Digital Forensic Tools of Investigation Samples for Students †MyAssig

Question: Discuss about the Digital Forensic Tools of Investigation. Answer: Computer crimes By definition, crime is an act that has been done that violates the law(Daniel, 2012). This definition brings about difficulty when dealing with computer related crimes. The enforcement of the law in this area is cumbersome because many crimes done by computers tend not to violate the formal laws put down in judicial proceedings. Therefore, modern laws tend to apply the traditional ways of analyzing computer crimes relating them to criminal offenses such as burglary, fraud and even larceny. However, the advancement in computer technology is also leading to difficulty in applications f such traditional laws(Sammons, 2012). Criminal law This law defines crime as a wrong that has been done which affects the society. Conviction lying within this act usually leads to a jail term. The same law convicts an individual to probation. The punishment incurred in the criminal law is aimed at disciplining the offender and at the same time prevents future occurrence of the crime(Garrison, 2010). For one to be found guilty, the jury needs to believe the conviction beyond reasonable doubt. The easy way of undertaking this is by use of testification that links the offender to the computer crime. However, loopholes still exist the testification as the offender can still be found innocent. The criminal behavior is categorized into two. A felony results into jail term since it is more severe. Another category is the misdemeanors that are punishable by incurring a fine or a prison sentence of a duration less than one year. Civil law In civil law, crime is wrong that is done to an individual or business. Ten offense usually lead to loss or damage. In civil law, there's no jail term as in criminal law, and mainly the purpose of this bill is to provide financial security for the offended and can be given as follows; compensating damages, punitive damages, and costs in statutory. These cases are easier to convict due to the reduced burden incurred during conviction. The jury only needs to believe about the evidence presented against the offender and items can be seized after issuing a search warrant(Andrew Jones, 2011). Insurance. An insurance policy transfers the risk of loss to a party to a desirable level os loss. Any loss in computer information demands the insurance company to pay out about the agreed policy. There is the situation of negligence that requires the insurance company only to pay a portion of the loss incurred. Rule of evidence Investigations done need to be thorough and be adhered to the Rule of Evidence. There is a difficulty in legal proceedings whenever computer crimes are involved. Skills are required to identify and extract information that can convict offenders. More to that, traditionally, evidence necessary to be concrete as opposed to the intangible evidence posed by computers(Gogolin, 2012). Best evidence rule This rule specifically requires original proof of evidence presentation in the court rather than a copy of the evidence. However, a copy can be accepted under these conditions(Casey, 2009); Loss of first evidence due to acts of God such as fire or flood. Destruction of evidence due to ordinary business course, The existence of proof by a third party who cannot be commanded by the court. Exclusionary rule This rule states that any evidence needs to be obtained via law enforcement in adherence to legal guidelines that govern the search and a violation to this leads to evidence obtained as the fruit of a poisonous tree. Hearsay rule. This rule allows a second-hand issuing of evidence not obtained from individual knowledge, but another source and the weight of it depends on the competence of the source in scrutiny. Chain of evidence The evidence obtained during search needs to be put under protection and accountability. This can be done by stating who confiscated the evidence, secured it and had control over it. Admissibility of evidence Admissibility of the computer crime evidence is high since the information in this evidence can easily be interfered with. The court, therefore, generated ways to deal with this scenario by issuing the relevancy of evidence and its reliability laws(Wiles, 2011). The process of investigation Pre-investigation process(Garrison, 2010) Identifying the type of seized system The computer system that has been targeted needs to be evaluated to obtain as much information on it as possible. This includes its hardware and software specifications. Choosing the search and team members to undertake the seizure. Before the seizure, the law enforcement needs to obtain warranty and its members should consist of the lead investigator, an information security department, a legal department and a technical assistant(Gilbert Peterson, 2009). Obtaining and issuing search warrant In case a suspect is believed to be in custody of evidence a warrant is issued. For the permit, the investigator needs to prove the reason for it. Once the warrant is issued, items can be confiscated for investigation(Jahankhani, 2010 ). Execution of investigation Securing of the site Sketching and photographing the site Identification, marking and packing of the evidence according to the collection process adhered to in the Rule of Evidence. During this step, when the computer is on a video tape is recorded by the use of scrolling effect. Also, photographs need to be taken. After this, the computer is powered down bearing in consideration of logical mainframe shutdown. To escape all these steps, the investigation can alternatively be done on site. Obtaining surveillance of the proposed offender. Scrutinizing the evidence obtained. Forensic tools of investigation Various forensic tools are used in the study. These devices are deployed in the survey process. During a forensic investigation, the procedure can start to be an analysis of network traffic. The analysis can be done using a sniffer tool such as Wireshark that intercepts network traffic and logs them for more review. One more tool that can be deployed is the NetworkMiner. This tool is capable of extracting and recovering all files present in the computer under scrutiny. Whenever a real-time investigation needs to be done, the Snort tool can be deployed to track down a network of intruders(Casey, 2009). Reporting During reporting of digital crime, the law will not automatically end with the arrest or clearance of the offenders. The enforcing law needs to obtain and present evidence to the prosecutor who will submit it to the jury for scrutiny. During this process, challenges develop during the investigation and handing over of evidence. The research entails categorizing of evidence such as a hearsay that has been discussed above. The Frye test, therefore, is used to determine the admissibility of the evidence provided. From the results obtained, NIST tools are used to scientifically validate the crime done(Cory Altheide, 2011). Finally, the defense is handed a duplicate of the results achieved or is given access to view the information(Daniel, 2012). References Andrew Jones, C. V. (2011). Building a Digital Forensic Laboratory: Establishing and Managing a Successful Facility. Denver: Butterworth-Heinemann. Casey, E. (2009). Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation. Chicago: Academic Press. Cory Altheide, H. C. (2011). Digital Forensics with Open Source Tools. Philadelphia: Elsevier. Daniel, L. E. (2012). Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals: Understanding Digital Evidence from the Warrant to the Courtroom. Chicago: Elsevier. Garrison, C. P. (2010). Digital Forensics for Network, Internet, and Cloud Computing: A Forensic Evidence Guide for Moving Targets and Data. washington DC: Syngress. Gilbert Peterson, S. S. (2009). Advances in Digital Forensics V: Fifth IFIP WG 11.9 International Conference on Digital Forensics, Orlando, Florida, USA, January 26-28, 2009, Revised Selected Papers. Wiscosin: Springer. Gogolin, G. (2012). Digital Forensics Explained. New York: CRC Press. Jahankhani, H. (2010 ). Handbook of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics. Chicago: World Scientific. Sammons, J. (2012). The Basics of Digital Forensics: The Primer for Getting Started in Digital Forensics. Atlanta: Elsevier. Wiles, J. (2011). TechnoSecurity's Guide to E-Discovery and Digital Forensics: A Comprehensive Handbook. New York City: Elsevier.

Movie Review Grown Ups (2010) Essay Example

Movie Review: Grown Ups (2010) Essay As with other Adam Sandler starrers, the 2010 released Grown Ups too excels in that special brand of American humor. Sandler and his co-stars, including Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider and Chris Rock were first part of a successful basketball team in school. The ocassion of the funeral of their coach brings them together after many years and the old friends decide to stay in a cottage to reminisce their old days. With each of the five having moved into different careers and all being married now, they exchange moments of nostalgia as well as regrets about the decisions they have taken in their lives. As the narrative moves further, some of them start showing their unique quirks and idiosyncracies that had stayed with them since school days. Indeed some of the apparently juvenile behavior of their school days seemed to have not left them completely as they had integrated into their adult personalities. It is for this reason that the movie title Grown Ups is an ironic lab elling of the theme. One would expect many funny situations and responses when adults behave like juveniles. But making such as theme cover the entire length of the film is an arduous undertaking on part of the director and script writers. The low-brow and at times slapstick variety of humor might appeal to a certain audience, but is not sufficient to sustain a film throughout. For example, the scene where the five friends play ‘Arrow Roulette’, where an arrow is fired into the air and the last to run away is declared the winner. There is a certain comic feel to see middle-aged participants in a children’s game. But after a while such comedy loses its novelty and effect. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: Grown Ups (2010) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: Grown Ups (2010) specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: Grown Ups (2010) specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When the children and spouses of the five friends also get involved in the plot, it sets up awkward, unexpected and suspicious situations, all of which add to the comic effect of the movie. The sexual innuendoes, drunken behavior, barbeques and games all set up interesting situations in which the characters play out their quirky personalities to full effect. Herein lies the drawback of the film as well, for the quirky, adolescent behavior of the five friends can at times appear to be too artificial and conjured up to be appreciated. Believed to have been inspired by the classic comedy flick The Big Chill, one can see that Grown Ups does not match up to the quality of the former. As far as the weakness of the movie goes, the script writing team of Fred Wolf and Adam Sandler have wasted much of the potential offered by the plot. The previous major buddy-comedy film The Hangover is a classic case in point, where the full potential of the plot was realized on screen. But die-hard fans of Adam Sandler, who have acquired a taste for his unique brand of situational humor would also like this movie. Having a star-cast has helped the overall quality of the film. At places where the script fails, it is the acting talent and experience of the actors that pull the narrative through. The presence of Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph along with Madison Riley and Jamie Chung certainly brings glitz and glamor on screen. The background score by Rupert Gregson-Williams is relatively low-key as would be expected of films in the genre. In sum, Grown Ups is a typical Adam Sandler movie with many hilarious comic situations. It is also a well-packaged movie with a proven star cast and enough glamor quotient to make it a perfect weekend watch. Indeed, it is worth a watch at least once. As with other Adam Sandler starrers, the 2010 released Grown Ups too excels in that special brand of American humor. Sandler and his co-stars, including Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider and Chris Rock were first part of a successful basketball team in school. The ocassion of the funeral of their coach brings them together after many years and the old friends decide to stay in a cottage to reminisce their old days. With each of the five having moved into different careers and all being married now, they exchange moments of nostalgia as well as regrets about the decisions they have taken in their lives. As the narrative moves further, some of them start showing their unique quirks and idiosyncracies that had stayed with them since school days. Indeed some of the apparently juvenile behavior of their school days seemed to have not left them completely as they had integrated into their adult personalities. It is for this reason that the movie title Grown Ups is an .

