ART history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ART history - Essay Example If we look at Monet’s Impression, Sunrise and at the following works of Impressionist artists, we will see not only certain concepts but also some beautiful, aesthetically pleasing images. Then, gradually, works of art changed and the concept of beauty changed, too. Can Picasso’s Guernica be called a masterpiece? Certainly. Can it be called beautiful in the traditional, classic sense? Not exactly. In Picasso’s works for example – and in Cubism as a whole – reality is not what the artist sees but what he himself creates. The idea of this style is to take reality, destroy it in your imagination and then recreate it on the canvas. Other styles of the late 19th and early 20th century also took a novel approach to reality – Dadaism and Surrealism, for example. Marcel Duchamp worked in both styles and his works also represent this change. The third change in the definition of art is the growing role of political and social views in artistic works. This is the case with Dadaism, mentioned above. Rejection of traditional artistic values was for Dadaists a way to reject traditional social and political values which, according to them, led to World War One. This change is visible not only in the visual arts but also in music. The music of the 19th and 20th century had a significant social element. The specific ideas may be different around the world but the general change is the same – social ideas were reflected in music. For example, styles like gospel, soul, and spiritual have all evolved in the social context in which African people lived in America in 19th century. If we take a look at what buildings looked like in the past (in the Antiquity, in the Middle Ages, in the Renaissance, and in the Enlightenment), we will see their elaborate beauty. Buildings were meant not only to be used according to their purpose, but also to be admired. Therefore, they had ample ornamentation and numerous details. All the changes described above bring about e

World Situation Scope Essay Example for Free

World Situation Scope Essay IA Review of the World Situation Scope This paper will focus its attention on the CIAs assessment of the world situation in regards to terrorism. The focus of the paper will be the September 11th attacks made on American soil as well as go into the history of Al Qaeda, their resources for planning terrorism and their history in recruitment. Since the release of the original document, which discussed the state of world security in May 0f 1949, there has been many changes to the political structure of the areas discussed. At the time of the original document, the major issues which concerned American security involved the recently defeated Germans, the USSR, the Far East, the Near East and Latin America. However, the security of the United States of America has been under constant stress since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Though programs have been altered or created in the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency, there remains a threat on Americans, and American holdings throughout the world. As Andrew Kydd and Barbara Walter explain, there is a distinct politic to the notion of terrorism. However, these tactics are not always effective. There are many events of terrorism in the world each year, yet only a handful are regarded with any merit. According to Kydd and Walter, through a well argued and insightful article, it is the trust between groups that must be destroyed for an extremist attack to be successful. This is the motivation behind the response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. On Begin Match to source 7 in source list: (11-30-05) http://www. adultbuzz. com/121201/page4. phtmlDecember 6, 2001,End Match then Begin Match to source 7 in source list: (11-30-05) http://www. adultbuzz. com/121201/page4. phtmlAttorney General John Ashcroft addressed the Senate Judiciary CommitteeEnd Match in praise of this act, and its restructuring of the NSA, CIA and FBI. (Ashcroft 524) His rhetoric was patriotic and concise, and his views of the USA PATRIOT act and its changes seemed sincere. This was supported with the passage of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, which paved the road for the Patriot act itself. Eric Rosand wrote about the resolution in 2003. His response to its necessity was one of sympathy to the government, for having to face such a difficult challenge. However, not everyone who has commented on the alterations of the US governmental policy has done so with such reverence. David Cole compared the investigations into possible terrorist cells in the United States, to the Palmer Raids of 1919 where, following a series of bombings, J. Edgar Hoover led a series of round ups of immigrants across the country and held them without trial or charge in unconscionable conditions, interrogated incommunicado and in some cases tortured. (529) This attitude has spread throughout the country, as the appearance of impropriety has permeated the governments handling of the terrorists investigations. Mary Jacoby brings up the question of the legal definition of Detainee. This is in response to the holding of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba. The prisoners of this facility have been acquired from around the world from the war in Afghanistan, and from arrests done in dozens of countries around the world. However, the problem arises when the soldiers fighting for the Afghan military are brought in as detainees, rather than prisoners of war. While the Guantanamo prison has its apologists, such as Charles Krauthammer who states that freeing of these men would be lunacy (537) the fact remains, that in strict terms, the United States is in break of the Geneva Convention by holding POWs. Fernando Reinares noted in his article, The Empire Rarely Strikes Back, that after more than 2400 acts of terrorism against American citizens and interests there have been only three occasions of overt military response. (Reinares 92) However, because of the incredible size and depth of impact of the September 11th attacks, war became unavoidable. There did arise a problem with the military action, however, as a growing public opinion seemed to point the target as Islam itself, rather than just Al-Qaeda. This prompted the United States to enlist the help of as many Islamic nations as possible to counter act this perception. (Aretxega 143) This coalition of Islamic nations does nothing to counteract the rise in racial profiling within the United States. Sherry Colb wrote about the foreseen changes in American law enforcement following the September 11th attacks. Her article articulated the problem of racial profiling and its consequences. Cold notes that real numbers do not support profiling. (539) However this does not stop the utilization of profiling in airports, or in traffic stops. However, this too has its supporters, from such sources as law professor Roger Clegg. His response to the topic of racial profiling is one of acceptance and justification. So what? (Clegg 542) Clegg asks of the act of profiling. However his racial make up lends itself easily to such opinions, as an educated white male is rarely accosted for being white, educated or male. Key Findings Research into this fact has revealed that there are several locations outside of the United States where Americans and American holdings are under the greatest threat. There are varied threat levels in these locations, which range from possible altercations, to threats to life and property. However, there are countries which pose a threat to the safety of the United States in ways other than travel advisories. Some nations and their governments have strong anger towards the United States. These nations have alluded to, or are actively pursuing policies which are intended to cause harm to the United States of America. Some of these nations, such as North Korea and Iran, have instituted programs which are designed to test the United States. Other countries have entered into, or have begun to create trade unions which are designed to damage the United States position on the world market. Regardless of the type of threat these nations pose, there remains the necessity to understand and counteract these programs. This is difficult, however, as the degree and sophistication of these programs varies as widely as the threats themselves. The addressing of these issues are of critical