The academic statement of purpose (Econometrics field) Essay

The academic statement of purpose (Econometrics field) - Essay Example However, my result were challenged by the potential possibility of heterogeneity whereby agents participating and complying with the policy might also result in self-selection on marriage age even though the policy is compulsory, this is a common problem that plague most applied social programs (Handbook of Econometrics, Chapter 70). Later on, I encountered a similar problem on a project regarding the impact of social security reform on savings behavior in China, I estimated the substitution effect of compulsory individual pension and regular private saving, and results supported the later reforms on data selected from real individual account data to nominal individual account data which eliminated the heterogeneity problem. These experiences instilled in me a keen desire to better understand the underlying theoretical analysis on treatment effects in studies and also existing econometrics theories. Keeping these questions in mind, I began my course study at the University of Michigan where I learnt a number of econometric theory courses. With outstanding performance on these courses, I started working as a research assistant for my Professor on the project "two-stage within-group estimator in dynamic panel", this model extends the standard panel model when the regressors are endogenous and also integrates heterogeneity and endogenous variables separately. However, the standard within-group transformation will give a rise to another source of endogeniety in dynamic framework and therefore further bias the estimates. Therefore, we focus on tracing each source of endogeneity and asymptotical property of estimators. I therefore encountered other dimensions of treatment literature as well the two stage aver aging parameter method in this project. Our problem was later solved using Donald and Newey (2001) method whereby the instrument bias was eliminated by choosing subset of instruments and averaging the parameters from each selection. These two projects were beneficial to me and they formed a solid foundation to work on more advanced theoretical topic, they encouraged me to struggle to rise to a higher and complex level of understanding of econometrics especially recent research on the subject. My current coauthor work with my Professor is the identification of quartile treatment effect when treatment is endogenous under non-separable panel framework. Recent literature on treatment effects emphasizes nonparametric identification of certain parameters, robustness, as well as certain forms of heterogeneity in responses to treatment. ((Handbook of Econometrics, Chapter 70, Chernozhukov and Hansen (2005), Chernozhukov, Fernondez-Val, Newey(2009)). We are currently working on a project which is targeting quartile treatment identification in non-separable panel using bound restriction. This project is important given that it will help me gain more knowledge and also deepen my understanding of econometrics, the non-separable panel using bound restriction idea can be extended to censored regression, whereby the bound restriction is not automatically applied. In practice, the potential result can also apply to empirical work broadly when the data is selected from the lower and upper quartiles. I am currently pleased with my performance at the university and particularly proud of working with my professor

The Hard Times in Life Essay Example for Free

The Hard Times in Life Essay Thinking of truly difficult times is life is far from difficult. Reminiscing on difficult times will always bring back sad memories and feelings. It seems as though the most difficult times are the easiest to remember. Personally, the most difficult time of my life was the first few days after my father’s bicycle accident. For almost three days, I could not see my father who had gotten hit head-on by a red Chevrolet truck. It was truly the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced not knowing whether or not I would see him alive again. It started out like any other typical Tuesday. I had just gotten home from the state choral competition in Jackson and my father was setting off on his weekly Tuesday night ride. I came home around 6 o’clock, just in time to see my mom coming out the door crying. This was one of the few times I had ever seen my mom cry. Obviously curious as to why she was crying, I asked what was wrong. She blatantly said, â€Å"your dad’s been hit.† It took a while for her words to sink when, but after a few seconds I knew exactly what she meant and it was truly gut-wrenching to hear. She told my brothers and I that we couldn’t go to the hospital with her and that’s when I broke down. It was so nerve-wracking to think of what all was happening at the hospital and whether or not he would be okay. The next few days weren’t any better. My uncle, aunt, cousin, and grandmother, all of whom are on my mom’s side of the family, came and stayed the night with us, while my mom stayed at the hospital. It was nice to have support from my family being there but it was hard because I had to go to school the next day enduring all the horrible feelings and thoughts throughout those day. My other grandmother and grandfather, uncle and aunt, from my father’s side, came that Wednesday. Again, I was thankful to have so much family around, but it was just too much. Going 3 days without seeing my father was awful. Hearing what all had happened to him brought tears to my eyes. The worst feeling was the feeling that I could do nothing but wait. Seconds, minutes, and hours felt like days, months, and years. That Friday was the first day I was able to see him. Seeing my dad lying in a hospital bed, bruised from head to toe, with a broken leg and broken arm, truly broke me down and humbled me. I try to never take anything for granted anymore and I constantly remind myself that I am certainly so blessed by God to still have my father around.