GISAT 160 Essays

GISAT 160 Essays GISAT 160 Essay GISAT 160 Essay Name Course Instructor Date : GISAT 160 1. What is the thesis (or central claim) of this text? The author seeks to highlight the health and psychological effects associated to television addiction. Television is viewed by many across the world, but people are becoming increasingly subconscious that it leads to addiction. Many people perceive addiction to being of chemical substances such as drugs like heroin and morphine. However, this text contradicts this and shows the chemical activity inside the human anatomy when people watch television. The chemical activities involving the brain and nervous system are related to those of a drug addict. Research is also used to show that those who spend most of their time on TV experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those addicted to chemical substances. 2. What are the author’s motives for writing the text (authorial intent)? The author aims at educating the masses on the need to reduce risks associated with television addiction. The risks are psychological, social and even health risks such as obesity and sleep deprivation. He aims at proving this addiction exists as a reality and should not be ignored or disputed. â€Å"Of course not all addictions are chemical.† This is according to the author who is demystifying the various types of addiction. 3. What arguments does the author use to support the thesis? A variety of arguments by the author verifies his claims. There are research and studies that support claims of the text. For instance, the article from Eastern Province Herald, in South Africa, which conducted an experiment between two families from different socio-economic status not to watch TV for just a month. The poor family gave in within the first week, and the other family members were affected by cases of depression. Their feelings were similar to losing a friend and had negative psychological effects. He also uses research by scientists conducted on lab rats to show opioid-stimulants induce behavior of an addictive nature similar to that of watching TV. 4. Identify and explain the methods of argumentation used by the author (such as appeals to the intellect or emotions). The author employs the use of sources of authority whereby he applies the use of a professional opinion in Psychotherapist Thomas Mulholland research work. The research showed that within 30 seconds of watching TV Alpha brain waves were produced. These are associated with losing focus and an over receptive, consciousness state. This supports his argument that watching television is an inactive process. 5. Identify and explain the assumptions (e.g., cultural, scientific, political, social) the author uses to support the thesis. The author uses the assumption that advertising agencies and the government are always out to make money with little or no concern for the consumers. This is his explanation as to why the television is flooded with attractive and entertaining advertisements while using public figures for the consumer to relate with when using the product. He also assumes because of an individual’s emotional instability, they tend to escape reality through the TV. 6. Identify and explain instances in which the author employs flawed logic or faulty reasoning. Use the â€Å"fallacies in reasoning† handout for explanations. The author uses generalizations to support his statements. He uses the assumption that television turns everyone into zombies while not everyone is influenced by the TV as most people are. The generalization from the research that people of all generations are influenced by the violent programs on TV to have an overestimation of the violent situations in reality is not conclusive. Some people are influenced by personal experiences and a violent environment in the way they view violent situations. 7. Assess the reliability of the evidence used by the author by identifying and explaining each of the following: a) Which statements are factually inaccurate? The claim that television turns everyone into a zombie is not a proven fact. Just because majorities of individuals become inactive and non-responsive when watching TV, does not apply to all individuals. b) Which statements or data are deceptive? Statements like â€Å"it brainwashes consumers to throw away money† is not true. Some consumers buy products whether they are advertised on not. Sometimes the consumer is influenced by personal choice and preference but not brainwashed. c) What evidence is not relevant to supporting the thesis? The statistics that 75% of women in America think they are overweight do not fully support the report. The author assumes that these women are influenced by women on TV who are slimmer. However, this is not proven as different factors may influence this perception. d) What relevant evidence or information has been omitted? The writer omits information on the other time spent by Average Americans despite the four hours on TV; the rest of the time is not accounted. There are no clear figures and statistics on the total number of Americans suffering from obesity and sleep deprivation. The writer just sites many TV addicts suffer from this, while other categories of individuals also have similar health issues. 8. Identify and explain any words or phrases used to support the thesis that are vague, unclear, or ambiguous. â€Å"An addictive mind control device† this statement refers to the television and does not clearly indicate how mind control occurs. He only uses the element of the early stages of hypnosis to show mind control. However, not much research and evidence has been used to show how a person is mind controlled by the television. The statement is thus deemed vague. Moreover, hypnosis is not proven to have an effect on everyone.

