Are You A Born Proofreader? Questions, Tools and the Online Flood of Words: Part I

THE CASE OF THE PROOFREADER'S CURSE

Before you leave the house, do you double and triple check lights, stove top knobs, and door locks, over and over, while everyone sits in the car waiting? Before you send an e-mail, do you re-read it six times to make sure it's perfect in every way - no typo's, no texting shortcuts - you even check your emoticons! When you were in college, did you experience a steady stream of fellow students requesting that you 'look at' their papers and 'make any changes you'd like' - (translation = fix the paper, edit it, make it better!) If you plead guilty to any of the above 'crimes of compulsive obsession', then you'd probably make an excellent online proofreader or editor.

With the deluge of words flooding onto the web, there is a lot of editing and proofreading work that needs to get done. You could be the one to do it, and earn good money in the process. This article will identify some of the tools and talents of the trade, and highlight some specifics of the ongoing flood of online materials that may benefit from your editor's eye.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

A proofreader's job is to find those mistakes that everyone else missed - whether these errors be spelling, mechanics, punctuation, or grammar usage. Proofreaders, AKA - 'daring document delvers' are experts in, and derive a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from, finding and correcting others' writing omissions and mistakes.

A PROOFREADER'S TOOL BOX

Now, before you go off to become the answer to every writer's dream, and before you can begin to earn money - (let's not forget why you're reading this!) - keep in mind the wisdom of the expression: "Prior preparation prevents poor performance." First you need to arm yourself with a few tools of the trade.

Start with the Proofreader's Bibles. There are two recognized versions. The Modern Language Association's Writing Style Handbook and the American Psychological Association's Handbook are essential tools for proofreading any type of formal paper, such as a thesis or term paper.

I highly recommend two inexpensive, user-friendly, simplified guides - MLA: THE EASY WAY and APA: THE EASY WAY, both by Peggy and Timothy Houghton. To maximize your marketable skills, you'll need to master both formats and styles, depending upon your clients' needs.

I also find the Quick Study APA/MLA Guidelines helpful. It's a four-page, double-sided laminated 'cheat sheet' that highlights the most common features of both the MLA and APA formats.

MS WORD REIGNS!

SO... Do whatever you need to do - take a course, find an on-line tutorial, invest in a book - to become as proficient as possible with this indispensable tool.

The more adept you become at using MS Word, the more efficient you'll be - i.e., the more money you'll make!

In particular, become best friends with MS Word's Spell Check and Grammar Check. You'll be pleasantly surprised to learn the powerful editing features built into this program. Become proficient at them all, including:

• page layout,
• use and control of styles,
• citation insertion,
• footnote formatting,
• setting up a Bibliography
• tagging headings and subheadings to create a Table of Contents,
• inserting graphs, tables, charts and images,
• inserting headers and footers,
• editing markups,
• and so much more.

GRAMMAR/USAGE MANUALS

It is deplorable to see and to hear how allegedly educated people slaughter the English language, both in their writing and their speech. We see and hear it daily, in newspapers, magazines, on the nightly news, and on talk shows. As Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" so disdainfully claimed, "Why, in America, they haven't spoken it (the English language) for years!"

Again, there is a plethora of tools available to you as a proofreader. For starters, I would recommend The McGraw Hill Handbook of English Grammar and Usage, or Handbook of English Grammar, Style and Writing, published by the Research and Education Association.

And again, you might want to keep handy copies of two Quick Study Guides - English Grammar and Punctuation and Common Misspelled and Confused Words.

So... you've been using MS Word for years, in college and grad school you slept with the MLA and APA manuals under your pillow, and you're smarter than a 5th grader when it comes to ferreting out mechanical errors in language usage. Then most of the hard work is already done! Go ahead and prove it by proofing!

Now that you're ready to become the web's pre-eminent proofreader, let's explore all the opportunities waiting for you to begin earning cash for your expertise with an online proofreading job. Part II will unlock the myriad needs for proofreader services, and here's where you begin your work!