Organizational Structure at Nokia

Organizational Structure at Nokia Organizational Structure at Nokia As of October 1, 2009 the organizational structure at Nokia was extremely mobile and flexible. Figure 1 Nokias organizational structure is horizontal and it allows for greater flexibility and speedy communication channels between different departments. The devices unit looks after the development and management of mobile devices portfolio which is targeted at all major consumer segments. The solutions department ensures that it continuously develops solutions whereby ensuring that a particular mobile device has integrated contents and personalized services and the output of these three components results into a leading mobile phone for the end user. The solutions unit works with other departments in close proximity to provide such solutions. The services department creates and designs internet services that enhance the consumer experience when Nokia phone users interact with the web. The main areas where this unit focuses on include messaging, maps, music, and Ovi developer tools. This department also ensures that there is a consistent increase in different services as the market evolves. The other significant department is Markets which acts like a supply chain department for Nokia. The unit is also responsible for sales channels, branding and marketing activities for various products and services. The corporate development department looks for future growth opportunities and it also plans for future strategic actions that will give the company a competitive advantage against competitors. This department also provides operational supports to other core departments such as Devices, Services, Solutions and markets. Nokia Siemens Networks is a joint venture with Siemens and it provides network infrastructure which is both fixed and wireless. This division also provides communications and networks service platforms. Finally, the last major division is NAVTEQ; this unit is a provider of detailed navigational maps and digital map data automobile navigation systems, navigation systems for mobile devices, internet mapping applications and mapping solutions to government and other businesses. NAVTEQ is an important part of Nokias operations since it provides downloadable maps and other content that will enhance the experience of consumers who use Nokias smart phones. Corporate Governance The way authority and responsibility is organized at Nokia it shows that the company is exemplary in its approach towards corporate governance. The companys strategic and significant natured decisions are made by the board. These matters might include strategic guidelines, approval of periodic plans and decisions on major divestments or investments. The company charter, article of association and Finnish Companies Act determine the roles and responsibilities of all directors and executive members. According to the auditors and company information strict guidelines are followed in terms of code of conduct and ethical behavior of each employee. Similarly the company complies with all stock market requirements of the Helsinki stock market, New York and Frankfurt stock exchanges. The company provides all necessary data to authorities at NYSE because the under the rules any firm that complies with its national laws must file any differences that exist between its national laws and the laws to be followed under NYSE.    Competitors of Nokia Corporation Nokias direct and major competitors include Motorola Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, Research in Motion, LM Ericsson Telephone Co., and QUALCOMM Inc. The company faces stiff competition in the business oriented mobile phone market from RIMs Blackberry series. Nokias E-series phones are geared to compete with the Blackberry series. Similarly the company faces challenges from Samsung and Motorola in the touch screen phone markets and the latest Android based phones that offer efficient and extremely user friendly interface to consumers. In the navigations and maps market Nokia, like the traditional manufacturers such as Garmin, TomTom, faces tough competition from the Google and Apple partnership that will make the iPhone the ultimate navigation and smart device for this generation. The difference between this navigation process that iPhone will offer is that consumers wouldnt need to download maps for a price or they would not need automotive navigations systems rather they would use their smart phones as navigation devices at very low rates. For the year 2009, Nokias market share remained flat at around 38% in the global handset market after consumers continue to encourage Apples iPhone in favor of the N series that Nokia is offering. Nokia also faces competition from Ericsson mobile phones in the music phones; Sony Ericssons superior voice quality and speaker quality give its phones an edge over Nokias Express music series. Industry Outlook for 2010 The expectations of the company for 2010 are considerably flat in terms of the performance of its various divisions. Overall the mobile device industry is expected to increase by about 10% in 2010 in terms of volume compared to 2009. For the year 2010 Nokia expects its mobile device market share to be flat compared to 2009, a similar sort of expectation also exists for Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks as the venture sees a minimal increase in euro terms for the mobile and the fixed infrastructure services market. Importance of International Markets to Nokia Corporation In 2009, out of the total sales from the company Europe accounted for 36%, Chinas share was 16%, Middle East Africa 14%, North America 5%, Asia-Pacific 22% and Latin America 7%. As we can see from these numbers that about 59% of sales are coming from the developing world; for a company that began operations from Finland that is an important statistics since most of its revenues are coming from international markets especially from developing countries. The 10 markets from which Nokia generated the highest amounts of sales revenues are listed below in decreasing order; with the highest written first and lowest stated