Working, researching and enjoying Jamaica - this has been our story in recent weeks. In our most recent exploration, we visited Dunn's River Falls, completing our work, while basking in the ambiance of Jamaica's natural environment. Thanks to the Management and Staff of Dunn's River for accommodating our Balcostics team. See highlights from our visit…
Tag: Balcostics
ProjectRita Training Seminar
Project Rita is the code name of our new and exciting project. We will be researching to aid Jamaica's environmental and cultural resources. We've been contracted by one of America's top 5 environmental charities, but this is as much as we can say. Stay tune to learn more and follow us on this exciting research…
Yes, there are opportunities in a depreciated Jamaican Dollar!
Public discussion surrounding the depreciating dollar have been one sided, looking only at the negatives associated with the decline. With the exception of Dr. Damian King (Senior Economist, UWI), I'm yet to see a different perspective on the implications. Dr King views in summary: Some Jamaicans (companies, individuals etc.) will lose from the depreciation in the…
The Five Hottest Occupations in Jamaica
Where are you mostly likely to be employed in Jamaica? Which occupations do employers seek most? The following infographics highlight the five hottest occupations in Jamaica, based on demand (advertisement in the Jamaica Observer & Gleaner) from employers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=WwQ5f5h_owY
Another look at Questionnaire Design
"It is not every question that deserves an answer." - Pubius Syrus Questionnaire design is imperative to the success of a research project. When all is said and done, the results of your research reflect the questions that were asked. This slide will highlight the following: What questions should be asked Best approaches in phrasing a…
Planning your research: The simple yet effective whiteboard
Before embarking on a new research project, the following are considered extremely important to the successful execution of same: Brainstorming: Planning should begin with the brainstorming phase, where the problems/ questions that need answering is verbally aired, reviewed and discussed. A white board is an excellent tool that can be used to capture the information…
Jamaica’s Population Census 2011: Infographics
Jamaica’s population grew from 2,607,632 (2.608 million) persons in 2001 to 2, 697, 983 (2.698 million) in 2011. This represents a 3.5% increase in the total population size over the period (2001 – 2011). The following shows a breakdown of 2011 population by parish: See full copy of ‘Population and Housing Census 2011: General report’ by clicking here: view…
5 Solutions to Jamaica’s Economic Problems
This discussion presents five ideas which will allow Jamaica to secure an IMF deal in the short-term, reduce Jamaica’s energy cost almost immediately and double Jamaica’s GDP in the next 10 years. 1. Sustainable Community and Skills Development Centre (SCSDC) Description: An actual SCSDC is a combination of a renewable energy (traditional) community center on steroids;…
The Jamaica & IMF Equation
The Equation: The following outline what I believe to be the most likely economic outcome if an agreement is not reached (soon), between Jamaica and the International Monetary Fund (IMF): Further exchange rate depreciation If the Government of Jamaica is unable to secure a deal - in short order - continued domestic concerns, weakening markets…
Is there a methodology for collecting and analyzing big data?
Jahangir Mohammed provided the most detailed response to our question on Quora - September 2, 2012. We wanted to find out if there was a systematic process/ method involved in the analysis, collection and presentation of big data. Here is Jahangir's answer: "I am inclined to say the approach is definitely systematic, but there are lots of options and one…
Jamaica and ‘Big Data’: The Future of Research
The emergence of 'big data' - the wealth of information being collected daily on customer behaviour and attitude via websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc - will cause a change in research as we know it. Internationally, the 'big data' discourse have gone a far way, however no mention has been made regarding its…
Drugs Free Olympics
This article seeks to examine the measures that have been put in place to identify and disqualify drug users at the Olympics in London 2012. Hugh Robertson - the UK Minister of Sports and Olympics - stated that "We cannot absolutely guarantee that these will be drug-free games, but we can guarantee that we have…
Conducting Online Surveys: Pros & Cons
With the explosion of internet usage globally, it was inevitable that surveys would eventually utilize the online medium to capture required data. The advent of Facebook and Twitter, has further resulted in a paradigm shift - it is now easier to find people on Facebook/ twitter than at a park (base on our informal observations).…
The Research Behind Eating Caribbean Fruits
We are often encouraged to eat foods with less fat and sodium, more fiber, more complex carbohydrates and lower in calories. [You can watch the animated video if you don't want to read] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd47lton8OU The foods that are most promoted are usually the imported ones since more is known about them than about our local…
Top 10 Dancehall/Reggae Artistes on Social Media – V1.0
This updated version of our 'Top 10 dancehall/reggae artistes on social media', highlight the inclusion of Gyptian and Jah Cure to our list. Gyptian has entered our ranking in the #3 position and Jah Cure #6. This list is created via information gathered from the Facebook and Twitter accounts of Jamaican Artistes - rankings are based…
Economics and the Caribbean Integration problem
There are four fundamental principles that governs the economics discipline. They are as follows: All economic behaviours can be grouped under one or more of these principles. In the case of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), it could be viewed that opening one’s borders to free movement of people, goods and services should make…
Winning Schools: Champs Stats since 1910
How much do you really know about Jamaica's premier Schools Athletic Championship? Did you know that: Boys Champs begun in 1910 - Wolmers High School won Girls Champs begun in 1957 - St. Hilda's High School won Boys Champs was held separately from Girls Champs In 1999, Boys and Girls Champs were merged into one event There was…
Top 10 Dancehall/Reggae Artists on Social Media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P2ijySdPUk Jamaica is known for its music, both dancehall and reggae. The fan base of these artists span the globe. The question we seek to examine is: Who really has the most fans online? We examined the Facebook and Twitter accounts of Jamaican Artists, providing a ranking base on the total number of "Likes" and "Followers". N.B. Although…
Top Six Financial Companies on Facebook: Jamaica
Top 6 Jamaican financial companies on Social Media
The Telephone Interview Questionnaire
Be Prepared to Interview Be prepared, Be very prepared. It is one thing to gather the courage to walk up to a perfect stranger, put on your best smile and ask them to fill out a questionnaire. It is a completely different thing to make a phone call to a complete stranger and ask them…
Questions for the Questionnaire
The following represents questions one should ask when creating a questionnaire. What does the question contribute? Each question included in the questionnaire, should contribute significantly to acquiring relevant information for the researcher. The questionnaire should be assessed prior, so as to ensure that all the questions present are relevant and if not, irrelevant questions removed.…
Questionnaire Design most important
Over the years doing data entry, data analysis and interpretation of results for students, lecturers and companies; We have come to concluded that questionnaire design is one of the most critical element of any survey type study (studies where questionnaires are used to collect data). The questionnaire can make or break your data analysis, so…
Balcostics 