200 Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs

Homonyms are two or more words that have the same sound or  spelling  but differ in  meaning. Homophones—which means same sounds in Latin—are two or more words, such as  knew  and  new  or  meat  and  meet, that are  pronounced  the same but differ in  meaning, origin, and often  spelling. Homographs, meanwhile, are words that have the same  spelling  but differ in origin, meaning, and sometimes  pronunciation, such as the verb  bear  (to carry or endure) and the noun  bear  (the animal with a shaggy coat). Words that fall under any of these three categories often confuse readers and writers alike. But they need not perplex you: Understanding the meaning of these three grammatical terms and, especially, being able to recognize them can help clear up any confusion. A list of some of the most common  homonyms, homophones,  and  homographs can help any writer use these words correctly and any reader or listener recognize them when they occur. Homonyms, Homophones, and  Homographs   Here is a listing of some the most common homonyms, homophones, and  homographs. The first column contains homonyms in alphabetical order, while the second and third columns list the corresponding homonym, homophone, or homograph as applicable. accept - take in except - other than ad - advertisement add - join, combine advice - guidance advise - recommend aid - assist, assistance aide - one who gives assistance ail - to suffer poor health ale - a beverage air - atmosphere ere - before heir - one who inherits property aisle - a passage I'll - contraction of I will isle - island allusion - an indirect reference illusion - false appearance altar - table in a church alter - to change ate - past tense of eat eight - the number 8 bail - to clear water bail - release of a prisoner bale - a large bundle band - a ring, something that binds band - a group banned - prohibited bare - uncovered bear - large animal bear - support, yield bases - starting points bases - four stations on a baseball field basis - a basic principle beat - to strike, overcome beat - exhausted beet - a plant with red roots blew - past tense of blow blue - the color bread - baked food item bred - produced buy - purchase by - near, through bye - goodbye capital - punishable by death capital - chief city capitol - building where legislature meets ceiling - top of a room sealing - setting, fastening cell - compartment sell - vend cent - penny coin scent - an odor sent - past tense of send cereal - breakfast food serial - sequential chews - gnaws with teeth choose - to select Chile- country in South America chili - bean stew chilly - frosty chord - musical tone cord - rope cite - quote site - location sight - view close - opposite of open clothes - clothing coarse - rough course - path, procedure complement – enhance; go together compliment - praise conduct - behavior conduct - to lead council - committee counsel - guidance creak - squeak creek - stream of water crews - gangs cruise - ride on a boat days - plural of day daze - stun dear - darling deer- woodland animal desert - to abandon desert - dry land dessert - after-dinner treat dew - morning mist do - operate due - payable die - cease to exist dye - color discreet - tactful discrete - distinct doe - female dear dough - uncooked bread dual - double duel - battle elicit - draw out illicit - illegal eminent - distinguished imminent - soon ewe - female sheep you - second-person personal pronoun eye - sight organ I - first-person personal pronoun facts - true things fax - a document transmitted via telephone fair - equal fare - price fairy - elflike creature with wings ferry - boat faze - impact phase - stage feat - achievement feet - plural of foot find - to discover fined - charged a penalty fir - type of tree fur - animal hair flea - small biting insect flee - run flew - did fly flu - illness flour - powdery, ground up grain flower - blooming plant for - on behalf of fore - front four - three plus one forth - onward fourth - number four foreword - introduction to a book forward - advancing gene - a chromosome jean - fabric; pants gorilla - big ape guerrilla - warrior grease - fat Greece - country in Europe groan - moan grown - form of grow hair - head covering hare - rabbit-like animal hall - passageway haul - tow halve - cut in two parts have - possess hay - animal food hey - interjection to get attention heal - mend heel - back of foot hear - to listen here - at this place hi - hello high - up far hoarse - croaky horse - riding animal hole - opening whole - entire holey - full of holes holy - divine wholly - entirely hoarse - rough voice horse - animal hour - sixty minutes our - belonging to us knead - massage need - desire knew - did know new - not old knight - feudal horseman night - evening knot - tied rope not - negative know - have knowledge no - opposite of yes lead - metal led - was the leader leased - past tense of lease least - the minimum lessen - make smaller lesson - class loan - lend lone - solitary made - did make maid - servant mail - postage male - opposite of female marry - to wedmaterial merry - very happymateriel meat - animal protein meet - encounter mince - to chop finely mints - type of sweet morning - a.m. mourning - remember the dead none - not any nun - woman who takes special vows