance to RIBA's two updated building contracts: the RIBA Domestic Building Contract 2018 and the RIBA Concise Building Contract 2018. Introducing the contracts' features and benefits and covering all aspects of their use, from choosing and forming the right one for your project to guiding the parties through all its various stages, the Guide has been expanded with increased assistance on choice of form, tendering and contract formation. Additional detail on role and liabilities of contract administrator has been added, along with a new section on practical completion and completion, including certification. Assuming no current knowledge of the law or contract administration, this acts as a standalone guide for new users of the RIBA contracts, as well as a valuable update for previous users. It is an ideal companion for anybody using the latest building contracts.
A Guide to Selecting Software Measures and Metrics
by Capers JonesGoing where no book on software measurement and metrics has previously gone, this critique thoroughly examines a number of bad measurement practices, hazardous metrics, and huge gaps and omissions in the software literature that neglect important topics in measurement. The book covers the major gaps and omissions that need to be filled if data about software development is to be useful for comparisons or estimating future projects. Among the more serious gaps are leaks in reporting about software development efforts that, if not corrected, can distort data and make benchmarks almost useless and possibly even harmful. One of the most common leaks is that of unpaid overtime. Software is a very labor-intensive occupation, and many practitioners work very long hours. However, few companies actually record unpaid overtime. This means that software effort is underreported by around 15%, which is too large a value to ignore. Other sources of leaks include the work of part-time specialists who come and go as needed. There are dozens of these specialists, and their combined effort can top 45% of total software effort on large projects. The book helps software project managers and developers uncover errors in measurements so they can develop meaningful benchmarks to estimate software development efforts. It examines variations in a number of areas that include: Programming languages Development methodology Software reuse Functional and nonfunctional requirements Industry type Team size and experience Filled with tables and charts, this book is a starting point for making measurements that reflect current software development practices and realities to arrive at meaningful benchmarks to guide successful software projects.
A Guide to SME Financing
by David MunroA Guide to SME Finance is a brief guide to designing and implementing a SME finance program within a commercial bank or other financial institution, such as an NGO.
Guide To Social Impact Assessment: A Framework For Assessing Social Change
by Kristi BranchDesigned to provide clear and detailed assistance in the complex process of assessing social change, this book emphasizes the development of an analytic approach and a theoretical framework that can be applied to the assessment of very diverse events--changes in the natural environment, the local economy, or the dominant technology. The guide, based on a sociological perspective that highlights the importance of community social organization in analyzing social change, focuses on the development of user skills in assessment design, research, analysis, and presentation. The guide's theoretical basis and emphasis on the interrelationships that create social change make it valuable to those studying social change in general, as well as to those responsible for conducting or utilizing social impact assessments. Detailed "how to" information, clear writing, and careful design impart the skills necessary to identify and analyze the factors and processes leading to social change and to interpret and present research findings in an effective manner.
A Guide to Socially-Informed Research for Architects and Designers
by Michelle JanningThis book offers an efficient set of step-by-step tips and overarching lessons about how to gather useful, meaningful, and socially-informed data about clients’ and other stakeholders' experiences in architecture and interior design professions. In this guide, author Michelle Janning helps the design professional conduct ongoing evaluation of design projects, create useful pre- and post-design evaluations, frame effective questions for improved future design, involve various stakeholders in the research process, and focus on responsible and evidence-based human-centered design to improve the relationship between design and people’s experiences. Examining a variety of both large- and small-scale project examples from different institutional realms, including healthcare sites, schools, residences, eating establishments, museums, and theaters, this book highlights not only the overlap in these types of projects but also the differences between project sizes that may impact the methods used in any given project. It also offers tools for how to communicate design success to audiences that include potential clients, occupants, and other designers. A Guide to Socially-Informed Research for Architects and Designers is a go-to reference for design professionals interested in using accessible social scientific methods to gather essential and practical information from people who occupy the spaces they design and to do so in an ethical, inclusive, and socially-informed way in order to enhance social sustainability in the built environment.