Interracial Marriage essays

Interracial Marriage essays I had really never thought about it: What is America? Until this week I believed that America was a country (and a continent), but after reading Schlesingers piece I realized that it is not only that. Schlesinger believes that America has succeeded as a multicultural society, because: America gives ethnically diverse people reasons to see themselves as part of the same nation. After reading this quote I realized that America is no where near that. Internationally America as seen as a multi-ethnic country, but nationally it is not. Schlesinger, states for America was a multiethnic country from the start. What does from the start? mean. If you really go back to the real start, Native Americans were the start. Schlesinger is talking about the start he likes to believe in, he is referring to the start most white-Americans refer to. There is not one history book that refers to Native Americans as the founders of America. Native Americans lived in this country long before Europeans discovered. There is a part of Schlesinger piece that is true: The hostility of one tribe for another is among the most instinctive human reactions, when Europeans arrived on the U.S. they believed that Native Americans were dangerous, reason for why they decided to take their property, kill most of them, their culture, make them live in reservations, and lastly re-name the country as New England. How come this is not part of our history books? Schlesinger talks about U.S. history from the revolution on, he also mentions that America was successful is making a multiethnic society. How can anybody classify America as a successful multiethnic society, if since the beginning of times Americans decided to exclude the real Americans? What does being an American mean to Schlesinger? America is home to millions ...

Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Argument - Essay Example It reflects the realities they face on a daily basis and their struggle to come to terms with the world around them. Far from encouraging young people into a life of drug addiction and gun crime, hip-hop can actually save them from it by proving a form of expression which can release their anger, stress and anxieties. This essay will explore the two sides to this hotly debated topic and attempt to understand just what role hip-hop plays in modern society. Jennifer McLune is a supporter of the idea that hip-hop is a damaging influence on modern society. Her focus is particularly on females, since she argues that hip-hop betrays its black women listeners by objectifying them. The basic premise for her argument is that far from offering an outlet for young black females, it actually encourages them to conform to roles delimitated along the lines of ‘baby mommas’, ‘chickenheads’ or ‘bitches’. Rather than offering positive role models for women, this music instead attempts to limit the role that women play in a society where men set the rules. This is an often levied criticism. At first listen lyrics to many hip-hop songs appear to have little respect for women beyond pure sexuality. McClure takes this point and develops it, in a distinctly feminist tone. McLune argues against Powell’s idea that the overt misogyny in hip-hop comes from socio-economic factors which have encourages this approach. She argues this point by indicating that women, too, have been raised in the exact same socio-economic conditions. Further, rich white males are just as capable as poor black ones of sexist slants. Her approach is an overtly feminist one which argues that women should not accept this war which men are waging on them. She argues that hip-hop culture is driven by sexism and that even artists which are opposed to this do not openly publicise the fact. It is so mainstream to hate women, it would

Communication in Economics(Econ 479) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication in Economics(Econ 479) - Essay Example Some nations have put in place strict rules in the retirement plans with the intention of ensuring that the wellbeing of the citizens is secured even after they come out of employment. This is the argument which David Harrison raises in the article. The article reports that there is need for more reforms to be initiated so that people are not permitted to withdraw the money prior to reaching the eligibility age. The suggestion in the article is valid but may not be hopeful in dealing with the retirement and financial issues facing employees today. Americans should be allowed to continue benefiting from their retirement account funds when need arises. What needs to be done is the formulation and enactment of procedures and policies that will help in striking a balance between the current financial needs which force them to use their retirement funds and the needs they will have to meet when they are out of employment. One major reason why I believe that should be allowed to choose when to use their retirement funds is the fact that most employees still find themselves in difficult financial situations because of the prevailing economic conditions. Factors such as economic recession have directly affected the financial stability of most Americans. At times, employees are faced with heavy financial needs which in one way or the other affect their wellbeing and even their productivity. Without the flexibility in the rules, some people will not be able to meet their financial needs. Needs like medical bills, eviction and foreclosure of a person residences makes it necessary for workers to look for immediate sources of funds (Ezra, Collie and Smith 58). Claims have been made that there are other avenues through which people can meet their financial obligations. However, some of the available options like loans from banks may apply only to those who still have more years in employment. The flexible

Health Disparities in Uninsured Americans Essay Example for Free

Health Disparities in Uninsured Americans Essay According to (Kilbourne, Switzer Fine, (2006), Health disparities are significant differences that are needed and viewed clinically and statistically in health care and health outcomes. These differences between groups of people can affect how often an illness(disease) have group affects, the number of people who have gotten sick and how many times do this particular disease or problem ends up with death occurring. There are a number of populations that can be affected by health disparities. ( Felton, (2013). Some of these differences are: Ethnic and racial minorities Rural area residents The elderly, children and women People with disabilities. (Medline Plus.com., (2013). Health disparity can also be defined as differences of populations in health care access, environmental exposures, health status, quality or utilization and outcomes involving your health. Health disparities are related generally to social issues and healthcare systems. The worldwide web coming in existence in the mid 1990s also can lead to health disparities since some