oar - boat paddle or - otherwise ore - mineral oh - expression of surprise or awe owe - be obligated one - single won - did win overdo - do too much overdue - past due date pail - bucket pale - not bright pain - hurt pane - window glass peace - calm piece - segment peak – highest point peek - glance patience - being willing to wait patients - person treated in a hospital or by a doctor pear - a type of fruit pair - two (usually matching) plain - ordinary plane - flight machine plane; flat surface pole - post poll - survey poor - not rich pour - make flow pray - implore God prey - quarry principal - most important principle - belief rain – water from sky rein - bridle rap - tap wrap - drape around read - past tense of the verb to read red - color real - factual reel - roll right - correct; not left write - scribble ring - encircle wring - squeeze road - street rode - past tense of ride role - function roll - rotate rose - flower rows - lines sail - move by wind power sale - bargain price scene - landscape seen - viewed sea - ocean segment see - observe with eyes seam - joining edge seem - appear sew - connect with thread so - as a result sow - plant soar - ascend sore - hurt place sole - single soul - essence son - male child sun - the star that lights the solar system some - a few sum - amount stair - step stare - to look at steadily steal - swipe steel - alloy suite - large room in a hotel sweet - the opposite of sour tail - animal’s appendage tale - story their - belonging to them there - at that place they’re - they are threw - past tense of throw through - passing from one place to another to - toward too - also two - the number 2 toe - foot appendage tow - pull along vary - differ very - wail - howl wail - howl whale - huge sea mammal waist - area below ribs waste - squander wait – kill time weight - measurable load war - battle wore - did wear warn - caution worn - used way - path weigh - measure mass we - us wee - tiny weak - not strong week - seven days wear - to don attire where - question word weather - climate whether - if which - that witch - sorcerer wood - material coming from trees would - conditional auxiliary your - belonging to you you’re - you are Practice Using Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs Complete each of the following sentences by filling in the blank with the correct word. Youll find the answers at the end of the exercise. To heighten interest, all of the sentences are quotes from various authors writings in books and magazine articles published over the years. Feel free to use the previous table to help you if you get stumped. â€Å"He simply sat down on the ledge and forgot everything _____ [accept or  except]  the marvelous mystery.†Ã¢â‚¬â€ Lawrence Sargent HallI live in the Oakland Hills in a tiny house on a street so windy you can’t drive more than ten miles per hour. I rented it because the _____ [ad or add]  said this: Small house in the trees with a garden and a fireplace. Dogs welcome, of course.— Pam HoustonFrancis wondered what _____  [advice or  advise]  a psychiatrist would have for him.— John CheeverThe _____ [aid or aide] gets out of the way, picking her skirt out of the rubble of children at her feet.— Rosellen BrownHe seemed to want to  recapture the cosseted feeling  hed had when hed been sick as a child and she would serve him flat ginger _____  [ail or  ale], and toast soaked in cream, and play endless card games with him, using his blanket-covered legs as a table.— Alice Elliott DarkHe sat down and leaned forward, pulling  the chairs rear legs into the _____ [air,  ere, or heir]  so that the waitress could get by.— Stanley Elkins[T]he stewardess was moving down the _____ [aisle, Ill, or isle],  like a trained nurse taking  temperatures in a hospital ward, to see that they were all properly strapped in for the take-off.— Martha GellhornMrs. Parmenter laughed at his _____ [allusion or illusion]  to their summer at Mrs. Sterretts, in Rome, and gave him her coat to hold.— Willa CatherIn the long years between, she had  fashioned many fine dresses—gowned gay girls for their conquests and robed fair brides for the _____ [altar or alter].— Mary LernerOn a Saturday morning soon after he came to live with her, he  turned over her garbage while she  was at the grocery store and _____ [ate or eight]  rancid bacon drippings out of a small Crisco can.— Pam DurbanThe barn was bigger than a church,  and  the falls fresh hay _____ [bails or  bales]  were stacked to the roof in the side mows.— John UpdikeHer  two spare dresses were gone, her comb was gone, her checkered coat was gone, and so was the mauve hair-_____ [band or banned] with a mauve bow that had been her hat.— Vladimir NabokovWithout the shelter of those  trees, there is a great exposure—back yards, clotheslines, woodpiles, patchy sheds and barns and privies—all _____ [bare or bear], exposed, provisional looking.— Alice MunroThis was the time when outfields were larger than they are today and well-hit balls would roll for a long time,  giving  runners ample time  to round the _____ [bases or basis]  for a home  run.— Deidre Silva and Jackie KoneyThe conductor had his  knotted signal cord to pull, and the motorman _____ [beat or beet] the foot gong with his mad heel.— Saul BellowNancy held the cup to her mouth and _____ [blew or blue] into the cup.