Salman Ata

PARADIGMS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH (Draft only) Mental model or frames of reference (belief system) (to organize observation and reasoning) shape our research designs. These frames or mental models are known as paradigms ( Bhattacherjee, 2012 ). It is a way to describe a worldview, informed by some philosophical assumptions about the nature of (social) reality ( Chilisa and Kawulich , 2012) . They are like colored glasses that control what we see and how we organize our thoughts about the observed world. According to Schwandt (2001), “ a paradigm is a shared worldview that represents the beliefs and values in a discipline and that guides how problems are solved ”. Different people have a different views of the observed phenomenon because they see social reality in different ways. For example, liberals and conservatives proposed different poverty reduction strategies as they see governments’ roles differently. To create a better economy, conservative may propose lowering taxes while...

Marketing of Date Palm in Pakistan Agricultural marketing in Pakistan is not sophisticated and there is a series of intermediaries between producers and consumers. This large market chain along with lack of storage facilities result in the spoiling of 30-40% fresh produce before reaching the consumer (PHDEB, 2008).  Like other horticulture crops, dates trade is with the private sector. However, Government assists the system by offering physical infrastructure particularly wholesale markets and communication, market promotion, market intelligence and regulatory measures to remove the difficulties in business operations (PHDEB, 2008).  Date producers often rely on relatively high-cost informal credit sources and advances from date contractors because they face many difficulties in marketing their produce. They have little access to the credit and other facilities in wholesale and assembly markets; and are treated as temporary clients (Khushk et al., 2006). This sectio...

Salman Ata Date palm in Pakistan The date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera  L.) is possibly the most ancient cultivated tree in the world (Zaid and Wet, 2002). This tree is considered as an important constituent of farming system in dry and semi-arid regions and is suitable for both small and large scale farming (Khushk  et al ., 2009). Furthermore, the date palm is one of the greatest producers of food per hectare (Zaid and Wet, 2002). The high nutritional composition, profitability in addition to environmental advantages makes date palm an excellent food for the future generation. The fruits of the date palm (dates) have a high percentage of carbohydrate (total sugars, 44-88%), fat (0.2-0.5%), protein (2.3-5.6%), pectin (0.5-3.9%), dietary fibre (6.4-11.5%), salts, at least fifteen minerals and six vitamins. The flesh of dates contains 0.2-0.5% oil, while in seed it is 7.7-9.7%. Both flesh and seed contain fatty acids. Moreover, the seeds contain aluminum, ca...