Study on research methodology

Study on research methodology This philosophy was considered as a standard with which this research was designed. Outline of the methods that were employed to complete the research is discussed in this chapter. Saunders et al. (2009) states that any kind of study that can establish casual relationships between variables in the research can be called as Explanatory research. In this dissertation, both primary and secondary data is collected from appropriate audience. Both Qualitative method of data collection and Quantitative method are used. Richardson (2000), states that qualitative work cannot be easily comprehended through graphical representations and thus it carries its meaning in the entire text. To ensure that the data are telling us the same thing that we think they are telling us and to reduce bias error, Triangulation method is also employed. This method of research was deemed to be the best for the purpose of this research. 3.1 The Research Onion Saunders et al. (2006) gives an extensive and explicit differentiation about the ways in which a research can be carried out. Right from the first layer of Philosophy of research followed by Approach, Strategy, Choice, Time Horizon and Technique and Procedure respectively. Each layer is vital to the skeleton the structure of the dissertation. Detailed study of the issues underlying the choice of data collection techniques and analysis procedures lead the researcher to this research (Figure 3.2). However the original model is figure 3.1 below: F:Powerpointpe_ukPE083-SaundersFinal_FilesGifch04C04NF001.gif Figure 3.1: The Research Onion Source:  ©Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, Adrian Thornhill (2006) (http://wps.pearsoned.co.uk) Preferred Methods and Critique Research Methods preferred for this Dissertation are demonstrated in Figure 3.2 below: Core of the Onion would be same Techniques Procedures of Data Collection and Analysis Figure 3.2: The Research Onion for this Dissertation Source: Created from model provided by  © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2008 (Saunders et al., 2009 Pp. 108) Research Philosophy The philosophy of this research is mainly based on principles of Realism which is more inclined towards scientific enquiry. Saunders (2009), argue that Realism is a philosophical position which relates to scientific enquiry. Realism is a branch of epistemology which is similar to positivism. It believes that what senses show us is reality: that objectives do have their own existence quite independent of the mind. Bhaskar (1989) being a critical realist adapts the view that What we see is only the part of the bigger picture. Which is also the view of the author while conducting the research and attempting to look at the bigger picture as already done by famous people like Warren Buffet. 3.1.1.1 Critique This type of philosophy the researcher is likely to employ the existing theory and data. This can be considered as a drawback as it could have been more insightful if there was primary data backed up with the existing one in the Objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4. It was however unattainable for the capacity of this study. There is also some amount of Epistemology and Positivism seen throughout the research. Research Approach Emphasis and nature of the research topic directs the author to adopt the inductive approach of research (Creswell, 2002) where the data are collected and a theory developed as a result of the data analysis. The researcher has a strong understanding of the theory of the topics covered in the literature review and the approach developed was the result of the theories (William, 2006). Hussey et al. (2007) propose that the purpose of this research is exploratory, descriptive and explanatory as there are few studies from which the researcher may obtain information about the specified issue. 3.1.2.1 Critique As compared to the inductive approach, deductive approach seems to be widely used with the positivist research philosophy. However inductive approach was considered to be good for this research as the aim was not to narrow down by developing hypothesis from theories and then confirming them rather to gain understanding of the meanings humans attach to events and theories and also to address the gap in the literature. Research Strategy The approach adapted is of Grounded Theory and some Case Examples to aid the triangulation of the data. Looking beyond its general criticisms the researcher would advocate that the key issue to remember in such an approach is that grounded theory is an interpretive process, rather than a logico-deductive one and researcher should treat it as a highly creative process (Suddaby, 2006). The aim is to discover patterns and develop hypotheses rather than testing or confirming them. The focus therefore is to gain insight and familiarity with the subject area in view of more detailed investigation at a later stage. 3.1.3.1 Critique Amongst various other available alternatives of experiments, surveys, action research, ethnography and archival research, surveys could have been another choice for the research. The researcher decided not to use a self-administered survey because of various reasons the most important being that one wouldnt be able to prompt respondents if they had difficulty in answering some questions (Bryman Bell 2007). There are issues which need better understanding are complex in nature which is part of the questionnaire and if the researcher wasnt present respondents might have left some questions out. As a consequence of this the researcher could have been left with incomplete data (Bryman Bell 2007). Research Choice This approach is open and enables the researcher to gather a broad range of data and impressions; however it rarely provides conclusive answers (Beall, 2002). The advantage of exploratory research is that it builds a foundation and offers guidance for further studies within the field. As suggested by Curran and Blackburn (2001), both quantitative and qualitative techniques will be employed and primary and secondary sources of data will be used. 3.1.4.1 Critique The research mainly focuses