— William FaulknerA pigeon landed nearby.  Ità ‚  hopped on its little red feet  and pecked into something that might have been a dirty piece of stale _____ [bread or bred] or dried mud.— Isaac Bashevis SingerHe was wearing a new  hat of a pretty biscuit shade, for it never occurred to him to _____ [buy, by, or bye] anything of a practical color; he had put it on for the first time and the rain was spoiling it.— Katherine Anne Porter Answers to the Exercise 1. except  2. ad  3. advice  4.  aide  5. ale  6. air  7. aisle  8. allusion  9. altar  10. ate  11. bales  12. band  13. bare  14. bases  15. beat  16. blew  Ã‚  17. bread  18. buy Sources Hall, Lawrence Sargent. The Ledge. The Hudson Review, 1960.Houston, Pam. Waltzing the Cat. Washington Square Press, 1999, New York.Cheever, John. The Country Husband. The New Yorker, 1955.Brown, Rosellen. How to Win. The Massachusetts Review, 1975.Dark, Alice Elliott. In the Gloaming. The New Yorker. 1994.Elkins, Stanley. Criers and Kibitzers, Kibitzers and Criers. Perspective, 1962.Gellhorn, Martha. Miami-New York. The Atlantic Monthly, 1948.Cather, Willa. Double Birthday.  Uncle Valentine and Other Stories. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Neb., 1986.Lerner, Mary. Little Selves. The Atlantic Monthly, 1915.Durban, Pam. Soon. The Southern Review, 1997.Updike,  John. My Fathers Tears and Other Stories. Knopf, 2009, New York.Nabokov, Vladimir That in Aleppo Once... The Atlantic Monthly, 1944.Munro, Alice. Meneseteung. The New Yorker, 1989.Silva, Deidre, and Koney, Jackie. It Takes More Than Balls: The Savvy Girls Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Baseball. Skyhorse, 2008, N ew York.Bellow, Saul. A Silver Dish. The New Yorker, 1979.Faulkner, William. That Evening Sun Go Down. The American Mercury, 1931.Singer, Isaac Bashevis. The Key.  A Friend of Kafka. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1979, New York.Katherine Anne Porter, Theft. The Gyroscope, 1930.

The Smart Chips Company - Mgt240 - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 456 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/09/11 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? AIU Online MGT240-1003B-01 Unit 5(DB) The Smart Chips Company The Smart Chips Company is in an immediate need of product reconstruction due to other competitors cloning their micro- chips and selling them at extremely low prices that anyone couldn’t resist. In order for The Smart Chip Company to undergo these drastic changes, first they will need to determine how they will input these six requirements of Value Chain Management and utilize them in hopes of remaining competitive in the long run. The six requirements for Value Chain Management are as follows, Coordination and Collaboration, Technology Investment, Organizational Process, Leadership, Employees and Human Resources, and Organizational Culture and Attitudes. At The Smart Chips Company, I would utilize Coordination and Collaboration by getting our employees to come together and continue corresponding effectively with our consumers and ensuring that our products are being distributed to our merchants in a suitable manner while ensuring that we continuously supply our exceptional services. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Smart Chips Company Mgt240" essay for you Create order The Smart Chips Company can utilize Technology Investment by bringing in more sufficient investment techniques that will enhance their technology in terms of making their products operate faster or better due to upgrading. This process will help their products hold up in the information technology industry in the long run along with the gain of long term profits. For example, at American Standard’s Trane facilities, a comprehensive IT strategy throughout its value chain, which extends globally, has helped it achieve significant work process improvements (Coulter Robbins, 2009). The Smart Chips Company can utilize the Organizational Process by organizing the way that their products are being delivered. They should also change the way that they organize their products to satisfy their customers and their suppliers. Because the goal in value chain management is meeting and exceeding customers’ needs and desires, managers need a better picture of how well this value is being created and delivered to customers (Couter Robbins, 2009). The Smart Chip Company can utilize Employees and Human Resources by increasing the hire amount. They should provide training programs for their incoming employees as well as for their existing employees in order to establish the final product. The Smart Chip Company can establish Leadership by single handling selecting a manager within the company that possesses the ability to meet product deadline dates, promote products, and be able to attract more business for the company. This would help the company remain competitive in the long run. Also, The Smart Chips Company can remain competitive in the long run if they utilize Organizational Cultural and Attitudes by implementing partnership, directness, elasticity, distribution, joint admiration, and reliance within their company. References Coulter, M. and Robbins, S. (2009). Management. Tenth Edition, Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright by Pearson Education, Inc.