importance to the continued safety of the United States and its citizens at home and abroad. Analysis 1. North Korea: Nuclear weapons proliferation. This nation has been a location of turmoil since its liberation from Japanese control following World War II. [i] However, in recent years, the threat of North Korea upon the United States has increased as the power and stability of the North Korean government, under the leadership of Kim Jong- Il, has begun to wane. Over the course of the past few years, Kim Jong-Il has made public statements attesting to his desire to develop nuclear weaponry for possible use against the United States of America. This threat has been elevated as of October 9, 2006. On this date, the North Korean military conducted its first successful test of its nuclear weapon. Though the yield of the weapon was low, reportedly only 550 tons,[ii] it does justify concerns that the government of North Korea may indeed develop a combat ready nuclear devise in the near future. The small yield of the blast is not thought to be indicative of their capabilities, however. Large scale underground nuclear testing requires large areas, 50-60 square miles of desert, to accomplish. North Korea does not have significantly large areas of land that are undeveloped or do not contain ground water. [iii] Because of this, the damage that would have been caused by a larger yield test would have been too great to the infrastructure of the nation to allow. Managing the crisis The threat that North Korea poses to the United States is being managed, currently, through various levels of diplomatic means. There have been several calls for 6-party talks, meetings involving multiple nations Begin Match to source 9 in source list: http://www. spacewar.com/2003/031015003520. s1ia1dhk. htmlthe United States, China, Russia, South Korea, North Korea and JapanEnd Match however these meetings have yet to occur. Because of this, the threat that North Korea poses to the United States remains serious. 2. Iran: Terrorist support and instigation of hostilities. The government of Iran has been at ends with the administration of the United States for many years. The current leader of the Iranian government, President Mahmud Ahmdi-Nejad, has openly stated his contempt for the presence of the United States military in the Middle East. Travel to the country of Iran by Americans is not recommended as the United States holds no Begin Match to source 4 in source list: (7-27-06) http://www. mahablog. com/category/blogging/diplomatic or consular relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and therefore cannot provide protection or routine consular services to American citizens in Iran. [End Matchiv] Iran Begin Match to source 4 in source list: (7-27-06) http://www. mahablog. com/category/blogging/is aEnd Match Muslim nation, and therefore has issues with the world view of the current war on terrorism, which is being headed by the United States of America. There is strong international sentiment that the Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (1-2-07) http://www. pwgd. com/blog/lb/6196-fbino-hard-evidence-connecting-bin-laden-connected-to-911-how-israeli-terrorist-became-a-victim-global-snapshots-capitalist-intersection-of-class-nationalrace-gender-oppression/war on terror is a war against theEnd Match religion of Islam and therefore a war against all Muslims. While this is not the case, few nations in the region have actively attempted to dispel this misconception. The relations between Iran and the United States is strained for another reason Irans support of the terrorist group, Hezbollah. While originating and operating outside of Irans borders, Hezbollah has been linked to various acts of violence throughout the Middle East. Most recently, during the short war between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah was involved in acts of violence, kidnapping and attacks on Israeli interests. Iran has been known to, and is suspected to still be funding this group. Following the hostilities of the war between Israel and Lebanon, a large influx of money was seen within Lebanon. Though the money was given out by cells of the Hezbollah group, to people whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the fighting, it is widely accepted that the money originated from the government of Iran. Because of these issues, Iran has been seen as one of the key threats to United States security. Their open support of anti-American factions within Iraq, as well as multiple allusions towards their seeking nuclear weapons, has kept Iran on the list of chief threats. 3. Afghanistan: Center of Al-Qaeda recruitment. The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda continues to be a Begin Match to source 12 in source list: http://www.parstimes. comthreat to theEnd Match safety and Begin Match to source 12 in source list: http://www. parstimes. comsecurity of the United States. End Match Since Begin Match to source 12 in source list: http://www. parstimes. comtheEnd Match attacks on September 11, 2006, Osama bin-Laden and his terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, have been linked to multiple acts of violence around the world. The nation of Afghanistan was, until the invasion by coalition forces in 2001, ruled by the Taliban a hard-lined government with strong ties the terrorist group. Bin-Laden and Al-Qaeda have been hunted since the September 11th attacks, and many key leaders have been captured or killed. However the presence of the group in Afghanistan is increasing again and Osama bin Laden remains at large. [v] The war within Afghanistan has continued since 2001, with no certainty for an end. This has caused dangerous instability within the region. Despite the institution of a democratically elected government within the nation, political stability has not been reached. 4. Mexico: Unprotected border crossings and illegal immigration. The number one priority of preventing terrorism is to prevent terrorist travel. This tactic however has not been serious employed with regards to border security and finding and preventing terrorism since the focus as previously stated is more about finding terrorists not finding the means by which they are mobile. One system that has not be utilized in border security is the means by which to detect whether documentation is authentic since terrorists have system by which they infiltrate a country their travel channels should be found and exploited but no real clause in the Patriot Act has been given or stated. Terrorists establish themselves in the United States through their travel channels by which there is a paper trail of documents; therefore, the Patriot Act, and NAFTA should not only be focusing their efforts at the borders where the terrorists may or may not be traversing but the government should also be wary of terrorist activity already transpiring inside the country, as The US 9/11 Commission on Border Control, Begin Match to source 2 in source list: http://elections.donyell. netEach of these checkpoints or portals is a screening-a chance to establish that people are who they say they are and are seeking access for their stated purpose, to intercept identifiable suspects, and to take effective action. [End Matchvi] Begin Match to source 2 in source list: http://elections. donyell.net TheEnd Match United States since September 11 has kept a more watchful eye on the Mexican border to ensure that large trucks are not passing the borders which could hold weapons, but this seems to be the only action officials and military are taking in regards to border control according to Zagorin in The Mexican Border Will Get a Closer Look. [vii] In this article Zagorin is hard pressed to find any true action the US is taking in regards to border control and Zagorin sites many examples of how Mexico is making its own efforts to decreased the chances Begin Match to source 1 in source list: Zagorin, Adam. al-Qaeda terroristsEnd Match coming Begin Match to source 1 in source list: Zagorin, Adam. into the countryEnd Match or leaving the country, Begin Match to source 1 in source list: Zagorin, Adam. The Mexicans will also focus on flight schools and aviation facilities on their side of the frontier. another episode has some senior U. S. officials worried; the theft of a crop-duster aircraft south of San Diego, apparently by three men from southern Mexico who assaulted a watchman and then flew off in a southerly direction End Match Begin Match to source 