7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers

7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers 7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers 7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers By Mark Nichol Doing research to strengthen a current story or article, or to get ideas for a new one? You can google all you want and hope for a productive return, but to engage in a focused search, try one of these mediated experiences instead: 1. Infoplease From current events to reference-desk resources to features about history, this site puts a remarkable array of information within reach. Guides to the nations of the world, timelines of political, social, and cultural developments, special quantitative and qualitative features like â€Å"The Worlds Most Corrupt Nations† and â€Å"Color Psychology,† and more cover just about anything you could think of. 2. The Internet Public Library Unlike the other reference centers on this list, the IPL is a portal to other Web sites, brimming with directories of links in topics like Arts Humanities. (Dictionary of Symbolism? Check. Ask Philosophers? Right. Legendary Lighthouses? We got your legendary lighthouses right here.) If you need background information on either fiction or nonfiction projects, stop by for a visit I just dare you to leave without a digressive click or ten. 3. The Library of Congress The online presence of the official repository of knowledge and lore of the United States is an indispensable resource not only for nonfiction writers seeking background information for topics but also for fiction authors seeking historical context for an existing project or inspiration for a new one. 4. Merriam-Webster Online The publishing world’s dictionary of record is at your fingertips online as well as in print, with a thesaurus and Spanish-English and medical compendia, to boot. The dictionary also includes refreshing can’t-we-all-just-get-along usage commentary. (That and which, as pronouns that introduce restrictive clauses, are interchangeable.) You’ll also find video tutorials on usage from dictionary staff, a Word of the Day feature, word games, and a variety of language-watch features. 5. Refdesk Refdesk.com, like Infoplease, is a clearinghouse for online research, with links to headline news and timeless information alike. You can easily get lost in its Daily Diversions directory, which includes links not only to humor, games, and trivia sites but also to more respectable resources like DailyWritingTips.com (whoo!). If you have a question, chances are you can find the answer on this site. 6. Snopes How do you verify that this self-described â€Å"definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation† is what it claims to be? Go to the site and find out. The fine folks at Snopes.com will set you straight about any one of hundreds of posts each with a prominent judgmental icon, and commentary to back it up about that one thing you think you remember you heard about that one thing. (For example: Posh comes from an acronym for â€Å"port out, starboard home† the ideal respective locations for accommodations on a luxury liner right? Cue the buzzer. Bogus.) TruthOrFiction.com is a similar site. 7. Wikipedia This user-generated online encyclopedia got a lot of flak a few years ago for some inaccurate information posted by someone with a grudge, but that was an isolated incident. Also, many sources warn against using Wikipedia as a primary source for research. That said, don’t hesitate to avail yourself of the wealth of information available on the site much of which is written by subject-matter experts in the field in question. Then click on one of the online sources linked in the footnotes, or take your search to one of the other sites in this list. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1Writing the Century45 Idioms with "Roll"

Legal Issues Business Torts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Issues Business Torts - Essay Example in Salmon, 2005). The customer is entitled to assume that the proprietor will exercise reasonable care to ascertain the condition of the premises, and if he discovers any unsafe condition he will either take such action as will correct the condition and make it reasonably safe or give a warning of the unsafe condition (qtd in Salmon, 2005). As established in both the above cases and in multitudinous others, a proprietor should exercise reasonable care to ensure the safety of invitees and if the conditions of the premise are such that there is a continued hazard, or the reasonable possibility of a specified hazard arising at any given time, consequent to the conditions associated with the premise, it is incumbent upon the proprietor to either remove the hazard or provide sufficient warning of it. As pertains to Mae Tom's slip and fall claim, the above determines that she is acting within the parameters of her legal rights as an invitee to bring a negligence case against Kresge and make a claim for proven injury damages.

