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Productivity

Top 7 Google Search Tips

Top 7 Google Search Tips

Productivity
Top 7 Google Search Tips

Introduction

Google is a tool that can be used for all sorts of things, from finding information to solving math problems. But Google isn’t an easy tool to learn something from it, and it can take years to master. For example, did you know that there are multiple ways to search for something on Google?

In this article, we’ll walk through some of our favorite tips for using Google more effectively as a student so that even when you’re struggling with your studies or need answers fast, there’s no limit to what you can find!

Google is a great tool, so use it correctly

It can help you find the information that you need for your studies, but it also has some useful features that can help you learn how to search for information and use the internet.

Here are some tips to make sure that your Google searches are successful:

  • Don’t use “Google” as a verb – don’t say things like “Google me,” or “Google it.” This makes it sound like Google is a person with whom one would speak (or rather, not speak). The proper usage is “a Google search.”
  • Use quotes when searching for phrases, if you are looking for a particular phrase rather than an individual word or two, put double quotes around the phrase when searching. For example: “How many people live on Mars?”
  • Use advanced operators; these allow you to narrow down results by specific parameters such as date range and language settings (for example, “when was Abraham Lincoln born”).

1. Phrase search by adding quotes around the question

To search for a specific phrase put quotes around it. For example, if you want to find out how to Google search, type “how to google search”. This is different from a keyword search in which you would just type in “how to Google search.”

This can be useful when searching for very specific information or if there are other words that have the same pronunciation as what you’re looking for but different meanings (for example, ‘Google’ being misspelled as ‘googol’).

2. Use words to tell Google what NOT to show you

One of the best things about Google is that it has a mind of its own. You can tell Google what to show you and what NOT to show you.

“But wait! I don’t want any information on how to shoot up heroin with a syringe!” It’s okay because you can tell Google exactly by using the minus sign. Just type “how do I use this syringe” into your search bar and then add “-syringe” at the end of your query: “how do I use this syringe -syringe”. Voila! No results for “How To Use A Syringe”.

You can also exclude certain words by simply typing them in quotation marks. For example, if you wanted an image of “The Beatles” without including photos from The Beatles’ album Abbey Road (which would normally come up because they were all wearing robes), then enter “the beatles” as your search term but include quotations around “beatles” so that it looks like this: “the beatles.”

3. Get an exact answer by searching a specific number

While you can get a general idea of what something is by searching for it, sometimes you want to be more specific. For example, if I wanted to know exactly how many days there are in February (not just the average), I could type in my query:

How many days are there in February?

And then Google would tell me that there are 28 days in February (the actual number is 29, but as always with Google’s answers).

4. Find a word definition by typing “define”

  •  Type “define: the word” and hit Enter. This will automatically search for a definition of the word “word.”
  • You can also type “define: word,” with no punctuation between the two words, to get a dictionary entry for “word.”

5. Find an exact website with keywords in the URL

If you’re looking for a specific website, you can use Google to search for it by typing the URL. For example:

  • If you have a subject in mind, type [subject] + [x]
  • If you’re just starting out and want to browse around, try using keywords that describe your interests.
  • To find an exact website with keywords in the URL, search for those terms for example [name of site] + [x].

6. Search for a specific file format

  •  If you’re looking for a PDF file, but don’t know the exact name of the file you’re looking for, start off by searching for the word “pdf.”
  •  Then add the term “book” and then add the title of your book.
  • For example: “pdf book” or “doc book”

7.    Use a secret calculator trick to do math problems

You’re sitting in class, and your professor is talking about something that sounds a lot like math. You don’t have your calculator on you, and you definitely don’t want to ask the professor for help.

The good news is that Google can be used as a calculator!

You can simply type “Google calculator” into the search bar, hit enter, and then type out your problem (i.e., 4+3). The answer will show up at the bottom of the screen.

This trick also works with larger numbers (13*7), so this will come in handy when you need to do more complex problems like figuring out how much tax you owe at checkout or working out how many steps it takes for someone who has been walking for three hours before finally reaching their destination.

Conclusion

Google is the best search engine but make sure you are using it smartly. You might find that some of these tips are very useful for your studies and others do not apply at all. The best way to find out which ones work for you is by trying them out!