The Sarbanes Oxley Act Of 2002 - 2376 Words

Introduction In this paper, I will be discussing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. I will divide the paper up into four sections: the history of the act, trace its implementation, discuss its impact on society, and analyze the efficiency of the act. The act itself is made of of 11 sections or â€Å"titles†. Each title is a major key point in the act which also goes into more depth by containing several sections within it. This paper will me going over all of the sections covered in the act, but will focus on the major sections that have proven this act to be efficient in its purpose and the negatives as well. This act has been quite controversial regarding its strengths and weaknesses, but it contains some key values that should be used as a†¦show more content†¦Despite major loses, the companies grew because Enron essentially believed that â€Å"saying the right words, turning around three times and throwing salt over your shoulder could somehow transform something without econom ic substance into something with economic substance. (SEC Historical Society)† Due to this misleading and fraudulent act, shareholders lost billions of dollars when the companies crashed and the share prices went down with it (Citeseer). After uncovering several scandals from companies such as Enron, Worldcom, and Tyco, people found it difficult to trust and invest in companies again. As a result to this unforeseen and unethical scandal, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed on July 25, 2002. The House approved this act with a vote of â€Å"423 in favor, 3 opposed, and 8 abstained†, showing a unanimous favor in the necessity and practicality of the act. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was also known as the â€Å"Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act† (in the Senate) and the â€Å"Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act† (in the House), or simply SOX (Citeseer). Its purpose is to ensure the honestly of the company’s financial statements and to also make shareholders feel safe with where they are spending their money. In order to keep businesses running and the society’s best interests, this act is necessary. It is

Alcoholics Anonymous Essay Example For Students

Alcoholics Anonymous Essay Defining Alcoholics AnonymousFollowing is the definition of A.A. appearing in the Fellowships basic literature and cited frequently at meetings of A.A. groups:Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues of fees for A.A. membership; they are self-supporting through their own contributions. A.A is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, of institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Their primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous can also be defined as an informal society of more than 2,000,000 recovered alcoholics in the United States, Canada, and other countries. These men and women meet in local groups, which range in size from a handful in some localities to many hundreds in larger communities. Although alcoholism, according to the AA philosophy, can never be curedthat is, the alcoholic can never safely drink againthe alcoholic can recover to lead a productive and normal life as long as he or she remains sober. Since its inception the organization has also reduced popular misconceptions of alcoholics by educating both professionals and the public about the nature of alcoholism. The related organizations of Al-Anon and Al-Ateen provide similar support to the families and children of alcoholics. Other organizations, such as Overeaters Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, and Co-Dependents Anonymous have adopted the 12-Step program for recovery. Social Issues

The Question As To Whether Or Not Creationism Should Be Taught Essays

The question as to whether or not creationism should be taught in public schools is a very emotional and complex question. It can be looked at from several different angles, its validity being one of them. Despite the lack of evidence to support the fundamentalist idea of creationism, that in itself is not enough to warrant its exclusion from the curriculum of public schools in the United States. The question is far more involved and complex. One way to address the question is whether or not creationism, in itself, is a valid idea to be taught in public schools. The answer to this can be yes. Not only should a student in American public schools learn and acquire knowledge in empirical sciences, and other tangible facts both in history and other courses, but he should also learn how to think and make decisions for himself. Unfortunately, as it turns out, creationism is in direct conflict with the biological theory of evolution. Many fundamentalist propose that creationism should replace, or at least be offered as an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution. This is not the right approach. Creationism, as exemplified in the book of Genesis, should not be taught in a science course. Science runs on a certain set of rules and principles being: (1) it is guided by natural law, (2) it has to be explanatory by reference to natural law, (3) it?s conclusions lack finality and therefore may be altered or changed, (4) it is also testable against the empirical world, and finally (5) it is falsefiable. These characteristics define the laws, boundaries, and guidelines that science follows. In a science course, all knowledge conveyed is shown, or has been shown in the past, to exemplify a strict adherence to these qualities. Creationism, unfortunately in the eyes of Christian fundamentalist, does not exemplify any adherence