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Authoring a Research Paper

We are all aware that authoring a scholarly paper like research paper is a tedious process that requires not only amount of time but full effort as well. What many people don't know is that writing this kind of paper is actually a fulfilling experience for this learning experience makes the students acquainted with the various techniques of researching and also to further enhance writing abilities.

A research paper represents an individual's own perceptions and how a person comprehends a certain topic. This is the mere reason why it is very necessary for the writer to do an extensive study and research prior to proceeding with the actual writing process.

In order to come up with an excellent literary piece that deserves recognition, one has to be very careful when it comes to choosing a topic to be discussed. Once you already have decided which topic to pick, the next thing you want to do is to research whatever information associated with the chosen topic, try to collect as many data, real life experiences and good information that could help you support your statements. Once all information you want have been gathered, collation should be performed.

Before starting writing your research paper, it is highly advised to prepare an outline by organizing and rewriting the most essential and relevant viewpoints. Outline or the so called "rough draft" is very important for this will guide you throughout your writing process, and this is the reason why it is needed for you to identify your desired organization of your research paper. In short, the main purpose of outline is to plan your research paper and think sensibly about the statements that you will be jotting down before actually writing them.

Once you have prepared a well-planned outline, go back with the collected information and organize them focusing on the essential points that could strongly support your statements. Jot down all the important details for each part of your research paper. Evaluate your paper meticulously and make sure that you have included all the vital points. Also make sure that you have recorded all the sources you used to make citation writing easier later on. Proofread your document in order to make sure that your text is also free from grammatical and spelling errors.

To make the presentation more professional, you can create a title page and table of contents. Before submitting the research paper that you have written carefully, reviewing a research paper and any kind of scholarly document starting from the very first page to the last one is highly advised and considered very important. Check every chapter and section of your research paper especially the bibliography, because this is the part where mistakes are usually found. Although some may find a writing guide a bit confusing it is still recommended for you to do so for it really helps. If these handbooks don't really work for you, you can consult the internet and experienced professionals for authoring an impressive research document.

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Term Paper With an Introduction

There is no way in which a term paper or even any other type of serious academic work can be done without providing an introduction of what is intended in the paper. This can normally be an introductory part of the whole term paper or it may consist of the entire term paper. While the entire term paper will relate on the introduction, the body and the conclusion, this paper under discussion will only talk of the introduction.

A lot of academic papers will call for an introduction. What you ought to know is that a paper with a very good introduction will be taken as one of the best terms papers in that curriculum. Whether you are writing an essay or a term paper, you should become conscious of the fact that most teachers and even readers will generally look at the introduction to determine the type of material that is found in the body of your paper. Therefore, your introduction should be clear and precise. It should be written in an unambiguous language.

The introduction has a dual purpose. The first aim of every introduction will be to herald to the readers that something serious which has to be dealt with properly in the body of the term paper. Secondly, the introduction will serve as an attention grabber to the readers. This is what will hold their attention and urge them to wanting to read from page to page. Through the introduction your readers should be eager to know what is to come in the body of your term paper.

When writing the introduction of your term paper, your first consideration should be based on your readers. You should of course know that the first reader is the writer. Therefore, as you write any part of the introduction, you should take out yourself as the writer and read over what you have written. You should be detached and objective in your own writing. If you think you are not, you should get someone else to do the appraisal for you. In your introduction, you should always think of what the readers know about what you intend to write about. What is it that they should be told; how should you make this known to them; is there a probability that they will be aggressive towards your manner of approach; will this introduction be able to hook their attention right to the end of the whole paper?

Term paper with an introduction should be specifically revised for object and purpose. Dwelling only on the introduction is not an easy task. Along the lines, you may sway from the introductory materials and bring in what ought to be found only in the body or in the conclusion. Your main concern should be to make certain that your materials are only introductory and that your readers have been adequately considered.

