Assignment research made easier!

Whenever we are asked to gather information for an essay at University, our core research is conducted online. The internet is beginning to overtake all other information sources, even textbooks.

The Internet is a great resource; it allows us students to access information relating to our course anywhere and anytime. The internet is like a virtual library, offering information ranging from American History to Scientific journals.
I mentioned the technique I am about to share with you in a previous article, “How to Use Mozilla Firefox More Effectively”. The tool allows you, as a student, the ability to edit and save web pages according to your needs. Furthermore, the application features a sidebar that allows you to categorise your saved pages. It’s a great way to source work as you can easily access the pages you want to quote to ensure accurate referencing.

Key features of Scrapbook are as follows:
-Save relevant website (in clean drop down menu).
-Categorise the website into different folders (depending on content).
-Access saved websites offline (useful if no internet connection available).
-Search the website for key words either with a quick filtering search or a full website text search.
-Add notes to website page.
-Highlight key text.

How using ‘Scrapbook’ can improve your assignment research:
Saving a website:
There should be an icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, click to open the scrapbook menu. When you want to save a website you can either ‘capture’ the entire page, or alternatively you can just highlight the text you want to save.

Accessing saved pages:

Press Alt+K to open the Scrapook tab.With the Scrapbook tab open you can add new folders or separators by pressing the icon (the folder and plus symbol), you can then drag and drop the web pages into the appropriate folders. This makes it easy to access any information you have saved that relates to you current assignment.

Keeping the useful information:
With Scrapbook you can edit the content of your saved webs pages, so that only the useful information is displayed. The icon on the bottom right corner of the screen opens a menu that allows you to:

Erase images or advertisements:
You can erase images and annoying advertisement banners with the ‘DOM Eraser’. The button changes the mouse pointer to a cross which will delete any items you click on the page. This can be used to delete whole blocks of unwanted information, images or irritating pop-ups.

1.Annoying advertisements(selection)

2.Erased advertisements

Erase information:
You can delete unnecessary text with the eraser icon.
1.Selection of unwanted information:

2.Erased data:

Tip: If you accidentally use either of the tools listed above to delete content you need, just press the undo button.
Attach notes to webpage:
The pencil icon opens a small text box on the page which allows you to add your own notes to the information already displayed on the web page, e.g. references, or formulas.

Highlighting key information:

There is a choice of four colours, which is useful for categorising information on the pages. I use all four for best results, this is what I do:
1. Yellow (with dash border)- for quotes
2. Green underline- for key information or points
3. Blue highlight- meaning behind the information
4. Yellow highlight- good tip or techniques e.g. increase productivity by doing …..

Once you have made the necessary alterations click the save button to capture the page and place it in the necessary folder. When you want to view the page in the future it will appear the way you have customised it.
If anyone has any other tips or suggestions on improving your research, leave your comments and I might give you a mention in my next article.