on qualitative data and Multiple Method Choices are made for the research following the comment of Curran and Blackburn (2001), that this method is increasingly advocated within business and management research. Detailed comparative criticism of qualitative and quantitative methods is given in section 3.2. Time Horizon Time Horizon for the research is chosen to be a longitudinal research as it has the ability to study change and development over the time. Since the problem of personal debt was not as common in old times and as it is now and it has increased as the economy has developed, this time horizon is adapted. Thus according to Bouma and Atkinson (1995, Pp.114), the question here to ask will be Has there been any change over a period of time? The specific question here thus becomes: Has there been any change in management and distribution of money over a period of time? 3.1.5.1 Critique This research can also be criticised as being cross-sectional whereby you study a particular phenomenon at a particular time (Saunders et al 2006, Pp.148) as it is also pointing the reader towards the current economic scenario. This also a result of the word and time limit of the project. The strategies mentioned above and depicted in the figure 3.2 are not considered as mutually exclusive as suggested by Yin (2003) and will be used along with other strategies and possibilities to answer the research questions in the best possible manner. 3.2 Analyzing the Alternatives It is important to understand different ways to collect data and conduct research to address the research questions and objectives in the best possible manner. This also forms the core of the research onion. In general terms research consists of: Seeking answers to questions Systematically using a predefined set of procedures to answer questions Collecting evidence To produce findings that were not determined in advance To produce findings that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study (www.fhi.org) As apparent from the title of the dissertation, the research philosophy here is to develop knowledge (Johnson and Clark, 2006) in the specific field of finance. Below is the table 3.2 which briefly differentiating between the two methods of data collection. Table 3.2 Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods Source: Adapted from www.fhi.org The table summarises and gives a clear idea on the use of both types of data and their uses. Being an approach which uses mixed meth.ods, this research includes both types of data. Detailed explanation of these methods is given below. 3.2.1 Criticism of Quantitative Methods Numerical data or other data which can be quantified to address the research objectives can be described as quantitative data. Quantitative data in its original form becomes very difficult to interpret and draw meaning from. Thus these data need to be processed, analysed and presented in the form of charts, graphs and tables for better understanding of the relationships and trends within the gathered data. (Saunders et al., 2009) Quantitative methods in this research were used in a form of a questionnaire to address objective 5. As they generally confirm hypotheses about phenomena and rigid style of categorising questions is necessary, it was used to segment the respondents and then understand different views of them as a portion of the society. However mainly the nature of the research demanded the qualitative methods to be adapted. 3.2.1.1 Questionnaire Saunders et at. (2009) argue that many times questionnaires are used by people before the consideration of alternative methods, like examination of secondary sources, observation and semi-structured or unstructured interviews. They advice the researchers to evaluate all the possible data collection methods and choose the one that is most appropriate to the research questions. It is not the case in this research and it was chosen as the most appropriate method to be used to achieve defined objectives. They will also aid in the triangulation of the data as the results will be used along with the focus group results. This in the descriptive nature of this research, which undertakes the study of attitude of people towards credit, spending and saving regarding personal finance, it will enable me to identify and describe the variability in different phenomena. 3.2.2 Criticism of Qualitative Methods All non-numeric data or that data which have not quantified can be defined as Qualitative data. These data are analysed and manipulated in ways of summarising, categorising and structuring of the meanings using a narrative. Commonly this research is done to gin deep insight about a particular problem or situation. One of the major advantages of adapting qualitative methods is that it provides the reader to understand from the view point of people how they experience the research issue in form of complex textual description. This provides us with humanistic side of the issue. This is mostly contradictory behaviours, beliefs, opinions, emotions and relationships of individuals. The other advantage being qualitative methods also give effective evaluation of many indefinable factors like, some social norms, socioeconomic status, role of genders, also ethnicity, and religion, whose role in this research is very apparent. It is seen that the culture of a country is a big factor deciding the spending and saving habits of an individual. Thus this approach is chosen. Qualitative methods when used along with quantitative methods, they can complement each other. It can improve the understanding of the complex reality of the given situation and the implications of the data collected (www.fhi.org). 