paper hack essay

14 Essay Hacks That Will Make Writing an Essay a Breeze

Essay hacks can make the process of writing a great essay just that little bit easier.

Here are some tried-and-tested tricks and hacks that will help you write a grade-A paper.

14 Brilliant Essay Hacks

1) use wikipedia… but smartly.

Our online essay editors will be quick to tell you that Wikipedia isn’t exactly the most reliable or credible source for essay material. However, if you’re a bit smart about it, you can use Wikipedia to get great results.

The hack is to use Wikipedia to find useful sources as opposed to citing it as a source in itself.

Let’s say you’re writing an essay on Kant’s Theory of Freedom. Simply perform a search on the Philosophy of Freedom on Wikipedia and scroll down to the bottom. You’ll be presented with a ton of relevant sources you can then target in your research. Suddenly, finding useful sources became so much easier!

2) Use Google Scholar

Don’t use the standard Google browser for your academic work and essays; use Google Scholar instead.

Google Scholar is an index of scholarly and peer-reviewed publications. By using the Google Scholar search engine, you limit the search results to academic works and, as such, avoid reams of irrelevant or unreliable sources.

Unfortunately, many of the articles that are indexed on Google Scholar are not free to access; however, it can help you find the titles of articles and papers that will be useful for your essay, and you can subsequently look them up in your university library.

3) Conduct Backward Searches

So now you’ve got with the program and are using Google Scholar instead of the standard Google search engine, you can exploit this essay hack to its maximum potential by using the backward search function.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay on the theme of time in Romeo and Juliet.

Simply perform a search on the topic of interest, “theme of time in Romeo and Juliet,” and you’ll be presented with a list of clickable links you can reference to find content and articles that have cited that source.

This provides a really useful way of finding sources that have been used for similar research purposes to your own, which can be useful for two main reasons. First, it can help you find additional information sources. Second, it can give you confidence that a given source is relevant to your paper.

4) Use Google Scholar’s Cite Function

So, we’ve already established that Google Scholar is a great search engine for finding useful information sources for your paper. But did you know you can also use it to help you compile your bibliography?

Simply click on the cite button (currently denoted by double quotation marks) that appears below the listing you want to add to your bibliography, and a new window will open with a range of citation options.

Choose the style guide you wish to follow, and the correct citation format will be generated for you. You can then copy and paste this into your reference page.

5) Manage Your Time Using the Pomodoro Technique

Don’t attempt to write a full paper in one sitting. In addition to being incredibly mind-numbing, focusing on one task for a long time without taking a break will lead to poor output.

Set a timer for 25-minutes. Once that point is reached, take a five-minute break from your computer or reading to stretch your legs, get something to drink, use the bathroom, or fix yourself a snack.

After five minutes, get back to work for a further 25 minutes.

Rinse and repeat until your essay is finished.

6) Nail the Introduction

The introduction is quite possibly the most important paragraph in your entire essay.

If you get that right, you’ll be a long way toward your goal of writing a great essay.

For practical tips to help you master the fine art of the introduction, check out our guide to writing an introduction .

7) Remove Distractions

If you’re easily distracted by applications such as Facebook and Instagram, try using an app that will prevent you from accessing the sites you regularly waste time on so you can concentrate on your paper. ColdTurkey (for Windows) and SelfControl (for Mac) will block the websites you list so all distractions are automatically removed.

8) Nail the Thesis Statement

If you want to write an essay that impresses, make sure you write a succinct and compelling thesis statement. Check out our guide to writing a thesis statement for further information.

9) Work in the Cloud

There’s nothing worse than your computer breaking hours before a deadline or a power cut, meaning you suddenly lose all your work. Work in the cloud using applications such as Google Office Docs 365 or iCloud and you’ll never have to run the risk of suddenly losing all your work again. What’s more, using a mobile device, you can work from anywhere in the world at any time.

10) Make Zotero Your Best Friend

If you’re a student, Zotero could well be the best essay hack you’ll ever discover. You can use it as a Firefox plugin to find and store references or as a Word plugin that automatically interacts with all the information you have saved in Firefox to insert automatic citations in your paper at the click of button. Another click, and Zotero will even create your bibliography for you. Referencing and citations simply couldn’t get any easier.

11) Use Evernote to Keep Track of Things

If you’re writing a large essay or performing an extensive study for your dissertation or thesis, you can use Evernote to take ongoing notes, keep track of your diary, and store important articles that you may want to access at a later date. The app automatically updates on an ongoing basis, so everything you write will be stored in the cloud. What’s more, as Evernote automatically syncs the stored content across your devices, you can quickly and easily pick up where you left off, even if it’s on a different computer.

12) Avoid Meaningless Words

If you want to ensure your essay reads well and comes across as scholarly and succinct, make sure you avoid using meaningless words in your paper. Check out our guide to words you shouldn’t use in an essay .

13) Talk, Don’t Type

If your typing skills are not quite up to the mark, Dragon voice recognition software can help you to efficiently translate your thoughts into text. Simply dictate the words you want to use, and they will be translated into text-based language. Dragon can be particularly useful when you want to quickly and easily get your thoughts down in text form.

14) Ask Someone to Peer Edit Your Paper

When you have spent hours working on an essay, you may no longer be able to see the wood for the trees. That’s where peer editing can come in handy. Ask a friend or family member to peer edit your essay and he or she will be able to spot any errors you’ve missed, provide constructive feedback on how it can be improved, and even point out any areas you haven’t taken into consideration.

Got any useful essay hacks to share? Leave a comment and let us know.

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44 Most Powerful Essay Hacks To Write Great Essays Quickly

Declan Gessel

Mar 28, 2024

Essay hacks are like hidden treasures for students, offering invaluable shortcuts and proven strategies to ace your writing assignments. Good ways to start an essay should be at the top of your list. If you’re tired of staring at a blank page, then these hacks are perfect for you. Let’s dive into the world of essay hacks for good ways to start an essay with a bang.

Table of Contents

Why hacks are needed sometimes, the importance of writing an essay outline, how to effectively manage time when writing an essay, how to quickly learn about new topics for an essay, write smarter with jotbot — start writing for free today.

When I sit down to write an essay, I know that I have to put in a lot of hard work. But there are times when that effort just isn't enough. That's when I turn to my favorite essay hacks to help me out. Save yourself some time and effort by grabbing some writing hacks of your own. If you’re looking for some inspiration, Jotbot has plenty of useful tools to get you started.

Write smarter, not harder with Jotbot. Start writing for free with Jotbot today — sign in with Google and get started in seconds.

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1. Set Clear Goals

One of the most powerful essay hacks is setting clear goals before you start writing. This will guide your writing process and help you stay on track.

2. Create an Outline

Creating an outline before you start writing can save you a lot of time in the long run. It helps you organize your thoughts and ensures that your essay flows smoothly.

3. Use Reliable Sources

Using reliable sources to back up your arguments is crucial for writing a great essay. It adds credibility to your work and demonstrates that you've done your research.

4. Start with the Body

Starting with the body of your essay rather than the introduction can help you get your ideas on paper more quickly. You can always go back and write the introduction later.

5. Write Every Day

Developing a habit of writing every day can help you improve your writing skills and make writing essays easier and faster.

6. Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience can help you tailor your writing to their needs and preferences, making your essay more engaging and persuasive.

7. Use Active Voice

Using active voice in your writing makes your essay more dynamic and engaging. It also helps you write more concisely and clearly.

8. Avoid Passive Voice

Avoiding passive voice can help you write more clearly and effectively. It also makes your writing more engaging to read.

9. Use Transition Words

Using transition words can help your essay flow more smoothly and make it easier to follow. It also adds variety to your writing.

10. Proofread Carefully

Taking the time to proofread your essay carefully can help you catch errors and improve the overall quality of your writing.

11. Take Breaks

Taking breaks while writing can help you stay focused and avoid burnout. It can also help you come back to your writing with a fresh perspective.

12. Use Writing Prompts

Using writing prompts can help you overcome writer's block and generate new ideas for your essay.

13. Be Concise

Being concise in your writing can help you get your point across more clearly and effectively. It also makes your essay more engaging to read.

14. Use Simple Language

Using simple language in your writing can make your essay more accessible and engaging. It also makes your writing easier to understand.

15. Get Feedback

Getting feedback on your writing can help you identify areas for improvement and make your essay stronger.

16. Revise and Edit

Taking the time to revise and edit your essay can help you catch errors and improve the overall quality of your writing.

17. Use Examples

Using examples to illustrate your points can make your essay more persuasive and engaging. It also helps your readers understand your arguments more clearly.

18. Avoid Jargon

Avoiding jargon in your writing can help you reach a wider audience and make your essay more accessible.

19. Write Clearly

Writing clearly can help you get your point across more effectively and make your essay more engaging to read.

20. Be Consistent

Being consistent in your writing can help you create a cohesive essay that flows smoothly and makes sense.

21. Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help you communicate complex ideas more effectively and make your essay more engaging to read.

22. Be Specific

Being specific in your writing can help you make your points more clearly and persuasively.

23. Use Quotes

Using quotes from experts can add credibility to your arguments and make your essay more persuasive.

24. Avoid Plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism is crucial for writing a great essay. It's important to cite your sources properly and give credit where it's due.

25. Be Creative

Being creative in your writing can help you make your essay more engaging and memorable.

26. Stay Organized

Staying organized while writing can help you stay on track and make your essay more coherent and logical.

27. Use Headings

Using headings can help you organize your essay and make it easier to follow. It also makes your essay more visually appealing.

28. Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Writing a strong thesis statement can help you clarify your arguments and guide the rest of your essay.

29. Use Bullet Points

Using bullet points can help you organize your ideas more effectively and make your essay easier to read.

30. Use Lists

Using lists can help you break down complex ideas into smaller, more manageable chunks and make your essay easier to follow.

31. Write a Compelling Introduction

Writing a compelling introduction can help you grab your readers' attention and make them want to keep reading.

32. Write a Strong Conclusion

Writing a strong conclusion can help you tie up your essay and leave your readers with a lasting impression.

33. Use Keywords

Using keywords in your writing can help you optimize your essay for search engines and reach a wider audience.

34. Write in the Active Voice

Writing in an active voice can make your writing more dynamic and engaging. It also helps you write more concisely and clearly.

35. Use Strong Verbs

Using strong verbs in your writing can help you communicate your ideas more effectively and make your writing more engaging to read.

36. Be Confident

Being confident in your writing can help you convey your ideas more persuasively and make your essay more compelling.

37. Be Persuasive

Being persuasive in your writing can help you convince your readers of your arguments and make your essay more compelling.

38. Use Imagery

Using imagery in your writing can help you paint a vivid picture for your readers and make your essay more engaging.

39. Be Authentic

Being authentic in your writing can help you connect with your readers and make your essay more relatable.

40. Use Analogies

Using analogies can help you explain complex ideas more clearly and make your essay more engaging to read.

41. Write with Passion

Writing with passion can help you create a compelling essay that resonates with your readers.

42. Use Humor

Using humor in your writing can help you engage your readers and make your essay more memorable.

43. Be Emotive

Being emotive in your writing can help you connect with your readers on a deeper level and make your essay more impactful.

44. Be Open-Minded

Being open-minded in your writing can help you explore new ideas and perspectives and make your essay more engaging to read.

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Outlining is like using a map when you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place. It gives you a clear direction and helps you stay on track. When you create an outline for your essay, you organize your thoughts and ideas before you start writing. This helps you see the big picture and the small details, making it easier to write efficiently.

Outlining in Maintaining Focus and Direction

When you know where you’re going, it’s easier to get there. Outlining helps you stay focused. You won’t waste time writing off-topic paragraphs or going down a rabbit hole that leads nowhere. You can easily refer back to your outline to remind yourself what you’re writing about, which keeps you on track and on time.

Enhancing Essay Organization and Clarity

Outlines also help you organize your ideas logically. You can see how your different points relate to each other and decide on the best order for presenting them. This makes your essay easier to write and easier to read, which is a win-win situation. Plus, if you write a detailed outline, you can use it as a roadmap for your essay . All you have to do is fill in the blanks with sentences and paragraphs, and you’re good to go.

The Foundation for Effective Essay Structure

Writing an outline before you start writing your essay is like building a scaffold before you start putting up walls. It gives you structure and support when you need it most. Think of your outline as the blueprint for your essay. It helps you see the big picture and the small details, so you can write faster, better, and smarter.

Harnessing Outlines as a Key Tool for Improved Essay Writing

So, if you’re looking to improve your essay writing skills, start by working on your outlines. They’re like a secret weapon that can help you write faster, better essays in less time. And who doesn’t want that?

To manage time effectively when writing an essay, I recommend creating a detailed outline before diving into the actual writing process. This helps provide a roadmap for your essay, ensuring you stay on track and don’t waste time going off on tangents. Set specific deadlines for each section of your essay, breaking down the writing process into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will help you stay on track and avoid procrastination. 

Consider using tools like Jotbot's AI outlining feature to speed up the outlining process and save you time. Make sure to take breaks during your writing process to avoid burnout and maintain productivity.

Boost Your Writing Efficiency

Jotbot is your personal document assistant. Jotbot does AI note-taking, AI video summarizing, AI citation/source finder, it writes AI outlines for essays, and even writes entire essays with Jotbot’s AI essay writer. Join 500,000+ writers, students, teams, and researchers around the world to write more, write better, and write faster with Jotbot.

My speed in writing essays is directly proportional to the depth of my understanding of the topic at hand. When I'm familiar with the subject matter, my writing process is quicker, more fluid, and requires less research time. This allows me to spend more time focusing on the actual composition of the essay, and less time on preliminary research and fact-checking.

Starting Strong

To quickly get acquainted with a new topic and boost your writing speed, I recommend starting with a broad overview of the subject. Look for high-level summaries, introductory videos, or general articles that provide an overview of the topic. Once you have grasped the basic concepts and terminologies, narrow your focus to specific subtopics or areas of interest within the larger subject.

Deepening Your Understanding

Dive into more detailed resources such as scholarly articles, research papers, or expert blogs to deepen your knowledge. Take note of key arguments, evidence, and counterarguments in these resources. This will help you form a well-rounded understanding of the topic, which you can use to craft a comprehensive essay.

Efficient Research with AI-Powered Tools like Jotbot

It's essential to leverage tools and resources that can aid in your understanding and research process. Platforms like Jotbot offer AI note-taking, video summarizing, and citation/source finding features, which can help you quickly gather and organize information for your essay. With Jotbot's AI essay writer, you can even generate outlines and full essays based on your research, saving you time and effort in the writing process.

Boosting Writing Speed and Efficiency

Incorporating these strategies into your essay writing routine can significantly improve your writing speed, especially when dealing with unfamiliar topics By leveraging tools like Jotbot, you can write smarter, not harder, and boost your efficiency and productivity as a writer. Join the community of over 500,000 writers, students, teams, and researchers around the world who are using Jotbot to write more, write better, and write faster.

