Acorn Challenge

Try this search challenge.

Inside an acorn's tough leathery shell is a thin coating layer that sticks to the nut meat. What is that coating called?

Submit your solution and how you found it here: wizard@21cif.com

Harvard Citation Wizard Updated

The last of our Citation Wizards is now updated to our new look and feel. Harvard Style may be used more outside the US, but a large number of visitors are from overseas (Australia is second only to our US traffic).

Three formats are available:

• Webpage (Website)
• Online Journal
• Online Book

If you would like other Harvard style formats, let us know.

In all, we offer up-to-date bibliographic citation for these styles:

• MLA
• APA
• CSE
• Chicago
• Harvard

Avoid Plagiarism. Cite the information you use.

Keyword Search Strategy

No one has come forward with the solution to the Search Challenge posted two days ago.

Admittedly, this is not an easy challenge; probably a Level 6 or 7. To make headway requires search strategies and persistence.

Without giving too much away, here's a strategy that will work:

1. Describe what you see. A close look reveals abbreviated terms such as libre, janit, admin, playg, pk, etc. Taken together, these point to a bigger concept. There's a keyword for that (school). There's also a better word for what the image represents (I'll leave that to you).
2. Other keywords may be derived from the image, e.g., shapes. Most of the elements appear to be some type of hexagons. There's a better keyword than that, but you may not be able to think of it immediately.
3. Test queries. Use the words that you have to look for better keywords. Finding better keywords is a key to this challenge.
4. Know where to look. This is also a key to the challenge. What search engine can you use to locate similar pictures?
5. Keep in mind what you are looking for. Don't expect an answer to be obvious. Look for words and images that share features with the picture. 
6. Use the information you find in new searches to get ever closer.
7. Be persistent. The only way to guarantee you won't find it is to give up. Study snippets and images beyond the first page of results.

Keyword Search Challenge

Looking for a challenge to keep your search skills sharp? Identify the author of the image below:

Send your solution to wizard@21cif.com

Updated CSE Citation Wizards

The make-overs continue: CSE Wizards are now fit for service.

CSE is actually the most popular of our Wizards. Citation-Subject, Citation-Name, Name-Year formats are available for:

Webpage
Online Journal
Online Book

In completing the upgrade, we discovered a few bugs (hyperlinks that didn't go where they should and a copy the citation function that failed). For that we apologize and are happy to say all's now been fixed.

If formats would be helpful other than the six we already offer, please let us know.

Try it out: https://21cif.com/tools/cite/cse/

For kicks: complete a C-N citation for this article: http://stke.sciencemag.org/content/11/549/eaav1646

Compare your experience to another CSE Citation Machine

Refreshed APA Citation Wizard

Our APA Citation Wizard has just been updated and improved.  See:

https://21cif.com/tools/cite/apa/

Three different types of digital information formatting are available:

1. Webpage (articles, etc.)
2. Online Journal
3. Online Book

Multiple options for each (missing information, citing a chapter instead of a book, citing a database, etc.) are programmed into the Wizard.

If you would like formatting other than the three choices listed, please let us know.

MLA Citation Wizard

Looking for an easy way to create MLA 8th ed. citations? Give our refreshed Citation Wizard a try.

https://21cif.com/tools/cite/mla/index.html


The Wizard provides these formats:

Website
Webpage
Online Journal
Online Book
Online Video or Audio
Print Journal
Print Book
Print Magazine

If there are other formats you need frequently, let us know!