Strategy creation in non-profit organizations The National Development Research Paper

Strategy creation in non-profit organizations The National Development Foundation of Jamaica - Research Paper Example Entrepreneurs in their quest for profits adopt various strategic measures to promote business growth and development. These are common perceptions that are held for any kind of business activity. On the one hand it is true that businesses exist for profit creation and sustaining business development activities, but the fact that firms have moral and social obligations to the community in which they exist cannot be ignored. Quite a lot of organizations exist and operate to serve the community and its social needs. These organizations are popularly termed as non-profit organizations that seek to improve the society in which they live. The National Development Foundation of Jamaica (NDFJ) is one such organization that is committed to assist micro, small and medium enterprises in setting up and promoting their business goals through the delivery of innovative financing products. How can a non-profit organization sustain its business goals and activities and what are the strategic measures such organizations can take to survive and grow in existing economic conditions. These are some of the vital issues facing the management of organizations like NDFJ. The paper highlights the sig nificance of strategic plans and the measures that can be taken by organizations to sustain and meet their developmental goals. Strategic plans and their role in businesses Managerial strategies are essential to running a successful business venture especially in today’s chaotic market and business scenario. Strategy refers to a plan of action set out by those who are at the organization’s helm providing direction to the managers and employees. The company directors and professionals for achieving long-term company goals and business objectives often design the strategic plans. Strategic planning therefore consists of competitive moves and approaches to increase performance and productivity within an organization. It is basically a game plan for running the business, strengthening the company’s competitive position, satisfying customers and achieving performance targets. Strategic planning answers three vital questions important in guiding the organizationâ€⠄¢s moves. It identifies the company’s current position providing answer to â€Å"Where are we now?† The second question that it strives to answer is â€Å"Where do we want to go?† This refers to the company’s marketing financial and business objectives. Identifying the objectives of the organization helps in finalizing and framing of operational plans and strategic approach that will be required to achieve the goals. The process of strategic management aims to answer the most important question â€Å"How will we get there?† This is the stage where the strategic alternatives relevant to the particular business scenario are weighed and measured against the desired outcome and the most appropriate move adopted. The strategic management process thus involves developing strategic mission and vision that is translated into measurable objectives. The organization then develops plans, referred to as strategies, to achieve the set objectives. The next stag e involves the effective implementation and execution of the strategic plans. The results or outcome of the implemented strategies are evaluated at the end of the cycle. These strategies need to be revised and modified time and again in face of critical situation. Hence it is hardly possible for a company to follow set strategies across an extended

Term paper 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

1 - Term Paper Example The Revelations of the Perfect Masters transcend the mind-barrier, where bliss alone reigns. It is a conflict-free zone and can not be captured in the printed pages. It can only be experienced. When slavery was actively and horridly practiced in South America, one could unhesitatingly assert that the guardians of religion had Cross dangling on their necks, but not Christ in the hearts. It is strange how religion remained mute witness to sleepwalking barbarity to the meanest of the mean deeds of slave holders. The Church protected and blessed them! The religious masters were the greatest torturer of the slaves. Slavery was a tragedy in the lives of the blacks. That it was practiced in the name of religion was the double tragedy! Slaves in the 1800s were kept ignorant about everything, except that they also possessed the human-body, in which the soul resided in that God-given abode! The first sentence about the Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, the American Slave, is profound and says something tragic about the life of the slaves. The white masters had perfected the art of ultimate suppression of the blacks. Douglass writes, â€Å"I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot county, Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday.† The question about the age was not liked by the white masters and it was termed improper and impertinent and in dication of a restless spirit of the individual. The scheme of torture was perfected, like that of a well thought plan of a mansion drawn by an architect. Black children suffered, from the cradle to the grave, from the womb to the

Hostile Or Friendly Takeovers Mergers Economics Essay

Hostile Or Friendly Takeovers Mergers Economics Essay The process of mergers and acquisitions is gaining a significant importance in todays corporate world and is extensively used for reorganizing the business organizations. (Cartwright, Cooper, 1992).The phrase mergers and acquisitions refer to the characteristic features of Corporate strategy, corporate finance and management that deal with the purchasing, selling and combining of different companies that can support, fund, or give their hand to an upcoming company in a given industry and grow rapidly without having to create another firm(Gauhan, 2007). There are many reasons why MNCS go in for merging and acquisition, the most important among them are the rising market, political power, defensive reactions, economies of scope or synergies, reduction of transaction and information costs.