There are numerous tools and resources that can significantly enhance the writing process. One of the tools that is impressive is Jotbot. Jotbot is an AI-powered assistant that can drastically improve your writing efficiency and quality. Here's how Jotbot can transform your writing journey.

AI Note Taking for Better Organization

Jotbot can assist you in taking notes during your research process. By using Jotbot's AI note-taking feature, you can easily collect and organize information from various sources. This way, you ensure that you never lose valuable information and can quickly refer back to it when needed.

AI Video Summarizing for Efficient Research

Are you someone who finds it challenging to summarize long video lectures or documentaries? Jotbot's AI video summarizing feature can help you with that. By using Jotbot, all you need to do is provide the video link, and it will generate a concise summary for you. This way, you can save time and focus on more critical tasks.

AI Citation/Source Finder for Accurate References

Creating a bibliography can be a tedious task for many writers. With Jotbot's AI citation and source finder, you can easily generate accurate references for your essay. By simply inputting the relevant information, Jotbot will create a well-structured citation for you, saving you time and ensuring that your work is properly referenced.

AI Outlines for Essay Structure

Structuring an essay can be daunting, especially if you're dealing with a complex topic. Jotbot can assist you by generating AI outlines for your essays. By using the generated outline as a roadmap, you can ensure that your essay has a logical flow and addresses all the necessary points effectively.

AI Essay Writer for Streamlined Writing

One of the most impressive features of Jotbot is its AI essay writer. With Jotbot, you can generate entire essays on various topics in a matter of seconds. This feature can be particularly helpful when you're short on time or experiencing writer's block. Jotbot's AI essay writer ensures that you always have content to work with, helping you overcome any writing challenges quickly.

Don't Miss Out on Jotbot's Writing Power

Jotbot is a valuable tool for writers, students, teams, and researchers looking to enhance their writing capabilities. By leveraging Jotbot's AI features, you can write smarter, not harder . Join over 500,000 users worldwide and start writing for free with Jotbot today. 

Sign in with Google and get started in seconds to experience the full potential of Jotbot in transforming your writing process.

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Another Word

From the writing center at the university of wisconsin-madison.

#essayhack: What TikTok can Teach Writing Centers about Student Perceptions of College Writing

By Holly Berkowitz, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

There is a widespread perception that TikTok, the popular video-sharing social media platform, is primarily a tool of distraction where one mindlessly scrolls through bite-sized bits of content. However, due to the viewer’s ability to engage with short-form video content, it is undeniable that TikTok is also a platform from which users gain information; whether this means following a viral dance tutorial or learning how to fold a fitted sheet, TikTok houses millions of videos that serve as instructional tutorials that provides tips or how-tos for its over one billion active users. 

That TikTok might be considered a learning tool also has implications for educational contexts. Recent research has revealed that watching or even creating TikToks in classrooms can aid learning objectives, particularly relating to language acquisition or narrative writing skills. In this post, I discuss  the conventions of and consequences for TikToks that discuss college writing. Because of the popularity of videos that spotlight “how-tos” or “day in the life” style content, looking at essay or college writing TikTok can be a helpful tool for understanding some larger trends and student perceptions of writing. Due to the instructional nature of TikToks and the ways that students might be using the app for advice, these videos can be viewed as parallel or ancillary to the advice that a Writing Center tutor might provide.

A search for common hashtags including the words “essay,” “college writing,” or “essay writing hack” yields hundreds of videos that pertain to writing at the college level. Although there is a large variety in content due to the sheer amount of content, this post focuses on two genres of videos as they represent a large portion of what is shared: first, videos that provide tips or how-tos for certain AI tools or assignment genres and second, videos that invite the viewer to accompany the creator as they write a paper under a deadline. Shared themes include attempts to establish peer connections and comfort viewers who procrastinate while writing, a focus on writing speed and concrete deliverables (page count, word limit, or hours to write), and an emphasis on digital tools or AI software (especially that which is marked as “not cheating”). Not only does a closer examination into these videos help us meet writers where they are more precisely, but it also draws writing center workers’ attention to lesser known digital tools or “hacks” that students are using for their assignments.

“How to write” Videos

Videos in the “how to” style are instructional and advice-dispensing in tone. Often, the creator utilizes a digital writing aid or provides a set of writing tips or steps to follow. Whether these videos spotlight assistive technologies that use AI, helpful websites, or suggestions for specific forms of writing, they often position writing as a roadblock or adversary. Videos of this nature attempt to reach viewers by promising to make writing easier, more approachable, or just faster when working under a tight deadline; they almost always assume the writer in question has left their writing task to the last possible moment. It’s not surprising then that the most widely shared examples of this form of content are videos with titles like “How to speed-write long papers” or “How to make any essay longer” (this one has 32 million views). It is evident that this type of content attempts to target students who suffer from writing-related anxiety or who tend to procrastinate while writing.

Sharing “hacks” online is a common practice that manifests in many corners of TikTok where content creators demonstrate an easier or more efficient way of achieving a task (such as loading a dishwasher) or obtaining a result (such as finding affordable airline tickets). The same principle applies to #essay TikTok, where writing advice is often framed as a “hack” for writing faster papers, longer papers, or papers more likely to result in an A. This content uses a familiar titling convention: How to write X (where X might be a specific genre like a literature review, or just an amount of pages or words); How to write X in X amount of time; and How to write X using this software or AI program. The amount of time is always tantalizingly brief, as two examples—“How to write a 5 page essay in 2 mins” and “How to write an essay in five minutes!! NO PLAGIARISM!!”—attest to. While some of these are silly or no longer useful methods of getting around assignment parameters, they introduce viewers to helpful research and writing aids and sometimes even spotlight Writing Center best practices. For instance, a video by creator @kaylacp called “Research Paper Hack” shows viewers how to use a program called PowerNotes to organize and code sources; a video by @patches has almost seven million views and demonstrates using an AI bot to both grade her paper and provide substantive feedback. Taken as a whole, this subsect of TikTok underscores that there is a ready audience for content that purports to assist writers in meeting the deliverables of a writing assignment using a path of least resistance.

Similarly, TikTok contains myriad videos that position the creator as a sort of expert in college writing and dispense tips for improving academic writing and style. These videos are often created by upperclassmen who claim to frequently receive As on essays and tend to use persuasive language in the style of an infomercial, such as “How to write a college paper like a pro,” “How to write research papers more efficiently in 5 easy steps!” or “College students, if you’re not using this feature, you’re wasting your time.” The focus in these videos is even more explicit than those mentioned above, as college students are addressed in the titles and captions directly. This is significant  because it prompts users to engage with this content as they might with a Writing Center tutor or tutoring more generally. These videos are sites where students are learning how to write more efficiently but also learning how their college peers view and treat the writing process. 

The “how to write” videos share several common themes, most prevalent of which is an emphasis on concrete deliverables—you will be able to produce this many pages in this many minutes. They also share a tendency to introduce or spotlight different digital tools and assistive technologies that make writing more expedient; although several videos reference or demonstrate how to use ChatGPT or OpenAI, most creators attempt to show viewers less widely discussed platforms and programs. As parallel forms of writing instruction, these how-tos tend to focus on quantity over quality and writing-as-product. However, they also showcase ways that AI can be helpful and generative for writers at all stages. Most notably they direct our attention to the fact that student writers consistently encounter writing- and essay- related content while scrolling TikTok.

Write “with me” Videos

Just as the how-to style videos target writers who view writing negatively and may have a habit of procrastinating writing assignments, write “with me” videos invite the viewer to join the creator as they work. These videos almost always include a variation of the phrase— “Write a 5- page case analysis w/ me” or “pull an all nighter with me while I write a 10- page essay.” One of the functions of this convention is to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the viewer, as they are brought along while the creator writes, experiences writer’s block, takes breaks, but ultimately completes their assignment in time. Similarly to the videos discussed above, these “with me” videos also center on writing under a deadline and thus emphasize the more concrete deliverables of their assignments. As such, the writing process is often made less visible in favor of frequent cuts and timestamps that show the progression toward a page or word count goal.

One of the most common effects of “with me” videos is to assure the viewer that procrastinating writing is part and parcel of the college experience. As the content creators grapple with and accept their own writing anxieties or deferring habits, they demonstrate for the viewer that it is possible to be both someone who struggles with writing and someone who can make progress on their papers. In this way, these videos suggest to students that they are not alone in their experiences; not only do other college students feel overwhelmed with writing or leave their papers until the day before they are due, but you can join a fellow student as they tackle the essay writing process. One popular video by @mercuryskid with over 6 million views follows them working on a 6000 word essay for which they have received several extensions, and although they don’t finish by the end of the video, their openness about the struggles they experience while writing may explain its appeal. 

Indeed, in several videos of this kind the creator centers their procrastination as a means of inviting the viewer in; often the video will include the word in the title, such as “write 2 essays due at 11:59 tonight with me because I am a chronic procrastinator” or “write the literature essay i procrastinated with me.” Because of this, establishing a peer connection with the hypothetical viewer is paramount; @itskamazing’s video in which she writes a five page paper in three hours ends with her telling the viewer, “If you’re in college, you’re doing great. Let’s just knock this semester out.” One video titled “Writing essays doesn’t need to be stressful” shows a college-aged creator explaining what tactics she uses for outlining and annotating research to make sure she feels prepared when she begins to write in earnest. Throughout, she directly hails the viewer as “you” and attempts to cultivate a sense of familiarity with the person on the other side of the screen; in some moments her advice feels like listening in on a one-sided Writing Center session.

A second aspect of these “with me” videos is an intense focus on the specifics of a writing task. The titles of these videos usually follow a formula that invites the viewer with the writer as they write X amount in X time, paralleling the structure of how-to-write videos. The emphasis here, due to the last-minute nature of the writing contexts, is always on speed: “write a 2000- word essay with me in 4.5 hours” or “Join me as I write a 10- page essay that is due at 11:59pm.” Since these videos often need to cover large swaths of time during which the creator is working, there are several jumps forward in time, sped up footage, and text stamps or zoom-ins that update the viewer on how many pages or words the writer has completed since the last update. Overall, this brand of content demonstrates how product-focused writers become when large amounts of writing are completed in a single setting. However, it also makes this experience seem more manageable to viewers, as we frequently see writers in videos take naps and breaks during these high-stakes writing sessions. Furthermore, although the writers complain and appear stressed throughout, these videos tend to close with the writer submitting their papers and celebrating their achievement.

Although these videos may send mixed messages to college students using TikTok who experience struggles with writing productivity, they can be helpful for viewers as they demonstrate the shared nature of these struggles and concerns. Despite the overarching emphasis on the finished product, the documentary-style of this content shows how writing can be a fraught process. For tutors or those removed from the experience of being in college, these videos also illuminate some of the reasons students procrastinate writing; we see creators juggling part-time jobs, other due dates, and family obligations. This genre of TikToks shows the power that social media platforms have due to the way they can amplify the shared experience of students.

To conclude, I gesture toward a few of the takeaways that #essay and #collegewriting TikTok might provide for those who work in Writing Centers, especially those who frequently encounter students who struggle with procrastination. First, because TikTok is a video-sharing platform, the content often shows a mixture of writing process and product. Despite a heavy emphasis in these videos on the finished product that a writer turns in to be graded, several videos necessarily also reveal the steps that go into writing, even marathon sessions the night before a paper is due. We primarily see forward progress but we also see false starts and deletions; we mostly see the writer once they have completed pre-writing tasks but we also see analyzing a prompt, outlining, and brainstorming. Additionally, this genre of TikTok is instructive in that it shows how often students wait until before a paper is due to begin and just how many writers are working solely to meet a deadline or deliverable. While as Writing Center workers we cannot do much to shift this mindset, we can make a more considerable effort to focus on time management and executive functioning skills in our sessions. Separating the essay writing process into manageable chunks or steps appears to be a skill that college students are already seeking to develop independently when they engage on social media, and Writing Centers are equipped to help students refine these habits. Finally, it is worth considering the potential for university Writing Center TikTok accounts. A brief survey of videos created by Writing Center staff reveals that they draw on similar themes and tend to emphasize product and deliverables—for example, a video titled “a passing essay grade” that shows someone going into the center and receiving an A+ on a paper. Instead, these accounts could create a space for Writing Centers to actively contribute to the discourse on college writing that currently occupies the app and create content that parallels a specific Writing Center or campus’s values.

Holly Berkowitz is the Coordinator of the Writing and Communication Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She recently received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also worked at the UW-Madison Writing Center. Although she does not post her own content, she is an avid consumer of TikTok videos.

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Make Writing A Habit

12 Essay-Writing Hacks from a Professional Editor

As a professional editor, I’ve edited all kinds of documents, not the least of which are essays. I’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Look, it’s easy to write a bad essay when it’s due in less than 24 hours (we’ve all been there), but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to write a good essay. To write a good essay, you just have to know what to look for to make weak writing stronger.

Simply looking is the number one job of a professional editor (outside of drinking coffee) because looking leads to discovering —and once you find your errors, improvement is just around the corner.

After editing over a million words, I’ve come to understand what makes a good essay and what makes a bad essay, and I have a few practical tips—essay hacks, if you will—for improving your own essay-writing skills.

1. Befriend your argument.

Make sure you know everything there is to know about your argument. That means you should understand exactly what it is you’re arguing and why. If your argument was an elevator pitch and you had to explain it to someone in just a minute or two, could you? If the answer is “No,” revisit the main point of your essay. Do more research to make sure you know the topic inside and out.

The reason you need to be prepared is that, if there’s any proof that can shoot your argument down, you not only need to shield those bullets but also to ricochet them back. Don’t just know your argument—befriend it. Find out its strengths and its weaknesses.

2. Challenge every idea.

If you have any questions about your topic, subject, or field, ask them as soon as you can. Hitting a snag later can stall progress on your essay, so if you can hit all the major weak points early on, you can avoid finding major flaws in your argument later.

Challenge anything that causes questions to sprout and play the devil’s advocate for your own argument. If you’ve identified these weaknesses before, now is the time to investigate further and begin to clarify anything that might still be fuzzy.

3. Select your sources carefully.

When selecting your sources, be picky. Don’t resort to using online sources just because they’re easily accessible. Try to use all kinds of different sources, but only if they’re current. Don’t pick a dusty old book from the library just to have a print source in your references list.

Choose current and relevant sources from trustworthy or notable scholars in the field. If your proof is questionable, your whole argument will fall apart, so choose your sources like you would an all-star team if you want to knock your essay out of the park.

4. Start writing early.

This is important: make sure you start writing early. Don’t put your essay off until the last minute. Do you know what’s waiting for you at the last minute? Regret and sadness.