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Writing

5 Best Essay Writing Tips 

5 Best Essay Writing Tips 

Writing
5 Best Essay Writing Tips 
Table of Contents

Introduction

Essays are a big part of school. You’ll write many essays in high school, college and beyond. Writing an essay can be easy if you follow the steps below:

1. Start Early

To ensure that you are able to keep up with your essay writing, it is important to begin early. The earlier you start, the more time you will have to plan out your paper and focus on research. Without proper planning and research, it can be difficult to write an essay that is well-structured and supported by evidence or examples.

Start by making an outline of what ideas you want to include in your essay. An outline will help organize the structure of your paper so that it flows smoothly from one idea to another without becoming too repetitive or confusing for readers.

Once you’ve finished creating an outline, set aside some time each day (or even every week) specifically for writing essays so that they don’t pile up and cause undue stress later on in the semester when things get busy with other assignments too! One way I like doing this is by setting a deadline for myself such as “write 1/4th of my essay today” – which forces me into action instead procrastinating until everything else gets done first!

2. Understand the Question

First and foremost, you need to understand the question. You can’t write a good essay if you don’t know what it is that you are being asked to do.

Most questions have a specific format and word count requirement. For example, short answers may be 250 words or less (each question counts as one mark), while essays could be 2-3 pages long with no more than 5 sources cited in MLA format (1 mark). But there are also open-ended questions where students are asked to respond in their own words or use examples from their life experience.

It’s important to know how much time you have too because if your essay prompt is due at 8 pm on Thursday night, then an hour each day for the week before won’t be enough time for research and proper preparation of your draft!

3. Analyze and Plan

The first thing to do when writing an essay is to analyze the question and how it is structured, so that you can plan your essay before you start writing.

Once you have understood the question, look at its structure by asking yourself ‘how could this be answered?’ For example:

  • What are three reasons why people are willing to pay more for organic food?

A useful way of planning your answer is to use a mind map (see image). This enables you to put down all your ideas in one place and then organize them into categories or headings. You can use colors or symbols if it helps with organisation or clarity. Another way of organizing ideas is by using a plan of attack; this breaks down the question into manageable chunks so that it doesn’t seem as daunting when starting out on an essay.

4. Answer the Question

You should also answer the question, which seems like a pretty obvious one. But it’s not uncommon for students to write essays that don’t actually respond to what was asked of them.

When you’re writing your essay and get to the question-and-answer section, make sure you cover all of those points! Answering the questions is a great way of showing how much you know about what’s been taught in class.

5. Edit and Proofread

  • Editing and proofreading are two separate steps. Editing is the process of correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Proofreading is a thorough check for clarity of ideas, logical flow of ideas and organisation of ideas.
  • Use a spellchecker to find common mistakes like “their” instead of “there” or “its” instead of “it’s” but don’t rely on it too heavily as it isn’t perfect. You should also use it to check for homophones (words that sound alike but have different meanings) such as its/it’s, there/their/they’re etc.
  • Check the flow between paragraphs by dividing the essay into sections with headings that summarize what each paragraph is about (e.g., Introduction, Body Paragraphs 1-3). This will help you see which sections need more explanation or examples than others; if there are gaps in logic between paragraphs; if one section is longer than another; whether there are any missing sentences or paragraphs within a section; how well organized each idea is within each paragraph; how well linked all the ideas together across all sections etc.

Write, edit and proofread 

The first thing you should do when writing an essay is to write and edit it. Don’t proofread your essay until you have written and edited it, because proofreading involves checking the structure of your writing, and this can be done only after you’ve written the whole thing.

Once you’re done with a first draft of your paper (which might take multiple drafts), go over what needs to be changed or added in order for the essay to be perfect. You may want to ask other people for help here, especially if they are more experienced writers than yourself.

Once this is done, read through the entire piece once again and make sure everything makes sense logically: does each paragraph follow on from the prior one? Are there any sentences that don’t seem necessary anymore? Is there anything missing from any paragraphs? At this stage of proofreading it’s helpful not only to look at what has been written but also how it has been written; check whether certain words are used too often within a paragraph (if so they become boring) or whether one particular sentence could be improved upon by being simplified or rephrased into something cleverer-sounding without losing meaning (e.g., “John Smith was born on February 12th 1980” vs “February 12th 1980 was John Smith’s date of birth”).

Conclusion

Writing an essay is a skill that you can learn. If you’re a student, then it’s more than likely that you will be writing many essays during your academic career. The tips above will help you to write better essays and give yourself the best chance of success.