ethnic groups would not be able to afford the internet. One of the objectives of Healthy People 2010 was to provide more internet services to the home. (Gibbons, (2005). Since this study will be a quantitative study it will focus on the total number of uninsured or underinsured Americans who didnt have health insurance by the end of 2012. Another focus of this study will be coming up with possible solutions to this growing trend in healthcare. In this study we will also seek to discover how the uninsured or underinsured individuals or families are being effected positively and negatively by gaining feedback from these individuals. There are several ways to obtain this feedback for this study in which we will be conducting surveys and questionnaires to get the answers we need. These ways are: the reasons why they do not have insurance to determine how this may affect their access to care, to determine whether the cost of care is directly affecting the reason why these individuals may not be insured and in this study we need to try to find the problems, come up with solutions and look for ways to get rid of any barriers to persons so that they can find affordable health care policies. Since the Affordable Care Act of 2010 is in effect we need to study how the introduction of a new healthcare law to totally replace the healthcare system that has been in place for years will effect uninsured and underinsured Americans. According to the article by (parkdatabase.org.,(2012). For the surveys we will be conducting our survey samples will be coming from males and females  who are American citizens, all races or ethnic groups, 200 participants will be equally divided by gender. In order to cover a wide variety of people that are being effected by health disparities in quantitative research usually will require a large sample size in order to quantify the research. (Felton, 2013). Background of the Study There are several factors that join together populations to influence someones health and health status which results into health disparity. According to the Healthcare Fairness Act of 2000 House Resolution #3250, populations that have health disparities suffer from numbers that are significant as it relates to the total rate of incidence of disease, mortality, survival and morbidity when compared to the population in general. The most contributing factor to health disparities most often mentioned when watched in the United States population is Socioeconomic status (SES). Other factors related to health disparities include: physical and cultural environment, lifestyle, working and living conditions, and community and social networks. Socioeconomic status can be defined as how persons, households, families, and aggregates and census contracts as it relates to the size to consume or create goods that our society values. (Shavers, (2007). The quality of healthcare experienced by our patients may be related to issues of disparity, socio-environmental determinants of health, practice variation, and substandard of care as scientific evidence seemed to show by the late 1990s. (Gibbons,(2005). Since Disparities in the United States can be caused by rather a mixture that is complex, historic injury intertwined with problems with access along with systematic quality. Health disparities have many sides which include ethnicity, status, geography and race. For policymakers it is critically important to give meaning to the problem in the correct way to make sure any solutions that are goal-related will be able to address the solutions reached. The goal is to provide health security for everyone no matter what your socio-economic characters are. Even though the United States goal is to completely get rid health  disparities there will be efforts to become a part of a broader effort to change health care and by doing so, there must be focus on improving the quality of care delivered to patients individually first and foremost. (Frist, (2005). We can now ask the question, Why the study of health disparity should be pursued and for whom is the study important to? The study of health disparity should be pursued because if nothing else but to determine if the research into health disparity will show any differences in organizational features that are specific. Furthermore the idea that organizational factors may play a significant role in health disparity has brought about more of a deep research on the role of organizational processes that are mutable when you look across the treatment setting. (Kilbourne, Switzer Fine, (2006), Purpose of the Statement The purpose of this study will be to test the framework that is conceptual that will cover health disparities in 3 phases. Detection Reducing and/or Eliminating Understanding The survey will include 200 male and female divided equally on uninsured Americans adults 18 years and older to gain feedback on why they do not have health insurance. (Felton, 2013). Viable Research Questions and Hypotheses What role if any how access to care directly affected your health status because you dont have health insurance? How has the cost of healthcare affected you individually, your families  health status because of no health insurance? How do you think your health status would change if you could afford health insurance? Do you think the new health care law will positively or negatively affect your ability to purchase health insurance? What factors do you believe are directly associated with the uninsured status as it relates to health insurance access? (Felton, (2013). Hypotheses Having no health insurance is directly impacting my access to care. Also the cost of care while having no health insurance is directly affecting my general health of me as well as my family. Also, if I had no cost for health insurance or low cost this would positively affect my health status as well as my family. With the Affordable Care Act of 2010 partially enforced, how do you believe this law will be directly associated with your uninsured status when it comes to access to health insurance. (Felton, 2013). Nature of the Study Design The strengths of Experimental Designs research according to the textbook, (Frankfort-Nachmias, Nachmias, (2008), designs begins with the understanding of the 4 components of research design which are: _comparison(correlation of two variables), manipulation(control over), control, (removal of other factors(, and generalization(different settings, larger populations can be use)._ (Frankfort-Nachmias, Nachmias, (2008).  