Kickstart yourself now so you don’t kick yourself later. If you need to set an early deadline for yourself or split the essay writing into manageable chunks, do it. Just make sure you start early so you have time to solve any problems you run into later.

5. Organize for clarity.

The structure of your essay is every bit as important as the argument itself. If you have a flimsy structure, there’s no firm foundation to build the essay on; if there’s no firm foundation, your essay could collapse at any moment.

Focus on structuring your essay before you start writing. How will you arrange your argument and provide evidence in a cohesive and logical way? It’s better to answer that question earlier rather than later. Use transitions to ensure your argument flows logically from one point to the next.

6. Watch your tense and voice.

First, use the active voice when you write your essay (unless otherwise instructed). Second, avoid personal pronouns to maintain objectivity if need be (e.g., in scientific and other formal writing).

Third, you should write in the literary present, meaning that all actions performed in the text should be explained in the present tense rather than the past.

Finally, avoid using clichés. Since you want to present original thoughts, overused phrases need to be cut.

7. Explain everything clearly.

Any time you make a point, explain it clearly—even if you think it’s obvious. Your argument will be obvious to you (since you’ve befriended it), but it’s brand new to the reader. Your argument is meeting your reader for the first time, and like any new friends, they need introducing. If you fail to introduce them properly, things will get very confusing and awkward.

8. Be succinct.

Sentences should be straightforward, communicating one point at a time; cut all unnecessary words. You’ll also want to eliminate any repetition. It’s easy to say the same things over and over again in an essay, but doing so won’t strengthen your argument.

Cut unnecessary phrases and anything wordy or redundant, including phrases that don’t add information, such as “it should be pointed out that” or “due to the fact that.” Similarly, don’t ramble on about the same topic or go off on a tangent in the middle of your essay.

9. Avoid academese at all costs.

Try to keep things simple. While you shouldn’t talk down to your audience or explain every technical term, you should always be concise. Most importantly, don’t ever use words or phrases that you think will make you sound smarter.

It’s always best to be straightforward, so use the right vocabulary to say exactly what you want to say. It’s embarrassing if you try to use a fancy word only to find it doesn’t mean what you thought it meant .

10. Be aware of your word count.

Don’t go over your word count. Most markers will stop marking at the last word within the word count, so it’s crucial that you stay within it if you want to do well.

However, you also don’t want to stay severely lower than the word count provided. While you shouldn’t pad the essay by adding information that isn’t necessary to your argument or relevant to the topic at hand, you should get as close to the word count as possible by thoroughly exploring your topic and elaborating on your argument.

11. Carefully cite everything.

Unless you want to face a failing grade, academic probation, or even expulsion, you need to cite all of your sources. There are many types of plagiarism, but as long as you take good notes during your research and credit your sources, it’s easy to avoid plagiarism.

Your academic integrity is at stake here, so ensure that you are overly cautious in recording the necessary material. Be vigilant in confirming that you’ve documented everything fully and correctly.

12. Revise extensively.

Every good essay has been revised at least once, which means you, too, should tighten your writing. Comb through and ensure that everything is clear, consistent, and flows well. Once you’re happy with the content of your essay, you can sweat the small stuff, like grammar and spelling errors.

Even brilliant essays receive lower grades if simple mistakes are left in the document, so consider getting a second opinion and having an expert look over your writing for both form and content. At the very least, run a spell and grammar check. You’ll be so happy you did.

Essay writing doesn’t have to be hard. Anyone can write a good essay with the proper tools. These essay hacks are part of your toolkit, which you can use to improve your essay writing. Go from good to great by considering these tips and implementing them when writing your next essay.

If you would prefer a step-by-step guide for essay writing and want to improve your skills once and for all, you might want to think about taking a course to organize and write good essays every time.

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Paper Hack 101 – How to Get Published with 10 Easy Steps

"wanna write that up" not many phrases in emergency medicine can induce as much anxiety as these four innocuous words. these 10 steps can help you overcome that anxiety and get published..

We, as physicians, are constantly at the forefront of exploring our fields of expertise through a dynamic process involving a seamless integration of existing knowledge with novel information. Thus, we bear the responsibility of exploring and disseminating new findings to the scientific and medical communities.

Whether you encountered an exciting patient case, developed a new wonder-drug, or piloted a new educational curriculum, you owe it to yourself to showcase your hard work and of academicians. 1

While publications can be considered as promotional currencies to get into your next job (ie, residency, fellowship, or faculty position), it is more than just another line on your curriculum vitae. These works represent the opportunity to provoke debate, share your experiences, change potential practices. 2-3 Now that you have been reinvigorated with the passion to publish your hard work, let us address the major elephant in the room: how to publish scientific articles.

While there are numerous online resources and peer-reviewed journal articles on “How to write *insert blank* in a scientific journal,” we aim to tackle an even larger theme that transcends specific journal categories, writing styles, and citation formatting. We want to provide a simple-to-follow guideline to gain and and finish any scientific publication during a pre-determined time frame.

The process of writing a scientific article requires more than one dedicated individual. There must be a collaborative effort of all of the research stakeholders, from the planning to the final approval process of the article. The conceptual framework for these steps follows the basic guidelines behind the popular SMART acronym for goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). 5 In order to guide new researchers in navigating the expansive ocean of scientific publications, authors with various research and mentorship experiences reviewed, discussed, revised, and compiled these 10 Easy Steps to Get Published FAST, based on available research literature.

STEP 1. Work effectively with a mentor. While you feel like you are the only person responsible for publishing, you are likely working with a mentor, whose primary purpose is to train you to become an independent researcher. One of the most crucial element to publishing is for both you and your mentor to articulate specific and tangible expectations for all responsible stakeholders (aka authors) during the write-up. 6 Instead of asking your mentor open-ended questions (“What should I do?”) ask targeted questions for more constructive feedback and guidance. The purpose of these questions is to construct a basic foundation (think of it as a mission statement) for you to spearhead the rest of team into a final, successful deliverable.

• How does our research impact the scientific community? Is this an original study? (“What’s our elevator pitch?”)
• Are there any particular journals you would like us to submit to? If so, why?
• In which category (ie, original research, technical report, brief report) should we construct the manuscript?
• How often would you like to meet on a scheduled basis to review our progress?
• Are there any institutional research personnel (ie, statistician, librarian) who can assist with the data analysis?
• Do you have any supporting literature regarding our research topic?
• What is our backup plan? 

STEP 2. Find the *perfect* journal and court the editor. Let’s be honest, we’d all like to submit to high-end journals with one-word names such as Nature , Lancet , Science , Cell , or perhaps one of the popular acronym-al giants like JAMA, NEMJ, BMJ. However, unless your name rhymes with -attu, -eingart, -rman, or -aminathan, you likely need to work on your research game first. 7 That being said, there are numerous domestic EM journals, such as Annals of Emergency Medicine (Annals), Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), Shock , Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (WestJEM), Journal of Emergency Medicine (JEM) that may fit your research. 8 This is a high-level discussion that should be addressed by your mentor in Step 1. Once you select a journal, the next step is figure out which category you want to construct your manuscript in, follow the author guidelines to the letter (ie, word count, reference styles), and pitch your idea to the editor-in-chief. This may be a contentious topic among mentors, but a well-drafted letter of intent and a “would you be interested” email may pique the editor’s interest, help them remember your submission, or worst-case scenario, save you from hours of formatting in a work they won’t use. Given this is a high-stakes proclamation, show it to your mentor before clicking the “send” button. (Disclosure: The authors have no financial affiliation with any of these journals.)

STEP 3. Establish early backup plans. Why talk about a backup plan at Step 3? Isn’t this bad voodoo? Not necessarily. Each journal receives countless submissions on a monthly basis, so if your submission meets resistance, don’t fret and definitely don’t give up. Having a backup plan — if Journal A doesn’t accept, then reformat and re-submit to Journal B, C, D — can be helpful for the team when receiving bad news.

STEP 4. Determine authorship early. This is very important, as you are dedicating a large chunk of your time to something that you hope will be immortalized in scientific literature. As a result, you should be compensated appropriately for your time spent. 9 While first and last authors hold the highest academic currency value, this is only pertinent for people going into hardcore academic settings. Being an author on any paper will be beneficial to your career. As the primary author, you are ultimately responsible for getting all the pieces together and reformatting it in the correct vernacular and context. Realize there’s always a chance you’ll need to write the entire piece if your team members aren’t pulling their weight in time for the deadline.

STEP 5. Make a deadline and stick to it! Having a reasonable timeline agreed to by all authors allows everyone to contribute their weight in digital characters and justify their authorship. The key is to have group consensus with the agreed-upon deadline and send it via a traceable platform (ie, email) so it can be readily referenced. Common deadline items include:

• Literature search
• Data analysis
• Abstract compilation
• Manuscript compilation
• Abstract revision + submission
• Manuscript revision + submission. 

STEP 6. Seek out the incentive. In order for the entire team to work together, it is imperative to dangle the appropriate carrot in front of each author to ensure successful publication. Common publication incentives include:

• Department promotion (mentor)
• Residency requirement (ie, scholarly project)
• Departmental funding for abstract acceptance + presentations

STEP 7.  Start writing what you know. Sometimes the best way to build momentum and overcome writer’s block is to write what you know. Whether it’s the method section or results section, start jotting down as much as you can and allow the momentum to carry you from start to finish. Save the abstract for last; it’s often the most challenging part of any manuscript.

STEP 8. Look up articles for reference. Work smart, not hard. While your research may be original, chances are that many authors have tried to implement certain aspects of your study design. This creates a perfect opportunity to consider how to phrase your research terminology and methodologies in a professional vernacular. Just don’t forget to cite any pertinent references.

STEP 9. Sharing is caring — but use with caution.* Shared documents (ie, Google Drive) allow each author to contribute in real time; however, it can also result in procrastination. Consider it as an option after the initial rough drafts are compiled to allow for easier group revision. Of note, one of the most challenging aspects of paper-writing is assigning the citation after it has already been written, and this is exacerbated by multiple authors. Granted, the introduction section contains the most amount of references, but it is not uncommon for the discussion method or section to contain references as well. The best thing to do is cite as you write in a format that is required by the publishing journal. Free software like Mendeley can simplify all of your citation goodness.

STEP 10. Follow directions! Review all of the specific requirements, no matter how mundane (ie, margin size, font, citation style) of each journal submission. When you click submit, you are guaranteeing the editors of a finalized product ready for prime-time consumption. If your submission is riddled with errors, formatting faux pas, or poorly referenced citations, you may receive a flat rejection solely based on inability to follow directions.

BONUS: Impressing your mentor!  In case those 4 words “ Wanna write that up? ” don’t come up, but you have a research idea you’d like to pursue, you will have to broach the topic. Be sure to clearly state your research question and what direction you want to take. Show your interest and commitment to the research, and ask if s/he has both the time and similar interest to pursue this with you. You may need to supply your previous research experiences/CV, so be sure to have both updated.

Next Steps Now that you’ve survived reading this research guide, let’s get to work! Be proud of your scientific achievements and declare your findings to the rest of the world.

References 1. Marusic M. Why physicians should publish, how easy it is, and how important it is in clinical work . Arch Onc . 2003;11(2):59-64. 2. The Literature Page. Sir Francis Bacon . Accessed March 29, 2018. 3. The British Medical Journal. Guidance for new authors . Accessed March 29, 2018. 4. Lundberg GD. How to Write a Medical Paper to Get It Published in a Good Journal . Med Gen Med . 2005;7(4):36. 5. Doran GT. There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives . Management Review . 1981;70(11):35-36. 6. Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Mentor Information and Responsibilities . Accessed March 29, 2018. 7. Riddell J, Brown A, Kovic I, Jauregui J. Who Are the Most Influential Emergency Physicians on Twitter ? West J Emerg Med . 2017;18(2):281-287. 8. Scimago Journal & Country Rank. Emergency Medicine . Accessed March 29, 2018. 9. Newman A, Jones R. Authorship of research papers: ethical and professional issues for short‐term researchers . J Med Ethics . 2006;32(7):420-423.

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Paper Hacking 101: 101 Quick, Actionable Tips to Make Academic Writing Less Painful Paperback – November 8, 2020

• Print length 166 pages
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08MVZKL7K
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (November 8, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 166 pages
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It's pronounced "Delusion," and Deleuzienne is a writer who lives somewhere in the United States. Deleuzienne may or may not be a mad genius. Deleuzienne wants to make paper writing as pain-free and simple as possible for all students.

NEW! In July 2021, check out Deleuzienne's new Kindle Vella work. Season 1 is all about hacking grad admissions papers!

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7 Essay Hacks to Make Your Paper A-Worthy Every Time

Every single class you ever take will ask for an essay at some point in time. So use these essay hacks to make it easy, and A-worthy.

Essays are the bane of many students’ lives.

You’re faced with big topics to cover, thousands of words to write, and limited time in which to do it. With multiple papers on the go at once, it’s no surprise that 16% of students (or more) pay other people to write their essays for them.

But there’s good news:

Quality essay writing doesn’t have to be so difficult! With the right approach and a few essay hacks at your disposal, you can simplify the entire process. Work on your essay game and you’ll start getting A’s on those papers instead of E’s with, well…ease.

Does that sound like a plan? Let us help! Read on to discover 7 epic essay writing hacks for a quality paper every time!

1. Do Your Research

Essays are only as good as the research that’s gone into them.

After all, you have to understand the topic and all of its nuances in order to have something to say about it! That’s why you should always start the writing process by reading up on the subject.

Don’t just scratch the surface though.

Get to a point where you know enough to form a solid grasp of the argument you want to make. Armed with a newfound understanding of the subject area and your argument, you’ll be able to enter the writing phase with less hesitation.

2. But Don’t Procrastinate!

The research phase is all-important.

But it can also prove problematic. You can end up delaying the writing stage in favor of further reading. In other words, the research becomes its own form of procrastination!

You convince yourself you need to know more before you can begin. In reality, though, you just don’t want to start.

Sooner or later, though, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and set pen to paper (or fingers to keyboards!). Get to a point where you can summarize your argument in a sentence or two. That’s always a good sign that you’re ready to start writing.

3. Give Yourself Enough Time

We know, you’ve got a million other things you’d rather do than write your essay!

There are people to see, computer games to play, and even ironing, shopping, and cooking to do that takes precedence. You end up putting the essay off until the very last minute, at which point there’s a mad rush to get it done.

Stress, frustration, and a rising feeling of overwhelm all ensue.

We’ve all been there! But, needless to say, it isn’t conducive to a quality end product. Try to give yourself enough time to do the essay justice instead.

Starting early takes the pressure off. It means you have enough wiggle room to solve any problems that arise. You can do proper research, get counsel from professors, and have a proper chance to form your arguments — all without the stress of a looming deadline.

4. Get Rid of Distractions

Writing an essay on a computer is a mixed blessing.

