Broad Range of Science Journals on the Internet

Subject: Online scientific journals and search engines

Finding the right search engine for scientific research is a daunting task on today's internet. Advertisements flood the screen. Search results return with irrelevant leads to far off places, the likes of which can be summed up in only three words--What is this?

Aside from the continuous after-effects of reading something on the internet (numbing of the brain), the Internet remains a powerful tool of communication... and somewhere back in the corner of the web you suspect the possibility of research (And perhaps a journal or two that might be free of charge).

Below is a list of research journals and engines for simple scientific research. (Stay tuned for more complex research tools). Each address is included should the links fail to direct you to the appropriate web site:

• A legitimate journal search is guaranteed with Sage. (http://online.sagepub.com)
• For a broad scope of science journals online, try OJOSE (http://www.ojose.com)
• A big scientific search engine is Scirus. (http://scirus.com) There are two difficulties, for which there are two solutions. One difficulty is the advertisements. The other difficulty is the search results not displaying relevant information. The first difficulty is overcome by scrolling down until you find the results page. The second difficulty is overcome by making use of the "Advanced search" and "Preferences" options on the home page.
• BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn) is a good site to pick up current stories on natural sciences and technology. Select a category from the left hand side of the web page. Topics are displayed in the center, and include Lots of pictures.

Read Japanese: About the Fundamental Writing Systems of Hiragana and Katakana

Purpose
Learn the basics of the Japanese writing system in order to start reading very basic Japanese.

Scope
Japanese fundamentals of writing basics. Links to Japanese articles. Online resources.


Details
Japanese is among the more difficult languages of the world (languages like Arabic, Ancient Greek, and Chinese). Aside from the sentence structural difficulties is the more fundamental writing systems: Hiragana & Katakana.

Hiragana and Katakana are similar in appearance, which may often confuse the beginner student of Japanese. The trick in distinguishing the difference between the two writing systems is in the stroke style. Katakana has a narrower stroke style, and is far less fluid. Hiragana characters appear more curved. Remember this, and you’re less likely to confuse the two.

Learning to distinguish between the two types of characters allows one to recognize both native and foreign words in the Japanese written language. Keep in mind that Katakana is a writing system primarily for words which are foreign to the Japanese language (such as “Coffee”, pronounced “Koohee”).

For examples of Japanese writing systems, and for more articles on Japanese, follow me here.

Online Japanese Listening Resources

Look for free online listening and learning resources for Japanese, and you’ll be at your computer for a very long time. So, please follow me to language learning online.

Explain a System with Visio

Visual Conceptualization Tool
Sometimes words are not enough to explain a concept, such as how a system works. A good visualization tool for communicating all kinds of systems is Microsoft Visio. By utilizing objects universally recognized in the technology industry your concepts cross language barriers comprehensively.

Learn about desktop publishing with Visio
Learn what Visio can do for desktop application by following me here.

Learn how to map documents in mere minutes as opposed to hours at your desk
Personally, I think that Visio is one of Microsoft's more enjoyable applications. If you're interested in simple map making, please check out my fun little booklet on Amazon's Kindle Store.

Visio Maps and Beyond on the Kindle (a booklet on simple mapping with Visio)

Research Financial Terms

Financial terms are like a foreign language to anyone who is not financially literate. To make matters more difficult, companies will list unusual terms on their balance sheets (serving only to confuse the unseasoned investor).

If you're writing documentation on the technical terminology of finances, please see the following resources:

• Financial terminology
• Calculating dividend yields
• Balance sheet for beginning investors

Adding languages to your computer

Quickly add languages to your computer. Work in MS Word and other applications with any foreign language stored on your OS. Windows users take advantage of the numerous languages on their OS. The best part is that users do not purchase additional software. Editing, typing, emailing, and reading foreign languages all comes as a standard part of Windows (whether or not you know).

Visit the following articles for detailed instructions on enabling and using foreign languages on your personal computer:

• XP users, go here.
• Vista users. read this article.

Conduct and Practices in the Translations Industry

The scope of this article
As we all move towards a globalized world, the documentation of technology and scientific research needs to address an international audience. Why should this be? And what is the best way to find a technical translator?

Do we need to translate scientific research and technical reports to languages other than English?
This is a question to which the answer depends on the business's relationship to the rest of the world. It is well known to most professionals in the engineering/ manufacturing industry that people in other parts of the world study English for this very purpose. But what about the other way around? Does a western company benefit by having their technical documentation translated to other languages?

In general, it is true that the majority of technical documentation is read in plain English. However, there are times when it can be strategic to translate a company's technical research into another language. For that purpose, it is necessary to work with translators who are not only qualified and technically competent, but who also have some means of proving their integrity. This selection process is made easier through an organization called the American Translators Association (ATA).

Finding a professional translator with high morale and integrity is a challenge not to be taken without a globally recognized organization. The ATA demands high standards of professional conduct and business practice from all of its members.

What does it take to become an ATA member?
In order to meet the business and professional requirements of ATA membership, the applicant must acknowledge mastery of the target language to the same degree as that of an educated native speaker. In other words, the translator is truly multilingual, and absolutely proficient in the target language.

Among other requirements, the honest translation/ interpretation company will always require their contractors to have up-to-date knowledge of the subject material and the terminology in the languages they specialize in.

Furthermore, the honest translations professional will never accept any assignments for which he or she is not qualified to undertake. If, however, a difficulty arises in the middle of translation assignment, the translator will be required to notify you, and subsequently seek arbitration.

For more details on how to select a translator (or to earn certification as a translator yourself), visit the A.T.A website.