1 in source list: Zagorin, Adam. a senior U. S. law-enforcement official notes that crop dusters can beEnd Match sued Begin Match to source 1 in source list: Zagorin, Adam. to disperse toxicEnd Match substance Begin Match to source 1 in source list: Zagorin, Adam. TheEnd Match Begin Match to source 3 in source list: (7-23-06) http://www. usatoday. com/printedition/news/20060413/a_felony13. art. htmpeople who enter the country legally and then overstay their visas-as many as 40% of the nations estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, are guilty of a civil violation. [End Matchviii] Thus Begin Match to source 3 in source list: (7-23-06) http://www. usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060413/a_felony13. art. htmitEnd Match becomes apparent that the United States is focusing more attention on illegal immigration than on terrorism since all of their efforts are geared toward this goal. Since these hijackers could have been apprehended but were not, and the government has only increased the number of patrols on the either border and not per se the system by which illegal immigrants are apprehended it stands to reason that the government is not altogether prepared or establishing a methodology in apprehending terrorists, they are merely cracking down by using brute force without strategy. Conclusion The safety of the United States is in constant turmoil. While much has been done over the course of the past five years, there are few authorities who would actually state that the country is safe. Though the year 2006 was free of any dramatic assaults against the United States, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have become increasingly costly. Both have served to empower our enemies, rather than defeat them. In the information presented in this paper it gave different avenues by which the United States could be making a better effort to fight terror by simply having a different strategy on terrorism inclusive of finding their travel channels and relying on identification and false passports. The United States approach to border control, since they are using the same system now as prior to September 11 have not changed how they approach terrorists and their apprehension thus leaving room terrorists to take advantage of this lax method and exploit it. This year has seen, however, a dramatic reversal in the power center of the nation following the November elections, the congressional majorities both switched to the Democrats. The result of this switch is unclear, as of yet, however, there are many who are hopeful that the new majority will take the steps necessary to permanently secure the safety of the nation. Notes on Sources 1. The CIA World Fact Book is a very useful tool in todays world of global thought. The information that is found there is an excellent starting point for gathering an understanding of any world nation. 2. The Global Security Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is dedicated to keeping track of the proliferation of nuclear weaponry. 3. The United States Department of State is part of the US government, and posts its de-classified information on the internet. 4. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigations is the central location for information on any criminal that is deemed to be of a threat to the nation as a whole. 5. Begin Match to source 13 in source list: Robinson, William H. Lake, Jennifer E. S. The 9/11 Commission wasEnd Match created Begin Match to source 13 in source list: Robinson, William H. Lake, Jennifer E. S. toEnd Match investigate Begin Match to source 13 in source list: Robinson, William H. Lake, Jennifer E. S. theEnd Match short comings Begin Match to source 13 in source list: Robinson, William H. Lake, Jennifer E. S. ofEnd Match the United States security, and find out how and why Al-Qaeda was able to attack from within the United States. 6. Time magazine has been a trusted name in world news for decades. The weekly journal offers insight to world events. 7. USA Today is another trusted source of news. This daily journal centers on the issues that directly involve the United States.   [i] North Korea. CIA World Fact Book. United States Government: Central Intelligence Agency. 2006. Date of access: December 1, 2006. Begin Match to source 11 in source list: (2-3-07) http://www. canadaol. com/search. php? opt=2keyword=+haitiURL: https://www. cia. gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/End MatchknBegin Match to source 11 in source list: (2-3-07) http://www.canadaol. com/search. php? opt=2keyword=+haiti. htmlEnd Match [ii] Nuclear Weapons Testing. Global Security Foundation. Date of access: December 1, 2006. URL: Begin Match to source 10 in source list: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_nuclear_weaponshttp://www. globalsecurity. org/wmd/world/dprk/nuke- test. htmEnd Match [iii] ibid. [iv] Begin Match to source 8 in source list: (5-6-03) http://www. itravelnow. com/nukebrowser. php? filnavn=http://travel. state. gov:80/iran_warning. htmlTravel Warning:End Match Iran. Begin Match to source 8 in source list: (5-6-03) http://www. itravelnow. com/nukebrowser. php? filnavn=http://travel. state. gov:80/iran_warning. htmlUnited States Department of State. Bureau of Consular Affairs. End Match 2006. Date of Access: December 1, 2006. URL: Begin Match to source 6 in source list: (9-24-06) http://iran. gerffa. org/index. htmlhttp://travel. state. gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_920. htmlEnd Match [v] Osama Bin Laden. Federal Bureau of Investigations. 2006. Date of access: December 1, 2006. URL: Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (1-2-07) http://www.pwgd. com/blog/lb/6196-fbino-hard-evidence-connecting-bin-laden-connected-to-911-how-israeli-terrorist-became-a-victim-global-snapshots-capitalist-intersection-of-class-nationalrace-gender-oppression/http://www. fbi. gov/wanted/terrorists/terbinladen. htmEnd Match [vi] The US 9/11 Commission on Border Control. (2004). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. P569-574. [vii] Zagorin, Adam. (22 November 2004). Bordering On Nukes? Time. Vol. 164 Issue 21, p19. [viii] Kiely, Kathy. (13 April 2006). GOP View: Illegal Immigration wont be Felony. USA Today.

business law :: essays research papers

Business Law BA 434 SE Midterm Exam 2001 Spring Term Question One: Jim's promise is not enforceable under the contract law. A contract consists of 3 elements: 1) offer, 2) acceptance, and 3) consideration. The offer must be definate. It must have 1) subject, 2) price, 3) offeree, 4) quantity, and 5) time for performance and it must be communicated to the offeree. Applying the elements of a contract to the facts before us, the contract began when Jim offered Pam a place to live. He basically stated that all she needed to do was to come and see him. By accepting Jim's offer, Pam traveled to see Jim, thus completing the contract. However, Pam assumes that in Jim's consideration, he will pay for her incurred expenses as long as she visits him. Jim is not bound to the contract because the offer was not definate. Yes, Jim offered Pam, the offeree, a place to stay, however, he did not stated when the act could be performed nor did he state exactly what "providing a place to live" included. Meaning, he only offered Pam a place to reside, and there was not mention of Jim handling any other expenses. Jim's offer lacked quantity, time for performance, and definate communication. Thus, this intended contract is non-binding due to the indefinate offer. Question Two Due to the methods of terminating a contract, Oneal was relieved of his contract. A contract consists of 3 elements: 1) offer, 2) acceptance, and 3) consideration. The offer must be definate. It must have 1) subject, 2) price, 3) offeree, 4) quantity, and 5) time for performance. Now applying one of the methods by which a contracts are terminated to the facts before us, when the Opera House burned to the ground, it made it impossible for both Oneal and Jordan to perform. Oneal was bound to the contract, in that he accepted the offer, however, because the Opera House ( the contracted location) was no longer avail for use, he was not able to perform his duties of singing. Jordan was bound to contract because he offered Oneal a place to sing for six months, however, the torching of the Opera House made the providing of the stage practically impossible. The impossibility of performance made the breach of contract legally possible.