( Gaughan,2005) The factors that generates a firm to go in for merger and acquisition are identified in the budding regulatory changes that happen internationally, regionally at national levels and in the fast pace of technological change which enhance the market opportunities of a business, technological interrelationship, communications and cross border reconstituting. The advantages of MAs are evaluated in terms of the ability to exploit the scale and scope of economies, gain the market control, economize the transaction costs, diversify risks, and to provide access to the existing know-how It is. (Cantwell, Santangelo, 2002) A multinational enterprise (MNE) considering an entry into a foreign market by foreign direct investment (FDI) has to consider two strategic decisions regarding the organizational form of its foreign operation. First what is the level of control i.e. whether it will be a full ownership or a joint venture and, secondly, the mode of foreign entry i.e. setting up a new venture via Greenfield investment or merger and acquisition (Muller, 2007). Let us analyze the circumstances which make MA activity the optimal entry mode into a new international market in the forthcoming paragraphs. In the period of global competition, firms realise that the effectual use of universal sourcing will contribute significantly to the performance of the market. With the materialization of new products and technologies, the firms began to experience a new developing cycle which is accompanied by the degree of competition in the market. Most of the development of the industries experience four processes and they are starting up, developing, maturing and the declining (Wang, 2009). With the invention of new products and technologies, the industries start experiencing a new developing cycle. In the initial stages of development due to less competition firms preferred greenfield investment as the optimal mode of entry in to the foreign market. As the industry started maturing the speed of the MAs which is one of the main factor started to be seen as the biggest advantage over the Greenfield investment or any other entry modes (Kang, 2001). One of the most fundamental motives for MAs is th e speedy growth and the growth through MAs are a quicker process and it takes only few months than the other entry modes. An example of this kind is the German automobile company Daimler-Benz which realised that it needed a bigger occurrence in the U.S automobile market, therefore it did not waste its time by building new factories in United States which would have taken years, instead it acquired the number three U.S. automobile company, Chrysler, and merged the two operations to form Daimler-Chrysler(Barba Navaretti,2006). Firms either expand within their own industry which is the internal growth or they expand outside their business category which is the external growth to increase the market share or the removal of a rival. When the firms grow internally, competitors respond quickly and take the market share and in due course of time the firms advantages dissipate. The firms are left out with only solution of acquiring other companies that have possessions. For example Johnson a nd Johnson, rather than internally trying to be on the fore front of each of the major area of innovation decided to purchase those companies who had developed successful products. This strategy simply describes that instead of suppressing its competitors by its internal growth JJ stretched out for acquisition to increase its market power and this is referred to as inorganic development (Gaughan, 2007).Companies like Nestle use acquisition as a form of external growth to improve its organic growth( Morschett, Schramm-Klein,2009) Merging so as to create synergy is most often the cited validation for an acquirer to shell out a premium to the target firm. Synergy is created by redeploying a firms assets. The acquiring firm may transfer a resource from the target firm to the acquiring firm and assets may be redeployed from the bidder to the target. Authors like Colombo, Conca, and Gnan (2007) found that a strong forecaster of acquisition performance was the extent to which the asset is redeployed from the target. For example, Renault acquired Nissan and therefore the leadership skills of CEO Ghosn were redeployed to the benefit Renault and firms like Ford and GM were unsuccessful in enticing Ghosn away from Renault (Hopkins.D, 2008) Economic motivations are an important subcategory of MA establishing the economies of scale thereby reducing the costs due to superfluous resources of two firms in the same or related industry. Thus acquiring a firm in the same or a related industry results in considerable overlap between the two firms and reduces costs. When Daimler-Benz acquired Chrysler it announced that the merger would lead to $1.3 billion of cost savings in the first year mainly through collaboration (Morck, Yeung, 1992). Diversification is another important strategy that motivates the firms going in for MA.Diversification is growing outside a companys current industry category. Firms either diversifies to extend their product, extend their market, or purely diversify. When a firm is specialized in a given technology or product base it tries to enter new market by entering in to different industries, different social group or different geographical location. An example of this type is G.E which was merely an electronic company through a pattern of acquisitions and diversification started operating in insurance, television stations, plastics, medical equipments and so on(Hitt.M,Ireland.D,2009). Often firms go in for merger and acquisitions to exploit a core competence and take an insubstantial skill, know-how, or information and purchase it by spreading its use to additional industries where it can create a competitive advantage. For example the company such as Honda by its internal combustion engines develops a core competence and tries to use it as a basis of competitive advantage in different businesses (Hopkins, 2008) (Morosini, Shane, Singh, 1998) say that the larger the distance in culture of the countries in which merger partners are based the greater the potential benefit Cultural differences can also be a source of complimentary strength in the cross border MAs i.e. cultural differences between countries, like the nations strength allows working in groups for example collectivism in Japan versus the individualistic in the U.S, clearly shows that by the combination of two companies that are based out of different culture and country might result in a stronger combined company (Hennart, Young-Ryeol, 1993). Companies in order to improve their product development and to improvise their research and development which is important for the future growth of many companies go in for MA and cross border activities. During the 1990s a widespread consolidation took place in the pharmaceutical industry and the motive for such a merger was to come up with new drugs and mounting costs of RD, this explains the reason for the mega merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham merged in order to increase the RD budgets.(Gaughan.P,2007) Changes in the technology results a firm to either buy or sell depending on its position with respect to technological changes and effects. For example, Indias third largest software exporter Wipro had a success history of 10 acquisitions. Most of the acquired companies were based out in Europe and dealt technology or RD services. The Nerve Wire, AMS and Mpower helped Wipro gain skills in areas like financial securities, utility consulting and technologies respectively. (Paulson, Ed., Huber, 2007) CONCLUSION These were one among the few strategic factors that motivate a firm to opt for the Merger and Acquisition than going in for the other modes of entry. Despite the fact that by far the largest part of worldwide FDI takes the form of MA while in some regions Greenfield investment is most prominent.