whatsoever to these rules and guidelines of science. Therefore, it should not be included in the science curriculum in public schools, even as an alternative to evolution. Another idea is that which is held by those who subscribe to the idea of scientific creationism. Scientific creationism, as it relates to this topic, states that God was the creator, and that evolution is simply a means, developed by Him, of conservation. Due to this definition of how scientific creationism relates to evolution, it may be easier to accept by scientific criteria, despite the fact that the origins are scientifically debatable. The problem in scientific creationism, and what I see as a reason for its exclusion from the science classroom in public schools, is the fact that it looks as if, from the outside, the whole theory that it rest on is simply a contortion of the traditional version of creation described in Genesis, custom-made to fit in with Darwin's theory of evolution. R. M. Hare would probably say that scientific creationism is simply a modification of the story of creation in Genesis, to fit into the ?blik? of the religious fundamentalist. A blik, as Hare describes it, is a pre-set world view held by all people, in which they draw from when forming certain opinions on any particular subject. In the case of religious fundamentalist, who?s faith in the validity of the Book of Genesis is an essential part of their blik, it becomes necessary for them to contort their literal view of the Book of Genesis into a form that is scientifically acceptable. For this reason, creation science still does not have a place in the science classroom of public schools. Another problem with scientific creationism is that it would exclude the idea of a random beginning. No theory could ever be tested to find origins because it would conflict with scientific creationism. Scientific creationism would be, in essence, a lesson on science halting efforts to find creation, if it is possible at all. It may, however, be acceptable as a theory and not a solid law. Now that it is clear that creationism, as well as scientific creationism, does not fit into the guidelines on which science operates, therefore making them unsuitable for teaching in science classrooms in public schools, in what part of the public school curriculum in the United States should they be taught? The story provided in the Book of Genesis could conceivably fit into the literary genre of mythology. It could not be considered as nonfiction, due to the many contradictions it makes within itself, as well as in the world of empirical knowledge. These contradictions are numerous and would create a paper within themselves, therefore it should be addressed elsewhere. The controversy here, despite the factual and logical inadequacies

Is Political Analysis a Scientific Enterprise Should It Be

Is Political Analysis a Scientific Enterprise Should It Be According to Fay (1996)1, the study of political science involves a close analysis of dates, governments and politics. This discipline concerns with the study of human behavior and all issues related to politics as observed in controlled environments. This means that it would be very difficult to reproduce results through experimental methods.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Political Analysis a Scientific Enterprise? Should It Be? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many scholars have argued that the study should be based on observations rather than experiments. Historically, most advances and conclusions in political science are derived from observations of the general trends of nation’s politics and government. The fact that the results from studying a variety of governments of a given number of nations limits the probability of obtaining reproducible results and thus limits the study of political science t o be classified as a scientific enterprise. Political analysts utilize a variety of means to obtain their research data. Most primary data is obtained through historic records and official documents. The secondary materials have been traditionally derived from results of surveys, case studies, statistical analyses and experimental models and research buildings. Political science builds its theories on critical observations of political elites, individuals and groups, as well as institutions. These patterns are drawn, generalized before the theories are being created. The correlation between the study of political science and science is a subject to debate due to some specifications that scientific studies and models stipulate as mandatory in all scientific models. This paper analyzes some of the scientific requirements in a scientific enterprise and then correlates them to the model and research methods used by political analysts to draw its conclusions Literature review The definit ion of political science has changed over the years since the 1950s. Initially, the discipline had been comprehensively descriptive in nature, but has since relied on statistical methods. Political analysts have over the years rejected political science as a science based on two approaches: practical and philosophical objections. In the first one believes that political behaviors are very complex and therefore mislead researchers having made the data collection quite hard. Philosophical objections, on the other hand, base their arguments on the fact that human reasoning cannot be objectively quantified. This leaves observations and perceptions by the researchers as the only alternative (Rosenberg, 2012)2.