Ethics and Placebo Trials Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Placebo Trials Essay Placebo trials are experimental trials that involve the administration of a substance that does not really have any effect on the individual’s system. This means that it is a neutral trial that will have neither positive nor negative effects on the physiology of the person it is administered on. Whatever positive benefits may be derived out of placebo trials are merely therapeutic and may arise from the potency of the power of suggestion. These trials are most often used in randomized control trials in investigating the effectiveness of a specific treatment. (Miller and Brody, 3) However, with the rise of the use of such trials, there have been many more questions raised. Are these placebo control trials indeed necessary? What ethical issues are raised with the implementation of placebo trials? The debates regarding the ethicality of placebo trials in investigative research continue to rage across the scientific community. The discussion has become so complex that the sides taken regarding the matter have evolved to more than just â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† to the question of placebo ethicality. There have been numerous aspects of placebo trials that have undergone the scrutiny of those directly involved with fields utilizing these trials. The main aim of this paper is to understand the obligations of medical practitioners who are employing placebo trials in their own scientific investigations of the effectiveness of various treatments. What ethical standards should these individuals, physicians and the like, take into consideration when conducting investigative researches with placebo trials? Glass and Waring The main problem with a physician’s utilization of placebo trials for investigative purposes is the fact that they are part of the profession that involves the assurance of optimal health for their patients. Some of the researchers and critics exploring the ethical holds on medical practitioners with regards to placebo trials have looked at it from a legal standpoint. Glass and Waring (582) indicate that they have foundâ€Å"no legal precedent allowing physicians to ‘opt out’ of their professional obligations because they are researchers in addition to being physicians†. It is emphasized that the physician must do all in his power in order to insure that the client receives all possible modes of treatment that would maintain or enhance his or her health. As a researcher, the physician is viewed as a fiduciary, a person delegated with power that will be used for the benefit of another person and who is held legally against the highest standards of conduct. The physician-researcher as a fiduciary, then, has a moral ascendancy over his or her patient-subject. (Glass and Waring, 578) This means that a placebo trial that would involve having the physician-researcher observe the null effect on the health of a patient-subject and at the same time have knowledge of the betterment of the health status of patient-subjects in the other experimental trials. (Glass and Waring 579) Thus physician’s are now ethically compromised and even legally liable for their utilization and continuation of the placebo trial. Knowing that there is a treatment that could improve the health of those in the placebo arm of the experiment but not applying that treatment on the participants in that arm indicates their sacrifice of the health of those participants for the scientific progress afforded by research data. The ethical responsibility of the physician-reseracher, therefore, is in the fact that clinical studies of treatment effectivity make use of participants who have been diagnosed with the specific medical condition hoped to be treated by the experiment’s procedure. Hawkins Hawkins (484) states that the true problem faced by physician-researchers is a moral one. The moral norms and societal dictates placed upon those in the medical profession involve the fact that they need to be able to give a sick person all the possible chances of being treated. However, Hawkins (484) points out that this moral responsibility is limited. She states clearly â€Å"researchers do not owe effective treatment to everyone around them. † (473) The obligations of a physician to his or her patient are enclosed within a given framework, that of the physician-patient relationship. In order for such a relationship to be established, the physician must come into agreement with the client that he or she will indeed act as one half of that relationship. The same agreement must be made on the part of the client. Although this agreement may not be explicit, it is nevertheless positively acknowledged by both parties. (Hawkins, 476) There is, according to Hawkins, no ethical dilemma in a physician-researcher’s use of placebo trials. Just because these researchers have had medical training and have taken a medical oath does not mean that they are always in the role of a physician. These are individuals that have many other different roles as fathers, mothers, non-practicing physicians, friends and the like. The role they take as a researcher, therefore, does not mean a continuation of their role as a physician. (Hawkins, 479) The obligations of an individual in the role of a researcher is separate from his or her role as a physician thus their obligation in placebo trials involves simple assurance that the participant will not be harmed by the procedure that will take place. Miller and Brody Some critics of placebo control trials state a weakness in therapeutic obligation of physician researchers as the main grounds of contestation of the ethical foundations of the said trials. Miller and Brody (8) state that even