last: China, India, the UK, Germany, the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Spain, Brazil and Italy; when combined these markets provided 52% of the total sales in 2009. It is important to note here that China and India; the fastest growing economies in Asia are leaders for Nokia sales; secondly the list also contains growing markets such as Brazil and Russia. It is important to note here that because Nokias main sales driver is the mobile device market hence there are higher sales potential for Nokia in developing countries. This is because countries such as India and China are experiencing large demand for mobile phones due to the rapid growth and development of infrastructure especially network infrastructure. The rising levels of GDP per capita and income levels of people in the developing world are increasing their ability to purchase mobile phones therefore we could see that in the near future major growth would come from developing economies. Foreign Exchange exposures Faced by Nokia Nokia has businesses all over the world; this global presence means that assets and sales, liabilities and loans taken or completed in different parts of the world may be higher or lower in value when translated into the Euro or any home base currency. Because Nokia owns substantial assets in foreign markets therefore the company has to hedge and protect itself against the potential of currency adjustments in the negative direction. Nokias foreign exchange policy is developed by the treasury department of the company which looks after the interests of the company such that foreign exchange exposure is minimized and shareholder value is maximized. Under the policy; transactions which are considered of material value are hedged against foreign exchange exposures as long as the hedging tool is not uneconomical i.e. the hedging cost is lower or market liquidity is favorable. The company uses derivative financial instruments such as foreign exchange options and forward foreign exchange contracts to manage hedging and reduce the exposure. The group has a policy of not hedging 2-year or beyond forecasted foreign currency cash flows. New Product and Market development (cà ¢u c) Nokia operates in a highly drastic and technologically changing industry; on the consumer side the company also sees the acceptance and increasing demand for more sophisticated products therefore the company has to remain on its toes and come up with new products and services. The recent financial crisis which was coupled with economic downturn as well saw most industries and companies experiencing reduced profits or even losses. 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 RD Expenditure, EUR(m) 5968 5647 3897 3825 3776 RD as % of net sales 11.8 11.1 9.5 11.2 12.9 If we look at the table above we see that for the period 2004-08 the average RD expenditure as a percentage of sales was around 11%. This explains how important the development of new products and markets are to companies like Nokia. RD expenditure dipped slightly during 2009 by about 1% compared with 2008 figures because of the decline in sales. The reduction in total revenues during the year 2009 was because the brunt of the crisis or the lowest point of the crisis was considered to be the third and fourth quarters of 2009. The major problem faced by Nokia mobile devices sales was the fact that as macroeconomic aggregates plummeted world wide; people were laid off, disposal incomes squeezed and purchasing power declined in some regions because of currency depreciation, all these factors led to the decrease in demand for Nokia phones. Despite these tough circumstances Nokia continued to expand product development and introduced new products in the mobile device markets, new systems and networks from Nokia Siemens Partnership and navigation phones under the NAVTEQ division. Capital Structure and Liabilities Management at Nokia The average basic number of shares during 2009 was 3.705 billion, 2008 was 3.743 billion and 2007 was 3.885 billion. The difference between diluted and basic average number of shares was negligible during all the three years stated above. About 1% of the shares were owned by Nokia Corporation during 2009. There was not much change in the capital structure during the three years apart from a buy-back and cancellation of shares that were owned by the company during 2008 and 2009 respectively. 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Net debt to equity % -14 -62 -69 -77 -78 Equity Ratio % 41.2 45.5 52.6 56.4 64.6 Return on Equity % 27.5 53.9 35.5 27.1 21.5 Interest-bearing liabilities, EUR (m)4 452 1 090 249 300 132 If we closely analyze the net debt to equity ratio for the 5 year period we see that initially in the years 04, 05 06 and even 07 the company had surplus assets over total debt. Though this situation drastically declined during 2008 as the credit crunch forced Nokia to borrow money and bridge the gap between its working capital. This factor eroded the asset base advantage the company was holding for the previous 4 years before 2008. Another important factor was that short-term borrowings rose substantially during 2008. Short-term borrowings increased from 714 million Euros in 2007 to 3,578 million Euros in 2008. The equity ratio represents the amount of assets represented or funded by the equity holders. From the table above we can see that the assets funded through equity has been on a declining run throughout the five year period. This also explains that as years have passed by liabilities have been increasing used as a way of financing assets. Many analysts believe that borrowing is a lesser expensive way of raising funds compared to equity as interest paid reduces effective tax rate; secondly creditors do not have a say in the way management runs the business; thirdly no dividends need to be paid out. On the other hand equity has its own advantages such as no finance costs; in case of bankruptcy the claim of common shareholders is last only after other creditors have been paid out. Overall companies are suggested to find an optimum equity and liability combination by working out the WACC at different levels. 