Featured: Reference Manager Comparison

Petal

Nov 02, 2021

The Petal advantage: See how Petal stacks up against the biggest reference managers out there.

Sam Altman Fired

Petal

Nov 17, 2023

The dismissal of Sam Altman as OpenAI’s CEO underscores the critical importance of transparency and integrity in corporate leadership. OpenAI’s communication of Altman’s departure and the subsequent leadership transition reflects a commitment to openness and accountability, emphasizing the need for genuine and honest communication to maintain stakeholder trust. As companies navigate leadership changes, these lessons serve as a reminder of the enduring value of ethical conduct and transparent communication.

Career Resources from the Top

Vivian

Nov 14, 2022

Academia, especially during graduate and post-graduate studies, thrives on relationships and shared ideas. Try these tips to get started networking.

How to improve your grade from a B to an A: Elevate your writing

Vivian

Aug 29, 2022

Graduate students and advanced undergrads involved in extensive writing may be forgiven for wondering whether their papers have been arbitrarily graded. Writing – even academic writing – can be as much an art as a craft. This article doesn’t address professors who indeed arbitrarily assign grades (see the related article on ‘how to deal with difficult professors’). The conditions can seem especially unclear for a B student who can’t seem to crack the A code. Here are some thoughts on how to get your paper from a B to an A.

How I Survived the First Semester of Grad School

Chi

Aug 25, 2022

Now, it is time to start thinking about how you will get through your first semester. The three things you need to prepare for the most before your first semester of grad school are student life, coursework, and research.

Which Celebrity Professor Are You?

Helen

Jun 03, 2022

The academic world is full of brilliant minds who are known for their charisma and engaging lectures. Take a moment to complete our quiz below and find out which celebrity professor matches your teaching style!

5 Best Writing Tips from Stanford that Significantly Improve Your Communication

Vivian

Jun 02, 2022

Your writing can affect your chances, whether writing a university entrance essay, academic paper, official report, resume cover letter, or email message. Despite its pervasive significance, writing skills do not develop naturally. We’ve aggregated some helpful tips from Stanford University faculty that can significantly improve your writing.

Which Labmate Are You?

Helen

Jun 02, 2022

Before heading into your next group project, take a moment to complete our quiz and find out which labmate you and your teammates are!

8 Brilliantly Funny Academic Paper Titles

Chi

Jun 01, 2022

Writing research and academic papers takes a lot of time and effort, but who said that academic papers have to be dull? A little humor or clever pun can go a long way to grabbing the reader's attention or creating buzz around your paper. So, live a little! Here are eight brilliant paper titles that prove a little fun never hurt anyone’s academic career.

7 Ways Ph.D. Research Has Changed Over the Last Few Decades

Vivian

May 31, 2022

PhD Now and Then, a Retrospective. In the academic world, earning a Ph.D. is the ultimate accomplishment. In the United States, only 1.2% of the population takes their education to this level. There’s a good reason why Ph.D. graduates are so rare. Ph.D. programs are notoriously difficult requiring major time commitments, strict deadlines, and stringent research requirements. Over the last few decades, technology and the way information is shared has transformed the traditional Ph.D. program. Here are 7 ways Ph.D. research has changed, for better or worse.

Navigating the Post-Pandemic Online Education Paradigm

Petal

May 31, 2022

The word “paradigm” frequently appears in this discussion. Think of the word as representing a set of habits and routines that characterize the beliefs and actions of large human communities. When a paradigm changes, a whole set of routines and assumptions change as well. Shifting paradigms may seem difficult, but often carry great benefits to the communities involved. .

Best Reference Manager Considerations

Petal

May 25, 2022

In the world of research, managing references is a notoriously cumbersome task. You do not want to be bogged down with tracking your references and citations when you would rather synthesize brilliant insights. In this article you will learn how to distinguish good from great reference managers.

7 Tips to Help You Balance Graduate Studies and Romance

Henry

May 23, 2022

Going to grad school requires hard work and commitment, and you can expect to spend many hours endeavoring to complete assignments, conduct research, and write papers. Most students must manage their schedules carefully, surrendering some undisciplined freedoms previously available. While such rigor sounds miserable and lonely, it doesn’t have to be so. Here's our seven tips to balance research and romance.