On one hand, you’ve got easy access to the internet and the ability to write at speed on a keyboard. As such, you can find the sources/information you need and work away at the word count at pace.

But there’s also social media to check, games to play, desktop notifications that pop up, and more. Throw your mobile phone into the mix and getting any work done can be a serious challenge.

Getting rid of such distractions will help. Set yourself up in a quiet and comfortable environment. Leave your phone somewhere out of sight (and put it on silent!). You could even block yourself from certain websites for set periods of time.

You’re sure to become more productive in the process.

5. Prioritize the Structure

The best essays combine quality content with a solid structure.

Ignore the structural side of the battle and your argument’s going to get lost along the way. Think of the structure like a map that takes the reader on a journey to your point. It must be sensibly put together, easy to follow, and cohesive in nature.

Success relies on planning.

Stop and think about your structure before you start writing. Figure out ahead of time how you need to assemble the essay and you’ll get your argument across with greater proficiency.

6. Be Clear and Succinct

Some of the essays you’ll have to write will have daunting word counts.

The result? You feel at a loss for what to say and start wondering how to stretch out an essay. Many people end up using more words than required to deliver a point or repeating themselves throughout the paper.

But it’s important not to be wasteful with words.

Sentences full of unnecessary words are harder to understand and your point might get lost along the way. More than anything, though, they make the reading experience less enjoyable!

Try to proofread what you write and cull any words, phrases, or even entire sections that seem surplus to requirements. It’ll be harder to reach the word count, but you’ll end up with a clearer and more succinct end product.

7. Back-Up Your Work!

There’s literally nothing worse than losing the essay you’ve almost finished.

You know what it’s like. You’ve made great progress, go to hit save, and then- boom- the computer crashes! Before you know it, everything you’ve just written goes down the drain.

Prevent that eventuality by backing up your essay at every opportunity. Email it to yourself, save it to the cloud, and/or copy it to an external hard drive.

Need to convert files to different formats before you save/submit them? https://setapp.com/how-to/convert-pdf-to-jpg should help.

Enjoy These Epic Essay Hacks

Writing an essay doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think.

With hard work, the right approach, and specific writing hacks to hand, you should be nailing your papers in no time. Hopefully, the essay hacks in this post will help you do it.

Want to read more articles like this one? Browse the blog now for more essay writing tips than you can shake a stick at!

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10 Research Paper Hacks: Tips for Writing a Research Paper

So, have you been recently assigned a research project? Or, even worse, is it already due soon? The following research paper hacks will help you do it in record time.

In the article, you’ll see ten things you can do to conduct a study and compose a piece like a pro. Our experts prepared great tips for writing a research paper so that you won’t have trouble studying. It is not an easy task, but you will hack a research paper.

✔️ Pick a Topic

📚 skim texts, ⛔ copy sources, 📝 take notes early, 🗺️ make an outline, 💪 introduce your topic, 📙 review your literature, 🏁 list results, 🙂 discuss in detail, 📰 format the paper, 🔗 references.

Choosing the right topic is essential for your research success. It is also the first challenge you will face while writing. The following research paper hacks will allow you to optimize your time and simplify the process. So, how exactly do you do it?

• Set a timer not to spend too much time selecting a topic. You can have several brainstorming sessions to come up with the right one. Try to figure out what you are interested in.
• Search for a gap in the existing literature. There must be at least a small area left untouched by other researchers. Skim different sources to check what viewpoints already exist. You need to do some general background information examination at this point. The research will also help you to narrow the topic of your study.
• Try to choose the right perspective. Make your question as narrow as you can, and focus on one way of developing it. But not too narrow so that you have study materials and credible sources. Discuss the idea and title with one of your professors. They can also give you much-needed feedback.
• Use specific examples. No one wants your vague explanations in your research paper. Try to make it clear and practical. Even the most challenging argument can be explained if you use appropriate examples. It all depends on your research and writing skills.
• Discuss it with your friends. You can propose an idea to them and see their reaction. They may have helpful thoughts too, especially if you’re studying similar subjects. Sometimes an alternative perspective can shed light on the things you’ve overlooked.

Research Paper Topics

• Acute respiratory failure: a research paper .
• Write a research paper on hospital errors and infections as the reasons that worsen patients’ health and lead to fatal outcomes.
• Study the most widespread types of cybercrimes and the importance of cybersecurity field development.  
• Research and compare the advantages and disadvantages of different online gaming aggregators.
• Present a research paper on the Supreme Court decision and its effects.
• Write a research paper on Caterpillar Inc.’s strategic management .
• Research the history of the Ku Klux Klan and its impact on the local communities.  
• Examine Sophocles’ presentation of the theme of bravery in Antigone .
• Analyze the role of historical context in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice .
• Write a research paper on the connection between being overweight and the risk of breast cancer development.
• Describe the most popular hypotheses of dreaming and their role in psychological studies.
• Write a research paper on emerging technologies in criminology .
• Research the intellectual property theft problem and the ways to prevent it.
• Study the efficacy and safety of the grapefruit diet for weight loss .
• Analyze the situation with social rights in the US in the early 19 th century.  
• Write a research paper on the connection between the deterioration of the situation in the family and juvenile delinquency. 
• British abolitionism: a research paper. 
• Examine the specifics and diversity of criminal mythology. 
• Research the reasons and benefits of keeping domestic animals .
• Explore the impact of lockdown on the mental health of older adults. 
• Analyze the factors that influence consumer decision-making .
• Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: a research paper .
• Study the current rates of human trafficking and the ways to reduce them.  
• Write a research paper on Netflix’s macroeconomic environment.
• Examine the effect of alcohol abuse during pregnancy on the baby’s brain. 
• Research paper on airline industry crises.  
• Research the symptoms and the current treatment options of Ebola and Marburg viruses.  
• Analyze the changes in the economic and healthcare situation of the Hispanic community in El Paso, Texas .
• Study the challenges of the wine industry in the United States.
• Explore the architecture of neural networks and their importance for the human body.  
• Research paper on the problems of Alzheimer disease treatment.  
• Examine the role of pain medications in efficient pain management.
• Analyze the problem of eldercide and the ways to prevent it.  
• Research paper on themes in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller .
• Conduct research examining the predominant religions in America. 
• Study the geographical factors that make a country suitable for a comfortable long-term stay.
• Research paper on ethics in engineering .
• Examine the causes and the current rates of maternal mortality .
• Write a research paper on the peculiarities of white-collar crimes .
• Research whether raising the minimum wage can help to reduce poverty.
• Research paper on childhood pedestrian injuries.
• Analyze the role of contract law in everyday life.
• Study the link between modernity and modernism .
• Research paper on the most frequent reasons for teacher turnover. 
• Examine the ethical issues of increased patients’ autonomy .
• Explore how scheduled sleep behavior can impact stress levels.
• Write a research paper on the origin of the abolitionist movement and its impact on the women’s rights movement. 
• Research paper on Neighbors by Raymond Carver .
• Research whether an unhealthy childhood attachment leads to mental issues in an adult. 
• Analyze the effect of the sex trafficking problem on society.  

No time to read all the sources you find. At this point, only abstracts and conclusions are your goal. If you see something that supports your argument, you can dig a bit deeper and read it more carefully. Of course you could take a 10 page research paper example on the same topic, copy all the resources and be done with it, but that option is far from ideal.

How to read a text fast? Skim through it! It’s one of the essential research hacks.

Skimming can be defined as reading the text quickly to understand what it’s about.

Pay attention to titles, headings, and subheadings because they tell what the text is about. It is also beneficial if you read the first sentence of each paragraph.

Therefore, to quickly obtain information about the text:

• Read the title.
• Read the first sentence of the paragraph.
• Read the concluding phrases.
• Read the words in bold.
• Look at the pictures, charts, and infographics.

Citing sources can be challenging because it involves keeping a lot of details in mind. However, giving credit to the writers is exceptionally crucial.

Thus our tip for writing a research paper is:

Never hesitate to check the reference pages of the articles you’ve found. The authors have probably done an excellent job for you. Feel free to use some of their sources for your paper (surely, after finding them in full).

If the sources that you need are in a different style or absent at all, you can do the following:

• Find a citation generator. Use an automatic tool that will reference you. All you will have to do is fill in the form, and it will generate the citation for your essay or thesis.
• Use templates. There is an abundance of templates available online. These templates will help you to put all the information in place. Research paper thesis generator would be another helpful tool to make the creation process more efficient.
• Check short reference guides. Instead of reading long and detailed explanations about every style, check some short citation guides . Look for the ones that have examples and rules.

To write a research paper right, you should start making notes as soon as you choose your topic. Do not procrastinate! Whenever you find an interesting quote or some brilliant idea crosses your mind, put them down.

You can take notes either by hand or electronically. Here are some research paper tips for both of these methods:

• Use index cards for each of your sources.
• Number the sources.
• Include the citation in the preferred style.
• Add a keyword on top of the card.
• Include “Works Cited/References” card.
• Write down only the essential information.
• Use charts, diagrams, drawings to simplify the process.
• Create a separate file with the sources cited.
• According to your instructor’s requests, arrange them using the correct style.
• Group the sources depending on the year, author, area of study, and type.
• Number sources within the publication.
• For websites, include their URL.
• Include keywords to identify the main idea.

Every research paper needs structure. Without an outline, it would be almost impossible to achieve. If you want your writing to have a consistent and logical flow, check these tips on outlining .

No need to reinvent the wheel.

Follow the standard structure to save your time and creative energy for other aspects of writing a research paper:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Limitations
• Conclusion and Recommendations

To create a good outline that will keep information in a logical manner, you should start with your thesis statement. Then, you should indicate the main ideas that support it.

The critical thesis hack here is to include examples in your outline. Your arguments and illustrations should prove what you are trying to argue in your thesis statement. Putting them in your structure will help you avoid repetitiveness and ensure the flow.

Your introduction is critical. It should be engaging and attention-grabbing to make the reader interested in what your paper is about. It will give the first impression of the text and introduces your thesis statement.

What can be in the introduction?

• A research question. It is one of the most critical parts of any study. In simple words, it is a question that a research paper tries to answer.
• A hypothesis. It is a statement that can be proved or disproved. In a way, it can be seen as a guess. Every research paper should have one.
• A thesis statement. It is a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the research paper. It is further developed and demonstrated with the help of examples.

You might be still wondering about what should go into your introduction. Here is the list of steps:

• Introduce the topic.
• Give some background.
• Tell about academic research.
• Tell the reader why it is crucial.
• Introduce the hypothesis.

The next step in your research paper is a literature review . It is an overview of significant works and studies on the topic. It can be anything from a book to an official report.

Here’s what the literature review should include:

• A description of the work.
• A short summary of the main points of academic research.
• A brief analysis of the gaps that you found in the work.
• An evaluation of the work from the standpoint of its scientific contribution.

However, writing one can be a challenge. Check our research paper hacks to drafting your literature review:

• Define the goal. Start with your thesis statement in mind and consider your hypothesis.
• Do your research. Focus on the most relevant scholars in the field. Choose their most recent works that touch on the same matters as your research.
• Choose the relevant works. Always try to connect your review to what your research paper is about. Throughout this process, keep asking yourself how it is appropriate.
• Be logical. Think about your review as a form of conversation. Keep adding newer voices to the discussion. Avoid jumping from one source to another chaotically.
• Include references. You don’t have to include all the details in your literature review.

The last hack for writing a literature review is:

If you find contradicting views, don’t hesitate to include them. It will only show that you understand the question in its complexity. Do your best to find the gap in the existing literature.

The results section of the research paper should include your data and core findings. All of it should be presented logically and coherently. In this section, you will learn how to do it.

See what to include in the results:

• Data demonstrated in charts and images.
• An analysis of data in written form.
• A report on data collection.
• Data that adresses research questions.
• Secondary data.

And remember:

Give only facts and figures in the “Results” part of your paper.

The discussion chapter should focus on the paper’s importance and relevance. You can do it by evaluating the results and demonstrating the connection between the literature review.

There are many ways to write this section. However, the chapter’s goal remains the same: to show that the results matter and an opportunity for further scientific research exists.

Now let’s see our research paper tips for the discussion section:

• It should include an analysis of the results. Write about your findings and what was unusual in them. Also, comment on the trends and patterns.
• You should mention previous research. You already spoke about other studies in the literature review. You can go back to the main ideas and see how your work fits in the discussion.
• Deduction. Here you should explain how your results can be applied.
• Hypothesis. This is more of a general conclusion based on the results.

There is another research paper tip:

Make the “Discussion” the most extended section of your project. Feel free to express your thoughts on this part. Include analysis and interpretation into this part.

To write an excellent research paper, you’ll need to pay proper attention to such a trifle as its format. The easiest way is to find a well-formatted sample using the recommended citation style on a reputable site.

One more quick hack for writing essays and research papers:

Use the features of the text editor and applications to make the formatting process quicker and easier.

So what do you need to format the paper? Here is a short checklist:

• Title Page. Your title page should include the title of the research, the name, the institution’s name, the header at the top, and the page number. The first three elements are centered. There are a lot of examples available online for you to see how to do it.
• Abstract. An abstract is a summary of your findings. Not every paper needs an abstract, but only in those where you have a hypothesis. An abstract should also be concise, written in an impersonal style.
• Headings. Headings help the readers to navigate inside your research. Major themes and topics covered in the paper can be easily identified with their help. The headings are usually centered and written in bold.
• In-text Citations. In-text citations provide information about the source. There are two fundamental goals: giving credit to the authors and allowing readers to learn more.
• References. While in-text citations provide brief information about the source, references give a more detailed one. This data helps the reader to follow up and learn more about the cited source.
• Font and Margins. Check your college style guide to find the font and margins requirement. Sometimes an institution does not give any advice, so try to check with your instructor. Adjusting the font and margins is the last step, but it is essential for your academic success.

Thank you for reading! We hope you enjoyed our article. What about sharing your secrets on how to write a research paper with the public? We hope to see your comments below.

• Selecting a Research Topic: LibGuides at MIT Libraries
• Skimming the text: OpenLearn, The Open University
• Cite Your Sources & Start Your Research: Library Guides at University of California, Santa Cruz
• Take Notes: Southeastern Louisiana University
• Literature Reviews: The Writing Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The Discussion, Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Research Guides at University of Southern California
• Writing an Introductory Paragraph, Starting Your Research Paper: LibGuides at Dean B. Ellis Library, Arkansas State University
• How to Write a Research Paper: Rice University
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10 essay writing life hacks every college student should know.

| April 22, 2019 | 0 responses

As a college student, you are asked to write a lot of papers. It’s just a part of the college experience. But you probably don’t know that there are some life hacks that can help you produce better and stronger writing and save you time and effort as you wade through a sea of essays, research papers, case studies, and other papers that you will be assigned each semester. Let’s take a look at ten life hacks borrowed from a team of professional essay writers at WriteMyPaperHub.com academic writing service. You should know these life hacks to help make college easier and more enjoyable.