Hemingway’s fiction is not his suicide note Essay

Earnest Hemingway, the literary genius of the late 1800s produced volumes upon volumes of both poetry and fiction. After a short and very fruitful life Hemingway committed suicide but failed to succeed in initial attempts. Later, he finally succumbed to the great equalizer – death. Some people have surmised that Hemingway left clues to his unlikely demise in his fiction, however, â€Å"suicide cut the strings before they were painfully drawn out; Hemingway attempted to suck life dry of anything and everything he could fathom† (Gunsberg, 1995) This basically means that Hemingway believed that it was necessary to experience everything, even death, to enrich his art and craft. Although Hemingway committed suicide, and although many of his work focuses on death and suicide, it would be grossly unfair to conclude that he foretold his suicide in his fiction because this would be underestimating the power of the writer and his genius. A brilliant writer like Hemingway used his fiction as a form of exploration of the human condition and not as a reflection of his own condition. It would be very presumptuous to suppose that Hemingway used his fiction to foretell his suicide as many writers and literaturists would agree that although literature is a means of exposing internal emotions, it is also a means of release; hence, Hemingway’s fiction is more of an illustration of his literary genius than they are, as most would suppose, cries of help of a man in pain. Therefore, Hemingway’s fiction could not be considered his suicide notes. For instance, in the story ‘Indian Camp’ (Hemingway), the author does narrate an instance where the Indian Father commits suicide, (Hemingway) but this is simply used as a platform for the issue of emancipation from pain as illustrated by the contrasting incident of the Indian Mother who is professionally attended to by Dr. Adams who stops her pain and successfully delivers her baby. (Hemingway) In this particular story, it is not so much the suicide that is the issue but the prospect of hope and new beginnings that takes center stage. Another story where suicide is tackled is ‘A Clean and Well Lighted Place’ (Hemingway) where Hemingway portrays the pain of old age suffered by a deaf old man (Hemingway). In this particular story, there is an incident where the old man attempts to commit suicide by hanging himself, but the noose is cut by his niece and foils his attempt. (Hemingway) The story, albeit tackling suicide in one of its details does not necessary give much value to this issue, it even illustrates how one cannot escape the pains that accompanies life; that not even death can release us humans from what we have to deal with in life. So, if carefully considered, this particular story does not actually vindicate Hemingway’s own suicide, in fact it even serves to sissify his own attempt by indirectly implying that if the author believed that suicide was not a means of ending the suffering of existence as shown in his fiction, then he would have been a great coward to commit what he was writing against. Hemingway did not use his stories as a platform for the justification of his own suicide; he had his own reason’s for his suicide, and those reasons are not in any way connected to his stories. Finally, in ‘Hills like White Elephants’ (Hemingway) the author tackles the issue of abortion with a couple arguing over whether to have it (the baby) or not; the man insisting of having an abortion and the woman, subtlely indicating that she would like to have the baby. (Hemingway) Although there is no reference to suicide in this particular Hemingway story, what is obvious is the argument between two people regarding the issue of ending a life, which, by the way, is not really an argument that you would normally hear from ordinary chat. In this story, Hemingway, again, although, very discreetly, makes references to why life should be valued and why it should be considered with utmost respect, even going to the extent of contrasting childbirth with happiness. (Hemingway) Easily, from this story it is immediately evident that the author was against any form of taking away life intentionally, and so totally debunks the assumption that his fiction was an indirect indication of his consequent suicide. If such is the case, then it can be easily concluded that Hemingway committed suicide for a higher reason; this being related to the progress of his art and craft. Like many other writers who had grappled with the peculiarities of life, Hemingway was no different; and like many other creative writers then and now, it has to be considered that art, in any form, is already a means of airing out recluse emotions; it is a release that is even perhaps more effective than death itself. Hemingway, like many other artists during his time, had peculiarities of his own, and what most of these writers had in common was the ability to use the human condition as a platform in their work. While many of Hemingway’s stories talked about suicide, it has first to be understood that the author is not necessarily the ‘I’ in any of his/her work, and so it would be terribly unfair to affine subject matters in Hemingway’s stories to his actual existence. The relationship of the author to his story ends with his by-line; all the other things in the written work should be set apart from the author. It is very elementary to assume that the author only writes about his/her own personal life because, then, creativity would not have as big a role in literature as it is supposed to have. What could be more accurate, however, is the fact that the literary genius of Hemingway was enough for people who read his work to assume that he was foretelling his own suicide. While this assumption is blatantly misdirected, it simply shows how a writer is able to twist and distort the minds of his readers to think that there is much more to his fiction than meets the eye (or mind). If such is the case, then every reader might as well apply for a position at the Vatican interpreting the ancient Dead Sea scrolls. Works Cited Gunsberg, Ben. â€Å"Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King. † Earnest Hemingway. 18 Dec. 1995. 16 Apr. 2009 . Hemingway, Earnest . â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. † Earnest Hemingway. 1999. 16 Apr. 2009. Hemingway, Earnest . â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants. † Earnest Hemingway. 1999. 16 Apr. 2009 . Hemingway, Earnest . â€Å"Indian Camp. † Earnest Hemingway. 1999. 16 Apr. 2009 .

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in the Icu

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection occurring in hospitalized patients who are mechanically ventilated. These infections are common in ICU settings, difficult to diagnose early, and unfortunately have a high rate of mortality and morbidity. VAP accounts for almost half of infections in ICU settings, up to 28% of mechanically ventilated patients will develop VAP and of these patients the mortality rate is between 20% and 70% (Craven & Steger, 1998). A patient that develops VAP while mechanically ventilated adds days to his recovery as well as thousands of dollars to the care costs. Numerous studies have been conducted across the county in an effort to understand VAP, however very few of those studies focus on the nursing interventions that can prevent this deadly and costly nosocomial infection. Many of these studies focus on the â€Å"bundling† of certain interventions, so the question is does the implementation of a VAP bundle compared with the use of non-bundled interventions decrease the incidence of VAP in ventilated patients. The research that was found in nursing journals along with a related study from a medical journal follows. Cason, Tyner, Saunders and Broome (2007) conducted a study of 1200 critical care nurses and the results demonstrate the variability in the recommended and reported care of the ventilated patient. Their study aims to identify the areas of needed improvement to comply with the CDC recommendations for prevention of VAP. The study consisted of a questionnaire distributed to nurses who attended the 2005 American Association of Critical Care Nurses National Teaching Institute, with the findings demonstrating a need for more education and research in the area of preventing ventilator associated pneumonia. Ferrer and Artigas (2001) also noted the lack of compliance in even the most basic of preventative measures. The study focuses on non-antibiotic preventative strategies for VAP; they suggest the use of antimicrobial hand soap, clorahexidine oral rinses, stress ulcer prophylaxis, prevention of gastric over distension, providing adequate nutritional support as well as frequent position changes. The research also suggests that endotracheal tubes with an extra lumen designed to continuously suction secretions pooled above the endotracheal tube cuff would lower the incidence of VAP by reventing these secretions from being aspirated into the lower airway. The authors also suggest more research be done to further limit the number of patients who develop VAP. Siempos, Vardakas and Falagas (2008) found that after meta-analysis of nine published randomized controlled trials that a closed tracheal suction system has no benefit in reducing the incidence of VAP compared with an open tracheal suct ion system. The preliminary data suggests that a closed circuit would reduce the incidence of VAP, however the data and trials that were reviewed showed that there was no decrease in the rate of infection. Due to the fact that a closed system can be used more than once, and only needs to be changed every 