The strengths of experimental designs is it will help a researcher understand the logic behind all other research designs, another strength is that an experiment lets the researcher observe and draw inferences that are casual with less difficulty no matter what type of variable is used and it allows researchers to be able to understand other design limitations. (Felton, (2013). According to the author,( Bhattacherjee, (2012). The limitations of Experimental Design research can be in the world of experimentation, the situation in the real world may not always relate, in situations where you have to randomly assign the persons to groups this may be impossible and unethical and another limitation would be getting rid of variables that are extraneous may not even be possible. (Felton, 2013). According to textbook by, (Frankfort-Nachmias, Nachmias, (2008). When I consider the quantitative research plan I am developing and my research questions, hypotheses, and variables, I would recommend the classic experimental design for research. The reason is my research plan involves, Health Disparities, which is a topic that can touch on several specific groups whether it be based on race, gender, insured, uninsured. In the classic experimental research design as the researcher you do have more control over the intrinsic and extrinsic variables for your research which is an advantage for me. Also in experimental design it allows the researcher to have control to introduce the variable that independent to help determine which direction the causation is being led to. Since Health Disparities will need to cover several areas in order to be effective I feel that experimental research design offers me the best chance of reaching the goal of my research which are three phases: 1. Detection, 2. Understanding of the problem and 3. getting rid of or eliminating health disparities all together. ( Felton, 2013). Since there are so many issues that are affecting Health Disparities in our world today, I feel I need to choose a research design plan that offers flexibility to the researchers which allows them to properly research the  issue, look at all sides to the issues to help come up with valid and ethical conclusions. Also, since I want to focus on uninsured Americans, just like me, and a hot topic in our world today, I will need an research design that will aid in my success to properly research this issue fully. iii. Instrumentation and materials According to the authors, (Keppel, Pamuk, Lynch, Carter-Pokras, Kim, Mays, Pearcy, Schoenbach, Weisman, (2005). S The levels of measurement that will be important for my study in Health Disparities can involve at the nominal level, ordinal level and ratio level. Health disparities can be measured according to six issues that are between populations and groups: 1. a reference point will need to be selected in order to measure disparity. 2. Disparity need to be measured in either relative or absolute terms. 3. Measurements for health disparities need to be in terms of adverse or favorable events. 4. Health disparity needs to be measured in summary fashion or pair-wise. 5. In health disparity you need to choose whether to weigh groups according to the size of the group. 6. In health disparity there needs to be a decision whether to order the groups in a inherent way. (Felton, (2013). According to the textbook, (Frankfort-Nachmias, (2008). The nominal level will be important to my study on health disparity because at this level you can measure a different symbol that will represent each symbol. For example: ethnicity, gender, nationality, martial status, religion, and where you live. According to Messer, (2008). The ratio level is also another level of measurement that can be used in my research study on Health disparities  because variables at this level have fixed natural zero points and absolute because these variable can be based on length, time, weight and area. Frankfort-Nachmias, (2008). Ratio measurement are the most common level of measurement used in disparity due to the scale of measurement. At the ratio level when measuring disparity it can be used in both as an absolute measure as well as a level of ratio. (Felton, (2013). Validity in research is concerned with whether you are measuring what you really need to or intend to measure for your research. There are three kinds validity in research: content, empirical and construct validity. I will ensure content validity, empirical validity, and construct validity for my study in health disparity in uninsured Americans by first understanding what each of the three types of validity mean: 1. Content validity is when your measurements are actually covering all areas you are intending to measure. In other words, nothing is left out. According to the textbook authors (Frankfort-Nachmias, (2008). Under content validity we have what is called face validity or the researchers evaluation that is subjective in their research. Another content validity is called sampling validity which is concerned about whether the population given in the research is sampled adequately. (Frankfort-Nachmias, (2008). Since health disparity covers a large area to be sampled, as a researcher I will have to find one area to focus on such as uninsured Americans, covering persons 18 years and older, male and females, all ethnic groups will all be a part of the sample. (Felton, 2013). According to authors (Hidalgo Goodman, (2012). Empirical validity refers to the relationship that is between an instrument that needs to be measured and the outcomes of the measurements. Construct validity relates the issues you are measuring to theoretical framework that is general. In disparities research it will be important to assess the standard criteria needed for the research to do what it is intended to do, especially if you are using different populations. In some cases, questionnaires may be needed to create validity in the study, but not in all studies. If in your disparities  research for uninsured Americans, where things like racism, race, ethnic groups which are considered constructs that are social can be hard to measure. (Felton, 2013) According to the article from (Active Campaign, (2009). In order to ensure validity in my research using content research which will be requiring all areas in my research I want to cover as it relates to health disparities for the uninsured American I would need to use a subjective form of measurement.(Felton, 2013). In the textbook, (Frankfort-Nachmias, (2008). The strengths and limitations in the reliability and validity I chose Construct validity strengths are based on how many dimensions and measures construct validity has, construct validity can be operated in a number of ways. (Felton, 2013). In order to ensure reliability for the measurement in my study, first I need to understand as a researcher the importance in the degree of reliability. Reliability is when your measuring instrument contain variable errors or mistakes that appear not all the time between your observation of your research for one time only or every time a variable is measured. So measurements contain two components which are called error component and true component. To further explain reliability which is measured on a ratio between true-score variance and variance in the total score measured. To ensure that my research study on health disparities is reliable for the measurement I will need to be able to distinguish that the results of the research may not be the exact same each time it is done. (Felton, (2013). The strengths and limitations when