when based on the principles of clinical equipoise, an ethical basis of assigning participants in different experimental arms which involves disagreement among experts as to the effectiveness of either arm, therapeutic obligation is still a weak attack against the ethics of placebo trials. The individuals who knowingly participate in experiments with placebo arms are not exploited as long as no harm befalls them. Also, they are aware that they enter the experimental set-up as participants in a research and not as patients of the researchers who happen to also be physicians. (Miller and Brody, 5) Miller and Brody thus state that â€Å"placebo trials are not unethical just because they withhold proven effective treatment†. (6) It is thus seen that the responsibility and obligation of the researcher with regards to the ethicality of placebos is not in their therapeutic obligations as physicians. However, this does not mean that placebo trials are completely ethical. This also does not mean that researchers are devoid of ethical obligations to their participants assigned to placebo arms of the investigative experiments. The ethical obligation of the researcher in placebo trials is the same as that of researcher in any clinical trials. This involves the proper acquisition of informed consent from the participants. Also, researchers must be able to assure the fact that participants will not be exploited or put in harmful situations. Miller and Brody also insist that researchers must first establish that the investigation has scientific merit and that scientific merit is increased with the implementation of the placebo trial. (8) Analysis and Argument All three articles assessed above have merit and, at the same time, also have faults. Glass and Waring (582) stating that no legal precedents were found that indicated physicians were no longer tied to their professional obligations is faulty. In much the same way that a lawyer does not have to give counsel to every jaywalker he or she sees, the physician likewise does not have professional obligation over individual’s whose relationship to him is simply that which exists between researchers and participants. I also disagree with Hawkins’ statement that morality is what binds the physician thus the use of placebo trials is not unethical. What is ethics but a concept in the realm of morality? Yes, there are standards and regulations with regards to ethical conduct. However, as a whole, ethics is based on morality thus a moral problem is, in fact, an ethical problem. The middle ground taken by Miller and Brody also seems to be misled. A placebo trial is not equivalent to other clinical trials. It involves factors that are not present in other trials, such as the exposure of the participants to neutral treatment. In other clinical trials, there is still exposure to some form of treatment thus there is an effort to aid the participant. I believe, however, that physician-researcher’s obligations to the patient-participant, is limited solely to the relationship of researcher and participant. The role taken by the individual is not that of a physician but that of a researcher. The participants are also aware that they enter into the experiment not as patients but as participants. Although they are not given the chance to undergo possibly effective treatment, it is not the moral obligation of the researcher to insure that they do. Even if, for example, a person persists to smoke, I am not morally or ethically obligated to make sure that he or she stop. Placebo trials are valid research designs and should not be stopped simply because of a feeling that it is unfair to those who, in the first place, willingly submitted themselves to the experiment’s conditions. Works Cited Glass, Kathleen G. , and Waring, Duff. â€Å"The Physician/Investigator’s Obligation to Patients Participating in Research: The Case of Placebo Controlled Trials. † The Journal of Law, Medicine Ethics 33 (2005): 575-585 Hawkins, Jennifer S. â€Å"Justice and Placebo Controls. † Social Theory and Practice 32 (2006): 467- 496. Miller, Franklin G. , and Brody, Howard. â€Å"What Makes Placebo-controlled Trials Unethical? † The American Journal of Bioethics 2(2002): 3-9

African And Native American Slavery Essays -- Slavery Essays

African and Native American Slavery The 1500's, a time of discovery, was when the Europeans came to dominate most of the New World. The Europeans traveled to Africa and captured Africans to help develop their land and satisfy their need for power. I feel that the treatment of the Indians and Africans by the Europeans was completely unjustifiable. While the Indians and Africans were less technologically advanced and the Europeans were uneducated, in this particular field, nothing can compensate for the actions of the Europeans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Europeans began to settle new lands they began their exploration of the foreign worlds. What they found was the opposite of what they expected. They found what they thought was a new breed of humans. In reality they were just Native Americans. These Indians were less technologically advanced than the Europeans. They also worshipped different and multiple gods and ate different foods. Europeans saw this as barbaric, so they treated them as barbarians. In the beginning Native Americans hadn't the faintest idea of what the Europeans had in mind when they said trade. They figured that when the White Man came and showed all that hospitality they meant it. Of course, they didn't, the Europeans captured the Indians to be used as slaves. They were also slaughtered and raped because of resistance to leave their land. If any Indians refused to leave their land they would be killed. The women were raped for...