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Productivity

5 Group Study Tips for Students

5 Group Study Tips for Students

Productivity
5 Group Study Tips for Students

Introduction

As a student, you know that studying alone can be a lonely experience. You’re constantly thinking about all the things you’ve already read or written and trying to figure out what else needs to be done. It’s no wonder that many students choose to study in groups – it’s much more fun than sitting at home alone! But if you want your study group to be effective, it will require some careful planning on everyone’s part.

Be clear about what you want 

It’s not enough to simply gather your study group members and expect them to contribute equally. You need to make sure that everyone knows what their goals are for the group, and how they will contribute towards those goals.

Each member of your study group should be clear about his or her own personal goals and how they relate to the rest of the members’ goals in order for everyone to make a meaningful contribution towards achieving those goals together. If someone is unable to do this, it might be better for that person not to be part of the study group at all (or at least until he or she has been able to clarify his or her own intentions).

Communicate goals clearly

The most important thing to do when forming a group is to communicate your goals clearly. Before you start the group, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this group?”, “How will I learn from this group?” and “How can I help others in my group?”

If you are working on a paper together, then it would be helpful to let everyone know ahead of time what kind of topics or arguments they should bring up during meetings. This way everyone knows what’s expected and it won’t feel like every meeting has been disappointing because someone didn’t contribute enough information.

You don’t want one person being responsible for leading every single discussion and topic because that wouldn’t be fair—and it could lead them feeling overwhelmed or stressed out if they have other things going on as well! In addition to sharing leadership duties equally among all members, encourage everyone in your study groups by keeping track of who contributed what ideas, so each member feels valued no matter how much work they put into their projects (or not).

Don’t rely on other people to keep you accountable

As much as we’d like to think that other people will keep us accountable, they can’t. The only person who can make sure you’re doing your work is you. If you’re going to be successful at studying in a group setting, it’s vital that you have a plan in place to ensure that the work gets done and nothing falls through the cracks. This may mean setting up rewards for yourself if your group does well or punishments for those who don’t follow through on their responsibilities (and yes, these should be implemented no matter how much fun everyone is having). It’s also crucial that each member of the group has specific roles and responsibilities, so everyone knows exactly what needs to be accomplished by when.

If there are any questions about how best to go about accomplishing this goal, ask! There are plenty of resources online that offer tips specifically geared towards group study for example: Study Together

Think beyond the textbook

–   Think beyond the textbook.

–   Consider what you want to get out of the group. If it’s just a study group, then consider what you can offer and learn from each other. If it’s a learning community or something else entirely, think about how you can help each other learn and stay on track together.

–   Think about what each person brings to the table—both academically and personally—and how that might affect your interactions in a positive or negative way. For example, if there’s one person who always does most of the talking and another who doesn’t say much but always has insightful comments when he does speak up? Or if there are two people who are chronically late? Or are all three people punctual with good ideas for discussion topics?

Take breaks 

You might be surprised to hear this, but it’s OK to take breaks. You don’t have to feel guilty about it or like you’re not being productive when you do. Everyone needs a break every now and then—even if they’re working hard on something else, too.

Take a walk, go for a run, or do some other activity that will help boost your energy level and give your brain time off (who said studying had to be all work?). If possible, try taking breaks every hour or so (like going outside for 5 minutes), as this will help prevent burnout during study sessions in the long run!

Working with others 

Working with others can help you learn faster and more effectively, if you use the right tactics for your goals.

–   Working together on a group project can help students learn the material better than they would have working alone. This is because they must discuss the information, analyse it further and clarify concepts in order to make sure everyone understands.

–   Students who share their views on a topic are also likely to remember that material after class ends, which is why it’s important for them to give feedback on what they heard from other speakers as well as from their peers’ work.

–   When students get used to working in groups or study groups for long periods of time (like during finals), it’s easier for them to recall knowledge gained earlier in class or during previous lectures or discussions

Conclusion

We hope that these tips help you and your study group to be more productive! Remember that it’s ok to not be productive all the time, so don’t beat yourself up too much. If you need some extra help with your assignments or just want some general study tips, ask around on campus or check out our blog post on studying with friends. Good luck!

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Writing

Guidelines for a Research Proposal

Guidelines for a Research Proposal

Writing
Guidelines for a Research Proposal

Learn complete guidelines for a research proposal that helps you to get better academic grades.