24 hours, it does tend to be more cost effective. Also of note, in two separate trials, a closed system was found to increase colonization of both the respiratory tract and the ventilator tubing. Obviously more research is needed to determine the best intervention when endotracheal suctioning is necessary. Ventilator associated pneumonia is both common and unfamiliar to nurses in the critical care setting, according to Labeau, Vandijck, Claes, Van Acken & Blot (2007). They note that while nurses deal with VAP frequently their knowledge of the infection and preventative measures may be a reason that VAP is still so prevalent in the intubated patient. The research points to the idea that because many nurses are not responsible for the ventilator circuit; they rely on the respiratory therapist to manage the ventilator, they may be less informed than if they had more control and training in the interventions necessary to prevent VAP. The research suggests more training and education for nurses who work with ventilated patients. Research done at the University of Toledo College of Medicine has shown a decrease in the incidence of VAP in its ten bed surgical ICU by implementing a â€Å"FASTHUG† protocol. Papadimos, et al, (2008) explained the interventions that the college used as a tool to educate the critical care team. â€Å"FASTHUG† stands for daily evaluation of feeding, analgesia, sedation, thromboembolic prevention, head of bed elevation, ulcer prophylaxis, and glucose control in critically ill intubated patients. The â€Å"FASTHUG† protocol was emphasized at morning and afternoon rounds and after a 2 year esearch period the incidence of VAP declined to 7. 3 VAPs/1000 ventilator days down from a historical rate of 19. 3 VAPs/1000 ventilator days. Of note, in 2007 the surgical ICU that implemented this program actually had no incidence of VAP from January to May. The research suggests that the use of bundled care processes for ventilated patients may reduce the rate of VAP. The nurs e’s knowledge of the use of the ventilator bundle is crucial to the success of the protocol according to research done at the University of Texas. Education sessions were held with pre and posttests administered as well as observation to evaluate the nurse’s understanding of the bundles. The VAP bundle focused on the elevation of the head of the bed, continuous removal of subglottic secretions, change of the ventilator circuit no more often than every 48 hours, and washing of hands before and after contact with each patient. The research done by Tolentino-DelosReyes, Ruppert and Shiao (2007) suggests that a lack of understanding and knowledge of VAP leads to a higher rates of infection. Observation of the nurses in the study revealed that after the education sessions nurses demonstrated an increase in compliance with the established standards of care. Given the high mortality and morbidity of ventilator-associated pneumonia, compliance in the critical care unit is crucial to reducing the rate of VAP. The critical care nurse is vital to the prevention of VAP, and nurses need to initiate further research concentrating on education and prevention. References Cason, C. L. , Tyner, T. , Saunders, S. Broome, L. (2007) Nurses’ implementation of guidelines for ventilator-associated pneumonia from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. American Journal of Critical Care, 16, 28-37. Craven, D. E. , Steger, K. A. (1998) Ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonias: Challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. New Horizons, 6(2). Ferrer, R. & Artigas, A. (2001) Clinical Review: Non-antibiotic strategies for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Critical Care 2002, 6, 45-51. Hunter, J. D. (2006) Ventilator associated pneumonia. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82, 172-178. doi:10. 1136/pgmj. 2005. 036905. Labeau, S. , Vandijck, D. M. , Claes, B. , Van Aken, P. , Blot, S. I. & on behalf of the executive board of the Flemish Society for Critical Care Nurses (2007) Critical care nurses’ knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for preventing ventilator- associated pneumonia: An evaluation questionnaire. American Journal of Critical Care, 16, 371-377. Morrow, L. E. Shorr, A. F. (2008) The seven deadly sins of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Chest, 134, 225-226. doi:10. 1378/chest. 08-0860. Papadimos, T. J. , Hensley, S. J. , Duggan, J. M. , Khuder, S. A. , Borst, M. J. , Fath, J. J. , Oakes, L. R. , & Buchman, D. (2008, February) Implementation of the â€Å"FASTHUG† concept decreases the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the surgical intensive care unit. Patient Safety in Surgery 2(3). doi:10. 1186/1754-9493-2-3. Siempos, I. I. , Vard akas, K. Z. & Falagas, M. E. (2008) Closed tracheal suction system for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. British Journal of Anasthesia 100(3), 299-306. doi:10. 1093/bja/aem403. Tolentino-DelosReyes, A. F. , Ruppert, S. D. , Shiao, S. P. K. (2007) Evidence-based practice: Use of the ventilator bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. American Journal of Critical Care, 16, 20-27. Ventilator-associated pneumonia. (2008). Critical Care Nurse. Retrieved from http://ccn. aacnjournals. org

buy custom Oticon and Information Technology essay

buy custom Oticon and Information Technology essay Information technology is a significant facet in any organization, be it a multinational or a small business. It is also essential in society in general. Integrating information technology in any office set up means employment of computer software, hardware and processor-oriented information systems. Most of the modern organizations have incorporated information technology in their systems, for smooth running of the firms. Effective inclusion of information technology in the office, could lead to remarkable outcomes, though it could also have its demerits. The major limitation of information technology is seen to be the redundancy of managers and workers. There are however several organizations that have been effectively renovated with the incorporation of information technology, one such example being Oticon. Oticon and Information Technology For the main part, Oticon demonstrates a good paradigm of successful incorporation of computer-based technology in redesigning an organization positively. Oticon is an international producer of hearing aids with its headquarters based in Denmark. This company was on the verge of being rendered extinct, due to competition from an American company that was producing hearing aids that were preferable to the larger market. This was when the firm got a new chief executive officer, Lars Kolind, in 1988 who revamped Oticon. Bjorn-Andersen and Turner (1995) suggest that information technology was not the sole reason for the far-reaching changes that took place at Oticon, but it made the metamorphosis possible and pragmatic. Information technology was applied by Oticon to make the work environment more efficient and mobility of workers was increased. Information was also afforded to workers at more convenient places and time as compared to the inconveniences experienced with the office syste m. Role of Information Technology in Organizations Information technology in an organization takes on a facilitative position rather than the primary role. It enables a company to undertake restructuring of its management and day to day workings as Oticon did. This kind of technology is used in creation of new business ideas, inventing novel methods of working and solving organizational hitches. Computer software for example, is used to design an easier and more effective way of coordinating the affairs of the company. For instance there can be accounting software to help in book keeping and inventory management. The Point of Sale (POS) system, for example ensures that whenever an item is sold from the stock in a business then the reduction in stock is reflected in the system. Applying information technology in organizations is manifested through the use of e-mails to communicate in an office. More recently there has been an increase of businesses and even big organizations using social media sites, such as Facebook, to advertise and market their products. Organizations also design websites where potential investors and clients can access information on the firm. Power point presentations are also used in company meetings to make a task more effectual and easy to understand. Most organizations have also resolved to use digital versions of files instead of filing cabinets filling a whole room with documents and files. In this way a huge amount of historical data can be stored and easily retrieved. Organizations also use computers to store the database of their employees. This is also useful for potential employees who send their job applications through the internet. Organizations also use information technology to reach out to their customers and receive feedback on products as well as to improve on customer care. Research can also be done on the internet to ensure that an organization keeps up with modern products and market trends. The Case of Johnsonville Sausage LLC Johnsonville Sausage LLC is an American company based in Wisconsin which mainly deals with manufacturing of meat products. This is one of the big companies that has effectively used technological strategies to sway global markets and consumer tastes. In 2003, the company mapped out an information technology plan to set up an all inclusive SAP policy. This meant that the firm would advance its visibility and be able to exploit more sources of raw materials, end