Goldilocks Point of Sale

1. 3 Statement of the problem There are several problems in computing the sales using calculator that the owner sometimes encountered. 1. 3. 1 General Problem This study will aim to answer this General question: Will it be useful for the company to have a Point of Sale? 1. 3. 2 Specific Problem Specially, this study sougth to answer the following question * What is the existing system of the company? * What is the advantages and disadvantages of a point of Sale (POS)? Will the company be able to see pictures of their products in the proposed system? 1. 4 Objective of the study The main aim of this study is to design a point of Sale for Goldilocks Macabebe Branch. 1. 4. 1 General Objectvie This study will make a point of sale for Goldilocks Macabebe Branch. And the most common problem in the store is having their difficult time in keeping the sale of record using the manual record method. The researcher had decided to make a system Exclusively for Goldilocks Macabebe Branch.To make th eir work easier and faster so that they can lessen the time they used in keeping records. 1. 4. 2 Specific Objective The study is design to fulfill this intent: * To design and develop a Point of Sales System for Goldilocks Macabebe Branch. * To have a computerized system that will be able to save filefor their products. * To have an automatic calculations of their daily sales. * To reveal the advantages and disadvantages of having a Point of sale (POS). * To make their work easier and faster. 1. 5 Hypothesis of the Study.The proponents hypothesized that the proposed Goldilocks Macabebe Branch Point of Sale (POS) will let the Company their computerized records and pictures of their products and an automatic computation of their sales every day. Most of their problem are on manual process taking a long time of work to encode the cakes and pastries. The proponents added more options related on other system like processing to make the system better. They only have a manual process that work slowly, the proponents assumed that the program processes work quickly. 1. 6

The Revolution Of The 19th Century - 939 Words

As the United States entered the 19th century, a new era of development and evolution in its economy, population, and technology was ushered into American society. America s economic and industrial power grew as a result of the industrial revolution of the 1800 s. At this time, organizations known as political machines saw an opportunity and capitalized on the fears and desires of individuals who wanted to achieve the American dream but could not necessarily find the means to achieve those goals.These political machines took control over urban areas because they promised wealth and prosperity to those who were looking for it. For impoverished immigrants that were searching for any means to survive, these incentives created a false sense of hope for those who believed that political machines truly had their best interest at heart. Essentially, political machines were just another chance for someone to make money off of another person by taking advantage of their unfortunate circumstan ces and voting rights in order to control the politics of their cities. America was growing rapidly, but this came at a great cost. The late 19th century was coined by Mark Twain as the Gilded Age because everything in the United States seemed to be flourishing, the industrial age had created an illusion of prosperity due to underlying issues such as: poverty, crime, corruption, and over-crowding due to a large influx of immigrants from Europe. At this time, there was no possible way forShow MoreRelatedThe Revolution Of The 19th Century1609 Words   |  7 PagesIn the early 19th century, Napoleon rose to power in Europe. In 1804, a young man, visited his empire. In 1808, he conquered Spain. In 1810, the Spanish colonies rebelled, and the leader of the army of the republic of Venezuela was that young man, Simon Bolivar, regarded by many as the greatest genius that the Latin American world has ever produced. His life was profoundly influential on the history of the Americas, and it changed them for the better. The revolution began when Napoleon conqueredRead MoreThe Revolution Of The 19th Century955 Words   |  4 PagesIn the late 18th century, the world was about to witness another revolution for democracy. After the United States emerged victorious in the quest for independence it would become an example to the world. France, America’s ally during the war, would be further crippled financially by this quest for independence, and in turn let the Third Estate, the third social class in French politics composed of lower class people, see this example. As France spiraled into moderate depression the people wouldRead MoreThe French Revolution And The 19th Century871 Words   |  4 PagesFrench Revolution took place in the late 18th century which undermined the traditional monarchy of France as well as the hereditary aristocracy. The Enlightenment was an important origin of the French Revolution as people wanted the government to provide natural rights to individuals. They did not s eek a violent revolution, however so individuals had strong beliefs in the Enlightenment ideas which led to a revolt. A few important factors had a major impact on the origin of the revolution includingRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 19th Century1468 Words   |  6 Pages The industrial revolution began in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time most people lived on farms or in small rural villages. Prior to the industrial revolution most manufacturing was done in homes using hand tools and simple basic machines. People lived where their daily existences revolved around farming. Life for the average person was difficult, as incomes were meager, and malnourishment and disease were common. People produced the bulk of their own food, clothing, furniture and toolsRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution Of The 19th Century927 Words   |  4 PagesEurope in the nineteenth-century was rapidly evolving into a more modernized society, and many political and cultural ideas we re developing during this change. The Industrial Revolution triggered an enormous increase of the standard of living throughout most of Europe and North America. The transformation from the old style of hand made production to the new factory system caused many industries to build factories. This caused many people of the working class to move to the factories in search ofRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 19th Century1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe Industrial Revolution was an important milestone in history and influenced almost every part of the standard of living. From the new discoveries in technology there became new jobs available, which presented new working conditions, and the middle class had a new outlook on life. During the 19th century, changes and new ideas formed what would advance the modern world, the shift from an agricultural and handmade economy to a machine and manufactured one (Judge 664). Goods like coal, iron, andRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution Du