Essay --

Plum Island is a fictional novel about a convalescing New York Police homicide detective named John Corey, who gets involved in a multiple murder investigation while he is supposed to be recovering from serious wounds. John is originally working as a consultant for the small township, where an old friend of his is the Chief of Police, but when he is relieved of this position, he continues the investigation on his own. Eventually the county detective assigned to solve the case, Beth Penrose, invites him to collaborate with her and the team solves the original double murder, and all of the murders committed by the same man, Frederic Tobin. John Corey is relaxing on his Uncle Harry's deck when Sylvester Maxwell, Chief of the local police, asks John to accompany him to the murder scene. Tom and Judy Gordon, biologists at the nearby Plum Island biological animal research center, and recent friends of John, have both been shot in the head on the deck of their home. John meets Detective Beth Penrose of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, Foster of the FBI, and a man named Ted Nash who says he is from the Department of Agriculture but turns out to be a CIA agent. The initial investigation focuses on the Gordons stealing a virus from the Plum Island facility and selling it to a foreign government. To this end, the team of Nash, Foster, John, Beth and Max are taken on a lengthy tour of the facility, including the uninhabited part of the island that contains a revolutionary war era abandoned fort. While on the tour, John and the team meet the head of security, Paul Stevens. They also learn that the Gordons were involved in researching a vaccine for Ebola, were amateur archeologists, and had free reign to bring their boat to and from work ... ... John and Beth take Tobin's boat to the ferry dock and Max meets them there. John heads for Manhattan to face the wrath of his NYPD supervisor. At his home, he finds a letter from the Gordons, written before their murder, verifying everything he has now discovered. John goes to meet with his supervisors and negotiate a way out of the trouble he is in for disobeying orders. The last chapter shows John teaching homicide investigation, as a retired police officer. It is several months after the Plum Island incident, and he misses the police force, but accepts what needed to happen. He is also unattached. John is surprised to se that Beth Penrose has enrolled in his class. She catches him up on the latest from Suffolk County, and is gently offering to be in his life again. While he initially resists, he announces to the class that he is taking her for drinks that night.

Sundiata War

Victor Arndt Dr. Black World History Due 20th October, 2008 Sundiata and War In Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali we learned that war is a necessity in certain cases. War is sometimes required to defend the home or way of life. When people feel threatened, they will rise up and defend themselves. War can result in death and destruction of properties. In some cases, war is used by an aggressor to capture resources. War is also used to affect justice. The King Soumaoro was a vindictive king. He had so much power and authority that people thought they could not escape his power. He made his people fear him. Those who did not obey or fear him were brutally killed. As quoted from Sundiata â€Å"But Soumaoro was an evil demon and his reign had produced nothing but bloodshed. †(Sundiata 41). One thing the king greatly enjoyed was to publicly flog poor vulnerable old men. The king had no compassion towards his people and enjoyed seeing others suffer. His people did not appreciate being humiliated, mistreated or taken advantage of. People would soon revolt against their king. King Soumaoro took women from surrounding areas and put them in a village to have his way with them. He had defiled every family and everywhere in the vast empire there were villages populated by girls whom he had forcibly abducted from their families without marrying them. †(Sundiata, 41). The king was considered to be untouchable and had the ability do what he pleased. Having these women was not enough for Soumaoro, he had to have his own nephew, Fakoli Koroma's wife. He locked her up and had his way with her whenever he pleased. This made his nephew very irate and caused him to turn his back on him and go to war against Soumaoro. Since you are not ashamed to commit incest by taking my wife, I am freed from all ties with you from this day forward. Henceforth I shall be on the side of your enemies. † (Sundiata, 42). This is one reason why people would go to war against each other. Most men are very protective of their women. The idea of another man having his wife or daughter locked up to have his way with her caused conflict. Sundiata was an intelligent and thoughtful leader, and a strong warrior. He used the element of surprise against his enemy. The Sossos were surprised by the attack of Sundiata which resulted in a quick battle. Sundiata knew that he could not allow Soumaoro any amount of time to attack Tabon. â€Å"We must not allow Soumaoro the time to attack Tabon. † (Sundiata, 49) He knew he had to seize the moment. This was a very smart move on Sundiata’s part because he knew that he did not have much time before more lives would be lost and possibly another kingdom. Sundiata and Soumaoro met and the battle of Negueboria begun. The audience was introduced to the types of weapons used. There were soldiers on horses, with swords and spears. Soldiers from surrounding areas would also come and join in the battle. Among them were ground soldiers and skilled archers, who played an important role in war. Tactics were the same as most armies of the time. The archers fired arrows into the enemy until the cavalry or ground soldiers reached who them. War was fought hand to hand, sword to sword, and face to face. There are also parts of the story that depicted Soumaoro as a mythological person or creature. It was said that