3.2.2.1 Focus Group Administering a Focus Group was important for this project especially for objective 6 as the respondents replies would be considered very valuable to get in-depth knowledge of the given subject. A focus group has been also used to achieve triangulation. This is where qualitative and quantitative methods are both employed, by doing this can result in the negative aspects of one method being balanced by the positive aspects of the other creating a comprehensive and reliable set of findings (Jick 1979). Some of its advantages and limitations are discussed below: Advantages of using a Focus Group: It can help to explore issues deeply via encouraging respondents to interact with one another in relation to the topic set (Kolb 2008). This style has the potential for many views and opinions to accumulate thereby providing a good source of evidence in relation to the topic discussed (Wilson 2006). Here the interviewer has the ability to ask follow up questions if the respondent gives too general an answer, the interviewer can keep asking until they acquire a finding that is more credible (Kolb 2008) Some of its Limitations are: Data from a focus group might be difficult to analyse because of the large amount of data that is collected within a short timeframe. (Bryman Bell 2007) There can be a difficulty in finding participants for the activity as it is time consuming and demanding of the individual. (Wilson 2006) Group dynamics may also affect how much information is actually collected as some participants may contribute more than others. (Bryman Bell 2007) 3.2.2.2 Observation Observation is another method which is used in this report and has played a big role in its formation. This approach is also considered to be fun. This mainly involves: systematic observation, recording, description, analysis and interpretation of peoples behaviour. (Saunders et al., 2009) Many authors describe that this aspect of the research is to some extent neglected and less used in business and management studies. Although Delbridge and Kirkpatrick (1994) confirm that it is about attempting to learn the symbolic world and trying to get to the bottom of the processes with which an individual constantly constructs and reconstructs ones identity. This idea relates exactly with the aim and objectives of this research. Gill and Johnson (2002) have developed fourfold categorisation of this research which is available for any researcher. They are: Complete participant Complete observer Observer as participant Participant as observer Figure 3.2.2.2: Created from Saunders et al., 2009 form model provided by Gill and Johnson Here the role of Participant as Observer is used wherein researcher takes part in the activity and researchers identity is also revealed. Participant Observation is defined specifically as the researcher attempts to participate fully in the lives and activities of subjects and thus becomes a member of their group, organisation or community. This enables researchers to share their experiences by not merely observing what is happening but also feeling it. (Gill and Johnson 2002, Pp. 144) Thus, adding to the richness of the research data. Main Strengths and Weaknesses of this method of research are depicted in Table 3.2.2.2 below: Table 3.2.2.2: Strengths and Weaknesses of Participant Observation Source: Adapted from www.fhi.com 3.3 The Approach towards the Objectives Described below are the objectives of this research topic and how they were addressed: Objective 1: To understand Money and Debt employing exploratory research while briefly looking into its evolution. To address the first objective, extensive secondary research was carried out looking into the history of Money and Debt. This helped the author to understand the origins of these and thus provided fully with the capability to understand and critically analyze it. Objective 2: To analyze and compare the concepts of money and debt in various countries of world. This was again done with the help of extensive secondary research into the beliefs and values of many different countries of the world. It was done with mainly two types of differentiations namely developed and developing countries and close context and open context cultures. This will let the researcher to see beyond the particular culture, value and belief system of the UK. Objective 3: Understand various types of financial markets and institutions in the UK. This objective was fulfilled simultaneously while addressing the previous objectives. As after the base of the structure of the paper was created, this objective served as a ground floor to build on the other objectives. Objective 4: Understand various types of debts and reasons behind their creation. This objective again was achieved with the help of studying established theories and models which govern the current financial system in the world. Mainly secondary research is used and the concept of participant as an observer is reflected all through the dissertation which is also primary research. Objective 5: Identify critical factors responsible for the increasing personal debt in the UK. Identification of critical factors responsible for the increasing personal debt in the UK was done after careful consideration, on the basis of secondary data and the facts about UK economy given in Appendix 1. A questionnaire was prepared and given out to members of public. The questions mainly focused on Availability of Credit, Knowledge about Personal finance, Culture and Finance and Some Technicalities regarding fees and charges applicable. The sample included students, unemployed people, part time workers, full time workers and self employed people with different sex and age groups. Objective 6: Evaluate the awareness of UK residents about financial management and its role. This objective was achieved by the means of a focus group, some questions were formed to generally access the knowledge about money management in general population and the role it can play in their monetary situation. This was done via open ended questions to give the participant ability to get feedback and discuss in form of complex textual descriptions to access how people experience the given research issue. Sample here also included students, unemployed people, part time workers, full time workers and self employed people with different sex and age groups. Objective 7: Suggest a New Theory on Money Management in hard times. Thus in above mentioned way the objectives were addressed and data will be gathered and analyzed and the last objective to suggest a New Theory on Money Management in hard times to emerged as a result of the achievement of the previous research objectives.