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Term Paper With an Introduction

There is no way in which a term paper or even any other type of serious academic work can be done without providing an introduction of what is intended in the paper. This can normally be an introductory part of the whole term paper or it may consist of the entire term paper. While the entire term paper will relate on the introduction, the body and the conclusion, this paper under discussion will only talk of the introduction.

A lot of academic papers will call for an introduction. What you ought to know is that a paper with a very good introduction will be taken as one of the best terms papers in that curriculum. Whether you are writing an essay or a term paper, you should become conscious of the fact that most teachers and even readers will generally look at the introduction to determine the type of material that is found in the body of your paper. Therefore, your introduction should be clear and precise. It should be written in an unambiguous language.

The introduction has a dual purpose. The first aim of every introduction will be to herald to the readers that something serious which has to be dealt with properly in the body of the term paper. Secondly, the introduction will serve as an attention grabber to the readers. This is what will hold their attention and urge them to wanting to read from page to page. Through the introduction your readers should be eager to know what is to come in the body of your term paper.

When writing the introduction of your term paper, your first consideration should be based on your readers. You should of course know that the first reader is the writer. Therefore, as you write any part of the introduction, you should take out yourself as the writer and read over what you have written. You should be detached and objective in your own writing. If you think you are not, you should get someone else to do the appraisal for you. In your introduction, you should always think of what the readers know about what you intend to write about. What is it that they should be told; how should you make this known to them; is there a probability that they will be aggressive towards your manner of approach; will this introduction be able to hook their attention right to the end of the whole paper?

Term paper with an introduction should be specifically revised for object and purpose. Dwelling only on the introduction is not an easy task. Along the lines, you may sway from the introductory materials and bring in what ought to be found only in the body or in the conclusion. Your main concern should be to make certain that your materials are only introductory and that your readers have been adequately considered.

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Prepping Your Computer to Participate in Online Paid Survey Research

Paid Survey Research has many rewards. You can provide your opinion to companies, and manufactures thereby contributing to the shaping of future services and products affecting the public at large. A great reason in lending your opinion is that you can be compensated to do so. One of the easiest ways to participate in this kind of research is through online research. You can participate in online surveys from a computer, tablet, smartphone, webcam etc. There is barely a limit to the methods that can be used for survey research.

If you are interested in participating in paid survey research, then there are a few things that could be done to prepare for it.

Prepping your Computer for Survey Participation

As with anything involving computers, you already know it can have plenty of issues, and bugs which can interrupt progress. We've all had that enraging experience of being in the middle of a paper, and then suddenly MS Word crashes... and to think it you had clicked on the save button, your work would be gone forever. So in this example, by not saving often, you've ended up wasting a good amount of time.

Similarly, if your survey "crashes", a good amount of the time you will not be compensated for it.

During a survey, the following can happen:

• System Crash,
• Unexpected Power off,
• "Server not found" error,
• Other errors in general,
• Not saving information correctly, etc..

This list can go on and on. Below is a list of things the user can do to minimize effort and time loss due to being less than prepared.

Prepare your computer by doing the following tasks:

1. - Use a windows computer if possible to prevent OS incompatibility issues.
2. - Use Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox. (For Maximum Browser Compatibility)
3. - Keep your Internet Browser updated to latest release.
4. - Install and update Java, and Flash software frequently.
5. - Use a password application like 1password, or RoboForm.
6. - Setting up a separate email account for survey offers
7. - Bookmark all survey accounts for easy access in your browser.

Other good ideas include:

• - Doing 1 survey at a time.
• - Taking your time during surveys.
• - Reading each question thoroughly, and make thoughtful choices.
• - If you have an error after a completed survey, take a snapshot of the error and contact customer service with the study number.
• - Stay positive. Being positive keeps you consistent, and being consistent earns you more at the end of the day.

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Free Computer Software For Back To School Students

The time to go back to school is fast approaching and as all parents of school age children are aware, it can be frightfully expensive. With books to buy, new laptops, it seems that there is no end to the expense for the college age student. The freshmen will find they are required to create quite a few term papers, occasionally prepare PowerPoint presentations. The most well known applications that perform these functions are quite expensive. Fortunately, there are a few ways to ease the burden somewhat.

