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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Since the debut of the personal computer, we've become used to storing information

either on an external storage device like a compact disc or on a computer's hard drive. We're

also conditioned to buy new machines or upgrade old ones whenever applications require

more processing power than our current computers can provide. With cloud computing, the

responsibility of storage and processing power falls to the network, not the individual

computer owner.

WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING? Key to the definition of cloud computing is the

cloud itself. Here, cloud is a large group of interconnected computers. These computers can

be personal or network servers. The cloud of computers extend beyond a single company or

entity. The application and data served by cloud are available to broader group of users, cross

enterprise, and cross platform. Access is via internet. Any authorized user can access these

documents, applications and files from any computer over the internet.

Cloud computing is a new computing paradigm where in computer processing

is being performed through internet by a standard browser. Cloud computing builds on

established trends for driving the cost out of the delivery of services while increasing

the speed and agility with which services are deployed. It shortens the time from

sketching out application architecture to actual deployment. Cloud computing incorporates

virtualization, on-demand deployment, internet delivery of services, and open source

software.

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Cloud computing moves the application software and databases to the large data

centres, where the data security is not trustworthy. Hence it leads to many new security

challenges. By utilizing the holomorphic token with distributed verification of erasure-coded

data, our scheme achieves the integration of storage correctness insurance and data error

localization, i.e., the identification of misbehaving server. The new scheme supports secure

and efficient dynamic operations on data blocks, including: data update, delete and append.

Extensive security and performance analysis shows that the proposed scheme is highly

efficient as we restrict some IP address and even authenticate the existing users to avoid

malicious data modification attack.

The Cloud Computing Architecture of a cloud solution is the structure of the

system, which comprises on premise and cloud resources, services, middleware, and

software components, geo-location, the externally visible properties of those, and the

relationships between them. The term also refers to documentation of a systems cloud

computing architecture.

Although it's a relatively young industry, many companies offer cloud computing

services. One of those companies is Google. The Internet giant offers a suite of Web-based

productivity applications under the name Google Docs (Google Documents). While these

applications aren't as complex or comprehensive as the leading desktop counterparts, they

have other advantages over traditional software.

The most obvious of these advantages is that the applications aren't tied to a specific

computer. There's no need to download and install software on a particular machine. Any

computer connected to the Internet can access Google Docs. Because each user saves

information to the cloud system, he or she can access the same file from anywhere. Users

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don't have to worry about which version of a document is the most current -- it will always be

saved in the Google cloud.

Another advantage is that multiple users can make edits to the same files at the same

time. This is called online collaboration, and it could streamline teamwork over the Web.

Because Google Docs preserves earlier versions of documents, there's no reason to worry

about irrevocably changing a file. Collaborating on files might mean changing the way we

think about document management. But it might also mean project managers can save time

and effort.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Dependable backup services are increasingly important to enterprises but also to

common users that want to keep their personal files safe. A traditional approach, for common

users, is to have a copy of all their files in an external hard drive. One example of such system

is Time Machine. For enterprises the solution requires having a larger storage and a more

complex solution to backup their critical data. For some enterprises, data is so important that

several backup copies must be kept in different physical locations in order to avoid losing it in

case of natural catastrophes.

Another important aspect, for both enterprises and common users, is the need of

accessing their data remotely from different places. For this purpose, the web is a good

solution, having in mind how easy it is to insert and retrieve information of any kind from it.

This explains the emergence and success of on-line backup services like Dropbox, Box.net,

RapidShare and Google Docs, that allow clients to have their data safe in the web. These

services are more than just simple data archives. Some of them support other features, like

collaborative work, versioning, online editing and synchronization of users data between

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several devices. With these new functionalities, a storage service that is intended to store and

retrieve data efficiently is necessary. In classical archival systems this was not needed to be

contemplated. As expected, all these services have limits to the amount of data each user can

backup and, therefore, clients must pay a fee to expand these limits.

If you're using Google Docs, you're working in the cloud. Today, Docs is probably the

most common example of a personal cloud tool. The app lets you create basic documents,

spreadsheets, presentations, etc., which can then be stored online and shared and worked on in

real-time with those you grant access.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

An engineering student of the University of Uyo has just finished typing a fifty-page

extensive research project which needs to be submitted the next day. Excitedly, he walks into

a business centre to have his work typed and spiral-binded, but unfortunately his file gets

corrupted as the file is been opened for printing, as a result of a deadly virus in the desktop

computer at the business centre. He is in rage and fury because he has no other backup of the

file anywhere. His all-night labour has availed to nothing and he is stranded because he can no

longer meet the deadline for submission. If he had typed his research work using a cloud

computing service like Google Docs, he would have had no cause to worry as he would have

easily downloaded his document to Microsoft Word with the click of a button. This is a

common problem many engineering students face in the University of Uyo.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

The objectives of this study are as follows:

To determine the extent to which University of Uyo engineering students are

familiar with cloud computing services like Google Docs.