Essay --

1. Fred Korematsu and Gordon Hirabayashi were two men who refused to report to the evacuation center when all Japanese people were being forced to relocate. Relocation began in April 1942 and these two men challenged President Roosevelt’s executive order 9066, that stated, â€Å"All persons of Japanese ancestry, both alien and non-alien, will be evacuated (Takaki 344).† Korematsu and Hirabayashi were both arrested, convicted, and sent to prison (Takaki 345). Their cases later went to the Supreme Court but the government policy said them getting convicted and sent to prison was a military necessity (Takaki 345). Both were sent to Guantanamo Bay where Mr.Kore challenged the detainment of the prisoners (Takaki 345). Since the Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese, Americans felt the need to relocate them and have guards watch over them. The outcome of Korematsu and Hirabayashi’s case was brought back to the court in 1983 and their conviction was taken of their rec ord (Lecture 11-11-13). The legacy that carries on because of these two men was that when Bill Clinton became President, he awarded Korematsu a metal of freedom (Lecture 11/11/13). 2. The Executive Order 9066 was created by President Roosevelt in 1942 after the Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese (Takaki 345). Executive Order 9066 consisted of relocating the Japanese to internment or relocation camps. The families were only allowed to take what they could carry with their own two hands. Women, men, and their children were registered and given a number while they were surrounded by American soldiers with rifles (Takaki 345). After the families received their numbers they were put into trains and while on the train nobody knew where they were being sent. As they reached the... ...kaki 364). The Bracero Program was an opportunity for Mexicans to make money and this program was placed in 21 states (Takaki 364). An example of discrimination that the Mexican American faced was the death of Felix Z. Longoria Jr. in 1945 (Lecture 11/13/13). Longoria Jr. was killed by the Japanese and his remains were not returned to the United States until 1949. The discrimination aspect was that white people did not want Longoria Jr. to be buried in the same cemetery as them. The accomplishment aspect of his story was that he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Metal, and Combat Infantryman with military (Lecture 11/12/13). World War II ended in 1945 and in between those seven years, Mexican Americans were treated unfairly in the military but they still felt the need to help out and fight for their country in which they wanted to call theirs.