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Political analysis lacks a standard methodology for quantifying the validity of its measurements and therefore makes it hard for ob taining testable results. The complexity and uniqueness of the political analysis make the results of the study unreliable. According to Cherry (2010)3, reliability is a measure of consistency of a given measurement. For a test to be reliable, it must deliver similar results on a regular basis. The results are independent of the reason for administering the test, but should be approximately similar every time the test is done (Cherry, 2010)4. Unfortunately, mathematical quantification is not possible in political analysis when making approximations about the reliability of a given test. Two aspects are normally considered in science: inter-later and internal reliability. In order to assess the first one, a minimum two independent judges should score the test. The scores are then analyzed to establish the consistency of the rater’s approximations. The best way to test inter-rater reliability is to assign each rater to test a score (Silva, 2010)5. Then, the test administrator c omputes the correlation between two ratings to establish the degree of inter-rater reliability. On the other hand, internal reliability is a measure of consistency of test results conducted on the same test. The researches compare test variables, which measure the same construct to establish the tests internal consistency(Cherry, 2010)6. On many occasions, these tests involve very similar or repetitive questions that are utilized to assess the reliability. Since the questions are identical and are structured to answer the same phenomena, the researcher must provide answers to the question in a similar fashion meaning that the test has internal consistency (Cherry, 2010)7. Political analysis lacks a standard methodology for quantifying the validity of its measurements and therefore makes it hard to obtain testable results. Additionally, science capitalizes on knowledge to explain how phenomena is the way it is. As a result, theories and testable predictions based on empirical reliabi lity are created. The more similar observations are observed, the more the theory is deemed to be testable and therefore correct. Poor consistency of the human behavior thus reduces the rate of testability of the theories and consequently reduces the reliability of the results (Silva, 2010)8.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Political Analysis a Scientific Enterprise? Should It Be? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political analysis is a social study and involves numerous examples of complex human behaviors. Human beings are neither identical nor interchangeable. Their complex nature makes them lack a general conclusion based on the results of the methodology used. In science, generalization is a must concept and relies on the building relationships between two or more facts and utilizes empirical generalization to reach a credible conclusion (Buttolph Reynolds, 2012)9. Since humans cannot be put in a Petri dish in an effort to control their behaviors to study certain variables, the validity of the results obtained is thus questionable. It would be important to look at the definition of variability as an important factor in quantifying scientific studies (Silva, 2010)10. Validity is defined as the ability of an instrument to achieve its goals. Tests should be valid in order to ease interpretation, and provide accurate application of the results. Validity is a measure that uses research methods that can demonstrate the existence of a predefined relationship between the test and the behavior it is supposed to measure. There are two types of validity measures: content and face validity. In case the elements of the test represent the whole range of possible results the test should cover, then the test have content validity (Silva, 2010)11. Content validity draws the test questions from a wide pool of items covering a wide range of topics. Face validity, on the other hand, is a component of cont ent validity that is determined when the person assessing the instrument makes a conclusion that measures the desired element or trait in the test (Cherry, 2010). Quantification While scientists insist on quantifiable tests, Political analysis, being a social science, relies on behaviors, values, beliefs and so on to make conclusions. This implies that their results cannot be measured accurately. Measurement is a fundamental element of science and although generalizations and assumptions are common, the quantification process must be illustrated clearly.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some political scientists vehemently criticize this approach by citing the scientific methodologies that have been employed historically in science. Galileo, for instance, used a crude telescope to view the moon and other planets. Scientific developments in astronomy were developed from the foundations he discovered through more and more precise observation instruments. Another fundamental element of science is the ability to offer transmissible knowledge. Scientists insist that scientific knowledge must be transmissible or, in other words, they must be explicit enough to allow other scholars to analyze them and replicate their results. Unfortunately, the methodologies used in social sciences are basically based on objective and systematic observations. This means that a fundamental goal of science is left out since the results obtained cannot be verified. The theories constructed from these verifications of public inspection and results are not in a credible position to explain why phenomena behave the way it does (Fay, 1996). In the scientific world, the knowledge is used to