ring The 19th Century973 Words   |  4 Pages The industrial revolution was a time of urbanisation, social and technological change that took place during the 18th and 19th centuries. Economic growth changed the British peoples experiences in all aspects of their lives including how they worked and travelled. Although it was harsh period of time for millions of people, due to the working conditions, it was also an advantage as it was a world-changing period of time. Before the industrial revolution took place, people lived their lives in aRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 19th Century1161 Words   |  5 PagesFrom the 18th to the 19th centuries, Britain was a far more developed country than any others in the world. There are more than one factor that made the Industrial Revolution happened first in Britain, some examples are: The Agricultural Revolution, the growth of population, The Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution, World Trading, and the Cottage Industry. With all those factors, it comes down to: What started the Industrial Revolution? The clothe industry was one of the big factor. UnlikeRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 19th Century851 Words   |  4 Pagesmost crucial changes for today’s modern society was the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the societies that experienced the process of industrialization. Some of the changes benefited society, while others caused harm to most of the society. Most affected by these changes was the working class of these societies. The Industrial Revolution that took place throughout the 18th and the 19th centuries had major effects which influenced every aspect of society and lifeRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 19th Century955 Words   |  4 PagesIn the late 18th and early 19th centuries Europe found itself dealing with vast changes in its way of life. The Industrial Revolution took Europeans from the rural countryside into the urban powerhouses as the continent experienced a sudden shift in everyday living, economic structure, and social hierarchy. This sudden change in how Europe was ran from an economic standpoint caused yet another rift between the proletariats and bourgeoisies. Life became difficult for the newly founded working class

The Sociology of Social Inequality

Social inequality results from a society organized by hierarchies of class, race, and gender that unequally distributes access to resources and rights. It can manifest in a variety of ways, like income and wealth inequality, unequal access to education and cultural resources, and differential treatment by the police and judicial system, among others. Social inequality goes hand in hand with social stratification. Overview Social inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society. It contains structured and recurrent patterns of unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities, rewards, and punishments. Racism, for example, is understood to be a phenomenon whereby access to rights and resources is unfairly distributed across racial lines. In the context of the United States, people of color typically experience racism, which benefits white people by conferring on them white privilege, which allows them greater access to rights and resources than other Americans. There are two main ways to measure social inequality: inequality of conditionsinequality of opportunities Inequality of conditions refers to the unequal distribution of income, wealth, and material goods. Housing, for example, is inequality of conditions with the homeless and those living in housing projects sitting at the bottom of the hierarchy while those living in multi-million dollar mansions sit at the top. Another example is at the level of whole communities, where some are poor, unstable, and plagued by violence, while others are invested in by business and government so that they thrive and provide safe, secure, and happy conditions for their inhabitants. Inequality of opportunities refers to the unequal distribution of life chances across individuals. This is reflected in measures such as level of education, health status, and treatment by the criminal justice system. For example, studies have shown that college and university professors are more likely to ignore emails from women and people of color than they are to ignore those from white men, which privileges the educational outcomes of white men by channeling a biased amount of mentoring and educational resources to them. Discrimination of an individual, community, and institutional levels is a major part of the process of reproducing social inequalities of race, class, gender, and sexuality. For example, women are systematically paid less than men for doing the same work, and sociologists have conclusively demonstrated that racism is built into the very foundation of our society, and is present in all of our social institutions. 2 Main Theories There are two main views of social inequality within sociology. One view aligns with the functionalist theory, and the other aligns with conflict theory. Functionalist theorists believe that inequality is inevitable and desirable and plays an important function in society. Important positions in society require more training and thus should receive more rewards. Social inequality and social stratification, according to this view, lead to a meritocracy based on ability.Conflict theorists, on the other hand, view inequality as resulting from groups with power dominating less powerful groups. They believe that social inequality prevents and hinders societal progress as those in power repress the powerless people to maintain the status quo. In todays world, this work of domination is achieved primarily through the power of ideology, our thoughts, values, beliefs, worldviews, norms, and expectations, through a process known as cultural hegemony. How Its Studied Sociologically, social inequality can be studied as a social problem that encompasses three dimensions: structural conditions, ideological supports, and social reforms. Structural conditions include things that can be objectively measured and that contribute to social inequality. Sociologists study how things like educational attainment, wealth, poverty, occupations, and power lead to social inequality between individuals and groups of people. Ideological supports include ideas and assumptions that support the social inequality present in a society. Sociologists examine how things such as formal laws, public policies, and dominant values  both lead to social inequality, and help sustain it. For example, consider this discussion of the role that words and the ideas attached to them play in this process. Social reforms are things such as organized resistance, protest groups, and social movements. Sociologists study how these social reforms help shape or change social inequality that exists in a society, as well as their origins,  impact, and long-term effects. Today, social media plays a large role in social reform campaigns and was harnessed in 2014 by British actress Emma Watson, on behalf of the United Nations, to launch a campaign for gender equality called #HeForShe.

