The article “Self-immolation and its adverse life-events risk factors: results from an Iranian population” by Ahmadi, Alireza; Schwebel, David C; Bazargan-Hejazi, Shahrzad; Taliee, Kobra; Karim, Hosein; Mohammadi, Reza, and Kermanshah at the University of Medical Sciences.http://0-search.proquest.com.books.redlands.edu/pqrl/docview/1645864331/abstract/A1D28186244447AAPQ/4?accountid=14729ic. The article search for factors that led to the substantial loss of life caused by deliberate self-immolation such as adverse life events. Immolation. This case-control study investigated adverse life-events as risk factors for self–immolation patients admitted to a burn center serving the western region of Iran. Variables investigated included the adverse life-events such as unplanned pregnancy, infertility, homelessness, financial hardship problems at work, personal history of suicide attempts, family history of suicide attempts, individual history of mental disorders, and malignant disease. The research question was what factors lead to self-immolation in Iran the topic being self-immolation’s surge. The researchers collected demographic data by using by using private and public records. Internal-coding was used to analyze the data. I believe that the research should have aimed to understand the factors that lead to self immolation as a symbolic form of suicide in Iran rather than evaluating it as a suicide based on internal conflicts. Given the nature of the environment it would have been wise to have the data also reflect the effects of social disorder on rates on self immolation. I found it to be very interesting that the study found the break-up of an intimate relationship was one of the largest contributing factors that led to self immolation. In addition, social dysfunction was found to not be among the largest contributing factors to self immolation.

The research proposal I chose is called Gender, Credit Constraints and Performance of SMEs in Cameroon by Tabi Atemnkeng Johannes, Makoudem Tene Marienne, NDAM Romanus Adze and Mrs. Tchouapi Meyet Rosy Pascale ( link to the proposal here). I chose this proposal because it is both throughout and related to the topic of research that I am interested in: micro-economics. The research proposal is broken down in to different sections with bolded headings. These sections include Abstract, Introduction, Problem Statement, Objectives of the Study, Gender Discrimination in Access to Business Credit Performance, Methodology, Nature of Data, Expected Outcomes and References.

The research they are proposing to do is about the role of small and medium businesses especially ones run by women, in economies. “In entrepreneurship and finance literature studies, it is suggested that raising capital is more difficult for women than men” Given this information the objectives of the study are to research female business owners and the credit market in Cameroon in order to find better ways to make women entrepreneurs successful in the future. In order to do this the proposal states that they must first recognize and identify gender discrimination in these fields, discover the ability of businesswomen to access credit markets and to identify the relationship between discrimination and performance.

The type of data and ways it will be collected:  the methodology is very important to making this research proposal as good as it is. The proposal states “differences in loan denial or approval rates and interest rates charged do not, in and of themselves, prove that discrimination exists.” So the researchers plan to use additional methods to data collection in order to find out what they are searching for. The proposal is very dense and suggests formulas for uncovering the data that they are looking for. They take many different variables into account when determining how to conduct their research. Much of the data they intend to collect is from secondary sources.

I am inspired by this extremely thorough and specific research proposal. I like how it is segmented into very clear sections with clear headings. I also like how the researchers cover a lot of ground in regards to possible variables that could effect the collection of their data. Finally I am inspired by how their topic connects to what I want to study and offers a new question to the field. I am now interested in how gender can effect the profitability of small and medium businesses in the economy.

Jad Assi

The scholarly article I choose to analyze was “Lending practices and Canadian women in micro-based businesses” by Orser Barbara J. and Foster, M K. The article was published in the Women in Management Review 9.5 in 1994. The article can be found on page 11 at the web address at the bottom of the page, I sought out this article to observe studies on micro-loaning and it’s the mechanics behind the operation of this niche market.  http://0-] search.proquest.com.books.redlands.edu/docview/213131010/abstract/32C5E2FDB67E44A5PQ/1?accountid=14729

The article touched upon the unusual circumstances surrounding microloans considering their inherently risky nature and neglect for conventional measures of stability to cover the crucial point of typical lending behavior which was the five C model of lending criteria. The article described in outstanding detail the characteristics that they consider in micro-loan applicants and the systems in place that has cultivated a nurturing environment for such a vulnerable industry. In addition, the article investigates the growing concern of sexism regarding the micro-loan criteria. The article pointed out that the criteria itself are not sexist although it’s application has proven to be hostile towards female entrepreneurs.