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To find out the percentage of the overall engineering students that are actually

making use of the service and their opinions about the service.

To ascertain the constraints to effective utilization of cloud storage and

computing services.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

If every University of Uyo engineering student embraces the vast capabilities and

functionalities of the Google Docs cloud computing service then,

They can access their files and documents anywhere there is an internet connectivity.

It eliminates the need to carry flash drives.

They can post their important files and documents to the web instantly.

They can collaborate with others while maintaining only one copy of the document.

They can download their files to Microsoft Word and Excel spreadsheet.

They can also use the forms in Google Docs as a survey instrument and as an

assessment instrument for their research work as they are connected to a vast

community of similar-minded people.

They can handle their PowerPoint presentations with Google Presentations which is

compatible anywhere there is web access. This eliminates software compatibility

issues and there is no need to carry thumb drives around as their presentations can be

easily downloaded to Microsoft PowerPoint.

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CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Cloud Computing:

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), cloud

computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of

configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services)

that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service

provider interaction. Availability is promoted in the cloud model. However, it should be

noted that cloud computing is still an evolving paradigm. Since the purpose of this paper is to

examine what factors significantly influence students' usage of Google Docs, an overview of

the characteristics, service models, and deployment models is provided in the following

subsection.

Characteristics, Service, and Deployment Models:

A characteristic of cloud computing is its ability to be accessed anywhere there is a

reliable Internet connection. The ability to promote on-demand self service allows a

consumer to have computing capabilities without the need of human interaction with a

service's provider. This provides the user the flexibility to access data in real time without

having to wait for the service to "boot up". Another interesting characteristic is the ability to

access the data on any network, regardless of the client platform (mobile phone, laptop, etc.)

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that is used. Having access to the data anywhere means valuable resources are not tied up

elsewhere. This leads into the final characteristic of location-independent resource pooling.

By freeing up valuable resources, cloud computing can reassign the unused resources and

move them to where consumer demand is at its highest.

Cloud computing has been categorized into three unique service models. They are:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service

(SaaS). IaaS is the capability provided to the consumer to provision processing, storage,

networks, and other fundamental computing resources, which can include operating systems

and applications. An example of IaaS is Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). EC2 is a

web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-

scale computing easier for developers.

PaaS is the capability provided to the user to deploy consumer-created or acquired

applications onto the cloud infrastructure. The consumer does not manage or control the

underlying cloud infrastructure, including the network, servers, operating systems, or storage,

but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment

configurations. Google Applications Engine, also known as Google App Engine, is an example

of PaaS. Google App Engine enables the user to build and host web apps on the same systems

that power Google applications. Basically, Google provides the developer kit that allows the

user to create custom apps. The user is not required to have expensive machinery to run it

because Google provides the "platform" to run the application.

SaaS is the capability provided to the consumer to use the provider's applications

running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various clients such as

a web browser (e.g., web-based email). Google Docs is an example of SaaS. The user only

needs to have a web browser like Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer to access Google

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Docs. Google possesses control over the customization with Google Docs. The user is only

allowed to use what is there. To further illustrate, Figure 1 provides a diagram of the three

service models.

Figure 1: Service Models of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing utilities are delivered to users in a number of ways. They can be

private, public, community based, or a hybrid of the three. The private cloud remains on the

inside of the organization while the public cloud is made available to the general public.

Google Docs:

In March 2006, Google acquired the rights to Writely, an online word processing

application. This became a foundation for Google Docs. Meanwhile, Google developed

Google Spreadsheets using the technology it had acquired from 2Web Technologies in 2005

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and launched Google Labs Spreadsheets on June 6, 2006 as the first public component of

what would eventually become Google Docs. It was initially made available to only a limited

number of users on a first-come, first-served basis. The limited test was later replaced with a

beta version available to all Google Account holders, around the same time that a press

release was issued. In July 2009, Google officially introduced Google Docs, their online

office and web storage suite. The Google Docs "office" suite includes applications such as

word processing, spreadsheet and a presentation editor. Users have the ability to create new

documents and store them securely online, as Google Docs does not need to be installed on a

physical device. This is what makes Google Docs an example of SaaS. Google Docs can be

accessed from anywhere that has an active Internet connection. This makes it possible to

share files around the globe. Google Docs allows for various office file types to be uploaded,

which makes this a powerful online collaboration tool. Users can modify documents in real

time which makes Google Docs highly desirable when teamwork occurs on the Internet.