products and what the customers require most. Johnsonville Sausage LLC utilized the Cisco Aironet 350 Series and set up a wireless local area network to follow up on the movement of its manufactured goods (Cisco Systems Inc. 2001). The company has also used other Cisco products such as firewalls to protect confidential company information and money, as well as routers and hubs. Johnsonville Sausage has also made use of wireless machinery to connect computers which are on the floor to the network. This is in turn used to check on the inventory as it stands at that particular time. All these illustrations demonstrate that Johnsonville Sausage LLC has indeed transformed due to information technology advancements. I would like to work in such an environment as this would mean that work gets done faster as information is available and is conveniently retrieved. In such an environment there is advanced technology and safeguards and the business is expanding meaning there is job security and better salaries too. Conclusion This paper has illustrated that information technology if effectively utilized and integrated by an organization can lead to a remarkable transformation. It is important to note that the role of information systems and technology is merely enabling or facilitative. To obtain optimum organizational transformation, a firm still has to do much more, for instance building up the main competencies and careers of the organization. Buy custom Oticon and Information Technology essay

How To Use Social Media Analytics To Create The Best Content

How To Use Social Media Analytics To Create The Best Content Data is the currency of social media marketing. It’s the lifeblood of your campaigns. Without it, there’s no way to properly analyze your audience or measure your results. Data is what justifies the time we spend writing posts, crafting campaigns, and connecting with our audiences. Understanding social media analytics is essential for making data useful. Modern analytics tools provide power that marketers could have only dreamed of just a decade ago. However, tools are only as effective as our ability to use them. In addition, data is only valuable as the insights we can extract from it. Download Your Free Social Media Analytics Kit In order to  apply the advice in this post, download the kit below. It includes: A Social Media Marketing Performance Report  Excel template  to help you track your performance metrics. A Social Media Content Creation + Measurement spreadsheet to help you write social posts, organize post images, and store post-level performance data. A Social Media Content Performance Presentation PowerPoint template to help you nail your next reporting presentation. A Social Media Content Strategy template to help you apply your data insights to create better content. The challenge thus facing social media marketers is threefold. Successful practitioners must understand each of the following: How to know which  data needs to be measured. How to find and analyze that data. How to use data  insights  to create better content. In this post, you’ll learn exactly how to slice and dice data like a social analytics ninja. How To Use Social Media Analytics To Create The Best ContentIntroducing  Social Analytics: The Easiest Way To Understand Your Social Media Engagement Bring your social media data together, all in one place, with . With our new Social Analytics capabilities, you can: Measure the success of every social message so you can re-share your most engaging content (and improve future messages). Use real data to prove the ROI of the work you do. Identify trends and understand what your audience wants. Know what's working (and what's not). Save time and see how all your networks are performing within a single dashboard. See Social Analytics  in action:Social Analytics in helps you easily PROVE  your ROI!So, What Does Social Media Analytics Mean, Anyway? This term can mean different things to different people. Are we talking about overall performance on social media? Or, perhaps we could be referencing social media content analysis?  Could we even mean social media audience analysis? This topic gets complex fast, and any of the above answers could be correct. To make things simple, this post will focus on how to understand three  things: How your social media profiles are growing. How your social media content is performing. How to turn data  into action to create better content. Build Your Social Media Analytics Toolbox Every good craftsperson has a quality set of tools. Here are the options we recommend for doing social media analytics work: Google Analytics:  It’s free and powerful. In-App Analytics:  Most major social media networks provide fairly robust internal analytics. Cyfe:  This freemium web app is essential for building custom data dashboards. Simply Measured: These folks offer some excellent free tools to help perform a variety of social media tasks. There are certainly more tools available. However, these are the options we’ll use for the purposes of this post. How To Set Social Media  Goals You need a purpose for gathering and analyzing your data. This means you need to set goals. After all, how are you supposed to hit your target when you’re unsure what you’re aiming for? Let’s outline five basic social media marketing goals you could potentially establish: Traffic: Social media is a vital traffic driver to blogs and websites for many publishers. Follower Growth: The more people following your accounts, the more people you can reach, more easily. Engagement: This is the â€Å"social† part of social media. Likes, shares, mentions, and comments are equal opportunities to build connections with your audience and prospects. This can include industry influencers, current or potential customers, or the audience for your content. Reach / Impressions: Social media content exists to be seen. Getting in front of more viewers means more awareness for your brand and content. These may seem like soft metrics, but there is value in gaining exposure  (as long as you’re not being discussed in a negative light). Conversions: Marketing is ultimately about driving sales. Converting organic social media traffic can be tough. Paid advertising, while inherently more conversion-centric, presents challenges of its own too. However, it is possible to  drive conversions from your organic content. It’s also important to tie social media goals to overall business objectives. Follow this visual guide to map your metrics to your bottom line: Recommended Reading: What Really Is Your Social Media ROI? Align social media goals with business objectives.How To Use Google Analytics For Social Media Analysis Google Analytics provides so much data, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Before we dive into each specific network, let’s look at how to use this tool to find two key metrics (which apply to all networks): Referral Traffic Blog / Website Conversions Here’s how to find each of these pieces in Google Analytics. 1. Visit your Google Analytics account. Then, click through Overview All Traffic Channels Social. 2. Here, you’ll find data from your referral traffic from every social network. 3.   Next, let’s help you figure out how to find conversions from your social media referral traffic. This requires setting up a Goal in Google Analytics. Once this step is completed, you’ll see Conversions here: If you haven’t set up Conversion goals  for your site or blog, this official video from the Google Analytics team will show you how to do this: How To Understand Social Media Analytics On Every Platform Every social media network has unique purposes and strengths. Before we dig into understanding analytics on each one, let’s ensure you’re using the right platforms to achieve the right goals first. Did you know Google Analytics can help measure social media performance?Facebook Analytics: Which Metrics  Should You Monitor? Facebook’s declining organic reach has made the network tougher than ever for marketers. Here’s how to find the data you need to ensure  your posts are  laser-focused on the right audience: Post-Level Metrics Likes: People may not take time to comment. However, a Like is a quick indication that your post resonated. Pay attention to other emotions expressed too (such as humor, anger, or sadness). Comments: Positive comments mean your post hit the mark (unless your post was intended to elicit a negative reaction). Pay close attention to negative comments as well, however. They might teach you about things you can improve. Shares: You’ve probably heard your boss talk about â€Å"going viral.† Share counts are, in a sense, a measure of virality. More shares generally reflects greater interest in your content. Referral Traffic: Moving users from Facebook to your website helps get your content read. This helps establish your brand as an authoritative voice while increasing the odds your blog and website content will convert readers into customers. Reach: It's getting tougher to reach folks on Facebook. However, it's still an important metric for knowing how many people see your posts. Page-Level Metrics Page Views: More people looking at your page equals exposure for your brand. Engagement Rate: Facebook calculates engagement rate  by weighing the number of people who like, comment on, or share your posts against the total number of people who see your content. The higher this number, the more interesting users find your content. This is helpful for determining what your audience does and doesn’t like. It also provides a barometer for how your efforts are performing overall. Video Metrics: If you’re posting videos natively on Facebook, it’s important to know how long they’re being viewed. Page Fan Growth: More fans means more people see your posts. That equals more people seeing your content, which in turn helps build your authority and even drive conversions. However, do keep in mind that quality beats quantity here. Conversions: If you’re creating Facebook posts that direct to blog posts or web pages with conversion steps, use Google Analytics to monitor those conversions. This will tell you whether the messaging in your posts matches the messaging on your destination pages. It can also validate the persuasiveness of your copy. How To Find This Data Here’s how to use each tool in your box to gather this data. The Facebook Insights tab on your company’s brand page is an easy place to start. It provides an incredible amount of data completely for free. 1.   