Here’s a great trick to make Word easier to use.

You can customize Word so that is shows all the different toolbars on your screen. This saves you time looking for those special fuctions you’re always after. Of course, you can also turn off the ones you dont want later.

Here’s how to view all the toolbars.

1. Press ALT.  Then let go of the ALT key.

2. Press SHIFT+F10.

This displays a list which shows you all toolbars available in MS Word. 

Choose the ones you want. If you use Word frequently, experiment with the toolbars that best suit your needs

When you open Word, it automatically chooses a font for you, usually Times Roman size 12.

But what if you want Word to start with a different font? How about Arial 11?

Well, the way to do this is to change the Normal.dot file, which is the template file that controls this setting. Normal.dot is Word’s default template.

1. Open Word.
2. Find the Normal.dot file. This is usually found in the Office folder.
3. Open Normal.dot.

Don’t open Normal.dot from Windows Explorer – it will simply create a copy of the template. Changing this will make no difference to Normal.dot’s settings.

4. Change the font type and size.
5. Save the file and close Word.

The next time you open Word, it will use the new fonts you selected.

The acceptance rate for many freelance writers is between 25% and 40%.

In my own experience though, I’ve had an almost 75% acceptance rate.

Oh, really?

Yes. But, it hasn’t happened overnight. From trial and error, I’ve picked up a few tricks that seem to make all the difference.

If you follow the 20 Commandments listed below, you should be able to turn your queries into paying assignments.

Here’s a suggested plan-of-attack!

1.       Keep your query letter concise. Briefly introduce yourself and your article idea. Mention which upcoming issue your article will suit their editorial calendar.

2.      Always include 2 - 4 relevant credits and a link to your online portfolio; don’t make the Editor do the spadework!Avoid attaching large files (e.g. massive PDFs) with your introductory query. You’ll choke their inbox! If you don’t have a website, ask if/when you can send over the PDF files.

4.     Keep to the Editor’s original assignment spec; if you need to change anything, speak with him or her immediately. This assignment spec outlines the topic, scope and direction for your article.

5.     Meet your deadline. If there is a problem, call the Editor immediately. 

If you miss your deadline, you will probably not get paid, and you will certainly not get another commission.

6.     Submit articles in the correct format, such as Microsoft Word. Don’t expect that they have MAC, Quark or WordPerfect. Ask the editor if you don’t know which format is required.Be proactive in the best possible way.

7.     Avoid over formatting the document. Keep it as plain as possible and you’ll save their production team having to re-edit your work.If they provide you with a template, use it!

9.      Whenever possible, send relevant art, charts, screen shots, tables and other graphics (with their sources) to accompany your story.

10.  Include a list of sources used in the article, with names, company affiliations and e-mail addresses.  

11.  Proofread and spellcheck copy before submission. Then do it again!

12.  Always keep your audience in mind when writing. Avoid jargon. Spell out acronyms on first reference. 

13.  Avoid promoting products and/or services in which you have a stake.If you have a relationship with a vendor, say it to the Editor before starting.

15.  Spell out acronyms when first mentioned, e.g. that the UML is the Unified Modelling Language.

16.  Define uncommon or little-used terms, e.g. virtualization; otherwise, only the technologies will know what you mean.

17.  Double-check the spelling of individuals and companies, and use the name preferred by the company.Check how to present company names, e.g. in PeopleSoft the S is capitalized. In addition, the correct term for the web portal is Yahoo! Inc – note the exclamation mark after Yahoo.  

18.  Avoid clichés, buzzwords and figure-of-speeches. It dilutes the impact of your writing.

19.  Don’t indulge in hyperbole — i.e. listing superlative product features.

20.  Send the article to the correct email address. This may sound obvious, but…

As I specialize in writing for business and IT publications, the emphasis here is on technology related publications. 

However, I’m sure that if you follow the steps outlined above, you will improve your relationship with Editors — which is the first step in winning new business.

Ivan Walsh

www.ivanwalsh.com

Case studies involve a particular method of research. Rather than using large samples and following a rigid protocol to examine a limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves especially to generating (rather than testing) hypotheses.

Scope

Certain disciplines thrive on case studies: others find them less suitable in given situations. Compare usage and perceived validity in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, pseudoscience and business.

Types

Illustrative

Illustrative case studies describe a domain; they utilize one or two instances to analyze a situation. This helps interpret other data, especially when researchers have reason to believe that readers know too little about a program. These case studies serve to make the unfamiliar familiar, and give readers a common language about the topic. The chosen site should typify important variations and contain a small number of cases to sustain readers’ interest.

The presentation of illustrative case studies may involve some pitfalls. Such studies require presentation of in-depth information on each illustration; but the researcher may lack time on-site for in-depth examination. The most serious problem involves the selection of instances. The case(s) must adequately represent the situation or program. Where significant diversity exists, no single individual site may cover the field adequately.

Exploratory

Exploratory case studies condense the case study process: researchers may undertake them before implementing a large-scale investigation. Where considerable uncertainty exists about program operations, goals, and results, exploratory case studies help identify questions, select measurement constructs, and develop measures; they also serve to safeguard investment in larger studies.

The greatest pitfall in the exploratory study involves premature conclusions: the findings may seem convincing enough for inappropriate release as conclusions. Other pitfalls include the tendency to extend the exploratory phase, and inadequate representation of diversity.

Critical instance

Critical instance case studies examine one or a few sites for one of two purposes. A very frequent application involves the examination of a situation of unique interest, with little or no interest in generalizability. A second, rarer, application entails calling into question a highly generalized or universal assertion and testing it by examining one instance. This method particularly suits answering cause-and-effect questions about the instance of concern.