Current Usage of Cloud Computing:

Ambrose and Chiravuri (2010) examined the role of three factors in the personal use

of Cloud Computing. Using Partial Least Squares analysis, they discovered that two factors

(age and experience) have a significant role in a person's intention to use cloud computing.

Community colleges have become early adopters of the cloud computing technology.

Researchers used the Technology Acceptance Model to examine whether community college

students would adopt cloud computing technology. Observations were done in a small virtual

lab in a community college setting. Their research found that students are more likely to

adopt cloud computing technology if it is easy to use and requires little training.

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Institutional Influences on Real World Options:

A real option refers to the right but not an obligation to make a managerial decision to

take ownership of a real asset or embark on a project at a future point in time. One study

examined how institutional influences may affect organizations perceptions about the

technological characteristics of cloud computing and recognition of real options. Using

Partial Least Squares analysis, Saya et al. found that cloud computing characteristics of

scalability, cost effectiveness, accessibility and lack of security are motivational factors in

growth, abandonment, and deferral.

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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODS

I used the questionnaire instrument to collect data. The questionnaires were spread

across all the engineering departments with questions ranging from the level of familiarity of

the students with the various cloud computing services to their extent of utilization of the

services. There were 200 questionnaires randomly distributed to all departments in the

engineering faculty of the University of Uyo, with a total of 185 usable questionnaires

returned.

DATA ANALYSIS

Out of the 185 students that completed and returned the questionnaires, 58 were from

the computer engineering department, 30 from the electrical/electronics engineering

department, 18 from the mechanical engineering department, 24 from the civil engineering

department, 10 from the food engineering department, 25 from the petroleum engineering

department and 20 from the chemical engineering department.

TABLE 1: Participants distributions in various departments.

DEPARTMENT NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PERCENTAGE (%)

Computer engineering 58 31.35

Mechanical engineering 23 12.43

Food engineering 10 5.40

Petroleum engineering 25 13.51

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Electrical/Electronics engineering

30 16.22

Civil engineering 19 10.27

Chemical engineering 20 10.81

TABLE 2: Gender distributions of the participants.

GENDER NUMBER OF

PARTICIPANTS PERCENTAGE (%)

Male 130 70.27

Female 55 29.73

Figure 2: Gender distributions of the participants.

MALE70%

FEMALE30%

Gender distributions of the participants:

MALE FEMALE

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Figure 3: Participants distributions in various departments.

STUDENTS FAMILIARITY WITH CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES

The table below shows the responses of the total sample size of 185 students to

questions on their level of familiarity with cloud computing services. The variability of YES

and NO responses was calculated independently using standard deviation method.

TABLE 3: Extent of students' familiarity with cloud computing services

CONDITIONS YES NO

Know about cloud

computing 135 50

Have used cloud computing

services 69 116

Have used Google Docs 50 135

Have relatives or friends that

use Google Docs 82 103

Comp engr, 58, 31%

mech engr, 23, 13%

Food engr, 10, 5%

Pet engr, 25, 14%

Elect/Elect engr, 30, 16%

Civil engr, 19, 10%

Chem engr, 20, 11%

Participants distributions in various departments:

Comp engr mech engr Food engr Pet engr Elect/Elect engr Civil engr Chem engr

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Variability of the yes responses:

= 4

= 135 + 69 + 50 + 82 = 336

= 336

4= 84

( ) = (135 84) + (69 84) + (50 84) + (82 84) = 3986

SD = ()

=

= 31.57

Variability of the no responses:

= 4

= 50 + 116 + 135 + 103 = 404

= 404

4= 101

( ) = (50 101) + (116 101) + (135 101) + (103 101)

= 3986

SD = ()

=

= 31.57

EXTENT OF USAGE OF CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES BY STUDENTS

TABLE 4: Length of Usage of Google Docs

CONDITION NO. OF STUDENTS

0-2 YEARS 25

2-4 YEARS 15

OVER FOUR YEARS 10

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TABLE 5: Frequency of usage of cloud computing services

CONDITION LENGTH OF GOOGLE DOCS USAGE

0-2 years 2-4 years Over 4 years

Frequently 15 6 2

Occasionally 8 5 4

Rarely 2 4 4

TABLE 6: Students views and opinions concerning Google Docs

CONDITION YES NO

Trust Google Dos with the safety of their data

70 115

Trust Google Dos with the privacy of their data

55 130

Google Docs easier to share information than traditional e-mail

40 145

Would pay a small fee for the use of Google Docs

20 165

Like Google Docs to be used in school work

109 76

Prefer other cloud services to Google Docs

47 138

Variability of the yes responses:

= 6

= 70 + 55 + 40 + 20 + 109 + 47 = 341

= 341

6= 56.83

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( ) = (70 56.83) + (55 56.83) + (40 56.83) + (20 56.83)

+ (109 56.83) + (47 56.83) = 4634.83

SD = ()

=

.