2007 was considered one of the best years in Nokias history not only did the stock do well but the companys other major indicators were in green as well. For instance the return on equity was around 53% during 2007; that is a phenomenal return for shareholders from a company that competes in such a tough competitive environment. The return on equity declined significantly during 2008. As we see from the table that the value declined to 27.5% from 53.9% in 2007. This again explains the difficulty the company faced during 2008 in terms of low sales volumes, depressed prices and difficult financial conditions. Nokia Corporations shares are listed on the following stock markets: NASDAQ OMX, (Helsinki), Frankfurter, and New York Stock Exchange. The company delisted its Swedish Depository Receipts (SDRs) from the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The last day of trading of these SDRs was June 1, 2007. Raising capital and loans from foreign capital markets has a number of benefits and a few disadvantages as well. In terms of the benefits; firstly by listing stocks in a market such as NYSE a company like Nokia gave itself exposure to one of the most valuable and important stock markets in the world. New York is the financial capital of the worlds largest economy and having the ability to raise funds in such a market builds great reputation for a company apart from substantial capital. Similarly the SDR move into the Swedish Stock Market was a strong move as that would have strengthened the capital structure before the delisting. SDRs provide a substantial capital inflow in lieu of a stable and known cost of capital that gives the firms financial cost structure sustainability and consistency. In terms of the disadvantages economic activities in a foreign country might impact the shareholder value of the whole group. Though this cost is offset by the point that todays financial markets are so dependent on each other that market risks are almost similar in virtually all countries and their stock markets. The important thing here is that companies like Nokia must be aware of the trade cycles and the economic cycles of the world and individual markets and there relationship between each other because that will determine the impact of raising capital in foreign markets. Impact on Market Value as a Result of Strategies in Foreign Exchange Risk, Raising Capital and Moving into New Markets Technological firms generally have higher risk attached to their stock prices and market values therefore we expect them to do extremely well when the economy is booming and the company is able to come up with consistent and high quality products. The case of Nokia is no different the company has successfully established itself as one of the most reliable and advanced manufacturer of mobile devices. Steadily over the years Nokia has moved into new markets which have diversified the portfolio of the company hence spreading the risk over different but related markets. Nokias move to enter new markets has been a good way of diversifying business interests in the sense that the company has not only developed new products but it has also moved into new physical markets. Developing new products has its own advantages but moving into new geographical markets can benefit companies from the all important concept of economies of new scale. Going into new markets exposes the company to absolutely new customers hence increasing the total potential customer base of the company. Raising capital in foreign markets also impacts the market value of the company in a positive way. The company, by raising additional capital in new markets, not only increases its ability to spend money on acquisitions, development, and supply-chain but also gives credibility and higher standing to the companys share in the capital markets and makes the company a strong candidate for a better rating from agencies. The above graph is the stock price movement of Nokia stock, listed on NYSE, versus the SP 500 over a five year period. What is evident here is that consistently the Nokia stock has out performed the SP 500 for most of the time period under discussion. In percentage terms the stock has performed extremely well during the later half of 2007 up to mid 2008; even during the tough times of the late 2009 the stock did better than the overall SP index. The above graph is again representative of the fact that the companys stock performed better than most top company stocks during the boom period of 2007. Credit has to be given to the financial managers of the company since there prudent steps ensured a better than average EPS for the company and subsequently even better share price performance. Evaluation of the Firms Finance Managers In terms of hedging and controlling the foreign exchange risk I think the financial managers did a good job by employing a prudent policy of hedging all those cash inflows and outflows which were due within 2 years period. This is a prudent approach; secondly if we look at the table below we see that the company has remained profitable despite the financial and economic crisis that plagued the global markets for the past 2 and a half years. 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Profit before tax, EUR (m) 962 4970 8268 5723 4971 4705 % of net sales 2.35 9.8 16.2 13.9 14.5 16 Dividends, EUR (m) 1482 1520 2111 1761 1641 1539 Profit attributable to quity holders of the parent 891 3988 7205 4306 3616 3192 EPS (basic) 0.24 1.07 1.85 NA NA NA We also see that the company gave dividends in all the last six years under discussion; this also shows consistency and the right mindset of financial managers who rightly understand the need to rollout dividends in order to ensure continuous investments from investors in the near future. The above graph shows that profitability peaked during the 2007 period and steadily declined thereafter this also shows the difficult financial and economic environment that was weathered by the corporate sectors of different economies. The impact of the crises were so great that profits before taxes almost decreased by 50% in 2008 from 2007 profits before taxes.