Guide to Software Development
by Arthur M. LangerThis book addresses how best to make build vs. buy decisions, and what effect such decisions have on the software development life cycle (SDLC). Offering an integrated approach that includes important management and decision practices, the text explains how to create successful solutions that fit user and customer needs, by mixing different SDLC methodologies. Features: provides concrete examples and effective case studies; focuses on the skills and insights that distinguish successful software implementations; covers management issues as well as technical considerations, including how to deal with political and cultural realities in organizations; identifies many new alternatives for how to manage and model a system using sophisticated analysis tools and advanced management practices; emphasizes how and when professionals can best apply these tools and practices, and what benefits can be derived from their application; discusses searching for vendor solutions, and vendor contract considerations.
Guide To Software Export: A Handbook For International Software Sales
by Roger A. PhilipsAn ideal reference source for CEOs, marketing and sales managers, sales consultants, and students of international marketing, Guide to Software Export provides a step-by-step approach to initiating or expanding international software sales. It teaches you how to examine critically your candidate product for exportability; how to find distributors, agents, and resellers abroad; how to identify the best distribution structure for export; and much, much more!Not content with providing just the guidelines for setting up, expanding, and managing your international sales channels, Guide to Software Export advises you on pitfalls to avoid, important legal and financial considerations associated with software export, and essential market and distribution information. In an effort to cover all the bases, this comprehensive text also discusses: negotiating partnerships electronic marketing evaluating the competition cultural assumptions and biases adapting software for use in Asian markets information sources on the Internet distribution channel strategiesIf you’re not satisfied with your company’s international sales performance or you want to get into the global market, Guide to Software Export can help you guide your company through the transition. With the book’s easy-to-follow advice and checkpoints, you are sure to bring new levels of success to your company, so act now and get out in the forefront of software exporting.
Guide to Software Systems Development: Connecting Novel Theory and Current Practice
by Clive RosenThis book argues that the key problems of software systems development (SSD) are socio-technical rather than purely technical in nature. Software systems are unique. They are the only human artefacts that are both intangible and determinant. This presents unprecedented problems for the development process both in determining what is required and how it is developed. Primarily this is a problem of communications between stakeholders and developers, and of communications within the development team. Current solutions are not only inadequate in expressing the technical problem, they also evade the communications problems almost entirely.Whilst the book addresses the theoretical aspects of the process, its fundamental philosophy is anchored in the practical problems of everyday software development. It therefore offers both a better understanding of the problems of SSD and practical suggestions of how to deal with those problems. It is intended as a guide for practising IT project managers, particularly those who are relatively new to the position or do not have a strong IT development background. The book will also benefit students in computing and computer-related disciplines who need to know how to develop high quality systems.Software systems development (particularly of large projects) has a notoriously poor track record of delivering projects on time, on budget, and of meeting user needs. Proponents of software engineering suggest that this is because too few project managers actually comply with the disciplines demanded of the process. It is time to ask the question, if this is the case, why might this be? Perhaps instead, it is not the project managers who are wrong, but the definition of the process. The new understanding of the SSD presented here offers alternative models that can help project managers address the difficulties they face and better achieve the targets they are set. This book argues that time is up for the software engineering paradigm of SSD and that it should be replaced with a socio-technical paradigm based on open systems thinking.
A Guide to Sources of Information on the National Labor Relations Board (Research and Information Guides in Business, Industry and Economic Institutions)
by Gordon T. Law M. P. CatherwoodA concise history of the board in the U.S. from its inception in 1935, including an overview of current case law, and a bibliographic essay of selected secondary literature about the board.
