Essential skills
for writing and research

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1.  Write more easily, more thoroughly, and faster

• Speed tricks & shortcuts in Word, Excel, etc.
• Talk, don't type: get it all on paper by voice recognition 
• Make links among documents or document sections

2.  Better document formats

• Use tables, columns, graphics for better documents
• Footnotes, endnotes, tables of contents, & authorities
• Headers and footers that work the way you wish
• Control runaway "sections" in an MS Word document
• Import Excel docs into Word docs, & vice versa
• Outline numbering: easy adjustments, correct layout

3.  Use Internet pictures and text

• Search with more (and better) search engines
• Bring text, pictures, data from  websites into your document
• Put links in your document to Internet information
• Copy Internet info that "can't be copied"

4.  More appealing documents

• Add pictures, other graphic effects
• Use text art, word art
• Use visuals from web sites, news
• Newsletter layouts that "can't be done" in MS Word

5.  PowerPoint presentations

• Basic and more advanced powerpoint shows
• Special picture and text effects
• Do the things PowerPoint doesn't "allow"
• Add more pictures, layer them, vary and reposition them
• Add music to your show
• Convert an outline into a presentation
• Print handout sheets and documents from PowerPoint
• Bring MS Word and Excel docs into a presentation

6.  Spreadsheets: figures & charts "prove your point"

• Make a stronger impression, using numbers and charts
• Use eight main formulas for almost everything
• Sort and filter lists of information
• Show averages, percents of total
• Pie charts, line and column charts for impact
• Eliminate The Dull from figures and charts
• Bring MS Word docs into spreadsheets
• Nest a spreadsheet in an MS Word document
• Put a spreadsheet in a Powerpoint presentation