Personal Narrative- Career Goals Essay - 763 Words

Personal Narrative- Career Goals My parents often remind me of how difficult it is for minorities like us to earn respect from the community and enough money to raise a family. They encourage me to strive for the best by being selfish and competitive against my peers rather than enjoy what I like which is to interact with people. My mother wanted me to become a doctor because it is a well paying job and my father wanted me to become an entrepreneur because I would have been able to gain respect from the community. These were all the more reasons why I had avoided my parents when they ask me about my career goals. I was not trying to ignore their concerns because they were annoying but because I did not want to†¦show more content†¦Other times I would cruise around the hallways pulling a patient in a wagon and visiting patients in their rooms. Nearly every week there would be a new group of patients under 16 years of age, just as innocent and adorable as the last group getting treated for whatever illness that invaded their body, and every week I would look forward to poking my head into their rooms and inviting them to join me in the playroom. Very rarely did I see patients stay for more than two weeks except several in-patients who routinely came back for treatment. For several weeks the same room with the same patient was in isolation and finally before the holidays began the isolation restrictions on the patient was cleared. When I arrived at the playroom that day the seven- year-old girl was already painting flowers with watercolors in the playroom. When I greeted everyone in the playroom she was the first to stop what she was doing to greet me back with the biggest smile and the roundest eyes. She offered me a seat next to her and asked if I wanted to paint flowers with her as get well cards for other patients. Eventually I discovered that she was losing her life to the cancer that was rapidly spreading throughout her body. The week before Christmas my internship was about to end but I decided to stay as a community volunteer for another week when she was scheduled to be discharged to go home to spend the holidaysShow MoreRelatedCareer Analysis : Career Counseling1276 Words   |  6 PagesCareer Counseling Theory It appears that the most appropriate model of career counseling would depend on how much insight the client has, their stage of development, their age and cultural background, and their career and developmental maturity. All of an individuals life experiences, their personal and career goals and aspirations for the present and future will affect their choices regarding career development. There are differing opinions on which factors play the most important role in careerRead MoreProfessional Development Plan1601 Words   |  7 PagesThis paper outlines my top three professional goals, resources required for achieving these goals, and a resource constrained schedule. The strategic formulation of my goals, required resources and schedule coalesce to form my Professional Development Plan (PDP). The first goal is a short term goal required for financing the second goal which is my medium term goal. The final goal is a long term goal that is loosely coupled with my second goal. Goal 1: Develop and Launch an Integrated OrganicRead MorePersonal Experience Receiving Therapeutic Counseling889 Words   |  4 PagesProfessional experience in my career so far as well as personal experience receiving therapeutic counseling have given me a broad-based set of beliefs about what motivates individuals. I have determined that each individual comes with a unique context and narrative and that my role is to facilitate a client’s self-determination and decision-making by developing a positive relationship that allows the client freedom to take risks or make informed choices. Also I believe that the counselor createsRead MoreCareer And Personal Experience Receiving Therapeutic Counseling878 Words   |  4 PagesProfessional experience in my career and personal experience receiving therapeutic counseling has given me a broad-based set of beliefs about what motivates individuals. I have determined that each individual comes with a unique context and narrative and that my role is to facilitate a client’s self-determination and decision-making by developing a positive relationship that allows the client freedom to take risks or make informed choices. 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As mentioned above, religion is a large part of my family, therefore, homosexuality is not part of the catholic religion. With that being said my family has a strong opinion and belief about same sex relationships. The second theme compliments my family’s values and that is gettingRead MoreA Research Study On Social Justice Work864 Words   |  4 Pagesabout social justice work (shelter for youth, being involved in civic engagement work and how it feel to be labeled as a â€Å"troubled youth.† With the following I will be able to get a better understanding on how I would like to develop my potential career field aspect along with changing the world for the generation after me. My Plan: In order to get the concept and the importance of one on one interviews. 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She argues that women can achieve professional goals while still being happy within their personal lives. She argues this by going into detail about what risks to take, how to pursue certain professional goals and how to overcome struggles such as balancing a family and a career. All through Lean In, Sandberg uses the fourth dimension of interpersonal effects through a Narrative to show herRead MoreEmployee Appraisal Is The Measure The Job Performance1069 Words   |  5 Pagesmanager-employee inspired approach of performance appraisal which involves the employee and management in setting specific goals, for an explicit time period, with feedback on the progress of the goal. The employees work upon achieving their set goals and management keeps record of how close they are to accomplishing the goals. Employees are clear if they are on the right path to achieve the goals that have been set, consequently increasing and improving their performance level. MBO provides specific objectives

Contemporary Society Free Essays