Westward Expansion

Nichole Galindez AMH 2010 American History 31 October 2012 Nichole Galindez AMH 2010 American History 31 October 2012 Westward Expansion of the United States To what extent is it accurate to claim that the ideal of manifest destiny was a motivating factor in the western expansions of the United States? The 1840s was a time of great territorial expansion during which the United States fought to annex Texas, acquire the Oregon territory, and conquer California and New Mexico from Mexico.As the people sought reasoning behind their territorial ambitions, a belief known as Manifest Destiny sprouted from their feeling of nationality as they came to believe that America was destined to expand past the current borders. Manifest Destiny was also a term used by Democrats to promote and persuade people to support the territorial expansions that the United States was undergoing at the time.Although manifest destiny was a huge motivating factor in the western expansion of the United States, other factors such as the rising population, expansion of slavery and freedom-seeking slaves, the gold rush of California, and new opportunities sought by settlers. The rising population helped push Americans towards expanding westward. The early 1800s was a time when the United States was experiencing a rapid growth in population. The U. S. population grew from more than five million in 1800 to more than 23 million by mid-century. During that time, there the U. S had been experiencing a periodic high birth rate.The growth on the sizes of families only added pressure to expand their land and gather more resources to survive. Immigration also added to the explosive population growth in the United States. Over 7. 5 million immigrants migrated to the United States. Many immigrants fled their countries in order to escape from poverty and famine. The Gold rush also caused a great influx of immigrants as they hoped to acquire some of the wealth found in the United States. Since agriculture pro vided the primary economic structure, many incoming immigrants would scout for farmable land.However most of the fertile land east of the Appalachian Mts. had already been taken. This pushed immigrants to scout west to look for better land. Nearly 4,000,000 Americans moved to western territories between 1820 and 1850. The Gold Rush of California attracted all kinds of attention from money-hungry miners to hopeful farmers. The first discovery of gold in California in 1849 influenced many settlers and immigrants to flock westward in the hope of gaining wealth. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area.The Gold Rush attracted more than just the American people but it also helped the influx of immigrants. Thousands of Chinese migrated to the U. S after hearing about the opportunity to mine for wealth. This caused the non-native population of the California territory to reach 100,000. Many of the thous ands of settlers never found gold but helped to promote west expansion. New opportunities were another factor that helped to motivate westward expansion. As the increasing population put pressure on settlers, many of them headed west in hopes of acquiring cheap, fertile land to grow more food to feed their families.Since the government offered most of the land cheap, or in some cases free, many didn’t hesitate to move. Government passed things like the Homestead Act to encourage settlers to settle west. Others sought the chance at a new life. They wanted to increase their political power or standing by owning more land. In their eyes, land ownership was tied to wealth, political power, self-sufficiency, and independent â€Å"self rule. † New technologies also had an impact on westward expansion. New technological innovations helped to influence the economy by enhancing trade and commerce.This proved wrong the belief that, like previous empires, the United States would get weaker with expansion. By the 1840s, steamboats made use of America’s waterways and turned them into busy commercial thoroughfares. Their popularity grew as they continued to increase trade between towns and cities. Railroads were another innovation that helped to fuel trade. They integrated eastern markets with the towns on the western slope of the Appalachians. Robert Fulton’s invention of the canal and the invention of the telegraph were two other great examples of the technologies that helped to enhance westward expansion.The last factor that also affected westward expansion was the desire to expand slavery and slaves desire Politicians, editors, soldiers, and citizens, wanted new terrirory for various reasons. In the case of Texas, the Tyler administration sought to prevent the abolition of slavery there, control a potential rival in cotton production, provide a haven for masters and their slaves, thwart Great Britain from keeping Texas independent, and comply with the wishes of most Texians to join the United States.In the Oregon dispute, Democrats hoped to dominate Asian commerce, provide land for future pioneers, and safeguard citizens already settled there. The war with Mexico and the strategy of conquest revealed a desire to secure a border at the Rio Grande, satisfy claims against Mexico, and acquire California to monopolize trade with Asia. Democrats wanted to supply abundant land to the nation's poor and to future immigrants. To attain this laudable goal, however, they relied on bribery, bullying, and warfare to wrest land from Native Americans and Mexicans.Often idealistic, they were also racist and materialistic. Yet anti-slavery activists and Democrats, whose belief in federal power was threatened by the South, were opposed to any expansionist move that would add new slave-holding states to the Union and thereby upset the fragile balance of power between North and South. After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, disagreeme nts over the expansion of slavery made further territorial annexation too divisive to be official government policy. Many Northerners were increasingly opposed to hat they believed to be efforts by Southern slave owners—and their friends in the North—to expand slavery at any cost. The proposal during the war of the Wilmot Proviso (a statement declaring that slavery would not be permitted in any new territory acquired by the U. S. ), and the emergence of various â€Å"Slave Power† conspiracy theories thereafter, indicated the degree to which Manifest Destiny had become controversial. The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers.This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a â€Å"slave power conspiracy†. It declared