= 27.79

Variability of the no responses:

= 6

= 115 + 130 + 145 + 165 + 76 + 138 = 769

= 769

6= 128.17

( ) = (115 128.17) + (130 128.17) + (145 128.17)

+ (165 128.17) + (76 128.17) + (138 128.17)

= 4634.83

SD = ()

=

.

= 27.79

TABLE 7: Students reasons for using cloud computing services

REASON NO OF STUDENTS

Its safe 50

Its reliable 42

Its flexible 33

Easy access to files and folders

54

Others 33

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TABLE 8: Students reasons for not using cloud computing services

REASONS NO. OF STUDENTS

Ignorance of the existence of cloud computing services

50

Lack of trust for putting data in the cloud 87

Lack of skills to use cloud computing services

74

No constant access to the internet 82

Others 59

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CHAPTER 4

RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS

It was discovered that majority of the students (about 73%) in the engineering faculty

of the University of Uyo already know or have heard about cloud the existence of

computing services, yet only few (about 38%) have actually made use of those

services with only about 28% of the few having actually used Google Docs as their

cloud service.

From this, we can see that the level of students usage of the cloud services does not

depend on how much information they have concerning these services. Many students

are aware that their data can be stored in the cloud but only few store their data in the

cloud.

A great percentage of the students that recently started using Google Docs are the ones

that use it frequently while those that joined Google Docs a long time ago hardly use it

now.

A reasonable number of the students trust Google Docs to store their data safely but

they are concerned about the privacy of their data. Though only a few think that

Google Docs is easier to share information than traditional e-mail and would pay a

small fee for the use of Google Docs, majority prefer it to other cloud services

available and would recommend it for use in school work such as assignments,

projects and collaborative work.

For most of the students that appreciate the essence of cloud computing, they use

Google Docs because they consider it safe, reliable, flexible and because of the ease of

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collaboration (more than one user can work on a single document simultaneously) and

file sharing it offers.

From the study, it was discovered that the major constraints to the effective use of

cloud storage and computing services by the students are that

The students are still sceptical about storing their data in non-physical devices like

the cloud storage and so they dont trust the safety of their data stored in the cloud.

Most of them lack the basic skills needed for online data sharing, collaborative

work online and cloud storage.

They do not have steady access to the internet to make use of these services.

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CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

The globe is turning to the cloud (online) for storage as it cannot cope with the many

flaws of offline data storage and retrievals. This study has shown that the engineering students

in the University of Uyo are not keeping up with this latest trend. The students have good

reasons for this anyway. Most of them have no constant access to the internet which is

mandatory before cloud computing can be possible. The reason is not far-fetched as the

current state of internet service in the country is appalling. Given time, I think the students

will be able to appreciate fully, the essence of cloud computing to efficient data storage.

To remedy the issue, the government should look into the issue of the poor and yet

expensive internet services available in the country. If possible, the relevant bodies

responsible for the provision of internet services in the country should be sanctioned and

made to sit up so as to render efficient services to the public. Also, the students need to be

enlightened on the importance of using cloud services like Google Docs. Students that are

already familiar with the services should demonstrate the use and effectiveness of the services

to their fellow students. The Google ambassadors currently in Uyo should organise

enlightenment programs that clearly describe the importance of cloud computing so that more

students can join the community of cloud data storage so as to minimize the problems caused

by unexpected loss of data in physical storage devices.

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REFERENCES

Behrend, T., Wiebe, E., London, J. and Johnson, E. (2011). Cloud Computing Adoption and

Usage in Community Colleges, Behaviour & Information Technology. Volume 30,

Issue 2. Pp.231-240.

Gerald, K. (2010). Cloud Computing Architecture, Corporate Research and Technologies.

Siemens AG Corporate Technology, Munich, Germany.

Hunsinger, D. and Smith, M. (2005). Predicting Hiring Managers' Intentions to Use IT

Certification in the Selection Process. Journal of Information Technology

Management. Volume 16, Issue 4.