• Write early in the morning. This hack probably goes against everything you believe about being a college student, where late nights and all-nighters are standard operating procedure. But it’s scientifically proven that our minds are sharper and we work better in the morning hours than we do late at night. One of the best ways to get your writing up to snuff is to work on it when you are fresh, well-rested, and at your creative peak for the day.
• Take regular breaks. Taking a break after a fixed period of work can help to keep your mind sharp and keep you focused on the end goal. The longer you work without a break, the more likely your mind will start to wander or that you will become bored. The Pomodoro Technique can be an effective strategy. It breaks work down into half-hour segments. You will work 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and then repeat the cycle until you have finished the task.
• Turn off your phone, or at least notifications. Keep your mind focused on your essay by turning off your phone during your work time, or at least turning off notifications. The more you look at your phone, the less you will write, so shutting off distractions will help you to develop your essay more easily. There are apps that can block notifications for timed periods so you can use the Pomodoro Technique and reward yourself with phone breaks.
• Use Wikipedia strategically. Every college student knows that Wikipedia is not an appropriate source for college papers, but did you know that it can lead you to good sources? Every Wikipedia article documents its sources. While Wikipedia may not be appropriate for your paper, those sources are fair game. Use the Wikipedia article for your topic as a quick index of key research for your paper.
• Start with a killer quote. Opening your paper with a quote can lend credibility to your essay, make it seem more interesting, and draw your audience into your paper. As you do research, keep a file of great quotes that you can use to open your essay. Just make sure that the quote you use is relevant to your paper.
• Don’t use two spaces after a period . Show your instructors that you are up to date with in your knowledge of writing conventions. Two spaces after a period used to be standard in the days of typewriters, but it hasn’t been standard for decades. While many high schools taught out of date writing styles from decades-old textbooks, show your instructors that you’re hip to the writing of today by using just one space after a period.
• Don’t skip spaces between paragraphs. Online, it’s standard to skip lines between paragraphs, but in a formal essay, you shouldn’t do that. One paragraph should follow the next with no skipped lines. Instead, indicate a new paragraph by indenting the first line one-half inch or five spaces, depending on the rules of your style guide, such as APA or MLA.
• Use one font in your essay unless absolutely necessary. An essay should look clean and consistent from start to finish. Many students like to make a paper look fancy by using many different fonts and sizes to decorate the page, but a great essay looks best when it is in one font and, generally, in one font size. Only use a second font when absolutely necessary (sometimes, for example, a table or chart needs a sans-serif font) and use different sizes only when your paper’s writing style, such as APA or MLA, requires it.
• Use a screen reader to hear your essay out loud. Listening to your paper can help you to identify errors that you may not be able to see on the page. Google Translate’s speaker function offers a free reader to help you listen to your paper.
• Print a copy of your essay for proofreading. It’s easier to see mistakes on paper than it is on a screen. Even if your paper will be submitted online, use a paper copy to search for proofreading errors.

Tags: writing life hacks

5 Insider College Essay Hacks to Stand Out From the Crowd

• February 18, 2021
• College Admission Guidance , Essay Writing

When it comes to writing a winning college essay , many students wonder why it’s important and how it can help them. You may have stellar SAT scores or honor level courses on your transcript, but without great college essays, your application will not make a great impact on the admission officials of your dream college. 

A persuasive and compelling college essay will make you stand out from other applicants. Through this article, we will give you 5 hacks that can make a significant difference to your college essays.

In a nutshell, your college essay demonstrates something unique about you that you cannot reveal with your grades or test scores – that is your personality.

Challenges of Writing a College Essay

When it comes to writing college essays, students face a myriad of challenges.

According to college essay papers, the first challenge of writing a college essay is procrastination. Many students put off their essay writing until they are left with no time which could add more pressure and make them get things wrong. There is also the challenge of explaining yourself in just 500 words. How is it even possible given the information running down in your mind?

Students also focus on pleasing the committee to the extent of failing to demonstrate their real experiences.

As a rule, keep your college essay length close to the maximum limit possible. Usually, college essays fall within 500 and 600 words long. Does this sound good?

Let’s get rolling.

Follow these five tips to write a winning college application essay.

5 Hacks for Writing a Winning College Essay

1. plan your writing in advance.

Part of the reason why many students fail to write outstanding college application essays is that they put off things until the last minute. If you fall for this trap, you’re going to rush the writing process and the quality of your essay will suffer. When the time to write your college essay comes, remember that you need enough to plan, write, proofread and edit, then polish your essay before submitting it. As a rule, you need to plan your writing project to give yourself enough time for the entire project. 

You also need to know your audience. It’s only when you understand who they are and what they are looking for that when you can know how to tailor your application essay appropriately.

So before you start writing your essay, find out what they are looking for in a potential candidate; and how you can demonstrate yourself as the deserving student.  Avoid over exceeding their expectations though. Focus on demonstrating your strengths and how you can convince them you’re the right candidate.

2. Understand the College Essay Prompt 

This sounds like a no-brainer but many students have had their essays marked ineffective for not addressing the prompt as required. 

Not understanding the essay prompt could give the admission committee a reason not to accept your essay no matter how outstanding it is.

So, read over the essay prompt several times and be clear about what you’re required to do. Some institutions will require candidates to choose from several prompts. Understanding the essay prompt clearly enables you to let the admission committee know more about yourself while complying with the writing standards required.

Being clear on the prompt also enables you to stay on track. Here is some common application essay prompts examples.

Example 1: The lessons we obtain from difficulties we experience can be fundamental to future career success.  Describe a time when you encountered a challenge, difficulty, failure, or setback. How did it affect you and what lessons did you learn from the experience.

Example 2: Think about a time when you challenge an idea. What prompted you to challenge it? Recount the outcome.

Example 3: Describe a problem you’ve solved or you’d like to solve. Explain its importance to you, and what steps you took or you’d take to identify a solution.

3. Choose An Interesting Topic

Sometimes you’ll have some freedom to choose a topic for your college essay by yourself. In that case, choose a topic that interests you.

Remember that the freedom to choose a topic for your essay can make things difficult for you. You might be tempted to choose a topic only to find that you cannot get enough information about it on the internet. Ensure you choose a subject you can confidently research and write without scratching your head too much. The idea is to let the admission committee know your personality as a candidate.

4. Create an Outline

To have an interesting writing process, you need to create an outline that shows all of the key points you’re going to talk about in your essay without going over or below the word limit. Write down all the main ideas either in bullet points or a list so you can be guided accordingly.

Creating an outline of your essay will help you stay organized and ensure that you don’t wander during the writing process.

5. Start Strong 

You’re now into the actual process of writing your college essay. Remember that the admission committee will be reviewing dozens of application essays so your first impression matters.

As a rule, you need to capture the reviewers’ attention immediately they place their eyes on your essay. That’s why you’re required to craft a compelling introduction. The first sentence of your essay can make the reviewers develop a desire to continue reading or stop and toss your essay into the dustbin.

To make your essay stand out, you need to know how to open strong. Hook the readers and drag them by their collars. Make your opening sentence as interesting and intriguing as possible, and then introduce your topic at the end of the first paragraph. Use the tips below to write an eye-catching introduction for your essay.

Write it in your own words

Often, it’s advised to start with a quote, a startling stat, or a question. When it comes to writing a college essay, you need to write the introduction in your own words. Remember that the introduction should tell the reviewer about you or your ideas.

Avoid overused phrases

As stated earlier, your essay needs to reveal your unique qualities. Repeating phrases that have been used for a long time shows that you cannot come up with your own ideas.

Additional tips on how to nail a college essay

Be proud, but don’t brag.

When it comes to making yourself stand out from the competition, it’s easy to fall for the temptation to brag about yourself. The goal of the essay is to demonstrate why you deserve the opportunity anyway. But hold your horses.

You don’t want to overdo it- but you shouldn’t shy away from bragging a little bit while showing the committee you’re human. Don’t be afraid to mention instances when you failed. After all, failing is normal but what you do after failing is what differentiates you from the other failures.

Show Emotions 

When writing your admission essay, you want to make sure the reader can connect with you. You want the reader to see you as a person, not a faceless writer.

Showing emotions can help you achieve that. To show emotions, don’t be afraid to demonstrate your vulnerabilities- after all, everyone is vulnerable. Showing times when you felt nervous, afraid, or defeated demonstrates self-awareness.

Show, Don’t Tell

Someone reading your essay wants to know your experiences. Use real-life examples. Ideally, you want to show the reader how you’ve been able to achieve your career success so far but not just telling them.

If you’ve achieved something worth mentioning in your application, show how you did it.

Proofread and Edit

Perhaps this is not the first, second, or third time you’re reading about it but you’ll be shocked by the number of times admission officers have encountered application essays with a ton of grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, sentence structure problems, and many other errors. Sometimes this happens when students rush their essay writing process up- partly due to procrastination or other reasons. As a rule, you should give your essay writing process ample time so that after writing, you’re left with more time to proofread it thoroughly.

You can use a spell checker tool or ask a friend to read over your essay for you.

Author Bio:   Prathamesh Sardesai is part of the content team at AP Guru. He has more than 10 years of experience as a content writer, specializing in writing about topics related to education and environmental issues like climate change and sustainability.

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5 Writing Hacks to Kick-start Your Next Paper

We’ve all been there: you’re assigned an essay, you turn on your computer, and then you sit in front of a blank screen for 20 minutes. You ask yourself, “Where do I even begin?”

There are times you might feel stuck or completely overwhelmed by a prompt. That’s okay! It happens to everyone, but fear not! By using one of these hacks, you’ll kick-start your next paper in no time.

Sometimes just playing with words can kick-start ideas for your writing. BibMe.org has fun and comprehensive grammar guides that cover everything from demonstrative pronouns and examples of adverbs to the definition of interjection !

Hack #1: Make a brain map

Instead of focusing on writing, draw! It can be boring to look at a monolith of words. By making a brain map, you can identify what ideas, keywords, and sources you’ll want to potentially include in your paper.

There are a lot of ways to make a brain map. One method is to write the prompt in the center. From there, write any associated ideas around the prompt, and then connect these ideas to the prompt with a line. Continue drawing branches out from each idea, adding examples, arguments, connections, and sources. By the end of your brain mapping session, you’ll have a sense of how various ideas connect.

Hack #2: Type headlines into your document

Outlining is a common tool in essay writing and an impactful way to organize your paper. An outline allows you to get a sense of the flow of your paper, and to see if you’re connecting ideas in a way that makes sense. But sometimes, you might feel like your outline isn’t fully fleshed out or that you need to write a thorough outline before you can start writing.

A hack you can use to get around that feeling is to type headlines for the main ideas you want to include in your essay. By typing in all your headlines first before typing, you can use them as guideposts for your paper and ensure that you’re happy with the overall structure.

Your headers can just be key phrases or something more structured like “Main Idea 1: ____.”  As you type, you can see how much you need to write for each section, and you’ll slowly but surely fill in the gaps.

Check out a BibMe research paper outline example for inspiration!

Hack #3: Don’t write in order

Speaking of filling in the gaps, there’s no rule that says that you must write your introduction first. An effective way to kick-start your paper is to write the section you feel most confident about first. Once you have that section down, it’ll be easier to write the rest of your paper. 

One caveat about this hack is that you do need to ensure that your paper flows nicely before you submit it. Be sure to carve out some time at the end to review your paper’s overall flow.

Hack #4: Use citation tools

Citation tools are an awesome way to kick-start your next paper. By knowing that you have a way to ensure that your writing is up to par, you can focus on creating a rough draft that effectively analyzes ideas and arguments. Afterwards, you can use a paper checking tool to improve sentence structure, check for unintentional plagiarism , and more! Using citation tools allows you to completely keep your initial focus on the meat of your paper.

BibMe.org creates citations automatically in thousands of styles, including APA reference format, MLA citation format, and Chicago citation format, too!

Hack #5: Write with a pen and paper

Nowadays we’re so used to typing that sometimes we forget that we can also write with a pen and paper. If you’re feeling stuck, a hack you can use to kick-start your paper is to start writing your essay by hand. As you write by hand, don’t worry about re-writing: just focus on getting some words down onto paper. 

This hack is effective because it’s easy to delete words or phrases as we type. Though convenient (can you imagine using a typewriter to write your essays?), it’s too easy to self-edit. Convenient self-editing means you don’t get to see your progress. With a pen and paper, however, you can see how many words you’re actually creating yourself. Sure, you may not use every single word, but you have physical evidence of your progress. And that can be enough to get you writing!

And those are five writing hacks you can use to kick-start your next paper! Happy writing!

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12 Student Hacks To Become A Better Online Researcher

Summer is underway and if you’re a student, school is probably the last thing you want to think about. But here’s the thing: the fall semester is only two months away, so you’re going to have to start thinking about school sooner than you think.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that sobering truth out of the way, let’s talk about what you can do to make the coming school year less stressful. You’re probably going to have to write a research paper or two (or ten). Luckily, there are strategies and services you can use to becomes a better online researcher and essay writing resources that will help you hone your academic writing. Equip yourself with these 12 effective online research hacks and you’ll be set to take on the new semester.

1. Check Out Your School’s Resources

Before looking elsewhere, see what trusty resources are available at your school. Schools will often have essay writing services that will give you strategies to research more effectively. For example, the Purdue Online Writing Lab is a popular resource for essay writing and research tips. Your school’s library will also have access to academic databases like the MLA International Bibliography .

2. Search Unique Keywords

When doing research for the topic of your essay, you will want to use specific keywords to find relevant sources. The broader the keyword you search is, the more results your search will yield. This is actually a bad thing, since most of those results won’t be relevant to your research. Use specific, unique keywords to narrow your search results to more relevant sources. For example, if you’re researching victorian clothing, search specific articles of clothing, such as “victorian horsehair petticoat,” as opposed to “victorian clothing.”

3. Use Specific Phrases

Here’s a quick but effective keyword search hack: put quotations around the phrase you are searching. This tells Google that you are looking specifically for words in the order you are quoting, rather than searching for results that contain any combination of those words. For example, if you are researching the average income of millennials compared to Generation X, you could search “average income of millennials” to get results that use that exact phrasing.

4. Use Google Scholar

Google Scholar is an index of specifically scholarly publications. Using Google Scholar eliminates the step of sifting through all of the irrelevant and unreliable results in Google’s regular search. Many of the articles indexed on Google Scholar aren’t free to read, however–but it’s still a good way to find specific articles for your essay, which you can then look for at your school library.

