Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Saikat Basu
2006 was a landmark year in Google’s history. The Oxford English Dictionary accepted “Google” as a
verb.
Since then we have done quite a lot to make that action the grammar for our online lives. We follow its
particular syntax to search for information. We follow the rules of Gmail netiquette. And we read with
awe and alarm as Google impacts our future lives.
If Chrome is the fastest way to get on the web every morning, Google Drive is the place for work
productivity. The popularity of Google Drive has made the cloud a happy place to be. Of all the tools
on Google Drive, Docs as the text editor is the first choice for everyday tasks. And every day we can
do with some word processing tips that makes working on Google Docs more productive. Here are
ten.
Let’s start with this minor speed tip to get the ball rolling:
Go straight to Google Docs from the App Launcher when you’re signed in to other Google products.
Click on the App Launcher and you’ll find Docs in the More section.
• Opens With: Google Docs, Google Drawing, Google Sheets, any specific add-on installed etc.
Beyond this, you can refine your search in Drive using specific phrases or commands.
If you want to speed through the search, enter a phrase or an exact quote related to the file you
want to open. Google Drive opens the document and highlights the search keyword you used. Just
like Google Search, you can use Boolean operators (e.g. “OR”) to expand the scope of your search.
Google Support pages has the complete list of search options inside Google Drive. And don’t forget
to search in the trash, too!
The menu search box is also a serendipitous way to discover other editing tools Google Docs has to
offer.
Thanks to this export, you can expand, edit, and polish your ideas on Google Docs. For students and
writers this seamlessness is a nice timesaving feature.
In Google Docs, use the Tag Cloud Generator for any document that has 50 words or more. The free
Google Drive add-on can be located and installed from Add-ons (menu) > Get Add-ons…
Access the add-on from the menu. The tag cloud is displayed on a small panel on the right. If you
continue writing, use the blue Refresh Cloud button to generate the tag cloud again.
The display could have been bigger or expandable – but that’s a small complaint against this
functional gadget. The Tag Cloud Generator also works with Spreadsheets.
Citation formats followed are – MLA, APA, and Chicago. As you can see from the screenshot above,
inserting quotes with the proper citation is just one part. The Research Tools can also be used to cite
a variety of data – including statistical data in tables. The usage of the search options is self-
explanatory – for example if some data is buried in your Google Drive, use the Personal filter to
search for the information.
But what if you want to format text located in multiple places in your document? Simple – double click
the Paint roller icon instead of the single-click. Highlight multiple text selections, and copy the same
formatting to each selection.
Google specifies that the images are available for personal or commercial use only in Google Drive
and must be used in accordance with their program policies.
Also: You can insert any image by URL. The image is saved in your document, so even if the original
source file is removed from the web your document won’t show a blank placeholder.
Google Docs automatically picks the name from your Gmail contact list and informs them with an
email. If the person doesn’t have direct access to the doc, you will have to set the permission level for
the user.
To speed through the process, use automation equation shortcuts. For example, if you type
“\alpha” in an equation followed by a space or a parenthesis, Google Docs will convert your typing to
an alpha. You can easily add superscripts and subscripts by pressing the “^” and “_” keys,
respectively. Enter “\frac” for fractions.
Google Support has the complete list of equation shortcuts. For more complex mathematical
equations, use the free g(math) Google Drive extension for Chrome.
You can use the fields to auto-insert regularly used words, email addresses, abbreviations, and even
frequently misspelled words with their correct versions.
It’s also worthwhile to select Automatically detect links and Automatically detect lists in the
Preferences dialog box.
You can argue successfully that the ultimate speed tip is to use Google Drive templates. When you
dive down into the depths of the Drive, every little feature can help you create professional looking
documents. The right speed tip helps you do it that much faster.
Are you a student, professional, or a homemaker? How do you use Google Docs every day?
Which are the little features that have become a time-saving habit? Tell us in this article’s
comment section.