A research proposal is a formal proposal that you write and present when applying for a research grant, fellowship or another type of funding. Your research proposal may be a part of your thesis or dissertation, submitted in advance of your candidature.

In the context of an academic application, the term “research” can be defined as: “the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.”

Abstract

It provides an overview of the proposal and lists its main components such as research questions, methodology, etc.

The abstract is a brief summary of the research proposal. It is the introduction to your proposal and should be no longer than one page. The abstract should be written in a way that it is easy to read and understand. The structure of an excellent abstract includes:

– A clear title

– An introduction paragraph that provides background information about your topic, including why it’s important and what you hope to learn from doing this study or experiment

– A summary of your main points (usually at least three)

You may also want to consider including some additional content such as: introductory information about yourself as well as any co-investigators; any relevant literature review or literature citations; results of previous studies on similar topics; etc., depending on what is appropriate for your research proposal format.

Context

It sets the scene by providing background information and a rationale for your project. This section must explain why this research needs to be conducted.

The Context section will set the scene by providing background information and a rationale for your project. This section must explain why this research needs to be conducted.

The first paragraph of this section should begin with ‘The importance of context…’ This statement is followed by a brief overview of existing research in the field, which serves as an introduction to your own work. You can also include information about other work being carried out in similar areas (including both published and unpublished).

Research question(s)

It provides a concise statement reflecting what you intend to investigate and the outcomes you hope to achieve. It should be clear and concise, with no ambiguity.

How do we know if our research question is a good one?

Research questions must be specific. In other words, they should be focused on a particular issue or problem, with no ambiguity. They must also be answerable so that there is something concrete that you can find out by doing your research project. A good research question has all five characteristics of being clear (or unambiguous), focused on how you will obtain the results needed to address your topic of interest, testable in terms of its validity and reliability over time, measurable in some way (quantitative or qualitative), and testable in terms of its potential practical applications/implications for society (if applicable).

Research methodology or design

It outlines the approach you will take to answer the research question, giving details about the study participants, materials and procedures used in your investigation.

Research design refers to the approach you will take to answer your research question, giving details about the study participants, materials and procedures used in your investigation.

It’s important that you explain your research design in sufficient detail so that it can be replicated by others who want to conduct similar work. You should also provide enough information for readers of your proposal to understand exactly how you will carry out your work. This might mean including:

– Theoretical framework – this is used as a conceptual model of how things are related (ie how they interact) and may include other variables that influence outcomes

– Research questions or hypotheses – these describe what you expect to find

– Sample characteristics – age group, gender mix etc; if applicable

– Measures used – eg questionnaires/interviews

Ethical considerations

It explains how you will address ethical issues, such as confidentiality and benefits/risks to participants.

The following are some of the most important ethical considerations you need to address in your research proposal:

– Consent: You must obtain written consent from all participants who take part in your study. It’s also important to ensure that participants understand what they’re being asked to do, why they’re being asked to do it, who is conducting the study and what their rights are as a participant (including how long they can withdraw from the study if they change their minds). To help make sure your consent form is clear and easy for people to understand, ask an ethics committee member or someone with expertise in writing these kinds of documents for help.

– Privacy policy: You should have an explicit privacy policy so that people know how you plan on using their information – whether it be personal information from questionnaires or recordings made during interviews – if any such material will be stored electronically or physically at all; whether data collected during this research project will be stored indefinitely or destroyed once analysis is complete; any other circumstances under which identifying information might be released without participant consent such as through court orders or subpoenas (Note: this may vary based on where you live).

Literature review

It should provide evidence that you have familiarised yourself with previous work done on your topic of interest. It demonstrates that your proposed project is not simply a repetition of existing research but that you have identified a gap in knowledge that needs to be addressed (or an area where current research is incomplete).

As a first step in writing a research proposal, it is important to familiarise yourself with the existing literature on your proposed topic. If you are unfamiliar with the literature in your area of interest, you can use databases such as Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) or JSTOR (www.jstor.org). Searching these databases will enable you to identify previous studies conducted on similar topics that may be useful in informing your own research design and methods.

The literature review should be an objective summary of previous work in the field and not a repetition of it. It should explain why this work was done, what methods were used and what results were obtained from each study cited by providing references to all papers cited at least once in the document, including any published abstracts or dissertations/theses where relevant; if some sources are not available online then photocopies or digital copies must be provided for examination by experts at UQ who will assess their relevance before granting access rights – this applies particularly when citing unpublished manuscripts which may only exist as hard copy printouts rather than electronic files stored on computer disks/drives etc..