Bohr and the Periodic table :: essays research papers

Bohr's Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three main parts of an atom the electrons, protons and the neutrons. Each part has charge. It is rather positive, negative, or neutral. An electron always has a negative charge. Protons always have negative charges. Then finally the neutron is a neutral charge or a charge of zero. If the charge of the whole atom it zero that means there are an equal number of positive and negative pieces. An electron can be found anywhere around the nucleus, and the protons and neutrons are in the nucleus. You can not pin point were the electrons are but the area that it can be in is called a shell. Periodic Table   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the periodic table the horizontal rows are called periods, and the Vertical columns are called groups. Elements that are in the same row have something in common. Elements in the same period have the same number of atomic shells. Every element in the top row has one shell for its electrons. The second row has two shells for their electrons. Now, the most shells for one element is seven. Less specific groups are called families. Families are grouped by their chemical properties and how the elements react with the outside world. The columns in the periodic table are mostly used to make families. A family of elements can be found in many different ways. An isotope is an atom that is missing or that has an extra neutron. Ionic Bonds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ions are atoms with an extra electron or a missing electron. But a normal atom would be neutral because it has the same number of electrons as the atomic number. If you are an atom and you are missing one electron, it does not mean that you are another atom, but you are not a complete atom either. You are something new, an ion. The goal of an atom is to be happy. If you have filled shells you are called stable. When you give up the extra electron you are attractive and other atoms want to bond with you. The two main types of bonding are covaent and electrovalent. Ionic bonds are really groups of charged ions held together by electric forces. Covailent Bonds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Covailent compounds happen when the electrons are shared by the atoms.

The Impact of Absent Fathers in Black Female Upbringing Essay -- Famil

A father’s role in a child’s life is extremely important when it comes to a child’s development. With so much emphasis placed on young black boys needing their fathers during crucial developmental ages, the rate of our young black girls growing up without fathers is staggering and overlooked. What is an absent father? The definition is quite simple; an absent father can be defined as a father who is not present in the life of their child whether it is physically, emotionally, or both. Although the absence of a father is detrimental in any child’s life, the absence of such in a young black girl’s life is even more crucial. The absent father in a black girl’s life leads to, in some cases, promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, poverty, and emotional affects such as feelings of unworthiness and unable to be loved, fear of abandonment, and issues with rejection and commitment. The ways in which they view the opposite sex, the outside world and their self are forever tainted as a result of missing the key element of a father. I do not have any memories of my own father as a child. I met him when I was about fourteen years old. My mother and grandmother, with the help of my uncles and aunt, raised me. Although I had strong positive male role models in my life, there was always the void of my father that I dealt with on a daily basis. I can remember at a young age, before blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, I would wish that my father would show up to my party. I had elaborate daydreams of him coming back into my life and doing things with me like I saw on television. It never happened. While walking to the train station one evening my uncle casually said to me â€Å"there’s your father† as if I saw him on an everyday basis. I didn’t... .../p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2572_v121/ai_13358877/ Ellis, B.J., et al. 2003. Does father absence place daughters at special risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy? Child Development 74(May/June):801-821. Hogan, D., P., and Kitagawa, E. M. (1985). The impact of social status, family structure, and neighborhood on the fertility of black adolescents. Am. J. Sociol. 90: 825-855. Kost K, Henshaw S and Carlin L, U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity, 2010. Stanton, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Health Statistics."National Health Interview Survey." Hyattsville, MD, 1988. Toppo, Greg, â€Å"Obama urges absent fathers to re-engage in children's lives†. USA Today. 19 Feb, 2011. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-06-22-obamafathersday22_ST_N.htm