it comes to health disparities in the terms of reliability and validity can be linked to the fact that there are several components by which health disparities can be measured. Empirical validity and reliability are part of the research that deals with health disparities. One strength of empirical validity is relationships between prediction and results. According to the authors, (Ogden and Lo, (2011). The scale that is most appropriate to use for researching health disparities in uninsured America  Likert scale (tests attitudes) since it requires the researcher build a list of items that needs to be scaled, random research, then total of results. In using Likert scales there will be some limitations in the research involving health disparities. Some limitations are due to the debate on the role of comparisons socially and the impact it would bring on how the scales are completed and the results of the data being researched. ( Felton, 2013). According to authors Lobo and Mateus, (2013). Since in health disparities there are so many areas that need to be measured even access to health care and scales for measurement can help to achieve the needed results for the researcher if you take into account the aspects of the scale that you can enhance and you will continue to need to validate scales in your other populations. (Felton, (2013). According to ( Nowjack-Raymer, (2013), the test that is appropriate for my health disparities research plan would probably looking to better understand inequalities as well as health disparities, another test could involve developing testing with interventions that would be targeting people living in poverty, and we could also consider testing implementation and dissemination approaches for exploration to findings that would be effective in order to assure translation that is fast that could be put into practice, bring about some policies with action within communities. (Felton, (2013). The populations used for the scale and test as it relates to health disparities according to the NIDCR authors (Nowjack-Raymer, (2013), will involve research that will be focused on the vulnerable and disadvantaged population in subgroups. The testing population could include: Elders All ethnic and racial populations that are considered to be under health disparities, this will include Hispanic(Mexican, Puerto Rican, South and Central America, Cuban, and all Spanish speaking nations), African Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islander, and Alaskan Rural low income persons, urban dwellers, including Appalachians Persons who are unable leave their homes due to disabilities and persons who are in institutions  the special needs populations that includes persons living with AIDS, developmental or acquired intellectual or physical disabilities. (Nowjack-Raymer, (2013) Data analysis plan: Since in program research there a number that is limited in the efforts to evaluate and create health disparities involving new strategies with the health care system. Here are some of these program that are being supported by the AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for example: (EXCEED) or Excellence Centers to Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities, this is a grant program that looks for ways to eliminate health disparities. (Gillian, (2004). Sampling According to website (HHS.gov.,(2013), For my Quantitative Research Plan on Health Disparities using ratio measurement because it is the most common level used to measure disparity. The population (units of analysis that are relevant) for this research will include all uninsured African Americans in the United States today. Statistically according to the new Health Care Law or the Affordable Care Act there are 6.8 million African Americans eligible for benefits under the ACA. (Felton, 2013). The population for my study includes all uninsured African Americans in the United States according to the ACA. Population: 6.8 million African Americans (including male and female), almost half of this number of young adults. This population need to be defined on the basis of: A. Content, B. Extent, and C. Time. Size: 6.8 million. (HHS.gov.,(2013). I have made a  change in my population for research which will be first finding a reference point which is critical when doing research on disparity. According to the authors, (Keppel, Pamuk, Lynch, Careter-Pokras, Kim, Mays, Pearcy, Schoenbach, and Weissman,(2005). I will also need to measure disparity in relative or absolution terms. Disparity is very obvious when you realize that disparity occurs when the amount that separates a group from a reference point that is specified on a measure that is particular to health that is expressed in the terms of percentage, rate, means or some other measure that is quantitative. (Felton, 2013). . According to authors, (Keppel, et al, (2005) Sampling: an individual within the Population such as for example the young adult population size of 3.2 million or 47% don t have health insurance from the ages 18 to 35 years of age. Type of Sampling used: Probability sampling. A sample need to be able to represent the population it will be used for. When you want to measure a sample and your objective is to work from individual groups in a certain domain then use comparisons that are pair-wise. When you summarize the measures used in your disparity this will quantify all the groups in opposition and any conclusions based on your summary results should be joined and interpreted using all groups. (Felton, 2013) How the sample will be drawn? When disparities are measured, first the reference point need to be identified, next if any two groups need to be compared the reference point with the favorable group need to be used(lowest rates). When using disparities samples it should be measured in both relative and absolute terms and when you are measuring disparities over various of health indicators it should be shown in terms of events that are adverse. Why did you choose this sample size and why it was chosen in relation to the size of your population? I initially chose this sample size since I had 3 populations to choose from  for the uninsured African American population which were male, female, or young adults and I chose the young adult population since I had a solid statistical number of how many of young adults between the ages of 18 to 35 who are uninsured. I am not totally convinced that choosing a sample size representing millions of people will be the correct course for me to take and I had a terrible time trying to create a graph or chart to show my numbers and I could not get the graph to show. Since the number of uninsured Americans is very high even with the Affordable Care Act being in place, I may have to consider working in another area in health disparity. I was attempting to doing a basic line graph chart showing the age of young adults with no health insurance. Since health disparities covers such a wide range of issues I will have to reconsider what area under health disparity I want to