describe things and facts, for example, how things are created and why they are what they are. On the other hand, political analysis depends on causal relationships which derive their results from correlations in order to establish useful and important information. These however fail to explain issues related to why and how (Fay, 1996)12. Falsifiability During the development of theories, it must be quite clear whether the theory is falsifiable or not. Science insists that an empirical theory fails to satisfy the fundamental of science if it cannot be proved to be either right or wrong through various tests. When a theory is found to be wrong, it gives the researchers the motivation to look for alternative theories through elimination of the previous theory. The truth is that no political setting is interchangeable. If we argue from this point, it means therefore that the results we will obtain from analysis of a political setting will be subjected to alterations once an identical study is carried out. This would consequently lead to situation where theories will be formulated today and dismissed the following day. Political analysts use case studies to come up with comprehensive theories but fail to generalize them being afraid of criticism from independent similar theories. The Organization of the American Political Science Association (2006)13 reported new developments in the scientification of political analysis. In the early 1960s, most political analysts used scientific means to build on the behaviorism during the early foundations of political science as a discipline. However, over the years, these theories have been challenged by different authors owing to their nature of lack of reliability and generalization. The line between facts and values has been a nightmare to most political scientists and other social scientists for a long time. Some held on the ar gument that values are facts, but in the real scientific world, a clear distinction between the two must be established. Epistemology As one of the key pillars of philosophy, epistemology concentrates on propositional knowledge. The political analysts utilize this approach by classifying certain elements of beliefs and values to be true or false. The results produce normative knowledge which deals with the evaluation and recommendation of what should be rather than what it is, or how it came to be. On the other hand, real science aims at creating a non-normative kind of knowledge which is based on facts or, in other words, the objective determination of what things are. While the real scientific world insists on knowledge being cumulative, the research methods used by previous experiments and results should be used as foundations of new work. Political analysts deal with variation in the settings of political arenas, governments and institutions in such a way that the conclusions fr om different studies yield different results. In their words, the repeatability, reliability and validity of the data obtained cannot be used to make a general observation. By presenting a systematic a systematic and well reasoned anticipation, science is able to make accurate predictions for future occurrence of events. Thus, science is in a position to generate predictions for the future. Social analysis fails in generalization of its theories and therefore most of its conclusions cannot be used to predict the occurrence of future events (Fay, 1996)14. Science relies on parsimony in an effort to give other researchers a chance to choose between alternatives. Scientists therefore prefer methodologies that give a vivid explanation of phenomena while maintaining few parameters. In real scientific research, deductive arguments must not necessarily be reached. These relate to arguments that are proved to be true through the use of a series of logical statements to derive a conclusion b ased on true premises (Buttolph Reynolds, 2012)15. Although deductive reasoning is used in political analysis, inductive reasoning prevails in most research work making inferences though observations and propositions (Buttolph Reynolds, 2012)16. This brings the issue of probabilistic explanation. In science, it is required that 100% accuracy be met prior to making any predictions. The use of inductive reasoning therefore forbids this practice of making prediction based on previous findings. In other words, every situation in political analysis requires an independent research and conclusion. For example, if a researcher was to research about the political situation in a country, say Britain, it would be wrong to make inferences about the United States using the results of the study. On the other hand, a scientific experiment could be reproduced to another similar case. For example, the behavior of bacteria inside a Petri dish could be used to make general conclusions about the beh avior of all similar bacteria. From the given example, several observations can be made. The situation of political institutions in Britain and America are likely to change with time. By the time the study was taken, several parameters such as the nature of economy and the general perceptions of the respondents will have changed. The scientific study of bacteria in the same environment and conditions will yield similar results day-in-day-out. We therefore concluded that the Petri dish experimental results are reproducible, valid and reliable. Reliability is important in this case in order to assess the practicability and efficiency of the materials used to gather the data (Martin, 1994)17. Conclusion The paper analyzed the scientific approach of research and made equal comparison to the study of political science. The