that all runaway slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters. Abolitionists nicknamed it the â€Å"Bloodhound Law† for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves. [1] http://www. pbs. org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/md_expansionism. html http://solpass. org/6ss/games/westwardcloze. htm http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Manifest_Destiny Westward Expansion The westward expansion, which started in the 1820s, was one of the biggest steps forward our country has ever taken. It nearly tripled the size of our country and increased the population by monstrous amounts. It also improved the economy greatly though agricultural means, prompted political leaders to sent people to explore (Lewis and Clark), started a civil war, motivated huge amounts of people to move west, and almost destroyed our country.The expansion was magnified greatly by the Louisiana Purchase, when President Jefferson bought a large area of land west of the Mississippi river from Spain, the purchase added large amounts of futile, unsettled land to the United States. This purchase was made possible by the exuberant democratic belief in the Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny was a belief that Americans were meant to explore the western territories and settle the entire continent this, was strongly believed by most democrats and was a large political controversy.This, as well as making the Louisiana Purchase possible, made it so that President Polk could start the Mexican War. The Mexican War was a war between America and Mexico during which the U. S. acquired large amounts of land formerly owned by Mexico. The war started in 1846 and ended in 1848. The war was prompted by the Mexicans invading the U. S. annex of Texas which even after the Texas Revolution in 1836 Mexico claimed as theirs. The war ended informally in the fall of 1847 when an American army captured Mexico City and formally in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.Lewis and Clark also made a significant impact on the westward expansion by exploring enormous amounts of land, from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. They were sent out by President Jefferson to find a water route across North America and, with the help of an Indian named Sacajawea, they tried to do exactly that and although they couldn’t find any all water routes they did make many significant discoveries. A few of the discoveries Lewis and Clark made were pricelessly valuable to civilization.For example they discovered at least 70 different Native American tribes and discovered and documented 200 new plant/animal species that were completely unknown to science. The list of different kinds of people who went west is enormous. There were slaves and other low-class people looking for a fresh start, upper/ middle-class plantation owners and farmers looking to expand, explorers and adventurers looking for excitement in wild/unexplored lands, and many, many others. Even though these people were different in many ways they all wanted a fresh start.Now not all of them got what they were hoping for but a great deal did in the end although this brought up the issue of slavery. The westward expansion brought up the issue of slavery. The previous laws allowed for slavery below the 36 °30’ parallel but now it had to be decided whether or not slavery was going to be allowed in the new states/colonies/settlements. This as you can imagine caused major political differences. It was finally decided that the colonies would decide for themselves by voting.This caused many people to move so that they could vote in favor of their opinion. But this than caused South Carolina to secede from the union and prompted the civil war but I’ll get into that in another paper. http://www. nationalgeographic. com/lewisandclark  © 1996- National Geographic Society. http://www. history. com/topics/westward-expansion  © 1996-2013, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Carroll, Anne W. Christ and the Americas. New York: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. , 1997 Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2011. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Main_Page

Symptoms And Symptoms Of Cushing s Syndrome - 1680 Words

Abstract Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrine disorder resulting from excess levels of cortisol in the blood. The etiology can be exogenous or endogenous, which can be further broken down into adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent and independent. The pathogenesis of Cushing’s syndrome depends on the cause, and generally results in the disruption of the normal functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Cushing’s syndrome is characterized by a variety of signs and symptoms, and treatment varies depending on the etiology. Currently research is being conducted on diagnostic tests for this disorder. Introduction Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrine disorder that is characterized by multiple signs and symptoms resulting†¦show more content†¦Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome results when the high levels of cortisol originate from within the body. The most common causes of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome are adrenal, pituitary or ectopic tumours. These tumours lead to a disruption of the normal functioning of the HPA axis. Exogenous Cushing’s syndrome results when the high levels of cortisol in the blood is a direct result of some factor outside of the body, such as the administration of therapeutic steroids (Bronstein 2011). The endogenous component of Cushing’s syndrome can be further broken down into ACTH dependent and ACTH independent. ACTH-dependent causes account for the majority of cases (80%) (Bronstein 2011). Pituitary adenomas account for 80% of ACTH-dependent causes, with the remaining 20% resulting from ectopic tumours. These ectopic tumours are generally small-cell carcinomas of the lungs, but may also result from endocrine tumours on a variety of organs (Newell-Price et al. 2006). ACTH-independent causes typically result from various tumours on the adrenal glands, resulting in the direct secretion of cortisol into the blood. In extremely rare cases, ACTH-independent Cushing’s syndrome can be caused by corticotropin-independent macronodular adrenal disease and McCune-Albright syndrome (Newell-Price et al. 2006). Pathogenesis Once a diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome is confirmed, the cause of this syndrome must be determined. Each subsequent cause has