cover and research. Ethical Concerns Health Disparities research has emerging advances which include comparative effectiveness studies and controlled trials that are often conducted at academic sites and multiple communities. The institutional review boards (IRBs) has presented a impediment that is major to the effective and timely conduct of health disparity research. When the research involved the underserved communities and minority along with institutional requirements, ethical standards interpretation may be different. These differences can cause complications in the research protocol and informed consent process and may have a negative effect on how the participants will respect this type of research and the quality of the trials. Also the IRB or institutional review board, can also lead to delays that are unnecessary, jeopardizing the capacity to perform collaborative projects and funding. The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), Translational Research Network (TRN) have created a community-partnered approach to run side by side with the IRB review directly across the 18 RCMI institutions grantees that make sure compliance while making it better quality of health disparity research. (Hammatt,. and Nishitani, Junko and Heslin, Kevin and Perry and Szetela, and Jones, and Williams, and Antoine-LaVigne, and Forge, and  Norris, Keith C, (2011). Even though Americans are living longer and are healthier, health disparities still exist. However, policymakers are making a response to the health disparity issue by putting together and introducing legislation that are geared toward getting rid of health disparities. (ncsl.org., (2014). The Uninsured Americans as a health disparity There is about 44 million Americans total without health insurance and another 38 million Americans who do not have enough health insurance to meet their healthcare needs. If persons do not have health insurance it will usually mean putting also necessary care such as: Childhood Immunizations Preventive care Routine check-ups no Primary care doctor no access or limited access to prescription drugs being hospitalized for a condition that otherwise would not have led to a hospital stay that could have been avoided if you had health insurance Because of fear of medical bills you may choose to delay care which will usually lead to more cost to you, especially if you have to go to the emergency room. We must also understand that when the uninsured persons face a health crisis because they cant pay the burden of the cost will be to the insured population. (Glied, (2014). References: Active Campaign, ( 2009). Validity in Research Design. Retrieved from website http://www.activecampaign.com/blog/validity-in-research-design/ Bhattacherjee, A.,(2012). SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH: PRINCIPLES, METHODS, AND PRACTICES. Retrieved from website http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002context=oa_textbooks Felton. (2013). _An analysis of personality theory._ Unpublished manuscript, Walden University. Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Nachmias, D. (2008). Research Methods in the Social Sciences 7th Ed. New York: Worth Frist, W., (2005). Overcoming Disparities in U. S. Healthcare. _Health Affairs. Retrieved from website http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/24/2/445.short._ Gibbons, M., (2005). A Historical Overview of Health Disparities and the Potential of eHealth Solutions. _Journal of Medical Internet Research. Retrieved from website http://www.jmir.org/2005/5/e50/_ Gillian, S., (2004). Addressing Unequal Treatment: Disparities in Healthcare. _The Common Fund. Retrieved from website http://www.commonwealthfund.org/usr_doc/SteelFisher_unequaltreatment_cong2004_70 9.pdf?section=4039_ Glied, S., (2014). The Uninsured. Retrieved from the website http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/uninsured.html HHS.gov(Health care.,. The Affordable Care Act and the African Americans. Retrieved from website http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/factsheets/2012/04/aca-and-african- americans04122012a.html012). (HAMMATT,. AND NISHITANI, JUNKO AND HESLIN, KEVIN AND PERRY AND SZETELA, AND JONES, AND WILLIAMS, AND ANTOINE-LAVIGNE, AND FORGE, AND NORRIS, KEITH C, (2011). PARTNERING TO HARMONIZE IRBS FOR COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH TO REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES. PUBMED.GOV. RETRIEVED FROM WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/PUBMED/22102302 (Hidalgo Goodman, (2012). Validation of Self-Reported Measures in Health Disparities Research. _Journal of Biometrics and Biostatistics. Retrieved from website_ http://www.omicsonline.org/validation-of-self-reported-measures-in-health-disparities- research-2155-6180.1000e114.pdf (Keppel, Pamuk, Lynch, Carter-Pokras, Kim, Mays, Pearcy, Schoenbach, Weisman, (2005). Methodological Issues in Measuring Health Disparities. Retrieved from website http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_02/sr02_141.pdf Kilbourne, A., Switzer, G., Hyman, K., Crowley-Matoka, M., Fine, M., (2006). Advancing Health Disparities Research within The Health Care System: A Conceptual Framework. Retrieved from website http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1698151/ LOBO, A., MATEUS, S., (2013). VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF AN EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE SCALE. _SAGE JOURNALS. RETRIEVED FROM WEBSITE_ HTTP://SGO.SAGEPUB.COM/CONTENT/3/4/2158244013506716 Messer, L., (2008). Invited Commentary: Measuring Social Disparities in Health-What Was the Question Again? _American Journal of Epiderminology._ Retrieved from website http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/167/8/900.full.pdf ncsl.org., (2014). 2014 Health Disparity Legislation. Retrieved from website http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/2014-health-disparities-legislation.aspx nlm.nih.gov., Medline Plus., (2013). Health Disparities. Retrieved from website http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthdisparities.html Nowjack-Raymer, (2013). Health Disparities Research Programs. Retrieved from website http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/DER/ClinicalResearch/HealthDispar.htm Ogden, J., Lo, J.,(2011). How meaningful is data from Likert Scales? An evaluation of how ratings are made and the role of the response shift in the socially disadvantaged. Journal of Health Psychology. Retrieved from website http://hpq.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/08/06/1359105311417192, Parkdatabase.org.,(2012). Qualitative and Quantitative Research Techniques for Humanitarian Needs Assessment. _An Introductory Brief._ Retrieved from website http://reliefweb.int/report/world/qualitative-and-quantitative-research-techniques- humanitarian-needs-assessment. Shavers, V., (2007). Measurement of Socio-economic Status in Health Disparity Research. _Journal of National Medical Association. Retrieved from website_