It is generally preferable that authors avoid citing multiple sources from one article because this makes it difficult for readers who want to find out more about specific aspects of research reported within this paper – instead try citing different parts of reports separately so readers can access them easily;

Conclusion

A good research proposal should be clear, concise and well-organised, with no ambiguity. It should be based on strong evidence that you have done your homework on the subject matter. It’s a good idea to have a colleague or supervisor review it before submitting it for consideration.

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Productivity

Importance of Referencing in Writing

Importance of Referencing in Writing

Productivity
Importance of Referencing in Writing

If you are an academic writer, then you know how important referencing is. In this article, we will explore the importance of referencing in writing and look at some practical examples of how to use it in your own writing.

What Is Referencing in Academic Writing

Referencing is a way of giving credit to the original source of information. It is a way of acknowledging that you have used someone else’s work in your own writing, while also ensuring that readers are aware of this fact. This helps to ensure that your reader can trust that what you write has been researched properly and accurately, as well as helping them to compare your sources with other relevant work on the topic.

You may also use the term referencing to describe the process of checking your own work against that of other authors, ensuring that you have not plagiarised any material or misinterpreted facts or figures (see our page on plagiarism).

The Importance of Referencing in Writing

In academic writing, citing the work of others is a key component to making your point. Citing other people’s work helps you acknowledge their contribution to the field and encourages readers to read more by giving them useful resources. Referencing also allows your reader to understand what you are saying and how it fits into the bigger picture.

However, referencing is not just about providing credit; it also has a secondary function: avoiding plagiarism. If you do not cite another person’s work, then there is nothing stopping someone from copying it without attribution or permission from that author or publisher. This can be very harmful for both parties involved in academia because if one party were found guilty of plagiarism, they could face serious consequences that could affect their career moving forward such as suspension or expulsion from school or professional organizations like The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

The importance of referencing really cannot be overstated when it comes down to being able to properly convey ideas related specifically within academic disciplines (think science), but also those outside these areas too such as literature studies where referencing plays an even greater role since they’re often based on previous authors’ research findings rather than experiential knowledge which makes knowing who did what research first crucial when trying figure out what direction their own works should take.”

Types Of References You Can Use

You can use a variety of reference styles to support your academic writing.

– Reference: This style is commonly used in the sciences, where it is essential that readers are able to find the original source of information. It’s also useful when you want to give credit to people who have influenced your work; this type of reference allows anyone reading your paper (including future researchers) access to the full text if they want to check it out themselves!

– Citation: If you’re writing about something that involves facts, like a story or a scientific study, then citation will be helpful for referencing sources as well as providing data and evidence for things like hypotheses and theories about how things work. Summarizing what other writers have said on an issue without quoting them directly does not require citation; however, paraphrasing (presenting an idea from another writer’s work but using different words) does need citations! Paraphrasing should always be accompanied by references so that readers can see where ideas came from originally without having access

Why Academic Writers Use References

Academic writers use references to acknowledge the work of other scholars, provide evidence for their own arguments, and avoid plagiarism. If you are referencing an idea or quote from a source, it’s important that you give credit where it is due. By citing sources, you can demonstrate how you came to your own conclusions or ideas and show that they are not just yours!

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, referencing is an integral part of academic writing. It’s not just about avoiding plagiarism; it’s about showing that you understand what you are writing and can support your claims with evidence. Think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and research skills to your reader and make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Referencing is super important

Referencing is an essential part of academic writing. It allows you to acknowledge the sources that have helped you write your work, and it reduces plagiarism which is stealing other people’s ideas or words and passing them off as your own. But how do you know if you’ve used references correctly? And what counts as a reference? What should be included in a citation? At this point, we’re going to assume that you know what referencing is (if not, read the below section). In this section, we’ll explain how to use citations properly so that they don’t undermine the credibility of your work or lead readers astray.

When using citations in their most basic form, make sure that each citation includes:

– The author’s name (the creator)

– An abbreviated title of the item being referenced

– A page number or range of pages where appropriate

Conclusion

The bottom line is that referencing is essential in academic writing. If you don’t know how to reference properly, then your work will look sloppy and unprofessional. It also makes it harder for others to understand what you mean because they may not be familiar with your sources or their context. So, make sure that all the information in your papers contains references that are relevant and useful!

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