Friday, 2 January 2015

Working Smarter: Efficiency Tips For Busy Academics

Take time to plan
If you’ve ever sat through an endless meeting with no agenda then you know how much time can be wasted by lack of direction. Plans help you to identify your priorities and strategize your workflow.

For example, once you know how important it is to have good research summaries you can ensure that you devote time to active note-taking from the start, aware that this initial delay can save weeks of your time down the track.

Use portable technologies to make use of dead time
This way transit time and those short breaks between meetings becomes reading (bus), or even writing time (on a train). If you’re driving you can also play previously downloaded podcasts.


Learn how to say no.
Service offers its own rewards nevertheless when people ask you to do something stall your answer. You can make your interest clear, but express a need to check your calendar first. Give yourself time to think whether you really need to do this. Contribution is no doubt essential to your success on many levels, but also consider whether poorly achieved multi-tasking, or a more focused effort will make you more promotable in the long run?

Delegate.
Automate repetitive tasks and don’t waste your valuable time doing something that others can do better, or cheaper. Virtual assistants are plentiful, efficient and relatively cheap. It might well be worth your while to hire one for research, or email correspondence. Consider outsourcing marking and where possible work with colleagues to multi-author more publications per annum.

Use tools to help manage your priorities
Emails can seem urgent. Engaging with them can offer a quick sense of achievement, or completion. This is a low-priority achievement however that can also compromise your ability to achieve more important long-term goals like research and publication. Find tools like to-do lists, calendar reminders, academic support forums to help highlight the priority of those less immediate, but often more important rewards.

Centralize all your information and make sure you have a backup.
Cloud technologies now make this possible so that you don’t have to waste time losing files and searching between devices. Using them, like any upgrade to more efficient, quicker technologies, is highly recommended. Similar tools, such as the laboratory information management system (LIMS) can streamline project data storage for a whole team.

Procrastinate productively
Have three tasks on hand for those days when your to-do list makes you anxious, such as the task of starting a new journal article. If you find yourself procrastinating aim for just 10 minutes on the article, then work on the other tasks so that your time is productive nevertheless. Also be aware that aiming to write anything and improving your ideas over time is more productive than aiming to create perfection from scratch.

Source: enago

How to Write Up Your Research Plan?

BE PERSUASIVE
Lots of people seek research funds. Why is your project important, even for those who are more interested in other projects?

- Your ideas must be your own and they must have substance.
- To be convincing you need to tell a specific, detailed and authoritative story. Don’t just say you want to eradicate world hunger, for example, but identify a particular focus such as the development of non-toxic pest and disease management strategies in order to encourage local, organic farming. Provide evidence to remind your reader why this issue is important for everybody, not just academics, and why it needs attention now.


What you want to inspire is a solid, believable vision of the wide-reaching impact of your research. Be careful however, as unsubstantiated hype will damage your credibility. Write well, but rely on the persuasive power of logic and evidence.

ENGAGE YOUR READER
- Include a clear and concise overview summary at the start to help orientate your reader.
- Focus on the project rather than yourself
- If you can’t write well get an editor.
- You must avoid obvious mistakes like typing errors.
- Your layout must be clear and include appealing images.

INSPIRE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR RESEARCH
- Gain feedback from colleagues to ensure that both your goals and your methodology are achievable.
- Your ability to achieve these goals will be more convincing if you can also show that you already have some authority in the field. Beyond publications and some independence in your research track record this includes knowledge of the current state of the field and the inclusion of preliminary data that supports your thesis.
- Show that you have all bases covered by including alternative, back up approaches that you can call upon if your research fails to achieve the results that you expect.

Your plan will need to be at least 3 pages long, including references. Some disciplines recommend longer, up to 12 pages if you include related sub-proposals for alternate research strategies. Research your disciplinary requirements and tailor your proposal accordingly.

Source: enago

Thursday, 11 December 2014

Tips for writing a research paper


Source: research4life

Is Organic Really Better?

Yes, it is. And now we have the science to prove it.