string(79) " to start in order to make sure the information is going to meet the criteria\." There are many contemporary social concerns in the world today. Information on these concerns can be found just about anywhere including the Internet, T.V. We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now and even articles. A critical thinker has a responsibility to find out information on the topic that is correct, true, has validity and limited to no biases. One contemporary issue that is going on is the issue with the addiction to crystal meth. A critical thinker needs to be able to understand the validity and truth behind a writers work, understand the importance of ethics and moral reasoning, and understand the advantages of informational technology. Any critical thinker can understand how crystal meth addiction is impacting the contemporary world today. Crystal meth is a very addictive drug and has many side effects to the brain and to the body. In order for a critical thinker to find reliable resources, he or she must research many areas of a writer’s paper. One way that a person can understand if a an article, website, etc. is a reliable source is to conduct research on the resources that writer four his or her information. All resources need to be creditable and those in turn have to credit where the information came from. This information needs to be written by someone who is an expert in the field at hand. In this case the topic is crystal meth addiction. An expert should have no issue with peer-reviewed. A reference should also be peer-reviewed. When a source is peer-reviewed it  has been reviewed and passed by a board that works in the author’s field of study. This can lead to  sources being published allowing others to view information that is correct. It can also create an issue in having some articles rejected if the peer-reviewers do not agree with the information that is being printed. An example of information that can be rejected is bias information. A critical thinker needs to be careful to understand when he or she is coming across bias. Bias is when the writer is defending one side over the other is facts. When a research paper is written, it needs to cover all sides of the issue at hand. A research paper on crystal meth addiction would be bias if it only described how poor, homeless people become addicted to crystal meth. A critical thinker should be able to understand how this is bias and not true. A critical thinker should be able to understand that people from all walks of life could and can become addicted to crystal meth. Along with a critical thinker understanding bias in a resource, he or she must also understand validity. In order for a critical thinker to hold full responsibility for a resource, he or she must look into the validity of a resource. Validity revolves around the logic and truth behind information. A resource must contain both truth and logic. The truth is what a research paper is all about. Information must be true and contain information that can be backed up by research and education. An topic of addiction to crystal meth is a very big social concern that people should be educated on. This information must come from studies, research, and information that have been provided by researchers who have studied the field and have done a number of tests. When looking into the facts about crystal meth addiction, a critical thinker must be able to understand what is the truth and what is not. Many articles about crystal meth addiction have stats and percentages. A critical thinker must be able to look at the stats and percentages and understand where the resource is getting the information. There may come times when the percentages are off based on where the information has come  from. A critical thinker should be able to understand that if an article states that there are a zero percentage of people addicted to crystal meth, this is not the truth and this information should not be looked into. This also contains the fact of how factual the information really is. Fact is a very big part of understanding literature review. When a critical thinker is looking at literature, he or she needs the information to be true and to have fact behind every word. If an article is published with fake information, this can lead to the critical thinker having misinformation and understanding the topic of addiction to crystal meth in the wrong way. Every piece of literature that a critical thinker reads must have great resources, peer-reviewed information, contain no bias, and have validity to back it up in order to get the correct and right information. When looking into a piece of literature, a critical thinker should looking into the resources, peer-viewed, bias, and validity of the information at hand. This will allow the critical thinker to get the best information for his or her information on a topic such as the addiction to crystal meth. Finding these four main points in a piece of literature will help keep information as reliable as possible on a contemporary issue. Researching the addiction to crystal meth will result in a major number of findings. It is  the responsibility of a critical thinker to understand the findings of each piece of literature he or she looks into. The first thing to look into is the information about crystal meth addiction. The site that has been published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse is full of information about what crystal meth (methamphetamine) is, what it does to a person, the statistics and trends, how it is abused and must more. In order to make sure this site is going to be useful, a contemporary thinker must look into the sources, bias, and validity of the literature and when the last time it was updated. This website has a section that deals with the research resources. This is  a good place to start in order to make sure the information is going to meet the criteria. You read "Contemporary Society" in category "Papers" The research resource includes a list of genetics research resources, data harmonization projects, and justice system resources. This information will provide where the information on the site has come from and who can back it up in order to make sure it is valid information. Here a critical thinking can see whom the NIH (National Institute on