Masayuki, Okuhara et al. (2010). Security Architecture for Cloud Computing. Volume 46.

Pp.397-402.

Peter, S. and Mark, S. Handbook of Information and Communication Security. Springer

Heidelberg Dordrecht, New York. ISBN 978-3-642-04116-7.

Peter, T. (2009). Cloud Computing Overview: A Federal Government and Agency

Perspective. Architecture Plus Seminar-Cloud Computing, Web 2.0 and Beyond: A

Vision of Future Government Operations. Cambridge University Press.

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Rajkuma, B., James, B., and Andrzej, G. (2011). Cloud Computing Principles and Paradigms.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Saya, S., Pee, L. G. and Kankanhalli, A. (2010). The Impact of Institutional Influences on

Perceived Technology Characteristics and Real Options in Cloud Computing

Adoption. ICIS 2010 Proceedings. Paper 24.

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (2009). Introduction to Cloud Computing Architecture. White Paper,

1st Edition.

Tabachnick, B. G. and Fidell, L. S. (2000). Using Multivariate Statistics. Allyn and Bacon,

Needham Heights, MA.

Tallon, P. P., Kauffman, R. J., Lucas, H. C., Whinston, A. B. and Zhu, K. (2002). Using Real

Options Analysis for Evaluating Uncertain Investments in Information Technology:

Insights from the ICIS 2001 Debate. Communications of Association for Information

Systems. Volume 9. Pp.136-167.

Udoh, F. D. and Etim, P. J. (2008). Fundamentals of Research Methodology. Abaam

Publishing Co., Uyo.

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APPENDICES

Appendix A: Questionnaire

A QUESTIONNAIRE

ON

EFFICIENT STORAGE OF DATA IN CLOUD COMPUTING

A CASE STUDY OF GOOGLE DOCS FOR INFORMATION SHARING BY

UNIUYO ENGINEERING STUDENTS

DEPT: SEX: M F

Please kindly answer the questions below:

1) Are you familiar with cloud computing or cloud storage?

YES NO

2) Have you ever used any cloud computing service?

YES NO

3) If your answer in question 2 is yes, how frequently do you make use of cloud

computing services?

DAILY WEEKLY MONTHLY OTHERS

4) Do you prefer online (cloud) backups to offline backups?

YES NO

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5) Why do you prefer cloud computing services like Google Docs?

Its safe

Its reliable

Its flexible

Easy access to files and documents

Other reasons

6) Whats your reason for not using cloud computing services?

Im not aware of the existence of cloud computing services

I dont trust putting my data in the cloud

I dont have the skill to use cloud computing services

I dont have constant access to the internet

Other reasons

7) Have you ever heard of Google Docs?

YES NO

8) Have you used Google Docs before?

YES NO

9) What cloud computing service do you use?

GOOGLE DOCS OTHERS

10) For how long have you been using Google Docs or other cloud computing services?

0-2 YEARS 2-4 YEARS OVER 4 YEARS

11) Has anyone close to you (friends, family) ever used Google Docs?

YES NO

12) Has a professor or colleague ever demonstrated the use of Google Docs to you?

YES NO

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13) Do you find using Google Docs to be easier to share information than having to

email it between others?

YES NO

14) Do you trust Google (through the use of Google Docs) to house your information?

YES NO

15) If another type of online web storage were available, would you consider using it

instead of Google Docs?

YES NO

16) If Google were to start charging a small fee (less than 750 a month) to use their

Google Docs service, would you still consider paying for it?

YES NO

17) Do you find Google Docs easy to use/easy to understand?

YES NO

18) Google Docs seems easier to use than traditional email for sharing information.

YES NO

19) I will use Google Docs in the next three months.

YES NO

20) I trust Google Docs with the privacy of my information.

YES NO

21) Would you like your school work (assignments, projects etc.) to be done and

submitted using cloud computing services?

YES NO

Thank you very much for your participation in this study!

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Appendix B: Consent Form for Questionnaire

This questionnaire is open to all University of Uyo engineering students. It is a

research that I (Nkwocha Chinedu Solomon) am conducting in partial fulfilment of the

requirements of the course GRE322.

This questionnaire should only take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. There are 21

questions in the questionnaire. You will be asked a series of questions in which you will be

required to answer the questions accordingly.

You are a volunteer. Your decision to participate in this research is completely

voluntary. Any information about your participation, including your identity, will be kept

confidential.

I hereby humbly request for your assistance towards the success of my research

endeavour by providing sincere answers to the questions provided on this Sheet.

Thanks in anticipation of your cooperation and participation.

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