If your student is enrolled in the classes with heavy usage of a computer, be it laptop or desktop, there is quite a bit of software that is available at little to no cost. I have done some research into this area and would like to share my findings with you.

Free Office Type Software
The Microsoft Office Home and Student version has a retail price of $149. The full version of Office is much, much more. There is an even better option than the $149 Home and Student version. The Open Office Productivity Suite software package is free and can be downloaded to your computer. It was designed to completely replicate MS Office and does a great job of it.

Another option would be to utilize Google Documents. This is an on-line application that will allow you to create and access documents from anywhere you have online access. Zoho Writer is another free option that will perform the word processing function.

For those involved in graphics, Adobe Photoshop is the state of the art software to use here. It comes at the steep price of $650. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a stripped down version that can be found for around $100. However, the freebie Paint.net cannot be beat for image editing, but it is Windows only. Mac users can get in on the free software using GIMP. While the name may not be politically correct, it will perform all of the functions of Photoshop. Linux and Windows users can also utilize GIMP.

Free Graphics Software
There is no cheap software of much use available for those involved in graphic design. Adobe is the absolute best and again, it is in the $600 range. Don't despair, once again there is free software that will fill the gap and won't break the budget. Inscape, Raven and KompoZer will all perform in the graphics area and at no cost to you.

Free Antivirus and Spyware Protection Software
Even the protection software that protects you against virus attacks, Spyware can be found at no cost. I use Spybot Search and Destroy to protect against spyware attacks. Antivirus software that is free is AVG, avast!, Malwarebytes Antimalware are available free.

To find a download link to any of the free packages mentioned above, use your BFF (Best Friend Forever) Google to search for the link. Happy Hunting and take advantage of the savings coming from these free computer software packages. They are safe and available.

My name is Rick Blackmon and a retired computer engineer. I have researched the internet to get material about the Free computer software mentioned in this article. I reviewed several articles in the Houston Chronicle for more information. The article was written in its entirety by me. Please contact me if you have any questions, using the contact information on my websites in the links above.

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Are You Searching For Controversial Research Paper Topics?

But you might not be able to sort through so many topics to find one which is the best for you. If you have to write a term paper on notorious topics then here is how you go about it:

o Find out several recent or old litigious topics. Take your time to sort through several current as well as old newspapers, magazines, journals, news portals, research articles, critics and online sources for research purposes.

o Try to find a topic which is relevant to the current time. But it's not really necessary to have something which is in the news right now! Try to find a topic like the American involvement in the Gulf war. Not really current but still a hot topic of debate.

o Do the research completely. You might have to sort through several different sites. Please do take the time to find both sides of the conversations. If you have to present the topic is front of an audience then you should be prepared to know the oppositions view point as well as the justifications for your stand. If the topic you've selected is local then do interview the local people interviewed. But take the extra effort of getting in touch with the big players involved in the topic you are researching. With email making things so accessible, drop a mail to leading people involved in the issue you were debating on and you should get a reply.

o Research all current and archived information on the subject before you ask for comments from the leading players. Prepare an outline of all of the latest information with the archived information in an outline so that you can understand the flow of events. This can even act as the tentative outline for your thesis presentation.

o Read everything you have written and then immediately jot down points or ideas as they come to your mind. Please do put in personal thoughts and opinions too.

o Once you've understood the topics and your points on it write it down in your own words. The whole point of the exercise is that the professor wants your opinion on the essay. He also wants to know your viewpoint and how you formulate your arguments to discuss it. Do not add conjecture and gossip to your essays as you will not have proof to back it up. Show clearly, logically and concisely how you reached the conclusion you have presented in your paper.

Most professors may also want to look at your tentative controversial research paper topics list before you start. Please select a specific format, bibliography and reference source for your essay. Best of luck on your presentation!

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