Drug Abuse) teamed up with in order to get the findings and information they have published. These researchers can be looked into and followed up with in order to make sure that the NIH is using true and real information on the topic of crystal meth addiction. The information found on the research resources will also let the person know that this information has been peer-viewed by all of the researchers involved in the findings. The next part that a critical thinker needs to look into is if there is any bias information in the literature. Bias information is information that is leading more towards one side. Reading the information  that the National Institute on Drug Abuse has written it is easy to see that the information is not bias and deals with the facts of crystal meth addiction. There is information on how the drug is used. The NIH states â€Å"methamphetamine [crystal meth] is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010, para 2). There is nothing that is bias about the information found on this website. The literature is informational and very valid. The validity of the information is very present. After reading through all of the resources and researchers involved, a critical thinker can understand that the information at hand is valid. This website has information that is both logical and factual present throughout all of the information that it provides. The same steps can be applied to another article about crystal meth. Sherry Mumford wrote an article called Putting meth addiction in context. This article should be researched to make sure it follows the same guidelines as the first literature information. The article revolves around Chilliwack, B.C. and the crystal meth addiction that can be found there. Sherry Mumford wrote the article and was published by Torstar Syndication Services, a Division of Toronto Star Newspapers, LLC. This LLC peer-viewed the article and found that the information was valid and decided to publish it. A critical thinker could argue that the article has some bias parts in it. The article states that â€Å"[Meth] is not an epidemic. It’s a drug trend and it’s problematic. It came on fairly quickly but it will go away† (Mumford, 2004, para 6). This information is leading more towards saying  that crystal meth is not addiction and is more of just a trend that is going around. This does not give the allusion that crystal meth is addictive and some people have trouble getting off the drug. This could also be considered in the validity of the article. The validity of an article is very important. The article contains some number on how many people are seeking help in the area. The article states â€Å"a total of 1,200 young people sought help from Fraser Health addictions services in 2003-04, and for adult clients the total was 5,500 in that same period† (Mumford, 2004, para 14). This information is very valid and the overall validity of the article is good. Another way to make sure that a piece of literature checks out is to see when the last time it was updated. An article called Straight faces about meth addiction was published in 2005 by Torstar Syndication Services, A Division of Toronto Star Newspaper, LLC. This article was peer-viewed by the publication company. The article also has a side bar stating the it was late updated in 2010. This left five years for new information to be found and changed if any information was not the same or not correct. This can be a real help to a critical thinker when making sure the information is right. The information also needs to contain no bias. The article deals with information on how to try and stop the crystal meth addiction. This article is not bias in anyway. The article is trying to help parents understand that even if it seems tough, there can be help for a son or daughter to get out of the addiction. The article does not state that is not help, which would lead to bias information. Stating that there is no help for anyone who becomes addicted to crystal meth would lead to a bias view. Knowledge of  resources will help a critical thinker understand the truth and validity behind literature. Knowledge not only helps a critical thinker understand the truth and validity behind literature but it can also help with the impact of social elements on both local and global communities. The knowledge that a person gains through social and institution elements can really have an impact on both local communities and global communities. Academic knowledge can impact local communities from a social element on the topic of crystal meth addiction. People are taught that addiction is real and can effect so many people. It is important for people to understand that addiction can be found locally and education can help with the issue. When it comes to addiction, the more educated a person is, the better the understanding that person will have on the topic and how go about the issue. The Internet is a big way for people to gain academic knowledge on information that is going on locally and globally. This information can help a person see the underling issues that come with crystal meth addiction. Academic knowledge can help people understand the truth in small communities and even across the world. Academic knowledge can be anything from what a person learns in school to what is taught to us by others such as a co-worker who was educated in crystal meth addiction. Academic knowledge can have a big impact on local communities. Understanding the truth behind crystal meth addiction can really help a community understand the issue. An article written by Goble and Battershill  talks about how the leaders of a town decided to educate the town on crystal meth. A man by the name of Ramsey held a movie screening at the local high school. Ramsey stated that the forum â€Å"will include a screening of a disturbing eighteen minute film† (Goble and Battershill, 2005, para 17). This information will help to inform the local community and help keep them educated on the topic of addiction. Being educated is the best way to try and find a resolution to any issue in a community. The communities need to know that some side effects of a crystal meth user are â€Å"extreme paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations and severe cognitive impairment† (Lecomte, 2005, para 3). This can