The article’s topic is on lending practices and their variability. In addition, the research question that I have arrived at is how are micro loaner’s able to survive in economic climates that large lending firms don’t find navigable?

To answer the question, I would find expert knowledge data. This is crucial because while economic repercussions are difficult to understand and adapt too although being in a market that’s based solely on high-risk dealing is far more difficult.

The data-gathering method that the author used was collecting public and private records from various sources of aggregate data and specific case studies that were of interest. The method that was determined to me most suitable for the study is interval ratio data analyses.

I find this study to be incredibly useful to forming a meticulous illustration of the criteria, biases, economic, and sociological factors that determine the eligibility of applicants. For instance, a piece of information that gave me deep insight into the field was that “economic restructuring, corporate downsizing, and high unemployment have created a “push” to self-employment. At the same time, the demand for contract services and new micro-market segments have “pulled” innovators into the micro-business sector”. This quote points out an indisputable but often ignored fact of our current economy which is that the U.S and many other nations have become service sector economies. The article proceeds to elaborate on my motivation for approaching this article which was micro-lending and utility in 3rd world countries. The method that they are referring to would fund economic development with far greater efficiency due to the emergence of micro markets during the 2nd industrial revolution the new micro-markets and in our evaluation of this research.   

I don’t believe the class or most readers would find this particular study interesting because of its niche audience although what I found was particularly interesting was that there is only a single commercial bank that performs micro-loans. The bank is called the Royal Bank and it is in Canada. In addition, Canada was found to be the 2nd most likely country in the world to secure its debt through commercial banking due to small-business owners and small-business finance.

“Democratizing Primary Spiritual Experience-Around the Year 2000” by Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. asked why entheogen’s, a psychoactive substance that is primarily used in a religious or spiritual context, offer religions? The article states that the application is not simply ‘dropping acid’ rather they are developed in a manner that paralleled medical research practices. The research required demographic data to obtain a firmer understanding of psychoactive drugs and the cultures surrounding their religious use. In order to achieve his goal the author performed experiments using experience’s as they present themselves to consciousness.  The author analyzed this data using quantitative analysis.  I believe that the research provided a unique insight into our religion and its subjectivity in part due to varying mental faculties. These experiments despite subjectivity yielded incredible results including that 1/3 of all participants in the experiments experienced on of the five most meaningful experiences of their life. In addition, psilocybin mushrooms increased participant’s altruism and senses of well-being. The issue that I found with the research methodology is that it failed to examine the cultural aspect of regions that use psychoactive drugs to experience spirituality. For instance, drugs like Ayahuasca are conducted in large spiritual ceremonies which last several hours, with little frequency and are often heavily emotionally taxing. The areas of the research that I found myself most interested in are the fields like drug induced contemplation, and his deep analysis of religious texts that observe various levels of religious understanding the deepest being one’s primary religious experience. This claim argues that even though primary experience provides a deeper understanding they also do not dilute the importance of habitual religious activity.

Roberts, Thomas. Democratizing Primary Spiritual Experience-Around the Year 2000” Association for Transpersonal Psychology 48. 1 (2016): 28-32.

The journal article is titled “Household Responses to Increased Water Rates during the California Drought” it was written by Ellen M. Pint published by the University of Wisconsin Press. It provides a detailed study regarding the price of water for 599 single-family households in Alameda County over the course of 10 years. The article’s topic was to gain a further understanding of household responses to changing water rates in order to answer their research question which is how will single-family households behavior during the course of California’s drought. The type of data needed to answer the research question is organizational data because the study aims to observe the water demands in order to create accurate maximum likelihood models. This goal was achieved through gathering data through applying mechanical observation. An interval data analysis method was used due to the data’s continuous and logical order. I believe that the researched served its purpose of answering its research question by developing multiple methods to predict reactions the final and most precise being the maximum likelihood model. Although, a concern that I have with the research is it is it is fairly shallow research that provides an understanding of the fiscal repercussions while providing no insight into the non-monetary responses. It is also pertinent to one’s understanding of this research that they heavily consider that the results are determined through educated speculation. Seeing as the research is posed to predict the results that California’s drought will have and does not take into account unexpected changes in the condition of the drought like the fact that recent rainfall has severely altered the severity of the drought thus drastically altering water demands.

Pint, Ellen M. “Household Responses to Increased Water Rates during the
California Drought.” Land Economics, vol. 2, no. 75, May 1999, pp. 246-66.
JSTOR, doi:10.2307/3147009.