a sword â€Å"bounces off his chest like a rock that fell to the ground. â€Å" (Sundiata, 52). This is definitely not true, but the griot tells it this way to show how people thought of Soumaoro’s power and strength. Due to how Soumaoro had treated his people, the surrounding villages welcomed Sundiata and were more than willing to fight by his side. â€Å"Side villages opened their gates to Sundiata. In all of these villages Sundiata recruited soldiers. †(Sundiata, 54). Sundiata also had reinforcements from all the rebellious kings of the savanna country. Fakoli had gone south to recruit more troops. The people were not only fighting for pride, they were fighting for their families because Soumaoro had either taken or abused them in public. Sundiata knew it was time for justice and peace. Before the battle of Krina, Sundiata and Soumaoro would send owls back and forth to communicate their reasons for war. The two of them sending owls back and forth is not true. However, this proves that people had to tell their reasons for war, before they began fighting. The king or person was not to rage war against someone for no reason, like Soumaoro had done to so many others. In the battle of Krina, justice and peace prevail. Soumaoro finally got what he deserved, for all the wrong and evil doings. Sundiata, while with Fakoli by his side, fired and killed Soumaoro with a cock spear. â€Å"The one was avenging his humiliated country while the other was prompted by the love of a wife. (Sundiata, 66). This shows the love that Sundiata had for his people by risking his own life for their happiness. As seen in Sundiata, war was used as a means of bringing peace and justice to the kingdom. Sundiata protected the people by going to war with Soumaoro. Soumaoro mistreated and took advantage of the poor commoners. The king would steal their women, take goods, and tax heavily. Krina was a battle Sundiata inflicted upon Soumaoro, because of the things he was doing to his people and his kingdom. These events portrayed how and why war was brought upon a person or kingdom in a West African society. Justice was served when Sundiata claimed what was finally his, the throne. Conflict was resolved when all of the women and young girls were set free from captivity. Peace would reign after the city was destroyed. These events demonstrate what happens when people are abused, mistreated, and humiliated. Many people lost their lives and families, but this was the price to pay for freedom, love, and happiness.

Continuing Education Essay

Continuing education (called further education in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the domain include: degree credit courses by non-traditional students, non-degree career training, workforce training, formal personal enrichment courses (both on-campus and online) self-directed learning (such as through Internet interest groups, clubs or personal research activities) and experiential learning as applied to problem solving. GENERAL CONTINUING EDUCATION General continuing education is similar to adult education, at least in being intended for adult learners, especially those beyond traditional undergraduate college or university age. However, it is not normally considered to include basic instruction such as literacy, English language skills, or programs such as vocational training or GED preparation. Instead, as the term suggests, it is assumed that the student already has an education and is simply continuing it. Frequently, in the United States, continuing education involves enrollment in college/university credit-granting courses, often by students enrolled part-time, and often offered through a division or school of continuing education of a college/university known sometimes as the university extension or extension school. Also frequently in the US, it can mean enrollment in non-credit-granting courses, often taken for personal, non-vocational enrichment (although many non-credit courses can also have a vocational function). Also, in the US, many such non-credit courses are offered by community colleges. The University of Wisconsin–Madison, in 1907, was the first academic institution in the US to offer what today would be considered an identifiable continuing education program. [1][2] In 1969, Empire State College, a unit of the State University of New York, was the first institution in the US to exclusively focus on providing higher education to adult learners. In 1976 the University of Florida created its own Division of Continuing Education and most courses were offered on evenings or weekends to accommodate the schedules of working students. [3] In the spring  of 2009, Eduventures, a higher education consulting firm, released the results of a study that illustrated that the recession had made a significant impact on the views of prospective continuing education students. A survey of 1,500 adults who planned to enroll in a course or program within the next two years determined that while nearly half of respondents believed that the value of education had risen due to the recession, over two-thirds said the state of the economy had affected their plans to pursue continuing education. CATEGORIES OF CONTINUING EDUCATION. Continuing education can be broken down into three categories: Formal education * Structured and organized education, training or professional development that takes place in a school, in the workplace or through a professional credit-granting organization. * Learning takes place under the set rules of the school and the education must be completed within specific time lines. * Results in a formal certification. Non-formal education * Education, training or professional development activities that are provided by by education institutions, community organizations and training agencies. * More flexible about meeting the student’s needs. * Depending on the program, this kind of education does not always result in a formal certification. Informal education * The process of gaining knowledge, skills and