Find your Facebook Insights tab. 2. Next, you’ll see your Overview page. Here, you can get a quick glance at: Actions On Page Page Views Page Likes Reach Post Engagements Videos You’ll also see an option to Export Data to an Excel or .csv file. This makes viewing detailed Page Data, Post Data, and Video Data a bit easier. 3. Beneath the Overview tab, you’ll find access to more detailed data: Here, you can find everything you need to know when it comes to your page engagement data. How many of these Facebook marketing metrics are you monitoring?Twitter Analytics: Which Metrics Should You Monitor? Twitter analytics are only slightly simpler than on Facebook. Here are the  metrics you should monitor for Twitter: Post-Level Metrics Retweets: Again, odds are someone in your organization has asked you about â€Å"going viral.† The more retweets, the more your content spreads. Replies: A lot of people see a lot of tweets each day. That makes earning  responses difficult. However, if you’re able to generate discussion and replies, you know you’re striking a chord with your audience. Referral Traffic: This is a big one. With Facebook organic reach in decline, Twitter may have more relevance than ever for driving traffic back to blogs and websites. Tweets Linking To You: Feel your ears burning? That’s just all the folks talking about your content and sharing your links on Twitter. Tweet Likes: Validation feels good. More importantly, Likes mean your content is appreciated. The more Likes, the better. Tweet Impressions: Tweets don’t always have to earn engagement to have value. Getting your brand and content seen can yield benefits by itself. Think of it like placing billboards on the information superhighway (we’re going to bet no one under the age of 25 got this joke). Page-Level Metrics Profile Visits: This indicates interest in your brand and what you’re about. Follower Growth: The more followers, the better (as long as you’re attracting the right kinds of people). Ideally, that means people who find your content valuable (and might one day want to buy your products or services). How To Find This Data Twitter offers fairly robust analytics within its web app. 1. Log into your account and visit Twitter Analytics. 2. The first page you’ll see if your Analytics Home page. Here, you can find (as you’d expect) a high-level overview of your performance for the last 28 days. This includes: Tweet Impressions: This is how many people saw your tweets in their feeds. Profile Visits: Self-explanatory. This is the number of times users visited your profile. Mentions: Tracks the number of times your profile was tagged in a tweet. Follower Growth: This is worth keeping an eye on, particularly if growing your following is a priority (as it should be). Tweets Linking To You: This is the number of tweets including links to your website or blog. These are valuable for sending traffic to your blog. You can also quickly see your top performing tweets. All in all, this is a fair amount of data (for free). Pro Tip: Your Top Tweets and Top Mentions are great  places to see which content resonates most with your audience. 3. Next, click the Tweets tab. At the top, you’ll find your daily tweet impressions for the past 28 days. Below that, you’ll find impression and engagement rate data for all your individual tweets. These can be sorted to include All Tweets, Top Tweets, and Tweets And Replies together. The right-hand panel also provides: Overall engagement rate Link clicks Retweets Likes Replies 4. Now, bounce over the Audience tab. The level of data Twitter provides here is almost astounding. You can quickly find out what your audience is most interested in, their household income, what kinds of products they buy, and more. Pinterest Analytics: Which Metrics Should You Monitor? Pinterest is interesting (or shall we say, â€Å"pinteresting† †¦ sorry, we’ll leave jokes to professionals from here on). These are the metrics that you should be monitoring: Post-Level Metrics Saves: These show interest in your content, suggesting it’s something they don’t want to forget. Clicks: Clicks equal traffic. More traffic equals greater chance for conversions. Likes: Likes indicate interest in your content. Make note of what gets clicked and what doesn’t. Page-Level Metrics Average Daily Impressions: Getting in front of more eyes raises brand and product awareness. Average Daily Viewers: Same as above here. Average Monthly Engaged: Impressions are great. Engagement is even better. It means your content was compelling enough to click. Impressions: Similar to other networks, impressions are useful to gauge content exposure. Even if a user doesn’t click, you’ve still created a mental connection. How To Find This Data Simply log into your company’s Pinterest account. Next, check out your Overview page. Here, you can find daily and monthly viewer and impression data: Clicking the More button drills deeper into each top-level section. Your Pinterest Profile: This view displays more data from your top performing pins and boards. It’s worth noting that adjusting the dates allows you to view progression going as far back as you’d like. People You Reach: This view under the Demographics tab provides a simple breakdown of your audience based on location, language and gender. Clicking the Interests tab yields interesting information about what your audience likes. This can be immensely helpful for guiding which content you should pin: Activity: The Activity tab is useful for getting specific data on which pins from your website are driving the most engagement. This is extremely useful for gauging blog content performance on Pinterest. Are you overlooking key insights in your Pinterest Analytics?LinkedIn Analytics: Which Metrics Should You Monitor? This video provides a good oversight of how Insights work for company pages on LinkedIn. Post-Level Metrics Impressions: Each impression is an opportunity to get your message to a viewer. Clicks: Even better than impressions, more clicks means more traffic (and maybe even more conversions). Interactions: Even if it doesn’t result in driving attention to your blog or website, interactions still imply interest in your post. Page-Level Metrics Engagement Rate: This is a clear indicator of how valuable your content is to your audience. Reach: Ideally, you’ll want your content to drive shares so it gets seen by more than just your followers. This measures how many people see your content in their feed. Engagement (Total): While it’s useful to check engagement at a per-post level, this gives you a high-level overview of your overall performance. Visitor Demographics: LinkedIn is a professional network. Therefore, it’s safe to assume most followers will be folks working in your industry. However, this is useful to look at periodically to see what experience levels your followers have. If you’re looking to attract entry-level recruits, but only senior-level managers follow your page, you might consider switching up your content strategy. This is just one example of how this data can be helpful. Page Views: This tells you the number of times someone visits your page. The more interest and exposure you earn for your brand, the better. Unique Visitors: This tells you exactly how many individuals are viewing your page. Again, the more, the better. Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide On How To Use Pinterest For Marketing Where To Find This Data There are two ways to gather this data: Manually monitoring each individual post. Under the Analytics tab. Let’s check out the Analytics tab. Start by visiting your company’s profile and clicking here: Scroll down and you’ll find your Reach and Engagement data: The Reach tab is particularly useful for understanding exactly how many people see your posts. Take some time to click  each tab under Engagement as well.  This can give you a detailed view of how your content is performing across the following metrics: Clicks Likes Comments Shares Followers Acquired Engagement Which metrics are most important for marketers to monitor on LinkedIn?Google+ Analytics: Which Metrics Should You Monitor? Google+  makes it possible to analyze performance both within Google Analytics and your Google My Business dashboard (both for Local Pages and Brand Pages). Between these two resources, you can get a decent look at how well you're performing (even if the process of analyzing Google+ performance is slightly more complex, and just a touch less in-depth, than other networks). Fortunately, the folks at Online-Behavior.com have built an excellent guide on the technical intricacies of analyzing Google+ performance using Google Analytics. Plus, our friends at Steady Demand have written what might be the most authoritative post on analyzing Google+ marketing that we've seen.  