There’s a lot to do on The Insightful Scientist website!  Below on this page are sections on:

 

1. “How to Navigate the Site”
2. “How to Subscribe to Blog Post Notifications”
3. “How to Get Alerts When Site Content is Updated”
4. “How to Leave a Suggestion for New Content on the Site”

Read on to learn more…

 

How to Navigate “The Insightful Scientist” Website

 

There are a number of ways to navigate The Insightful Scientist website.

Here’s a brief site index to help you get to know what the website has to offer:

• About:  Learn about the website’s mission, the author, and how to contact the author.

• The Scientist’s Log:  Blog entries from the author on how to pursue scientific discovery and conduct insightful science.

• Research Spotlight:  Summaries of published, peer-reviewed articles investigating how scientific discovery happens.

• The Scientist’s Repertoire:  Articles that offer tutorials on strategies and tools used by the author to pursue discovery.

• The Illustrated Scientist:  Items you can view or download, based on tools shared in The Scientist’s Repertoire tutorials.

• Discovery Library:  Reference bibliographies and links to websites that support active scientific discovery.

• Insight Exchange:  Seminars facilitated by the author to help groups accelerate discovery.

• Spark Points:  Fun random links from around the web to turn procrastination into progress.

• ARTEMIS:  Overview of a virtual reality software prototype to facilitate scientific discovery.

 

If you are not familiar with the website, you can scroll down to the “Most Recent Items” section on the “What’s New” page to see links to all the available sections of the website.  Along with links to each section you will also find a longer description of what you’ll find in each section and a link to the most recent item posted in that section.  You can also navigate directly to the section you want using the menu at the top of every page on the site.

Additionally, on the “What’s New” and on the blog page (“The Scientist’s Log“) you can find links to archived blog posts, blog post categories, and the most viewed pages across the entire website, via the menus on the right of each page.

 

How to Subscribe to Blog Post Notifications

 

You can subscribe to receive emails from the website notifying you when new blog posts are added to the website, or when new responses to a comment you left on a blog post are added to the website.

To receive email alerts when new blog posts are added to the site, enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box found in the menus on the right hand side of the “What’s New” homepage or any blog post page, such as “The Scientist’s Log” blog main page.  You can see a screenshot of the subscribe option in the image below.

To receive email alerts when someone has posted a response to a comment you already left on a blog post, be sure to tick the “Subscribe to Comments” box option when you submit a comment to a blog post.  You can also, subscribe to receive email alerts of new blog posts, when you submit a comment on a blog post.  You can see a screenshot of the subscribe to comments option in the image below.  Note that you will have to enter your email if you are not logged in to WordPress or the website (in the screenshot, the user is already logged in).

 

You can also get monitor for new blog posts using apps outside the website using any one of the three following options:

1. Download an RSS feed app, like the free-to-use Feedly RSS feed reader app, and then add The Insightful Scientist website to your feed.  You will most likely have to type in the website address, https://insightfulscientist.com, to find the website and add it to your feeds (tested in Feedly, but not in other RSS readers).
2. Search and follow BernadetteKCogswell in the Pocket app.  Pocket is a free-to-use minimalist reading app that lets you read webpages without all the ads and pop-ups.  I try to remember to share new copies of some web content as they appear.  You can also see other articles related to research and scientific discovery shared on my Pocket feed.
3. Search for and follow “Dr. Bernadette K. Cogswell” in the Zotero app.  Zotero is a free-to-use bibliography and citation manager.  I try to remember to add new blog posts and other pages to the “My Publications” section of my Zotero profile at regular intervals.

 

How to Get Alerts When Site Content is Updated

 

If you want to get alerts when site content other than the blog is updated, you have two options:

1. Search and follow “Bernadette K. Cogswell” in the Pocket app by using the search URL https://getpocket.com/@BernadetteKCogswell.  Pocket is a free-to-use minimalist reading app that lets you read webpages without all the ads and pop-ups.  I try to remember to share new copies of blog posts as they appear.  You can also see other articles related to research and scientific discovery shared on my Pocket feed.
2. Search for and follow (profile name to be added here) in the Zotero app.  Zotero is a free-to-use bibliography and citation manager.  I try to remember to add new blog posts to the “My Publications” section of my profile at regular intervals.  You can see a screenshot of the Zotero option below.

 

I try to share new “Research Spotlight” research summary pieces and “The Scientist’s Repertoire” tutorials and how to articles after I post them at occasional intervals on these platforms.

However, the best method is to bookmark the page you are interested in (or the “What’s New” homepage that lists the most recently posted item in every major section of the website), using your preferred browser software, and check back regularly to see if new content has been added to the page.

 

How to Leave a Suggestion for New Content on the Site

 

You can submit a suggestion for new features or content to add to the website in one of two ways:

1. Leave a comment directly on a blog post that inspired your suggestion.
2. Submit a suggestion via the “Submit a Suggestion for the Website” found on the “Contact the Author” page under the “About” page.

If you choose the suggestion form option, please make sure to tell me a little bit about your suggestion, like what it  is and why you think it will improve The Insightful Scientist website!  The suggestion form is anonymous.  You can see a screenshot of the suggestion form below.

 

 

[Page feature photo:  Photo by Brett Zeck on Unsplash.]