values from daily experiences at home, in the community or at work. * Individuals learn in order to enrich themselves. * May result in a certification, but not always. To learn out more about continuing education policy, explore these reports and papers: * Harnessing the power and potential of adult learning and education for a viable future – Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI), UNESCO, December 2009. * Qualifications Systems: Bridges to Lifelong Learning – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, April 2007. CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONALS Within the domain of Continuing Education, professional continuing education is a specific learning activity generally characterized by the issuance of a certificate or continuing education units (CEU) for the purpose of documenting attendance at a designated seminar or course of instruction. Licensing bodies in a number of fields impose continuing education requirements on members who hold licenses to practice within a particular profession. These requirements are intended to encourage professionals to expand their knowledge base and stay up-to-date on new developments. Depending on the field, these requirements may be satisfied through college or university coursework, extension courses or conferences and seminars attendance. Although individual professions may have different standards, the most widely accepted standard, developed by the International Association for Continuing Education & Training, is that ten contact hours equals one Continuing Education Unit. [5] Not all professionals use the CEU convention. For example, the American Psychological Association accredits sponsors of continuing education such as PsychContinuingEd. com and uses simply a CE approach. In contrast to the CEU, the CE credit is typically one CE credit for each hour of contact. METHOD AND FORMAT OF CONTINUING EDUCATION The method of delivery of continuing education can include traditional types of classroom lectures and laboratories. However, many continuing education programs make heavy use of distance learning, which not only includes independent study, but can also include videotaped/CD-ROM material, broadcast programming or Online Education which has more recently dominated the distance learning community. Many universities such as Southern New Hampshire University, have begun to offer hybrid courses; where adult learners have the option of in-classroom learning, as well as taking online courses. [6] Online courses have brought the possibility of obtaining an affordable college education to many of those of to whom it was previously out of reach. In addition to independent study, the use of conference-type group study, which can include study networks (which can, in many instances, meet together online) as well as different types of seminars/workshops, can be used to facilitate learning. A combination of traditional, distance, and conference-type study, or two of these three methods, may be used for a particular continuing education course or program. CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT A continuing education unit (CEU) or continuing education credit (CEC) is a measure used in continuing education programs, particularly those required in a licensed profession in order for the professional to maintain the license. Examples of people who need CEUs include: teachers, interior designers/interior architects, lighting designers, architects, engineers, educators, nurses, mental health professionals, and social workers. Generally, a CEU is defined as ten hours of participation in a recognized continuing education program, with qualified instruction and sponsorship. CEU records are widely used to provide evidence of completion of continuing education requirements mandated by certification bodies, professional societies, or governmental licensing boards. The records also provide employers with information on training pertinent to particular occupations. The term CEU is in the public domain. Any organization may award a traditional CEU without requiring any accreditation. With a traditional CEU an employer or other organization must decide on an individual basis whether to honor the CEU from a training provider. Due to certain CEU providers not adhering to high standards, and the lack of standards for specific fields, there is sometimes a distrust of the value of a CEU, and accrediting organizations have been created to standardize what a CEU means. [1] Of these, the International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET) offers the accreditation of CEUs for the most industries. Specific industries, such as nursing, health, etc. , have their own accrediting processes for CEUs. Any accredited CEU generally has a preface of the accrediting body. For instance training institutions accredited by the IACET can offer IACET CEUs. THE GOALS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION Ideally, continuing-education programs benefit both businesses and workers. Businesses encourage continuing education in order to sustain a highly skilled and specialized workforce—a workforce with the skills to perform a variety of tasks or workers with â€Å"cross-functional† skills. Workers, on the other hand, may receive promotions, gain more power in the job market, or become more valuable employees by enrolling continuing-education programs. Courses are available through a variety of channels. High schools, community colleges, universities, and trade/professional societies and organizations all provide continuing-education programs. Many offer night courses or run weekend-only programs that provide a convenient alternative for those with traditional Monday through Friday schedules. Schools sometimes team up with businesses and organizations to offer programs jointly. In addition, many companies run their own continuing-education programs, ranging from workshops and seminars to full-fledged college-credit curriculums. For example, Associated