help others to understand what they need to look for in a person who is addicted to any type of drug, not just crystal meth. A person can then use their knowledge to understand that drugs mess with the brain and body. Academic knowledge can also help a critical thinker understand that an environment can have a lot to do with a person who is venerable to addiction. Through academic knowledge we learn that there are different environments, which can lead to different outcomes of how someone is raise, different types of cultures, and different subdivisions. An article by Matt Hartley talks about how some areas in the world can lead to a higher change of a person becoming addicted to drugs. Matt Hartley states â€Å"It’s hard enough to positively conduct treatment in you own community, [but] sending the kids far away, especially to a larger city where they’re going to run into a lot more troubled youth, is tricky† (Hartley, 2006, para. 9). This leads to the issue of the global community academic education can have an impact on. It is very important for a any person to know what is going on around the glob. A person can apply academic education to a global matter. The education a person has to apply to a local  community can also be applied to a global community. If using environment as an example, the same different types of environments in a community can also  be found around the world. Education does not only have to be academic. Education and information can be taught at a young age from anywhere. A survey back in 2009 came back with the results that â€Å"one out of every five students who filled out the survey from after an anti-drug group’s presentation said they know of someone using crystal meth† (Ryan, 2009, Infomart). Kids all across the globe need to be educated on this topic and understand the issues that come along with the addiction to not only crystal meth, but also any drug for that matter. Education is everywhere. Active citizenship in this matter and education could really help with the percentage of addicts in a community and around the globe. Active citizenship could impact the issue of the addiction to crystal meth in the next five to ten years. The active citizenship has already started to help with getting the numbers of people addicted to crystal meth down. The National Institute of Drug Abuse has reported that the use of crystal meth in teens has started to drop of the recent years. The site suggests that this is because of all of the attention being brought to the subject. If this continues of the next five to ten years, there could be a very low rate at the end. The next five to ten years could show a very big difference in what we see today. Using education, the next five to ten years could show an great drop in the amount of users of crystal meth. There are many different types of educational tools out there besides academic. People can also become educated with the World Wide Web, multimedia (blogs,  videos, radio), television. Education has already started to bring down the number of kids doing crystal meth. According to Geoffrey Laredo there has already been a â€Å"significant decrease in methamphetamine abuse† (Laredo, 2004, para 1). Education has helped with this. Education keeps growing and so does technology. Technology in the next five to ten years is going to be a great impact with how education works today. Today people can find information on any topic on the Internet. Giving technology five to ten years is going to help education further and help so  many more people with the information of addiction to crystal meth. There are so many blogs and videos out there that help people understand why not to do drugs and what the side effects are. Videos, blogs, and prodcasts are a way for people to communicate with each other or even gain information on a topic like crystal meth addiction. When it comes to videos, blogs, and prodcasts; a critical thinker has to be careful about the information that is being provided. These types of multimedia can contain lots of bias and very little validity. There are many blogs out there about addiction. A blog is a personal webpage or website that allows that person to write opinions, stories, personal information, and also allows for others to comment on this information. There are many blogs about addiction that are full of information about recovery, the struggles, and what each person went through personally as a addict or as a family or friend of an addict. The blog called An Addict In Our Son’s Bedroom is a blog for parents dealing with an addict child. This blog allows for the main â€Å"Mom and Dad† to communicate with others and for others to reach out to them. The blog does not seem to have very many resources and can come across as bias in some cases. The information in this blog is valid based on the fact that it is coming from real life stories. A critical thinker can apply academic knowledge to this blog and understand the validity of the issues and the fact that some parts may come across as bias. A critical thinker can also understand how some of the information is not true nor meets the qualifications of a peer-viewed article. The information on the blog is very relevant to the issue at hand: Addiction to crystal meth. This blog has many stories of what a family member of a user is going through. It also tells stories of how the people reach out to others and even talks to school students about the issues with addiction and what addiction can do to a person. There is so much personal information that statistics and numbers will not give someone. The validity and truth behind a blog is much different than the type of truth a validity one would get from an article backed up by many sources. Academic knowledge can help a person understand contemporary social concerns and how to apply the principles of active citizenship to those issues. A critical thinker needs to be able to know what information is good and what information is questionable. A critical thinker needs to be able to understand the validity, bias, and important of peer-viewed resource  and the importance of technology gathering data when dealing with any type of concern. This will help a critical thinker gain information that is correct, valid, and usable in the real world. How to cite Contemporary Society, Papers