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that organic crops have higher concentrations of antioxidants, lower levels of cadmium and nitrates and fewer pesticide residues than non-organic crops.

The study, by an international team led by Britain’s Newcastle University, analyzed an unprecedented 343 peer-reviewed research papers documenting nutritional benefits of organic grains, fruits and vegetables. It is the most extensive largest analysis of its kind.


What do the findings mean for consumers? Besides containing fewer agricultural chemicals, organic food is more nutritious.

The study concluded that switching to an organic diet would provide a 20 to 40 percent increase in antioxidant and poly phenol consumption, which is the authors conclude is equivalent to eating an extra one or two servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Antioxidants and polyphenols are known to help prevent diseases triggered by oxidative-damage like coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Organic foods had roughly half the amount of cadmium as conventionally grown crops, according to the study. Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal contaminant that has been linked to kidney failure, bone softening, liver failure, and lung cancer.

The study concluded that conventional crops were three to four times more likely to have pesticide residue than organic crops. Pesticide exposure has been linked to birth defects, nerve damage and some cancers. Synthetic pesticides are not allowed on organic foods.

The study makes clear that organic foods are more nutritious.  More research is essential to explore fully their potential health benefits.

Source: Environmental Working Group

Tuesday, 25 November 2014

E conference - Some Important Perspectives to be Considered

Texila e conference is a multi-disciplinary annual research conference that attracts the highest quality research on a wide variety of important current and emerging policy and management issues.

It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that their submissions adhere strictly to the required format. Submissions that do not comply with the above guidelines may be rejected without review.

Submissions must represent new and original work. Concurrent submissions are not allowed. When selecting chairs and discussants, please make sure they know they will be required to pay a registration fee to participate in the conference.



For basic, clinical, translational & epidemiologic research related to any relevant fields, you may register in the website. (Terms & Conditions Apply).

Texila e conference is a great opportunity for the scholars to get recognized in the relevant field. It is to be noted that the proposals or the research papers submitted for inclusion in the conference will exemplify a range of perspectives and methodologies and include a diverse range of participants with respect to affiliation.

No panel should include more than one presenting author with the same affiliation. Students can register only once for the conference and submit research papers for presentation.

Only the papers in the relevant format as described in the website will be accepted. Abstract should not be more than 250 words

Research in Food and Nutrition trade and find your ways to Success

Researches in food and nutrition areas include the case studies, research papers and article reviews related to the relevant field. Research in the field of interest and submit your researches for free, non-profit and science based e conference.

Research papers submitted may include the peer reviewed research covering all aspects of experimental nutrition and various sub disciplines of food science.


Research papers will be evaluated by the panel of eminent panel of judges from all over the world. It is to be noted that Open International Journals and Open Forums will be available to the participants.

Texila Conference encourages every research scholar, professors, faculty members and research students to publish their research papers.

The main conference program will have different areas (or themes) for referred paper presentations, and we invite you to submit your cutting-edge, exciting, new breakthrough work to the relevant area via online from any part of the world.

Things to consider:

  • Submitted papers should be in English
  • Should contain author name, affiliations and other details
  • Should be formatted according to the prescribed format mentioned in the website
  • Should be in PDF format
  • Abstract should be very clear and not more than 250 words

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Paving way to Publish Your Research

We are here to make your dream come true!

Political Sciences are the sciences that are related to everyday politics concerned with the study of the state, nation, government, and politics and policies of government. 

If you are launching to submit your researches in the field of political sciences and then wait not, register with us at the earliest and submit your researches with ease. 



Compete with the scholars or researchers from over 25 countries that include India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe and a lot more. Several researches that are related to public law, democratic theory, French politics, democratic theory, German Politics and theory, social quality, Italian politics and a lot more can be submitted to the e conference.

Researchers who want to take part in the virtual conference from any part of the world can be a part of the event.

Fane is just a click away from you!!

The format of the research paper will be in the prescribed format as provided in the website. All the accepted researches will be published in the South American Journals and other International Juices for free.

It would be an added advantage for the students or researchers from all over the world whoever participates in the virtual conference or the e conference.