scientific approach look more tangible and reflective results compared to the social science approach. The paper concluded that political analysis therefore cannot be classified as a scientific enterprise. For a long time, the study has based its reflections on descriptions obtained through observations. The fact that these systems are undergoing transformations to include statistical inferences suggests the birth of a new approach to the subject. At the moment, the scientific requirements for a theory to satisfy the discussed expectations of a scientific study do not allow the prevalent method in political analysis to be described as a scientific approach. Deductive reasoning may not be practical in political analysis since every time the research is carried out, the probability of obtaining different data is high. Bibliography Buttolph, J Reynolds, T H, 2012, Political Science Research Methods, 7th edn., sage Publications, http://college.cqpress.com/sites/psrm/Home/chapter2.aspx Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm Fay, B, 1996, Contemporary philosophy of social sci ence: a multicultural approach. Blackwell, Oxford. Martin, M, 1994, Readings in the philosophy of social science, MIT Press, Cambridge. Rosenberg, A, 2012, Philosophy of social science, Westview Press, Boulder, CO. Silva, E, 2010, Racism without racists: color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Lanham. The Organization of the American Political Science Association, 2006, Proceedings of the American Political Science Association, Vol. 1, pp. 5-15, First Annual Meeting, 1904. Footnotes 1 Fay, B, 1996, Contemporary philosophy of social science: a multicultural approach. Blackwell, Oxford. 2 Rosenberg, A, 2012, Philosophy of social science, Westview Press, Boulder, CO. 3 Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm 4 Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm 5 Silva, E, 201 0, Racism without racists: color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Lanham. 66 Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm 7 Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm 8 Silva, E, 2010, Racism without racists: color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Lanham. 9 Buttolph, J Reynolds, T H, 2012, Political Science Research Methods, 7th edn., sage Publications, http://college.cqpress.com/sites/psrm/Home/chapter2.aspx Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm 10 Silva, E, 2010, Racism without racists: color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Lanham. 11 Silva, E , 2010, Racism without racists: color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Lanham. 12 Fay, B, 1996, Contemporary philosophy of social science: a multicultural approach. Blackwell, Oxford. 13 The Organization of the American Political Science Association, 2006, Proceedings of the American Political Science Association, Vol. 1, pp. 5-15, First Annual Meeting, 1904. 14 Fay, B, 1996, Contemporary philosophy of social science: a multicultural approach. Blackwell, Oxford. 15 Buttolph, J Reynolds, T H, 2012, Political Science Research Methods, 7th edn., sage Publications, http://college.cqpress.com/sites/psrm/Home/chapter2.aspx Cherry, K, 2010, Reliability and Validity, viewed on http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/f/validity.htm 16 Buttolph, J Reynolds, T H, 2012, Political Science Research Methods, 7th edn., Sage Publications, http://college.cqpress.com/sites/psrm/Home/chapter2.aspx 17 Martin, M, 1994, Re adings in the philosophy of social science, MIT Press, Cambridge.

Preliminary Investigation of the Company Assignment

Preliminary Investigation of the Company - Assignment Example The company's target markets include local clients as well as clients from foreign countries. Several concerns and opportunities were mentioned. The first is to establish the company as a household name when it comes to land management software. The company also hopes to establish itself as a big brand name in providing consultancy services, training, and customization in the said field. In order to establish itself as a market leader in the local scene, one should have a lot of customers. To rake in more sales, the company should be visible to potential clients locally as well as abroad. With this end in mind, the company is keen on putting up their own website. This will serve not only as an information center to current and potential clients but will bring in more sales what with the ease of availing products online and within the comforts of one's home. The company, being global in scale has recently felt that the market is too large to maintain strong relationships with all potential buyers. The company has been used to utilizing direct mail to attract new clients. However, this method does not ensure that the brochures and advertisement material are reaching the decision makers of the target companies. The current advertisement setup uses mail-outs to special groups which have been selected based on predefined criteria. These are sent out every 2-3 months. Instead of doing this, focus on the key persons for such companies, send them emails and find out how they will be able to use the software, and if possible, set up presentation meetings over lunch or dinner. This way, with a clear void to fill, the goal is more focused and a strategy to present the product in the best way possible to the potential customer can be formulated. Also, contingency plans can be set up in case the client rejects the first approach. Moreover, if the correspondences would prove that the prospect is a dead end, it should send the signal that it's time to move on to other prospects, thus saving time.