We'll defer to them for this section. Instagram Analytics: Which Metrics Should You Monitor? Instagram doesn’t provide much data to analyze (yet). However, it’s worth monitoring some basic metrics to ensure you’re getting the most brand awareness for your time spent on this visually-driven network. Here are some of the metrics you should be monitoring: Likes: Given the limited number of data points made available on this network, Likes provide a clear and immediate indicator that your content is compelling. Comments: More comments equal greater interest in your content (provided they’re positive). Engagement Rate: This will let you know if your content is interesting to your audience. Clicks: Links can be placed in bio boxes. This represents one way in which Instagram can drive engagement that goes beyond branding and awareness. Total Followers: More followers means more opportunity to be seen. Where To Find This Data: As of this writing, Instagram is promising to roll out several new analytics features. Head over to the Instagram for Business Blog  to learn more. For now, the team at Simply Measured offers a free Instagram Analytics Reporting tool. You’ll need to provide an email address, but it’s a quick and easy way to get some useful data. These reports can be exported as Excel files or PDFs. How do measure marketing success on Instagram?Blogging Analytics: Which Metrics Should You  Be Monitoring? Lastly, let’s discuss blogging analytics. This may seem like an odd fit in a post about social media analytics. It's also a much deeper topic than we can cover completely here. However, if you run an active blog, it’s important to monitor how your blog content is performing  on social media. These are some of the things you'll want to be monitoring: Traffic: You want readers, right? The more, the better. Visitor Demographics: This tells you if the people visiting your blog actually fit the audience you’re trying to target. Page Views Per Session: If people visit multiple pages per visit to your blog, then you know you’ve hooked their interest. Bounce Rate: If people don’t find your content compelling, they’ll leave. A high bounce rate could mean your content doesn’t match reader expectations, or is otherwise poor quality. Conversion Rate: If your blog posts use lead generation forms to gather email sign ups, this metric tells you how well your calls-to-action are performing. It also tells you  whether the value proposition for signing up seems worthwhile to readers. Social Shares: This is the key to â€Å"going viral† (something you’ve probably heard your boss harping about). Where To Find This Data: If you’re using WordPress (or another blogging platform), it’s likely your blog CMS includes an analytics section somewhere. Google Analytics is also essential here. If you’re looking for a Google Analytics alternative, Piwik  is another similar option to look at. How do you measure the success of your blog posts on  social media?Pulling It All Together: Consider Using Cyfe Cyfe  is a data aggregating web app that brings together data from tons of other sources and services. It accomplishes this by enabling users to create custom data dashboards using widgets. This is extremely useful for doing social media analytics work, allowing you to create dashboards for most major social networks and view your data in one place. A free account allows for five widgets, which may provide enough basic functionality to be useful. Stepping up to a paid account at $19 a month unlocks unlimited dashboards and user accounts. Follow Cyfe’s guide to building a custom social media dashboard  to get started. Another Alternative: View Sharing Stats In If you’re a customer, you have one more option for finding social sharing data. Every blog post within the calendar interface features integrated social sharing stats: You’ll notice Twitter sharing stats are missing due to restrictions with that platform’s API. However, this is otherwise one more useful option to quickly get a bit more insight into your social media performance. How To Turn Social Media Analytical Data Into Actionable Insights You now know where to find data from your social media channels. That means it’s time to figure out how to make use of that data. We’ll do that by building a social media analytics report. NOTE: To complete this process, download the social media analytics template bundle included in this post. For our purposes, we’ll focus on our five main social media goals. These are: Traffic Follower Growth Engagement Reach / Impressions Conversions These aren’t the only goals you could conceivably aim toward. However, they’re the ones we feel the majority of content marketers and social media managers may value most. We also know you’re likely hard-pressed for time. That’s why we’ve built the included Social Media Marketing Performance report  template to be simple to use for quick analysis.  It looks something like this: This template is designed to allow you to track your data all year. Bringing all your metrics into one place makes it easier to view progress over time. The Excel sheet includes some fields pre-filled, but is intended to be easily editable to suit your own selected metrics and purposes. I'm using these free templates to rock my social media analytics:Select Specific Metrics For Each Channel For each channel, select metrics that best support your business goals. Then, set a baseline for performance for each metric on each channel. Your baselines are expected standards for performance. If you fall below your baselines consistently, you know you’re underperforming. Likewise, if you consistently beat your expectations, you’re on the right track (and may need to readjust). Set baselines for every metric following these two steps: 1. Find your average performance for a given metric for the past 90 days. If you're not a mathematician, use the calculation here. 2. Set goals within a reasonable range upward from there. Done. Find The Why Behind Your Data With Social Media Content Analysis The next step is understand the why behind your social media content performance. This requires some subjective analysis of your posts. 1. Look for spikes and valleys in your data. 2. Identify which content was published on or around the days and months where activity rises and falls. 3. Perform a quick content analysis. Look at the content you posted on days where performance spiked (or dipped). Then, find your top three performing posts overall (on a single network) and analyze the following points: Post Copy: [   ] How long is this post? [   ] Does this post pose an open-ended question? [   ] Does this post pose a close-ended question? [   ] What day and time was this post published? [   ] What kind of emotion does this post aim to elicit? Post Image: [   ] Is this a design image or a photograph? [   ] Is this a single image or an image gallery? [   ] Is this image consistent with the company brand and style standards? [   ] Is this image an optimal size for its given social network? [   ] Does this image feature text? Post Link: [   ] Is the content linked to high-quality? [   ] Are the copy and image relevant to this link? [   ] Do links use URL shorteners for data tracking? [   ] Are link descriptions (if applicable) accurate? [   ] Does the on-page content on the linked page clearly connect to this post? Recommended Reading: How To Increase Visibility With Social Media Optimization Use these insights to guide future content creation. If something works well, do it more often. If something negatively impacts performance, stop doing it. It's as simple as that. Over time, you'll get better at understanding which factors influence which behaviors in your specific situation. If you’d like to keep your social media content and analytics in one place for easy analysis, use the Social Media Content Analysis template included in this post download. It looks like this: This template makes it simple to create and store your content assets (copy, images, URLs, etc.) in one document. Then, store your post performance data in the Measurement section. It’s designed to be edited easily, so feel free to add or delete rows, columns, or sections to suit your needs. Are you analyzing your social media content the best way?Use Your Data To Create Better Content Data is most useful when it helps you create better content your audience loves. However, how do you actually execute better content marketing? Start by applying the data you’ve gathered to refine the topics and tactics that perform best. These posts on our blog will help you sharpen your skills too: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value How to Get Insanely Loyal Followers On Social Media How To Develop A Winning Social Media Content Strategy How To Build A Social Media Editorial Calendar The Easy Way This Is The Social Media Posting Schedule That Will Boost Your Traffic By 192% Don't Forget About Social Media Analytics In Each individual social network offers useful analytics functionality. However, will soon let you bring more of that data together, all in one place. With our new Social Analytics capabilities, you'll be able to see what is (and isn't) working, prove ROI, and understand the impact of your efforts across all your networks. Recommended Reading: An Insider's Look At What's New (And What's Next) For Do You Feel Like A Social Media Analytics Maestro? There you have it! You now have a basic social media analytics framework to help you find the data you need fast. In addition, you’re able to store, analyze, and present useful insights from that data to impress your boss and create better social media content. Hopefully, this will help you do more efficient and effective analysis and reporting. We wish you the best of luck in your efforts.