Spring, of Bristol, Connecticut, a division of the Barnes Group, cosponsors a voluntary on-site training program for employees that allows participants to earn credits toward associate degrees. The classes are run by instructors from Tunxis Community-Technical College in nearby Farmington. Classes range from basic subjects such as English composition to advanced managerial courses, such as organizational behavior, business and society (the study of public policy), and labor relations. By offering such courses, businesses can ensure that they have a steady supply of qualified workers. While advancing technology played a role in creating the need for continuing education, it also created new avenues for providing continuing education. The Internet, for example, eased the burden of enhancing business skills by allowing professionals to learn at home whenever convenient, alleviating the commuting and the time constraints associated with traditional classes. Universities as well as professional societies and organizations set up Internet classrooms or web sites that provide audio and visual instruction in such fields as insurance, accounting, real estate, and computer software. Not all continuing-education courses are aimed at professionals. Some schools offer training facilities and programs for tradespeople such as plumbers and carpenters. Classes in such programs provide not only practical information on the tasks of the trades, but also information on how to start and manage businesses. THE BENEFITS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION People who upgrade their work skills and knowledge not only can keep up with the latest technologies and business techniques, but they also can receive other benefits, such as the training needed to climb the corporate ladder and to realize additional career goals. Training facilities often house state-of-the-art equipment such as computers and computer-based training equipment. Computers can facilitate interactive training through computer networks such as the Internet. With this technology, learners have instant access to experts in virtually every vocation. While continuing education is sometimes perceived as largely a means to career advancement, researchers in the late 1990s argued that continuing education was becoming less of an option and more of a necessity. Hence, one of the greatest benefits workers may derive from continuing education is simply keeping their jobs. Nevertheless, additional education still can help employees receive promotions and land better jobs. Besides these basic advantages, some experts contend that continuing education provides additional benefits at a more abstract level. Continuing education allows workers to clarify and understand the purpose and goals of their occupations. In addition, continuing education can help advance various occupations by giving employees the opportunity to acquire both theoretical and practical occupational knowledge and to improve their problem-solving skills. Continuing education also facilitates establishing and regulating occupational standards for some professions. Perhaps the ultimate benefit of continuing education, however, is its ability to impart an attitude or disposition that encourages workers to find and use the best techniques available at any given time and to realize that these techniques will need to be improved or replaced, according to Cyril 0. Houle in Continuing Learning in the Professions. This attitude became all the more important late in the 20th century with the persistent technological advances, the growth of competition for jobs, and the shift from a manufacturing-based economy to a service based economy. Continuing education provides Canadians with skills and knowledge. Most importantly, continuing education provides people with options. See how continuing education can help you: Career and skills development * increase job opportunities * change careers or get a promotion * upgrade or develop new skills * get exposure to new ideas and best practices. * improve your competitive edge on the job market * keep pace with technology and industry trends * turn hobbies into job skills * get tools to cope with economic downturns * expand your professional network Academic enhancement * get your high school diploma * improve basic literacy * get prerequisites for college or university * retake courses to improve your academic grade point average * qualify for academic scholarships Personal development * explore new interests * get a richer awareness of different topics * meet new people and expand your network * become engaged with your community. * better understand issues affecting you and your community * improve self-esteem CONTINUING EDUCATION CENTRE (IITR) Learning is a lifelong process It is a pioneering centre in the area of continuing education in the country. It has completed more than 50 years of service and has played a very important role in the promotion of knowledge upgradation activity in our country by organizing refresher/specialist courses for in-service technical and professional person from various Govt. /Semi Govt. organisations, public and private undertakings, research institutions and industries. The Centre conducts about 60 to 70 short term training programmes in Continuing Education every year in various disciplines of management, engineering, science and technology in which the professionals are trained from all parts of the country as well as from the neighbour countries. The Centre is fully equipped with the facility of conference hall, accommodation, dining and recreation. This Centre acts as a window to disseminate information and awarenedd of latest technological developments. Courses organised by this Centre are innovative, accessible and stimulating and address to the current needs of the professionals. Programs reach students in all corners of the country/from all walks of life. To meet a variety of needs, Centre offers flexible, comprehensive course curricula in many