A Guide to Starting Your Hedge Fund
by Erik Serrano Berntsen John ThompsonSuccessful hedge fund investing begins with well-informed strategy A Guide to Starting Your Hedge Fund is a practical, definitive "how-to" guide, designed to help managers design and launch their own funds, and to help investors select and diligence new funds. The first book to examine the practical aspects of setting up and operating funds with a focus on energy commodity markets, this book scrutinises the due diligence process and comprehensively reviews the opportunities and risks of all energy commodity markets as hedge fund investments. Extensive planning and strategy advice prove invaluable to prospective fund managers and investors alike, and detailed discussion of the markets' constraints help inform procedural decisions. Readers gain insight into practical matters including legal and commercial structures, due diligence, fund raising, operations, and more, allowing them to construct a concrete investment plan before ever touching a penny. Asset managers are looking to energy commodities to provide attractive uncorrelated - if volatile - returns. These high returns, however, are accompanied by high risk. Few investors have experience evaluating these investment opportunities, and few prospective fund managers understand the market fundamentals and their associated risks. This book provides the answers sorely lacking in hedge fund literature, giving investors and fund managers the background they need to make smarter decisions. Understand the markets' structures, opportunities, and risks Develop a comprehensive, well-informed investment strategy Conduct thorough due diligence with a detailed plan Examine the practical aspects of fund raising, legal and tax structure, and more Oil has long been traded by hedge funds, but electricity, the fuels that generate electricity, and the environmental products like emissions allowances and weather derivatives have become the new "hot" investment strategies. These high returns come with higher risk, but A Guide to Starting Your Hedge Fund ensures participants have essential information at their disposal.
A Guide to Success for Technical Managers
by Elizabeth Treher Timothy Carr Steven Jacobs David PiltzSupervisory Skills for the Technical Manager: A Guide to Success focuses exclusively on the dynamics of being a technical manager such as a scientist, programmer, or engineer. An R&D environment demands modified management techniques and this book explores how to do so. Drawing of years of experience to provide technical managers with various tools and ways to apply them in supervisory situation, this essential title includes exercises, templates and checklists to accelerate their uses and applications on the job. In addition, case studies are included throughout to thoroughly explain and explore the concepts discussed.Key topics include handing the transition to supervising others in research and development, the characteristics needed to motivate personnel in a R&D environment as compared to other areas of business are detailed. The pitfalls and challenges of managing technical personnel, how delegating can build an effective team that can produce superior results, and how to monitor the work of previously independent personnel are also discussed.
A Guide to Successful Business Relations With the Chinese: Opening the Great Wall's Gate
by Huang Quanyu Chen Tong Richard S AndrulisIntroduces and analyzes the Chinese people, their ideas, behavior, and cultural roots. It not only provides a sufficient theoretical basis for understanding this population, but also focuses on the various vivid practical experiences of everyday and business life. A Guide to Successful Business Relations With the Chinese alters Western business people’s perception of the Chinese people and improves their ability and skill in creating harmonious relationships with Chinese managers, colleagues, and subordinates on business and personal levels.
Guide to Supply Chain Management (Economist Books)
by David JacobyGlobalisation, technology and an increasingly competitive business environment have encouraged huge changes in what is known as supply chain management, the art of sourcing components and delivering finished goods to the customer as cost effectively and efficiently as possible. Dell transformed the way people bought and were able to customise computers. Wal-Mart and Tesco have used their huge buying power and logistical skills to ensure the supply and stock management of their stores is finely honed. Manufacturers now make sure that components are where they are needed on the production line just in time for when they are needed and no longer. Such finessing of the way the supply chain works boosts the corporate bottom line and can make the difference between being a market leader or an also ran. This guide explores all the different aspects of supply chain management and gives hundreds of real life examples of what firms have achieved in the field.