5. Use Google Books

This is one of my favorite services from Google. Google Books is an index of specifically book publications. It’s a great way to find reputable sources on specific topics. Typically, Google Books will only offer sample sections of books, but you can still find valuable information. Plus, Google Books always displays the copyright pages in their previews, so you can properly cite the book in your essay. Google Books is a great way to see if a book will be useful before looking for it at a library.

6. Browse Message Boards

This might seem counter intuitive—after all, chatting is usually something you do to procrastinate. But message boards can be a great source for insights on a topic and links to useful resources, particularly if your essay is about a niche topic. A lot of message boards exist for specialized interests. For instance, if you’re working on a history project about World War I, there are many message boards for history enthusiasts, who share old photographs and documents. Places like these can be a goldmine for unique material.

7. Use the Advanced Search Function

On the Google homepage, click “Settings” and then select “Advanced Search.” This will open up the Advanced Search function, which allows you to narrow down your search by filters like language, region, and file type. You can also search for exact words or phrases, as well as eliminate results with certain words or phrases.

8. Set a Search Time Limit

It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole when searching for something online. One page leads to another, and suddenly you’re on a site about what your whiskey personality is when you were supposed to be researching ancient Greek festivals. Setting a time limit for how long you can pursue one keyword at a time will help keep you on track. For example, set a timer on your phone for 15 minutes: this will allow you time to search a keyword, to skim various sites, and to jot down some important notes. If you find a site with a lot of useful information, bookmark it so you can dedicate more time to looking through it after.

9. Annotate Your Notes as You Research

Part of your assignment might be to submit an annotated bibliography . But even if it isn’t part of your assignment, writing down some notes about a source before moving on to the next one can be very helpful. You will probably look through tens, if not hundreds of pages while researching, so figuring out which source said what afterwards can end up wasting a lot of time. Create a document with the links to your sources, the author (if one is cited) and a few key points about the article. This will prompt you to remember which article is which.

10. Know Which Sources Are Reliable

Let’s face it: the internet is full of trash. Anyone can write anything and publish it on the web. For every reputable source you find on a topic, there will be 100 unreliable sources. How do you sift through the unreliable sources? A good place to start is, of course, your school’s library search engine. Your school’s library will already have an index of peer-reviewed and scholarly resources. But even if you’re using a regular search engine, there are indicators you can look for to confirm if a source is reliable or not.

Look into the organization that runs the website: is it a public organization or a nonprofit organization? For example, Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan think tank and a popular source for statistical information.

Or ask, is the site privately owned? The information can still be legitimate if it’s privately owned, but be conscious of how a company may present information in a way that favors their business. Even data can be biased .

Also look to see if the author has cited their sources. Most reputable sources will list the sources they drew their information from.

11. Use Online Libraries and Encyclopedias

Depending on the size of your school’s library, you may have limited access to certain books you want to use for your essay. Luckily, there are a number of online libraries that are free to access. Books on Project Gutenberg , for example, are completely free to read and use. You can also access certain online encyclopedias for free, like Encyclopaedia Britannica . These will give you access to articles on a wide variety of topics, and are credible sources that you can cite in your bibliography.

12. Use More Than One Search Engine

Keep in mind that different search engines index results differently . That’s because they have different bots crawling and indexing pages. So if you feel you’ve exhausted your results on Google, try using Bing or Yahoo! to see if your searches yield different results.

Using any combination of these online research hacks will make the research and essay writing process easier and more effective. Now keep these research hacks in mind and get back to enjoying your summer!

Featured photo credit: www.unsplash.com via unsplash.com

How to Use a Planner Effectively

How to Be a Better Planner: Avoid the Planning Fallacy

5 Best Apps to Help You Delegate Tasks Easily

Delegating Leadership Style: What Is It & When To Use It?

The Fear of Delegating Work To Others

Why Is Delegation Important in Leadership?

7 Best Tools for Prioritizing Work

How to Deal with Competing Priorities Effectively

What Is the RICE Prioritization Model And How Does It Work?

4 Exercises to Improve Your Focus

What Is Chronic Procrastination and How To Deal with It

How to Snap Out of Procrastination With ADHD

Are Depression And Procrastination Connected?

Procrastination And Laziness: Their Differences & Connections

Bedtime Procrastination: Why You Do It And How To Break It

15 Books on Procrastination To Help You Start Taking Action

Productive Procrastination: Is It Good or Bad?

The Impact of Procrastination on Productivity

How to Cope With Anxiety-Induced Procrastination

How to Break the Perfectionism-Procrastination Loop

15 Work-Life Balance Books to Help You Take Control of Life

Work Life Balance for Women: What It Means & How to Find It

6 Essential Mindsets For Continuous Career Growth

How to Discover Your Next Career Move Amid the Great Resignation

The Key to Creating a Vibrant (And Magical Life) by Lee Cockerell

9 Tips on How To Disconnect From Work And Stay Present

Work-Life Integration vs Work-Life Balance: Is One Better Than the Other?

How To Practice Self-Advocacy in the Workplace (Go-to Guide)

How to Boost Your Focus And Attention Span

What Are Distractions in a Nutshell?

What Is Procrastination And How To End It

Prioritization — Using Your Time & Energy Effectively

Delegation — Leveraging Your Time & Resources

Your Guide to Effective Planning & Scheduling

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Goals

How to Find Lasting Motivation

Complete Guide to Getting Back Your Energy

How to Have a Good Life Balance

Explore the time flow system.

About the Time Flow System

Key Philosophy I: Fluid Progress, Like Water

Key Philosophy II: Pragmatic Priorities

Key Philosophy III: Sustainable Momentum

Key Philosophy IV: Three Goal Focus

How the Time Flow System Works

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Lifehacks: Uncommon solutions to common problems.

Easy way to lengthen any paper/essay!

This is one of the only things I remember learning during my 6 years spent in college. Use the Find/Replace function in Microsoft Word to increase the font size of all the periods. Adds about 20-40% to the length of the paper and is virtually unnoticeable to the naked eye. I had to write a 20 page paper in college and could only come up with about 18 pages, replaced my size 12 periods with size 16 and added 2 pages to my paper! My mind was blown!

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9 Proven Essay Hacks: Cheat Sheet and Tips to cheat on essays

In this comprehensive guide, we show you proven essay hacks to use as an essay cheat sheet and tips on how to cheat on essays. Earn the grades legally. If you effectively apply these 9 tips and tricks, you will significantly save your time in writing essays, and the efforts you put on your homework and earn high grades easily.

In many essays and assignments, students get stranded due to the lack of knowledge on how to navigate from one step to another in the writing process. Sometimes, there are easy ways to write essays, but they only work when you know the tips. Let us now discuss each in detail.

Easy navigation table

Proven Essay Hacks to legally Cheat on Essays

1. hire a professional essay writer.

This is one of the most convenient and easiest ways through which a student can cheat on essays, homework, and other assignments. The student hires a professional essay writer.

Professional essay writers can be accessed through professional writing websites. Grade Bees essay writing is one of the best ones. Several writing websites have experienced and competent writers who can handle different types of essays or any other assignment 24/7.

When you hire a professional essay writer, you can be assured that your paper will be of high quality and it will be delivered on time as your work.

However, there are some things you should consider before hiring a professional essay writer online. You should conduct a thorough research concerning the credibility of your selected writing services provider.

Make your Order

Give Instructions

Your writer completes the task

Download your File

The credibility can be gauged based on how long the website has provided witting services to students, the consistency of the website regarding the delivery of quality essays to students, and most importantly the support system within the site.

Once you are satisfied with the website offering professional writing services, you will be assigned a verified essay writer to complete your assignment.

The assigned professional write will deliver your essay, homework, or any other assignment according to the instructions you provided and the deadline you gave.

Of course, those services are not free. You will have to pay. The price may differ from one service provider to another.

2. Plagiarize wisely without getting caught

This is also an ingenious method of cheating on your essays, homework, and more.

While plagiarizing is academic dishonesty that is punishable by law, plagiarizing wisely without getting caught can help you cheat on essays if you believe it is morally right.

The first method of plagiarizing wisely is to add adverbs and adjectives into original sentences to make them sound and appear different or unique.

Also, you should note that plagiarism detecting tools look for overlapping text between your essay and other works from other writers.

If you add adverbs and adjectives, the similarity or overlapping text will disappear and you will be good.

You can also change the order of text within the original sentences. This is an easy method of plagiarizing because plagiarism detecting tools such as SafeAssign and Turnitin will be incapable of detecting any overlaps between your essay and the original work.

Changing the word order can also be achieved by Article Rewriting tools. Those tools are several on Google.

What they do is to take the original text and jumble it in such a way that it maintains meaning and coherence while becoming different from the original work.

Finally, you can utilize several quotes within your essay. However, this will depend on whether your instructor accepts them or not.

If you use quotes, be sure to quote (“…”) the original text and add an in-text citation at the end of the quote to avoid detection.

Check our our guide how to plagiarize wisely without getting caught especially when dealing with Turnitin or SafeAssign.

 3. Paraphrase your essay well

Paraphrasing is when a student takes the original text and mixes the words in such a way that they look original while retaining the same meaning with the original text.

You should note that even though you have paraphrased, you should correctly cite the source in the right format.

Below are some of the tips that can be used to help you paraphrase your work well:

• Use a Dissimilar first sentence
• Use relevant synonyms
• Change sentence structure
• Break long sentences

We can explain these points in detail below;

1. Use a Dissimilar first sentence

First, you should begin your essay, or the first sentence of your essay, at a dissimilar point from that of the original.

This means that you will not follow the structure of the source. You will have to find the structure through which you will rewrite the source’s text.

2. Use relevant synonyms

Secondly, you should use synonyms. This is a clever way of paraphrasing because you will exchange the original words with their synonyms.

This can easily fool plagiarism detecting tools. The Saurus Tool can help you if you are stuck.

3. Change sentence structure

Thirdly, you can change the sentence structure. If the original sentence has been written in the active form, you can change it into a passive form.

4. Break long sentences

Finally, you can break long sentences or information into smaller and separate sentences. This will make your essay original while maintaining the original or intended information.

Read our guide on the Dos and Don’ts of paraphrasing – and learn how to paraphrase well.

4. Submit late assignments wisely

It is a requirement that all assignments should be submitted before the deadline.

Any late submissions are not accepted by most instructors because the students have not followed the instructions and they may have used that opportunity to cheat on their essays.

Depending on the institution you are studying in, your instructors have different preferences when it comes to submitting assignments.

Most will require you to submit the assignments via plagiarism detecting tools such as Turnitin or SafeAssign while others may require you to physically hand in your work.

Either way, late submissions are unacceptable. This is because they can be used as a loophole to cheat.

Read our guide on how to submit late assignments and escape with it.

To ensure that you turn in your late assignments, be sure to upload a corrupted file before the deadline. The instructor will struggle to open the file without success.

During that time, take the opportunity to complete the assignment. You can also seek help from your smart classmates because they will assume that you have also uploaded the file and their help will not have any impact on your paper.

By the time your instructor requests you to re-upload your assignment, you will have completed your paper. Voila!

5. Work with homework help tutor

This method cannot be considered as an unethical approach to cheating on essays. This is because a homework help tutor is just like your teacher or instructor who wants to make you better understand the course and the homework.

Again, parents who think that their children are not at par with their peers at school will most likely hire extra help from such tutors. Those tutors can also help you while completing your homework.

Well, homework help tutors can be actual physical people who you interact with or someone/something that you interact within a virtual space (online).

In either case, both can provide valuable information that can help you complete your homework.

Their experience as tutors and the academic information they possess guarantees that you will complete your homework and expect the best results. 

For example, if you have been given Chemistry homework and you feel that it is difficult to complete because you do not understand the concepts, you can seek homework help tutor

Maybe the grade you will get from the assignment will impact your final grade. Though you will have cheated, seeking help will save your grade.

Look out for our homework help services and see if you can get someone to walk your academic journey with you

This is one of the most effective and successful methods of cheating on essays, homework, and more without getting caught. You have legally or morally done nothing wrong.

6. Re-use previous papers from you or others

This method of cheating on essays, homework, and more can be very risky if not done wisely. As we have noted, some tools are used by institutions to check for plagiarism.

Tools such as SafeAssign and Turnitin can detect any overlaps between your submitted papers and other papers, essays, or works that are available within their databases.

If they detect any overlaps, then your paper has a degree of plagiarism that is dictated by the similarity index.

If the previous papers from you or others to be reused have been previously submitted through either of plagiarism checking tools, then your paper will be detected and rejected because of a high similarity index.

However, it should be noted that the two plagiarism checking tools use different databases and they do not check the other’s databases.

Therefore, it may be possible to reuse a paper that has been previously submitted using Turnitin by submitting it through SafeAssign and vice versa.

Turnitin stores all the papers that have been submitted through it to its database. In the case of SafeAssign, students and instructors can choose to donate those papers as resources.

The key thing to note is that most of the tools used to check for plagiarism have a mechanism of detecting papers that have been previously submitted through them.

Read our guide how to re-use previous papers without self-plagiarism and apply this crazy hack.

However, if your paper or another person’s paper has not been submitted through such tools, you can confidently reuse them.

 7. Smartly cheat your online tests

Some smart methods can be used by students to cheat during their online tests. One of the most commonly used methods is screen mirroring or sharing.

Since online tests are given to students from remote locations, you have the freedom to use more than one monitor.

Those monitors are used to simultaneously mirror the test questions to your smart friends who can provide answers.

The second method you can use to cheat during online tests is by using devices to cheat. Some Bluetooth devices are very tiny and undetectable.

You can place them strategically into your ear and use them to receive voiced answers from your smart friends or any other person you have hired to help you during the online test.

Another device you can use to cheat during online tests is your smartphone. They can store valuable information and answers. They are connected to the internet and you can search your answers on cheating websites like Sparknotes or more.

Another method that can be used to cheat during online tests is impersonation. Here, the candidate hires or uses another person to do the test on their behalf.

You can read our full guide how to cheat online tests and get some easy hacks that may help you escape being caught.

Administering online tests remotely allows the candidates to use impersonators who are more knowledgeable and are likely to attain good grades for the candidates. However, we give a disclaimer that such cheating in school is wrong , and you should try it at your own peril.

Though this is the case, most institutions are now administering online exams though proctored programs like web browsers and tools to avoid cheating incidences. 

8. Use free model essays to write your essays

Copying or using model essays/papers to write your essays/papers is also an effective method of cheating on essays, homework, and more. Model essays have been created by individuals who are well versed in the course content and its requirements.

Most likely, those individuals create those model essays/papers to guide or provide an actual example of how students should do their papers or essays. In most cases, the model essays or papers have been written or approved by the instructor. Therefore, they can be valuable assets when writing your paper or essay.

What you should note is that not all model essays or papers will completely match the assignment requirements given by your instructor.

Read our post on how to use completely free sample essays as models for your paper.

You should carefully check the contents and the context of the model essay or papers before copying or using them to write your essays or papers.