Clifton Suspension Bridge Essay -- History Historical Bridge Architect

Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge is located in Bristol England, and spans the beautiful Avon gorge. This bridge has become the symbol of Bristol much like the Eiffel tower has of Paris, and the Opera house has of Sydney. The story of the Clifton Suspension Bridge began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol wine merchant who donated his life savings to build a bridge over the gorge. To decide on a suitable design for the bridge a competition was held. Thomas Telford, the leading civil architect of the time was the judge. Mr. Telford attempted to submit his own design; however the decision to declare himself the winner was overruled and a second competition was held. This time, contrary to the recommendation of Thomas Telford, 24 year old Isambard Kindom Brunel was declared the winner and appointed project engineer. Brunel’s design consisted of a suspension bridge that spanned the breath of the gorge. Telford disagreed with the concept of erecting a suspension bridge of this size in such an exposed position. His doubt was likely a result of the near destruction of his last project the Menai suspension bridge. Nonetheless Brunel was given his first commission, and construction on the bridge began. The foundation stone was laid in 1831, however the project was plagued with political problems and by 1843 the project was abandon with only the towers complete. Before the political and funding problems could be resolved Brunel died an unexpected death at just 53 years old and the project had to be finished with out him. The design of the bridge was altered after his death. The original scheme was far more ornate with stone lions and Egyptian inspired decoration, these were left off the engineers who finished t... ...le plagued this project and by the time it was complete it was no longer the largest spanning bridge, though it is still a spectacular bridge sitting 76 meter above a deep gorge. Certainly a site worth seeing, apparently it is breathtaking to drive down the road to Bristol, turn a sharp corner and the white structure spanning the gorge. Today it costs 30p to cross the bridge in a car, pedestrians are not charged, and the speed limit has recently been raised to 25 miles per hour. Work Cited 1.) http://www.clifton-suspension-bridge.org.uk/index.php, October 27, 2004 2.) http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge.html, October 27, 2004 3.) http://www.farvis.com/bridge,htm.htm, October 27, 2004 4.) http://www.about-bristol.co.uk/lnd-00.asp, October 27, 2004 5.) http://www.brantacan.co.uk/suspension.htm, October 27, 2004

Research methodology Essay

There are several types of research methodology, however this discourse is mainly focused on what would be described as a case study, since its primary effort is to review the potential that Pepsi Saudi would emerge from its decision to implement Balance Scorecard as a winner. So this will use both quantitative and qualitative research framework . This section will outline the qualitative and quantitative research methods, the case study research method, and the questionnaire research method. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Usually quantitative research employs the method that is based on testing of theories. It uses measurement of numbers, and statistical analysis to perform its studies. The idea behind quantitative research is often to ascertain that a generalized theory or the prediction of a theory will be confirmed by using quantitative method. So it starts with the hypothesis and the theories that requires to be tested. The approach of quantitative research include the use of instruments, usually formal and generally recognized instruments. It is conducts experiments with an underlying expectation that a consensus would be arrived at. It usually aims to arrive at a predictable  generalization, and it would normally have a causal explanation. It can control and manipulate the subject, with deduction and analysis. The idea is really to establish consensus by reducing data to numerical indications. So the goal of quantitative research is the determination a given prediction, it wants to see that such generalization could be verified or confirmed. In general the quantitative methodology assumes that there is an objective reality which is independent of the person doing the research, it also takes the position that the subject of study can be done in an objective manner. The researcher must maintain independence from the research object. And the research is not expected to be value affected. In other words the researcher must make sure that he or she does not become a part of the research. This is known as being value free of the research itself. The quantitative methodology tests cause and effect by using deductive logic. When done correctly a quantitative research should be able to predict, and explain the theory in question. (O’brien 1998). TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: There are generally three different types of quantitative research, experimental research,  qausi -experimental research, and surveys. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH: In experimental research, the researcher is active, as opposed to a passive agent who simply observes. The researcher is able to manipulate the subject that is being studied, or at least some part of the subject that is being studied. Also experimental research entails that the research must use some kind of control in the research process, usually a control group would be one of the elements of experimental research. Also the researcher would apply random selection to the control group. The research applies manipulative element to some of the subjects under study but he will not apply the same manipulation to other subjects. So the research uses what is known as â€Å"placebo† in some of the experimental subjects, and not in others. QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH: Quasi-experimental research does not use the control random system that experimental research uses, but it can manipulate some independent variables. So in order to five authenticity to the result of the quasi-experimental research, the researcher can implement some controls, but he does not use random system. SURVEYS: Surveys uses cross- sections or longitudinal studies, and questionnaires in its research. It uses data and conducts interviews with the aim of making an estimation about the given subject of study. Surveys does not involve experimental interventions. Survey are considered advantageous because it could be used to study many subjects, in many topics. Also the information garnered from surveys could be used for different purposes. Although surveys are usually expensive, but they are considered economical because the results could be applied to various things. (Polit 1989).