formats. In the face of rapid technological advancement taking place around the globe, continuing education of in-service professional to new technologies is the need of the day to update knowledge much after completing formal education. Courses are being organised through the technical expertise available in the departments and centres of the Institute. Experts from industries and R&D organisations are also invited to deliver lectures wherever necessary. Centre organizes the courses in the beautiful campus of the Institute and also outside the Institute in consultancy as well as in sponsored mode that respond to client’s continuing professional development needs. Who comes to attend the courses Participants who enroll in our courses are interested in lifelong learning. Many participants attend courses to develop professional skills, many because they love learning and many for both of these reasons. The participant of the courses are in-service technical persons from various Govt. /Semi Govt. organisations, public and private undertakings, research institutions and industries. CLIENT ORGANISATIONS An illustrative List †¢ ALSTOM Projects India Limited †¢ Associated Cement Company †¢ Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. †¢ Central Pollution Control Board †¢ Central Water Commission †¢ Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation & Management †¢ Construction Industry Development Council †¢ Damodar Valley Corporation †¢ Department of Science & Technology †¢ Electricity Board Utility †¢ Ethopian Electricity Agency †¢ Ghana Irrigation Development Authority †¢ HAUC, Sweden †¢ HIMC †¢ Hindustan College of Science & Technology †¢ HPGEDA †¢ Indian Railway †¢ Irrigation Management Training Institute. †¢ Japan International Cooperation Agency †¢ LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd. †¢ Ministry of Home Affairs †¢ Ministry of Human Resource †¢ Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources †¢ Ministry of Power †¢ Ministry of Water Resources †¢ Moradabad Institute of Technology †¢ National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development †¢ National Hydropower Corporation Ltd. †¢ National Programme on Earthquake Engineering Education †¢ National Rural Roads Development Agency †¢ National Thermal Power Corporation †¢ Oil & Natural Gas Corporation †¢ PBSTI †¢ Power Finance Corporation †¢ PRAGYA †¢ Prasar Bharti †¢ Project Management Unit Punjab State Electricity Board Research Designs & Standard Organisation †¢ Rural Engineering Services †¢ Security Paper Mills †¢ Smt. Ram Rati Gupta Women’s Polytechnic †¢ Tamil Nadu News Print and Papers Ltd. †¢ TIFAC-CORE †¢ Uttaranchal Academy of Administration †¢ Uttaranchal Gramin Sadak Vikas Abhikaran †¢ Uttaranchal Renewable Energy Development Agency †¢ Water Management Institute, Sri Lanka †¢ Xerox Modi Corp. Ltd. BACKGROUND This Centre provides high quality, professionally delivered short term courses covering a wide range of subjects. Provision is made for individuals, organisations, and professional groups. The present rate of development in any scientific area makes the specialized knowledge of a person in that area obsolete very soon. Continuing Engineering Education plays a vital role in the education and training of professionals which will keep them more productive and creative throughout their professional career. The goal of the country’s education system is to provide a very good basic education, train the students in a wide range of academic and professional disciplines to fulfill personal, societal and national needs. It is therefore the responsibility of companies and organisations to build a work force of their own on this foundation by providing training, continuing education and re-education. Developed countries have demonstrated that Continuing Engineering Education leads to better job performance and job satisfaction contributing to higher levels of economic development. The need for Continuing Engineering Education at the present juncture is all the more evident because the Indian engineering industry has to survive global competition in the light of new economic reforms proposed by opening our industrial sector for foreign investors. Vision A front line centre in science, engineering , technology and management making significant contributions to human resource development envisaging dynamic needs of the professionals Objective †¢To create opportunity for gaining experience and more knowledge in a particular field. †¢To create awareness in the technical community regarding the advances in their area of interest and expertise of IITR. †¢To provide a platform for interaction of Faculty, Consultants, Industries and users. †¢To provide an opportunity to study at IIT Roorkee for a short period of time. To provide requisite inputs for improvements. CONCLUSION Continuing education refers to any type of post-secondary education, used to either obtain additional certifications, or as credits required to maintain a license. Almost anybody can take continuing education courses for personal or professional enrichment; fitness trainers, nurses, and safety instructors are examples of professionals who fall into the second category. This type of education is aimed exclusively to adults who already possess a college or university degree. People take continuing education in the form of workshops, seminars, home-study or online courses, conferences, and hands-on training. There is no specific format or length for this type of program: some may take a weekend, while others can span weeks or even months. In the case of education for personal advancement only, students usually don’t receive college credits, as the courses are not considered part of the standard educational system. A common characteristic to all continuing education programs is a registration process. Attending a conference or cultural event that is open to the general public does not give attendants any type of education credits, and cannot be considered formal training.