If by chance the model paper is similar to your assignment, you can proceed to copy the points in your paper or essay. However, do not copy-paste. Read our guide on paraphrasing hack 3 above.

If you decide to completely copy the model paper or essay, be sure to check for similarity through plagiarism checking tools such as Turnitin Self-Check, Grammarly, or any other tool. This will ensure that the paper does not exist within the databases of those tools. If they do exist, you can plagiarize or paraphrase wisely to avoid getting caught. If they do not exist, then you can copy and upload the paper as your own.

9. Have someone take your class online

As aforementioned, online classes and courses are administered remotely. Therefore, students and tutors do not physically interact. This gives students a lot of freedom to cheat. One of the methods is to have someone take your online class from the start to end. Due to proctoring tools and online authentication through biometrics and student IDs that are taken

during the start of the online course, having someone take the online class from the start will ensure that they will have assumed your identity. They will also do online proctored tests and exams without any problem.

Essay Cheat Sheet and Tips to improve your writing

1. use proofreading tools to polish your work.

Proofreading tools like Grammarly and writecheck can be very helpful when completing your essays.

They are easy to use and they make your work to be significantly easier.

At the same time, they will take lesser time and save you on the deadline.

When you are done writing your essay or research paper and you need to proofread your work to correct any grammatical errors, punctuation, and so on, you can just copy-paste or upload the file directly to the tool.

Some of the proofreading tools are free while others require a subscription fee.

Read our hacks on how to use Grammarly Premium version for free and see how it works.

Once uploaded, the tool will automatically detect any errors or issues within your paper. You can correct them as required.

2. Format your paper well – cite referencing, etc.

Formatting your paper well will guarantee more points. After you are done writing your paper, it is important to format it following the academic guidelines provided by your instructor.

The format will dictate the arrangement of your paper in terms of paragraphs, the in-text citations, presence or absence of endnotes or footnotes, and the placement of the bibliography/works cited/reference page.

Read our guide how to format papers in APA or MLA and get a quick lesson or essay hack on the same.

The common and acceptable formats include APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard. Be sure to follow the format dictated by your instructor to be graded.

Some instructors will not grade papers that do not follow the correct format that is well done.

You can hire one of our cheap essay writers from our website to proofread your work professionally.

3. Self-check your papers for plagiarism

This is also a very important step to do before submitting your paper. As we have noted earlier, most instructors will require you to submit your papers and essays through plagiarism checking tools such as SafeAssign and Turnitin.

However, some submissions can only be done once because they are taken as final copies rather than drafts. It is therefore important to perform a self-check through tools.

Read our guide on Turnitin Self-check alternatives and learn more.

Some of the tools discussed in that article include Turnitin’s Feedback Studio, Grammarly, PlagScan, DupliChecker, and so on before submitting your drafts as final copies.

4. Keep your plagiarism score within the acceptable range

Different institutions and instructors have different standards when it comes to plagiarism scores.

Some will be strict while others will be lenient depending on the course discipline and the writing prowess of the students.

Check out our post on the acceptable plagiarism score on Turnitin and know how not to surpass that level.

As a student, you should take note of the accepted range and try as much as possible to keep your plagiarism score within the acceptable range.

You will not be penalized due to plagiarized content if you keep your score within the acceptable range.

5. Follow online guides on how to write essays and papers

If you google or search the web for topics on how to write different types of papers, you will find several results.

Read our comprehensive guides how to write an essay and how to write research papers for detailed lessons.

Some many websites and blogs provide free guides on how to write different papers. You should however check the credibility of the online sources because some of them may misguide you.

Different papers will take different forms. The most credible sites will give you guidelines in terms of structure, outline, format, tone, and how to effectively cite sources.

6. Know the allowed plagiarism – easy essay cheat sheet

Different institutions and instructors have different standards when it comes to how much plagiarism is allowed. Some institutions or instructors will not allow students’ papers with a plagiarism score of more than 5%. Watch the video below to learn how to reduce your plagiarism.

Others can allow a score of below 25% while others can allow as much as 30% depending on the course’s discipline and the writing proficiency of the students.

If your instructor or institution allows or tolerates a plagiarism score of 30%, then you can plagiarize to that extent.

However, if they do not tolerate that (5% and below), then avoid plagiarism by using the aforementioned methods.

CDK says all auto dealers should be back online by Thursday after outage

Following a cyberattack, car dealership software company CDK Global plans to restore services to all dealers by Thursday, the company said in a statement Monday.

CDK offers cloud-based software to more than 15,000 auto dealerships across North America that manages vehicle acquisitions, sales, financing, insuring, repairs and maintenance. Restoration has been underway for more than a week after a June 19 cyberattack and reported ransom demand forced the company to shut down its systems.

“We are continuing our phased approach to the restoration process and are rapidly bringing dealers live on the Dealer Management System (DMS). We anticipate all dealers connections will be live by late Wednesday, July 3 or early morning Thursday, July 4," CDK spokesperson Lisa Finney said to USA TODAY in an emailed statement, adding that the customer service channels have been restored for those experiencing issues.

New car inventory and prices: What shoppers need to know

BlackSuit cybercriminal team reportedly behind cyberattack

Multiple outlets reported  Recorded Future ransomware analyst Allan Liska identified BlackSuit as the hacking group behind the cyberattack on CDK. Recorded Future did not immediately respond to a Friday request for comment.

BlackSuit is a newer cybercriminal team that spun off an older, Russia-linked hacking group called RoyalLocker,  according to Reuters . Security firm Recorded Future says the group has breached at least 95 organizations across the globe. 

Cybercriminals targeting car dealerships

Cybercriminals are a growing threat to target car dealerships, with 17% of 175 surveyed dealers experiencing a cyberattack or incident within the past year, up from 15% the year prior, according to a 2023 CDK report. Of those dealers, 46% said the cyberattack had a negative financial or operational impact.

Dealerships have been an attractive target because of the vast amounts of sensitive customer data they hold. From credit applications to customer financial information, dealerships hold a treasure trove of information to hackers, according to a 2023 article from insurance company Zurich North America.

"In addition, dealership systems are often interconnected to external interfaces and portals, such as external service providers," according to the report, and many dealerships "lack basic cyber security protections."

Dealers reverted to pen and paper after CDK outage

Analysts say new car sales in June are likely to be down more than 5% compared to June 2023, partly due to the impact CDK's shut down had on dealership operations.

Thad Szott, whose family owns dealerships in Michigan,  told the Detroit Free Press  the shutdown had a dramatic effect on all five of his dealerships.

“Some of it is manual now. But it is much clunkier internally, more cumbersome internally, to process simple things like repair orders or work a car deal,” he previously told the Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Craig Schreiber, one of the owners of the Northtown Automotive Companies in New York, told USA TODAY the company was able to go "old school" and use handwritten, manual forms in its departments after CDK's systems were shut down.

Contributing: Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press

80 Hacking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best hacking topic ideas & essay examples, 🥇 most interesting hacking topics to write about, 📌 simple & easy hacking essay titles.

• Ethical and Illegal Computer Hacking For the ethical hackers, they pursue hacking in order to identify the unexploited areas or determine weaknesses in systems in order to fix them.
• The Three Types of Hackers The article “They are attacking you: learn the three types of hackers’ was written by Jonathan Nichols and explores the three main types of hackers that attack organizations and their clients, and the factors that […]
• Hackers: The History of Kevin Mitnick The trial that took place in the year 1999 contained his confession to some of the presented crimes and the sentence was administered in a form of a plea bargain, where he received three years […]
• White Hat and Black Hat Hacking On the other hand, White Hats work with companies and help them identify weaknesses in their systems and fix relevant vulnerabilities to ensure that attackers cannot illegally gain access to data.
• Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Hacking So as to discuss the ethical, lawful, and ethical inferences of this concern, people need an understanding of the phrase ethical hacking.
• Hacking: Positive and Negative Perception The possible advantage of cooperating with hackers for security systems mangers of international organizations and governmental organizations is the probability to recruit them and use their knowledge to empower different organizations to improve their security […]
• Hacking Prevention: Mobile Phone Anti-Virus However, the less discussed and addressed subject is the cybersecurity of mobile phones, which are among the most used and vital devices for the majority of the population.
• Encryption and Hacking Techniques There are several advantages of text-based encryption, and they include the fact that the data can be used across different devices through the concept of multi-device encryption techniques.
• Hackers: The Good, the Bad and the Gray They are the most familiar with the latest methods of Black Hat hacking, thus making it possible to prevent attempts and reinforce security.
• Internet Hacking and Cybersecurity Conundrum Analysis Many people have gained access to computer systems, the Internet, and related products and services, leading to the emergence of cyber-related threats. Cybersecurity improvements are vital to the continuous developments in information technology, national security, […]
• Internet Hacking and Cybersecurity Conundrum Therefore, the increasing number of attacks during the pandemic could be handled with the help of machine learning and have the numerous human workers assigned to less crucial tasks that actually require human judgment.
• Protecting Organizations From Hackers and Thieves Relative to this fact, Mukhopadhyay et al.say that the uptake of technology and the prominence of the Internet of Things, which is a network of objects that communicate with each other, has increasingly exposed companies […]
• Hacking as a Crime and Related Theories The move to embrace the novel technology has led to the emergence of a new form of crime and behavior referred to as “hacking”. Today, the term is used to refer to individuals engaged in […]
• Ethical Hacking: Is It a Thing? Computer programmers implemented the term ‘hacker’ at the beginning of the 1960s in the framework of a positive definition for an individual of dexterous software development skill.
• Computer Sciences Technology and HTTPS Hacking Protection Many are assured when they see the SSL symbol of a lock at the bottom of the screen and feel their information is confidential and the website is protected.
• Moral Issues Surrounding the Hacking of Emails The devises to enter into another people’s email and steal information in the email is called Email Hacking. It should noted that stealing of valuable information through email hacking has become a phenomenon in both […]
• Hacking Government Website From the View of Right and Justice Computer crimes refers to the use of the computer system or the internet to commit criminal activities A computer crime is an unlawful act done via a computer or a network and some of the […]
• Hackers’ Role as Information Security Guardians This article points out the fact that information technology has enabled increased efficiency, increased effectiveness, and an increased amount of IT-enabled processes within the personal and industrial fields.
• The Hacker Subculture Nature and Allure The Internet connected people all around the globe and changed the face of the society forever. However, with the development of the computer networks, the meaning of the term started to change.
• Sony vs. Hackers: PS3 Jailbreak It is alleged that such option contributed to that PS3 could not be jailbroken for a record period of time, as opposed to other video gaming devices, as it gave hackers the opportunity to install […]
• The Different Sides of Hacking In a general sense, computer hacking involves the intrusion of the computing privacy of other people, damage of the computing property of other people like files, software etc.or the theft of private information by unauthorized […]
• US Brokerage Hacking by India Issue The personal accounts of the defendants were used to purchase shares of stocks, following which they hacked into other people’s accounts and made good use of their passwords and usernames.
• Cyber Security: Shadow Brokers Hacker Group A concealed group of hackers stole several disks containing secret data belonging to the National Security Agency in 2013; In 2016, they announced an auction to sell off the data they had obtained illegally; […]
• Hacker Ethos as a Framework Protecting Freedom In the case of the hacker ethos, this takes the form of hackers attempting to convince other people of the righteousness of their cause based on the image that they are portraying, namely, as individuals […]
• Shadow Brokers Hacker Group and Cyber Security Industry Therefore, in order to prevent the recurrence of such attacks, the N.S.A.needs to strengthen the security system of particularly essential information to eliminate its diversion.
• The Documentary “How Hackers Changed the World?” The documentary provides detailed information, as to what were the process’s sub-sequential phases, while presenting the audience with the excerpts from the interviews with the most prominent members of Anonymous and promoting the idea that […]
• Hacking: White, Black and Gray Hats Living in the era of the Internet and online technology increases the vulnerability of the information stored online and on electronic devices.
• Sony Corporation Hacking and Security System The organization had to stop the hackers and ensure information did not flow freely but it was unfortunate, as the company sought the services of the California court because it had no capacity to deal […]
• Ways to Stop Cell Phones Hacking Although it is in the view of many that their phones cannot be hacked as they only protect their computers from hacking, mobile phone operators are more predisposed to being hacked since a mobile operator […]
• Banking Sector Cyber Wars and International Hacking Flaws in the network allow hackers to access the systems. In efforts to reduce hacking in the country, a number of police units have been formed.
• Two Greatest Hacking Systems in the USA Appropriating intellectual output of someone else is also a computer malpractice that is intolerable. Generally, Computer malpractice is seen when a person shows hasty and careless conducts or behaviors when making use of computer systems.
• Cybercrime: Gary McKinnon’s Hacking Event It is the lack of effective controls that accounts for most hacking incidences, as depicted by the case of Gary McKinnon who was able to gain unauthorized access to NASA and pentagon systems, deleting crucial […]
• Adrian Lamo’s Hacking: Is It Right? The example of Galileo introduces a theory about the construction of the Solar System that was the target of interest of the well-known scientist.
• Benefits and Dangers of Ethical Hacking The advantages of ethical hacking The following are some of the advantages associated with the use of ethical hacking in an organization.
• Ethical Hacking: Bad in a Good Way Introduction of personal computers led to the increase in the number of hackers as well as hacker targets were widened. Many hackers lack the skills to damage network systems in a major way.
• Hacking: Social Engineering Online The information is fed to the main web site that’s runs the hacking software, where the information is sorted according to various numbers.
• Ethics in Computer Hacking Hacking by no means follows ethics; the infiltration is to the benefit of hacker and loss of users of computer system, network or website.
• Kosovo 1999: Hacking the Military The paper addresses the motivation behind the attacks, the methods of attack, and the responses of the defenders to these attacks.
• Computer Security Breaches and Hacking To avoid such an attack in the future, it is advisable to keep both the client and server applications up to date.
• Assessing the Factors Associated With the Detection of Juvenile Hacking Behaviors
• Hacking Attacks, Methods, Techniques, and Their Protection Measures
• Hacking Bluetooth Enabled Mobile Phones and Beyond
• Hacking: Implications for Computerized Accounting Information System
• Computer Crime, Hacking, Phreaking, and Software Piracy Issues
• The Infamous Sony Hacking Scandal in the Modern Times
• Computer Hacking and Cyber Terrorism: The Real Threats in the New Millennium?
• Hacking Computers and Ethics: What Comes to Mind When You Think of Hacking?
• The Concern Over the Rising Cases of Hacking and Other Computer Crimes
• Media Regulation and the UK Hacking Scandal
• Cybercrime and Internet Hacking and Its Effect on the Cybersecurity Policies
• The U.S. Charges North Korean Spy Over Wannacry and Hacking the Sony
• Characterizing Cyberbullying Among College Students: Hacking, Dirty Laundry, and Mocking
• How Does ATM Hacking Affect Business in the U.S?
• Investigating Kevin Mitnick and Computer Hacking Philosophy
• Hacking as Transgressive Infrastructuring: Mobile Phone Networks and the German Chaos Computer Club
• Use of a Multitheoretic Model to Understand and Classify Juvenile Computer Hacking Behavior
• The Debate About Securing the Internet With Advancements in Technology and the Rise of Hacking
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics: Ethical and Unethical Hacking
• Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals Accused of Hacking Houston Astros Player Database
• Computer Hacking: Just Another Case of Juvenile Delinquency?
• The Hacking of America: Who’s Doing It, Why, and How?
• Common Reasons Why Internet Users Resort to Hacking
• The General Theory of Crime and Computer Hacking: Low Self-Control Hackers?
• The Past, Present, and Future of Computer Hacking
• Computer Crimes and the Most Famous One Is Hacking
• Information Systems Management: Original Purpose of Hacking
• Hacking Competitions and Their Untapped Potential for Security Education
• Hacking: Redefining the Society’s Concept of the Computer Enthusiasts
• Illegal Computer Hacking: An Assessment of Factors That Encourage and Deter the Behavior
• What New Dangers Might Result From Data-Phishing and Hacking for Businesses and Individuals?
• Cybercrime Prevention Measures: How to Avoid Hacking?
• Scientific Causal Model: Cybercrime Related to Terrorism, Economy, Privacy, and Hacking
• How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to the Epic Hacking of Mat Honan?
• Corporate Ethical Issues and Ensuing Influence: Case Study of Murdoch’s Phone Hacking Scandal
• The Extent and Consequences of P-Hacking in Science
• Norse Corp.: Monitoring Hacking Traffic
• Canada and Legal Issues Involving Regulation of the Internet and Computer Hacking
• Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets & Solutions
• Understanding the Concept Behind Hacking and Methods, They Use to Hack Computers
• Encryption Essay Titles
• Cyber Security Topics
• Internet Research Ideas
• Cyberspace Topics
• Software Engineering Topics
• Internet Privacy Essay Topics
• Technology Essay Ideas
• Cyber Bullying Essay Ideas
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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How to Write a Paper in APA Format | For Students

