writing – Page 14 – ORGANIZING CREATIVITY

Other Criteria for Good Discussions

2014-04-10

Two other criteria for good discussions: a level playing field (in several variables) and open outcomes. Yup, good discussions are rare for a reason.
[show the article]

Hierarchy of Agreement

2014-04-07

I've adapted Graham's "Hierarchy of Disagreement" to evaluate different forms of agreement. After all, not all agreement is equal(ly good).
[show the article]

Thinking about Switching from Papers 2 to Sente

2014-03-31

Having a literature management program you can trust and that works for you is invaluable in academic work. I thought about switching from Papers 2 to Sente, but it's not an easy decision. Papers 2 is hate-and-love ...
[show the article]

Why correcting student papers is a bad idea

2014-03-19

Yes, you should give feedback, but not how you usually correct a paper for publication. There are different -- better ways to give feedback.
[show the article]

Updates on Reading and Writing Tips

2014-03-18

Looking back on my iPad hovering over my bed and a few tips on writing, including Hemingway App, Pomodoro, and the Goldberg Variations (image from Hemingway App).
[show the article]

Both Purging and Keeping Your Study or Thesis Paper Notes

2014-03-17

An easy and lightweight way to deal with the amount of paper that accumulates during your studies. You can carry it in your pocket when you are finished. Seriously. Even handwritten notes.
[show the article]

Using an iPad as short-term backup

2014-03-07

A cool way to make quick backups if you use a Pomodoro app connected to your Mac, so what you have written survives a notebook crash.
[show the article]

Using HemingwayApp Offline

2014-02-16

Hemingway is a cool website that evaluates how well you write -- okay, at least gives you some feedback. If you do not want to use it online, there is a way to use it offline ... a fairly easy way.
[show the article]

Dealing With the Plagiarism Plague Among Students

2014-02-15

Some ideas of dealing with plagiarism among students, dealing with the facilitating skill development and changing the mindset of the students. Applicable for instructors and universities -- and even students who want to prevent plagiarism.
[show the article]

Let’s Not Wait for a Panacea to Ensure Good Scientific Practice

2014-02-14

Comment on a presentation about good scientific practice and what can be done to ensure that science keeps its integrity (including pre-registration of studies and data sharing). Also: Social Media.
[show the article]

This is a private blog showing my opinions. If you have an issue with what I write here, either don’t read it or talk to me directly. Don’t waste your time — or mine — dragging my employer into matters where they hold no authority.

The institution I work for, or rather the people officially representing it, have already distanced themselves from this blog. I find this unnecessary, as I’ve clearly stated in the «About this Blog» section that this is a personal blog.

Frankly, I have nothing but contempt for those who lack the backbone to address their concerns directly and instead resort to passive-aggressive tattling to others. Such behavior strikes me as not only cowardly, but also spineless, gutless, and wholly unprincipled. Moreover, these efforts are as pathetic as they are futile.

That said, I might listen if you present compelling arguments and evidence, as constructive feedback is always welcome. Who knows? We might even both gain something valuable from the interaction.

A comment for those seeking to use this site for personal gain: Given the increase in requests, let me be clear. I write on this blog because I want to. It’s my hobby, my playground. Sometimes people point me to interesting products/services and I write about them. But any request regarding ads or sponsored placements ends up the trash without a reply. And if you think something would be of interest, differentiate yourself from the spammers by referring to a posting — in an intelligent way. (I get enough auto-generated mails to identify them immediately.)

BTW, posts can get updated after I published them if I spot spelling errors (not a native speaker) or think a different wording might improve precision and clarity.

This blog is not focused on a single topic, or method. As long as it is relevant to improving creativity (or allowing it in the first place), it's fair game.
Some postings on this blog deal with freedom, as I think that we need freedom of thought, of speech, of association, etc. pp. to solve mankind's problems. Thus, some postings may seem a bit remote when it comes to organizing creativity. Freedom is, however, the bedrock of creativity.
The heterogeneity of the postings can make reading this blog a bit cumbersome, at least if you are only interested in one topic. You can either use the search function (above), or use the categories or the tags to narrow down the postings you see.