Guide to Supply Chain Management
by Colin Scott Henriette Lundgren Paul ThompsonThis guide brings supply chain theory to life. Written for people with a business interest in supply chain management, the book covers the key topics in eleven chapters, including plan, source, make, deliver and return as well as strategy, people, finance, customer service and outsourcing. Each chapter starts with a brief summary and learning objectives that guide the reader through the text. The book is written in a clear and simple way, featuring a variety of figures, tables and recommended further readings. The chapters conclude with real-life case studies for best practice. During their work, the authors have met professionals all over the world who are passionate about their business achievements. By including their vivid examples, the guide brings theory to life enabling readers to understand the concepts and ideas presented in the guide. Colin Scott, Henriette Lundgren and Paul Thompson are experts in supply chain management and have worked with practitioners in businesses across the globe. "This guide is a really useful reminder of what good practice is and how it should be applied within supply chain management. The book is relevant for students of supply chain management and professional practitioners alike. This book offers an invaluable guide to understanding the specific dynamics of your supply chain and the fundamentals underpinning it. It provides the framework for delivering a supply chain strategy based upon recognised best practice." Martin McCourt, CEO, Dyson Limited
Guide to Supply Chain Management: An End to End Perspective (Management for Professionals)
by Colin Scott Henriette Lundgren Paul ThompsonThis essential guide brings supply chain theory to life. Intended for readers with a business interest in supply chain management, the book covers the key topics in eleven chapters, including planning, sourcing, making, delivering and returning, as well as strategy, people, finance, customer service and outsourcing. Each chapter starts with a brief summary and learning objectives that guide the reader through the text. This second edition also explores digital, sustainability and innovation impacts on today’s global supply chains.The book is written in a clear and simple way, featuring a variety of figures, tables and recommendations for further reading. The respective chapters conclude with real-life case studies from different companies, illustrating best practices.In the course of their work, the authors have met professionals all over the world who are passionate about their business achievements. By including their vivid examples, the guide brings theory to life, enabling readers to understand and embrace the concepts and ideas presented. Colin Scott, Henriette Lundgren and Paul Thompson are experts in supply chain management and have worked with practitioners in businesses across the globe.Endorsement:This guide is a really useful reminder of what good practice is and how it should be applied within supply chain management. The book is relevant for students of supply chain management and professional practitioners alike.This book offers an invaluable guide to understanding the specific dynamics of your supply chain and the fundamentals underpinning it. It provides the framework for delivering a supply chain strategy based upon recognised best practice.Martin McCourt, CEO, Dyson Limited.
A Guide to Sustainable Corporate Responsibility: From Theory to Action
by Caroline D. Ditlev-SimonsenThis open access book discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by companies in an age that increasingly values sustainability and demands corporate responsibility. Beginning with the historical development of corporate responsibility, this book moves from academic theory to practical application. It points to ways in which companies can successfully manage their transition to a more responsible, sustainable way of doing business, common mistakes to avoid and how the UN Sustainable Development Goals are integral to any sustainability transformation. Practical cases illustrate key points. Drawing on thirty years of sustainability research and extensive corporate experience, the author provides tools such as a Step-by-Step strategic guide on integrating sustainability in collaboration with stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers and investors. The book is particularly relevant for SMEs and companies operating in emerging markets. From a broader perspective, the value of externalities, full cost pricing, alternative economic theories and circular economy are also addressed.
Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy
by Natalia Mirovitskaya William AscherThe Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy is a comprehensive presentation of definitions, philosophies, policies, models, and analyses of global environmental and developmental issues. With a wealth of comparative, multidisciplinary, and geographically varied perspectives on environmental governance, it also provides detailed and balanced discussions about specific environmental issues. The guide combines formal, objective entries with critical commentaries that emphasize different opinions and controversies. With succinct explanations of more than a thousand terms, thoughtful interpretations by international experts, and helpful cross-referencing, this resource is designed to serve as a roadmap for understanding the issues and debates in the overlapping fields of environment and development. Intended for use by activists, journalists, policymakers, students, scholars, and interested citizens, the Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy will be a helpful tool for anyone trying to get a comprehensive look at the many environmental organizations, schools of thought, development programs, international environmental treaties, conventions, and strategies that have proliferated in the past few decades.
A Guide to Teaching Young Adults About Money
by Rae SimonsParents and teachers can help young people understand the complex world of money and finance--and give them a head start in establishing good financial habits. This guide offers parents and educators resources and discussion topics for materials covered in The Junior Library of Money.
Guide to the Census
by Frank BassHow to parse, analyze, and incorporate census dataThis handy resource offers a reference guide for anyone interested in tailoring specific Census data to their needs. It includes computer coding (SAS v9.x) software for extracting targeted data from thousands of Census files, as well as primers on using online tools and mapping software for analyzing data. <P><P>The book offers thorough coverage of all aspects of census data including its historical significance, suggestions for parsing housing, occupation, transportation, economic, health, and other data from the census, and much more. <P><P>Offers an guide to analyzing Census data that can have an impact on financial markets as well as housing and economic data boding ill or well for the future of the economyIt includes computer coding (SAS v9.x) scripts for extracting specific data from Census files <P><P>Offers guidance on using thousands of variables from Census results released every year and American Community Survey data now released every year <P><P>The only one-stop guide to analyzing and using annual and decennial Census data <P><P>Bass offers a practical guide for leveraging information compiled by the Census to further research as well as business interests.