When I was a student, I was told to submit my essays in APA format. At the time, I had no idea what that even meant or how to do it. If this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry—I’ve been there, too. In this guide, I’ll show you the easiest way to understand APA format and a simple hack to help you comfortably write your essays and then format them in APA style.

When is APA format used?

APA format is commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences, such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, and economics, as well as in fields like business and nursing. This standardized format is adopted by professionals, researchers, and students to structure and present research papers, essays, and other academic documents.

It ensures consistency and clarity in communication within these disciplines by providing specific guidelines for nearly all aspects of manuscript formatting, from font choice to margins and punctuation. By adhering to paper APA format 7th edition style, writers in these fields can effectively share their findings and ideas in a clear and organized manner.

General Guidelines/ Rules of APA Formatting

Understanding the guidelines is key when learning how to write a paper in APA format for students. However, there's one important point that is often missed by many: the APA 7th edition now has different guidelines for students and professionals. So, if you notice a few extra details that might be missing in the guidelines below, it is because we have skipped the APA 7th edition guidelines for professionals to avoid any confusion. Let's review the guidelines:

General Formatting:

Margins: Set 1-inch margins on all sides.

Font: Use a readable font such as Times New Roman (12 pt.).

Line Spacing: Double-space throughout the document, including the title page, abstract, references, and any other sections.

Indentation: Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches (use the tab key or the paragraph formatting function).

Alignment: Left-align all text except for headings, which follow specific formats.

Page Numbers: Include page numbers in the top right corner of every page, starting on the title page (which is considered page 1).

Title Page: Follow guidelines for the placement of the title, author information, affiliation (your school), course information, and instructor's name.

Abstract: Include a brief summary of your paper on a separate page after the title page.

Body Text: Write in clear and concise language, avoiding jargon. Use headings to organize your content.

In-text Citations: Cite your sources within the text using the author’s name and publication year in parentheses. There are specific formats for different types of sources.

Reference List: Start a new page for your references, listed alphabetically by the first author's last name. Follow specific formatting guidelines for different types of sources (books, articles, websites, etc.).

Here's what a title page of a reference paper template looks like in APA format:

How to Set up APA Format Paper [Step-by-Step]

After understanding the guidelines, the next step is to apply them effectively to format your paper in APA 7th edition style. To achieve this, we need an efficient writing tool that provides all the necessary formatting tools. Since we're just starting our journey to format essays in APA style, the tool should be easy to use. For these reasons, I'll be using a professional writing tool— WPS Office .

WPS Office not only provides all the necessary tools but also has a major benefit—it's completely free to use. I recommend downloading WPS Office on your system to ensure you can follow the steps smoothly. So, let's begin. I have an example paper that I will format in APA style using WPS Office.

1.Page Margins

Before you begin formatting your essay, let's set the page margins according to APA 7th edition guidelines, which require 1-inch margins on all sides.

Step 1: To set the page margins in WPS Writer, simply go to the Page Layout tab.

Step 2: In the Page Layout ribbon, locate the Margin fields on the left end of the ribbon.

Step 3: Here, set all margins—top, bottom, left, and right—to 1 inch.

Once you've adjusted the margins, we can proceed with formatting the rest of the document.

2.Font Settings and Line Spacing

Next, let's adjust the font and line spacing according to APA style requirements.

Step 1: Go to the Home tab in WPS Writer and change the font to “Times New Roman” in the “Fonts” field.

Step 2: To change the font size, enter "12" in the "Font size" field.

Step 3: For adjusting line spacing, simply click on the "Line spacing" icon in the Home ribbon and select "2.0" to apply double spacing in your essay.

Once we've completed setting the general formatting of our entire essay according to APA style, we now need to prepare the header.

Step 1: To set the header, double-click on the header area to enter the header in WPS Writer.

The header in APA style for students includes only the page number on the top right.

Step 2: To insert the page number, click on the "Page Number" button in the Header/Footer ribbon.

Step 3: From the Page Number drop-down menu, select the "Header right" option to insert the page number on the top right.

Step 4: Next, we need to set the header height to "0.5 in" in the "Header height" field.

 4.Title Page

Sure! Let's start formatting each page of your essay, beginning with the title page. The title page should include the title of your paper, your name (as the author), the professor's name, course details, university name, and the due date. Each of these headings should start on a new line with 3-4 blank lines at the top of the page. This formatting ensures that your essay's title page follows APA style guidelines accurately.

Step 1: Press the "Enter" key on the keyboard to leave 3-4 blank lines at the top of the page.

Step 2: Type the title of your essay and center align it by clicking on the "Center" icon in the Home ribbon.

Step 3: Make the title bold by selecting the title text and clicking on the "Bold" icon in the Home ribbon.

Step 4: Press the "Enter" key twice to create a blank line between the title and the essay details. Then, enter the essay details in the following order, each on a separate line:

Your name (Author)

Department, University

Course Name, Course code

Professor's name

Step 5: After entering the essay details as described, ensure that each detail is centered on the page by selecting all the text with your mouse. Then, click on the "Center" icon in the Home ribbon to center-align the selected text.

Step 1: To insert a new blank page after the title page, place the cursor at the end of the due date on the title page and go to the Insert tab.

Step 2: In the Insert ribbon, click on "Breaks" and then select "Page Break" from the drop-down menu. This will create a new blank page where we will enter our abstract.

Step 3: Enter the heading "Abstract" in bold font style and center align it.

Step 4: Type the body of the abstract with no indentation. Simply start typing the abstract text.

After completing the abstract, insert another page break to start the next section of your essay.

6.Headings and Subheadings

To ensure your paper adheres to APA style guidelines for headings and paragraph indentation, here's how you can format them:

Step 1: On a new blank page, enter the Level 1 heading and ensure it is centered and in bold.

Step 2: For the body of the headings, indent the first line of each new paragraph by “0.5 in” by pressing the “Tab” key on your keyboard

Level 1 Heading: Centered and bold. It is used for main sections, like "Methods" or "Results".

Level 2 Heading: Left-aligned and bold. It is used to divide the main sections into subsections.

Level 3 Heading: Left-aligned, bold, and italicized. It further divides subsections into smaller parts.

Level 4 Heading: Indented, bold, and ends with a period. Text immediately follows this period, and it continues with lowercase text.

Level 5 Heading: Indented, bold, and in italics. Similar to Level 4, it also continues with lowercase text..

7.Table of contents

Essays can be lengthy, so including a table of contents can help make navigation easier. Let's take a look at how we can add a table of contents in WPS Writer.

Step 1: The Table of Contents is placed right after the title page, so the first step is to create a blank space after the title page using a Page Break.

Step 2: Now, on the blank page, go to the References tab and click on the Table of Contents button.

Step 3: From the Table of Contents drop-down menu, select any of the default templates available. I prefer using the 3rd template as it allows coverage of 3 levels of headings.

Step 4: Once the Table of Contents has been added, ensure that its heading is set to "Table of Contents", and it is formatted in bold and centered alignment.

Step 5: Additionally, ensure that the font settings of the Table of Contents are set to Times New Roman and 12-point font size.

8.Reference page

Before completing our essay, it's important to insert references that were helpful during the research process. For this, the end of your essay will include a separate References page.

Step 1: On a blank page at the end of your essay, enter the heading "References". Center align the heading and make it bold.

Step 2: List all the works cited in your essay. You can use the free Scribbr citation generator to generate APA 7th edition citations, which makes the process easier and ensures accuracy.

Step 3: Ensure the references are formatted with hanging indents using the Ruler in WPS Writer. To access the ruler, go to the View tab and check the "Ruler" checkbox in the ribbon.

Step 4: Drag the arrow on the ruler to half an inch to set the hanging indent .

Step 5: Then, drag the rectangle (below the ruler) back to 0 to reset the left indent for the subsequent lines of each reference.

And here is our APA 7th edition formatted essay from scratch. As you may have noticed, the whole process can be lengthy without an outline, but formatting your essay step by step makes the process clearer and easier to complete. I've used a few other writing tools for formatting, but I recommend WPS Writer because of its ease of navigation—all formatting tools are readily available in the tab, with no need to navigate through extra menus or open additional guides to learn additional steps. Try using WPS Writer for your essay assignments and experience the difference.

Bonus Tips: How to Convert Word to PDF without losing Format

WPS Office not only provides the necessary tools for students to efficiently format their essays according to APA 7th edition, but it also offers tools to easily convert these papers to PDF format within the WPS Writer application. Therefore, because submitting your work promptly is the next step after writing, ensure that your submission doesn't cost you any marks due to formatting issues after putting in so much effort.

To convert your essay documents to PDF using WPS PDF without quality loss, simply follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your document in WPS Writer.

Step 2: Click on the Menu button at the top left corner of the screen.

Step 3: Select "Export to PDF" from the menu that appears.

Step 4: Adjust any settings, such as the output path, in the Export to PDF window.

Step 5: After configuring the settings, click on "Export to PDF" to save your essay document as a PDF.

FAQs about writing a paper in APA format

1. how should i format tables and figures in apa style.

To correctly format a table in APA style, follow these guidelines:

Boldly label the table number above the table.

Provide a brief, italicized title in the title case just below the table number.

Avoid using vertical lines in the table design.

Use horizontal lines sparingly, only where necessary for clarity.

Ensure column and row headings are clearly labeled and concise.

Maintain consistent number formatting, such as decimal places.

Include any necessary notes below the table to explain details or sources.

To correctly format a figure in APA style, follow these guidelines:

Place the figure number in bold above the figure.

Provide a brief, italicized title in the title case beneath the figure number.

Include clear labels and legends within the image if needed.

Add any pertinent notes below the figure.

2. How to cite a Journal article in APA Style?

An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author's name(s), the year of publication (in round brackets), the title of the article, the name of the journal in italics, the volume (in italics) and issue number, the page range of the article, and a DOI (if available).

APA format:

Author's last name, First name initial. (Year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL

Johnson, M. (2023). Explore with us. Journal of random discoveries, 5(2), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.1234/jes.2023.5.2.123

3. How to cite a website in APA style?

APA website citations include the author's name, publication date, the title of the page or article in italics, the website name, and the URL. If no author is known, begin with the title of the article. If updates to the content are possible, include a retrieval date.

Author's Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date of publication). Title of the page. Name of the Website. URL

Johnson, M. (2024, March 12). Explore with us. Random Discoveries. https://www.randomdiscoveries.com/explore-with-us

Master APA Format Easily with WPS Office

I personally find APA format to be the most complex of all formats, but doing it on WPS Office sure makes it easy. The fact that it’s so user-friendly, with every feature readily available, is a huge advantage. The best part is that WPS Office is completely free. As a student, finding a good office suite that is cost-effective can be a challenge, and I’ve been there. Download WPS Office and spare yourself the hassle of hunting for an office suite— WPS Office is the answer to all your problems.

• 1. 10 Top APA Format PowerPoint Presentation Example
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• 3. How to Find and Replace in Word for Your Paper? [For Students]
• 4. APA Format in PowerPoint Presentation Example Templates
• 5. How to Write an Essay in MLA Format | For Students
• 6. How to Write a Research Paper [Steps & Examples]

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A Hacker Stole OpenAI Secrets, Raising Fears That China Could, Too

A security breach at the maker of ChatGPT last year revealed internal discussions among researchers and other employees, but not the code behind OpenAI’s systems.

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By Cade Metz

Reporting from San Francisco

Early last year, a hacker gained access to the internal messaging systems of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and stole details about the design of the company’s A.I. technologies.

The hacker lifted details from discussions in an online forum where employees talked about OpenAI’s latest technologies, according to two people familiar with the incident, but did not get into the systems where the company houses and builds its artificial intelligence.

OpenAI executives revealed the incident to employees during an all-hands meeting at the company’s San Francisco offices in April 2023 and informed its board of directors, according to the two people, who discussed sensitive information about the company on the condition of anonymity.

But the executives decided not to share the news publicly because no information about customers or partners had been stolen, the two people said. The executives did not consider the incident a threat to national security because they believed the hacker was a private individual with no known ties to a foreign government. The company did not inform the F.B.I. or anyone else in law enforcement.

For some OpenAI employees, the news raised fears that foreign adversaries such as China could steal A.I. technology that — while now mostly a work and research tool — could eventually endanger U.S. national security. It also led to questions about how seriously OpenAI was treating security, and exposed fractures inside the company about the risks of artificial intelligence.

After the breach, Leopold Aschenbrenner, an OpenAI technical program manager focused on ensuring that future A.I. technologies do not cause serious harm, sent a memo to OpenAI’s board of directors, arguing that the company was not doing enough to prevent the Chinese government and other foreign adversaries from stealing its secrets.

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