11 Tips on Getting References for Grad Schools

Helen

Feb 25, 2022

For graduate schools, these letters of recommendation are a vital part of the application package that helps admissions understand a student. But more, letters of recommendation often provide insight into an applicant’s potential in graduate-level study.

Top 10 Free Academic Resources on the Internet

Chi

Feb 15, 2022

With so many resources available, finding reliable information on the internet can be tricky. Here's a list of ten online academic resources that are trusted by researchers seeking up-to-date reliable infomation.

15 Important and Helpful Tools for Thesis Writing

Xin

Feb 05, 2022

We have compiled a list of 15 important and helpful tools that can make your thesis writing experience more productive and (dare we say it) enjoyable.

9 of the Best Academic Blogs by Leading Professors in their Field

Vivian

Jan 31, 2022

Compiled for their excellence, longevity, and continuing relevance, these academic blogs by professors all feature thought-provoking posts.

Top Academic Search Engines

Henry

Jan 24, 2022

The following is a list of the top academic search engines, each with a different focus and specialty, to make your research efforts easier and faster.

How To Write a Great Research Paper: 10 Simple Steps

Xin

Jan 20, 2022

The key to writing a quality research paper? Setting yourself up for success with Petal. Our platform streamlines your research, so you can focus on your analysis.

Five Secret Pitfalls of Academic Research, and How to Avoid Them

Chi

Jan 16, 2022

Here are five mistakes students tend to make when researching academic papers, even when they appear to be doing exactly what is asked of them.

Career Resources from the Top

Wei

Jan 10, 2022

Take a look at the career resources from the world’s top universities to empower your career search as a graduate student.

Citing 101: How to Choose Citation Formats and Why

Vivian

Jan 09, 2022

Proper citation is necessary to credit original authors for their hard work, provide proof for your research, and enable readers to investigate your sources.

Employee Spotlight: Zheng

Petal

Jan 07, 2022

A Brief History of Academic Citation Styles

Henry

Jan 06, 2022

What started as a way to record the transaction of goods across trade routes, writing has evolved into the complex system that we know of today.

How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Education Landscape

Vivian

Nov 15, 2021

While AI will never supplant human teachers, it can help facilitate and enhance active engagement between students and educators. Presently, the lack of dedicated funding is a barrier to implementing AI technology broadly.

Interview: The Petal Way

Wei

Nov 13, 2021

At Petal, we strive to make our interviews fun and conversational. After all, not only do we want to know you, we want you to know us!

Student Freebies and Discounts you Need to Discover

Henry

Nov 12, 2021

Paying full price while you are in school can be hard to do. If you know where to look, you can get steep discounts on things like food, shopping, productivity tools, arts, and entertainment.

7 Clever Ways to Save Money on Your University Textbooks

Henry

Nov 11, 2021

Students spend hundreds of dollars each year on textbooks. Fortunately, there are lots of great resources that you can use to save hundreds of dollars on the textbooks you need.

Can Technology Improve Education in Less Developed Areas?

Petal

Nov 10, 2021

The global pandemic has highlighted the many ways technology can enable education outside of a traditional classroom setting. However, this is far from a new development.

Surviving Grad School

Xin

Nov 09, 2021

You finally made it through college, and now you are taking the next steps in your education; grad school. It is exciting. There is a lot to relish, but it is not all roses and it is starkly unlike your undergrad experience

Top 4 ways to Burn Out in Grad School

Chi

Nov 08, 2021

How you manage your time will affect how successful you are in your graduate studies so manage it wisely by avoiding these top grad school time wasters.

How to Write Like You Went to Harvard

Vivian

Nov 06, 2021

Academic writing is, above all, an exercise in discovering, managing, and creating new understanding.

8 Ways to Maximize Use of Your School's Writing Center

Wei

Nov 05, 2021

You are sitting in the stacks, with a cup of coffee, wondering how you will turn the two pages of incomprehensible gibberish in front of you into a sensible essay before tomorrow morning.