Inadequate specification of the evaluation question forms the most serious pitfall in this type of study. Appropriate application of the critical instance case study crucially involves probing the underlying concerns in a request.

Program implementation

Program implementation case studies help discern whether implementation complies with intent. These case studies may also prove useful when concern exists about implementation problems. Extensive, longitudinal reports of what has happened over time can set a context for interpreting a finding of implementation variability. In either case, researchers aim for generalization and must carefully negotiate the evaluation questions with their customer.

Good program implementation case studies must invest sufficient time to obtain longitudinal data and breadth of information. They typically require multiple sites to answer program implementation questions; this imposes demands on training and supervision needed for quality control. The demands of data management, quality control, validation procedures, and analytic modelling (within site, cross-site, etc.) may lead to cutting too many corners to maintain quality.

Program effects

Program effects case studies can determine the impact of programs and provide inferences about reasons for success or failure. As with program implementation case studies, the evaluation questions usually require generalizability and, for a highly diverse program, it may become difficult to answer the questions adequately and retain a manageable number of sites. But methodological solutions to this problem exist. One approach involves first conducting the case studies in sites chosen for their representativeness, then verifying these findings through examination of administrative data, prior reports, or a survey. Another solution involves using other methods first. After identifying findings of specific interest, researchers may then implement case studies in selected sites to maximize the usefulness of the information.

Cumulative

Cumulative case studies aggregate information from several sites collected at different times. The cumulative case study can have a retrospective focus, collecting information across studies done in the past, or a prospective outlook, structuring a series of investigations for different times in the future. Retrospective cumulation allows generalization without cost and time of conducting numerous new case studies; prospective cumulation also allows generalization without unmanageably large numbers of cases in process at any one time.

The techniques for ensuring sufficient comparability and quality and for aggregating the information constitute the “cumulative” part of the methodology. Features of the cumulative case study include the case survey method (used as a means of aggregating findings) and backfill techniques. The latter aid in retrospective cumulation as a means of obtaining information from authors that permits use of otherwise insufficiently detailed case studies.

Opinions vary as to the credibility of cumulative case studies for answering program implementation and effects questions. One authority notes that publication biases may favor programs that seem to work, which could lead to a misleading positive view (Berger, 1983). Others raise concerns about problems in verifying the quality of the original data and analyses (Yin, 1989).

History

As a distinct approach to research, use of the case study originated only in the early 20th century.

The popularity of case studies as research tools has developed only in recent decades.

Conclusions

The case study offers a method of learning about a complex instance through extensive description and contextual analysis. The product articulates why the instance occurred as it did, and what one might usefully explore in similar situations.

Case studies can generate a great deal of data that may defy straightforward analysis. For details on conducting a case study, especially with regard to data collection and analysis, see the references listed below.

References

• Berger, Michael A. “Studying Enrollment Decline (and Other Timely Issues) via the Case Survey.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 5:3 (1983), 307-317.

• Datta, Lois-ellin (1990). Case Study Evaluations. Washington, DC: U.S. General Accounting Office, Transfer paper 10.1.9.

• Miles, Matthew B., and Huberman, A.M. (1984). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

• Yin, Robert K. (1989). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Technical Writing.

Filtered HTML is a type of HTML where the Word-specific functions have been removed from your document.  

This is very useful when you want to create a webpage with ‘clean’ code as web pages created from Word don’t always work correctly when viewed in non-Microsoft browsers.

The reason for this is that when you save a file as HTML, the web page cannot display features which are designed specifically for Word, such as ‘frames’ and ‘text boxes’. Web pages can’t represent these, though you can create workarounds if you understand the underlying HTML code.

To convert a Word file into Filtered HTML, follow these steps:

1. Open your Word file and click File, Save As. 

2. In the Save as type box, click Web Page, Filtered.
   

3. Click Save.
   FYI: if you save the file as filtered HTML and then reopen it in Word, its format and appearance may be slightly different as the Word specific-functionality was deleted when you saved it as Filtered HTML.For this reason, save into Filtered HTML only after you’re finished the document and don’t plan on making any more changes.  
   Otherwise you’ll need to maintain two files:1 x of the original Word document and
   1 x with the Filtered HTML web page

FYI: Another option is to save your document as a Single File Webpage.

How does this work?

When you do File, save as Single File Webpage, it saves everything, including text and graphics, into a single web page.

This lets you publish your entire site as a single ‘hold-all’ HTML file. This is ideal when you want to email your entire web site to a colleague or customer. Internet Explorer 4.0 (and later) supports MHTML. Firefox and other browsers may not be so sympathetic.

Purists may not approve of the quality of its code, but Microsoft Word lets you save your documents into HTML and, for the most part, the end result is fine. If you want to convert your document into HTML you can choose from three different options, each of which has its own advantages.

To get started, from the File menu, click Save As and then select the file type you want to use:

• Single file web page – one large web page with the images embedded into the page.

• Web Page – like above except the images are held in a separate folder.

• Web Page, Filtered – web page which has removed the Word-specific features.

• The third option—Web Page, Filtered—allows you to significantly reduce the size of web pages created in Microsoft Word.

If you’re new to Business writing, you might want to look at Busy Words.   

This terrific product consists of tests and exercises on English business vocabulary with vocabulary related to business English.

The test is accompanied by context based exercises.

There are tests at elementary, intermediate and advanced level. The elementary tests consist of 80 test items each. The intermediate and advanced tests consist of 120 test items each.

There’s a free demom at http://www.wordsandtools.com/index_busywords.htm

Ivan