The Guide to the Circular Economy: Capturing Value and Managing Material Risk (Doshorts Ser.)
by Dustin Benton Jonny Hazell Julie HillThe term "Circular Economy" is becoming familiar to an increasing number of businesses. It expresses an aspiration to get more value from resources and waste less, especially as resources come under a variety of pressures – price-driven, political and environmental.Delivering the circular economy can bring direct costs savings to businesses, reduce risk and offer reputational advantages, and can therefore be a market differentiator – but working out what counts as "circular" activity for an individual business, as against the entire economy or individual products, is not straightforward.This guide to the circular economy gives examples of what this new business model looks like in practice, and showcases businesses opportunities around circular activity. It also: explores the debate around circular economy metrics and indicators and helps you assess your current level of circularity, set priorities and measure success; equips readers to make the links between their own company’s initiatives and those of others, making those activities count by influencing actors across the supply chain; outlines the conditions that have enabled other companies to change the system in which they operate. Finally, this expert short work sets the circular economy in a political and business context, so you understand where it has come from and where it is going.
A Guide to The Companies Act 2006
by Saleem SheikhAn easy to use guide to the Companies Act 2006 and packed full of helpful features, this book provides detailed commentary on the new Companies Act. Offering a chapter by chapter analysis of the legal and practical implications of the Act, the author traces the background to the act, considering the various Consultation Documents and White Papers issued by the Government, the proposals for company law reform and their culmination in the Company Law Reform Act. It contains: helpful checklists for the busy practitioner section by section commentary useful appendices of materials and extracts on an accompanying Companion Website. This is an invaluable and handy resource for undergraduate students and practitioners studying or working in business and company law.
Guide to the De-Identification of Personal Health Information
by Khaled El EmamOffering compelling practical and legal reasons why de-identification should be one of the main approaches to protecting patients' privacy, the Guide to the De-Identification of Personal Health Information outlines a proven, risk-based methodology for the de-identification of sensitive health information. It situates and contextualizes this risk-ba
Guide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017
by Michael D. RobinsonEnables readers to easily understand the contract to enable better compliance and efficiency Guide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017 helps the reader overcome some of the difficulties encountered on a typical international construction project using the FIDIC Construction Contract 2nd Edition (the 2017 Red Book), by summarizing the activities and duties of those involved, and crystallizing the requirements of the contract. To aid in reader comprehension, the text explains clauses in the sequence they appear in the contract, but also in the order they happen in real time on site. It further provides practical guidance in a concise manner, and in straightforward, jargon-free language. It is a highly practical resource for use during the project, rather than a legal review of the contractual requirements, ensuring readers are fully conversant with the revised requirements and procedures mandated by the 2017 edition of the contract. Guide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017 includes: A review of the duties and responsibilities of the three parties, the Employer, the Engineer and the Contractor, engaged on a FIDIC-based Contract A review of the flow of documentation and instructions which is to be provided by one party to another party throughout the contract period Practical guidelines are provided for the avoidance of disputes and delays in order that contracts are completed as plannedGuide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017 is a practical and highly useful resource for engineers, consultants, project managers, and others who are engaged in the site management of international projects using the FIDIC Construction Contract, along with those involved in contractual administration on behalf of the client.
Guide to the Healthcare Industry (SAGE Works)
by Karen PellegrinHealthcare′s advancements are undeniable, but delivering good value remains a challenge. Costs rise while quality improvements lag, leading some to call for removing business from healthcare entirely. This book offers a different perspective, inviting students and professionals to consider the potential of evidence-based business practices to improve healthcare and reduce costs. This engaging guide explores the unique complexities of the healthcare industry, highlighting why it′s ripe for disruption through innovative business solutions. By delving into how traditional models might not fit healthcare perfectly, the book paves the way for understanding how better business practices can unlock the potential for higher quality care at a lower cost.