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Google Drive for Researchers: 3 Perspectives from the Paperpile Team

We saved the last spot in our research productivity series for Google Drive. We found it’s harder to generate the enthusiasm about Google Drive for researchers than for the other apps we covered. This is because it forms the basic infrastructure of our cloud workflow. Yes, like any other basic infrastructure, things would break down without it, but who actually thinks much about infrastructure? Andreas, Isabel and Stefan in our team decided to do just that and here’s why we love Google Drive.

Andreas: Making the Dropbox Switch

I’m a big fan of Dropbox. It’s one of the rare products that solves a common (and technically hard) problem in the simplest and most elegant way. By acting as a bridge between classical desktop apps that save data in files on a local hard disk and the cloud, it helped me to connect my work on different devices and allowed me to collaborate with colleagues. Google Drive can do the same with the sync clients.

Google Drive is not just about the files of a desktop operating system. It’s a central part of the true cloud-based operating system that is Google Apps

But I would have never switched because of that. You can’t beat Dropbox here. The reason why I become a user and fan of Google Drive is different. It has something to do with what Steve Jobs once told Dropbox CEO Drew Houston , that Dropbox is “a feature and not a product.” Google Drive is not just about the files of a desktop operating system. It’s a central part of the true cloud-based operating system that is Google Apps.

For starters, it’s integrated with important Google Apps like Gmail . You can search Google Drive from Gmail search, enable a one-click send to Drive, and even schedule emails from Google Sheets.

In addition, there is a growing third-party ecosystem of interesting and effective apps. Last year, we created an early preview of our new PDF annotator that was first available as a Drive app. Integration with Drive was so easy, we found it was the fastest way to get feedback from real users. You simply click ‘open with MetaPDF’ and can get started annotating a PDF.

Since Drive is such a popular platform it also plays nicely with pretty much all the other cloud software we are using. I can log in with my Google account almost anywhere and apps automatically know what to do with my Google Drive data. For example, I can post to Slack or Trello without disrupting my workflow.

Finally, Google Docs was a big factor drawing me in this ecosystem and making me a true fan. Before I started full-time working on Paperpile, we were using Docs to write collaborative papers in my old lab. This slight overlap made it possible not just to write the first paper in Docs and Paperpile ever but I can also claim to be one the few people on earth who have written a paper with their own reference manager :)

Isabel: Google Docs as a Gateway Drug

I remember my first professional foray into Google Docs. That was the tool of choice for an internship I participated in several years ago, and I _hated _it. Docs constantly froze and couldn’t manage to keep up with my typing. I couldn’t fathom using it by choice for an assignment of any consequence.

So for the most part, I ignored Google Drive for the next few years. Sure, I saved a few files here and there, but it definitely wasn’t a part of my regular workflow. It actually wasn’t until I discovered Paperpile as part of my Masters research that I began to reconsider my stance. After experimenting with all those other clunky reference managers, the elegance of Paperpile appealed to me quite a bit. So I installed the extension and got to work on my first Oxford assignment.

My first thought? WOW. How Google Docs has changed. No more freezing, no more crashing, this is every bit as easy as my desktop processor. With a little bit of practice, I found it could be much more efficient too. There’s something so simple and undistracting about writing in Google Docs - it allows you to focus exactly on the words, and not on all the bells and whistles of Microsoft . Plus, writing my paper in-browser keeps it right next to my research tools where it belongs.

I will also admit that I am about the absolute worst one can be about protecting my own data. I don’t hit “Save,” I don’t back up anything… in truth, I’m an IT person’s worst nightmare. But writing my academic assignments and saving my research files in Google Drive protects me from myself. One of my classmates recently lost her entire literature review and methodology due to an unexpected laptop crash and well… I don’t envy her.

So now I take full advantage of Google Drive. Everything that can be created and saved in here, I do. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s perfect for less-than-sensible students such as myself.

Stefan: The Business Case for Google Drive

I’ve explained in previous posts (see Business Apps for Researchers and Why Startups for Researchers Should Charge Their Users ) that the goals of a company and a research group are one in the same. When I started Paperpile with Andreas, we made the decision to run on Google Drive and Google Apps. If I started a lab on my own (which was plan B at the time) I would have done the same. Here’s why:

Data Safety : As Isabel pointed out, it’s easy to neglect data protection. While losing your own work as student is definitely dramatic, losing your company data might actually be the end of your company. A good backup should be regular, automatic and off-site, and Google Drive easily meets these criteria. I should note that we also backup all of our Google Drive content to another cloud provider (here’s a few reasons why you should think about that).

Security : Google has over 400 security engineers dedicated to keeping data safe. Information is transferred encrypted and also encrypted at rest.   Two-factor authentication helps keeping the account safe.Put simply, I could not provide the same level of security if I ran my own servers in our office.

Simplicity : I consider myself to be a very technical person with a 10 year career in (bio)informatics. So I love to tinker around and take on a challenge. But for some reason setting up file servers and mail servers is not something I’d like to do (even if I had the time).  There are almost zero maintenance costs associated with Google Drive, and the little maintenance that is required consists of clicking a few checkboxes in the domain dashboard. For new co-workers, I simply set up a new Google account on our domain and share the relevant folders. Having access to the same data and applications means productivity from day one.

Thanks for joining us on the research productivity series! If you missed the previous posts, check them out here:

Part 1:   Introduction: Research Productivity: How Business Apps Make the Best Tools for Researchers

Part 2: Use Trello to organize everything: hire your next lab-member, organize a meeting and get your collaborative projects finished on time.

Part 3:  Bring order to your Gmail inbox with Streak . Using the practical example of editing a book with many contributors, we show how you can keep track of messages, attachments and deadlines.

Part 4:  Communicate more efficiently with Slack and never send an internal email within your research group again.

Brought to you by the folks at Paperpile.

We love papers so we blog about it.

7 Google Drive Tips To Make Online Research Easier

When you need to learn about something, the Internet is the number one resource to scout out.  And given the amount of information you can find online, no matter what area, industry, or topic you’re researching,  a huge chunk of your time will be spent recording the research you find.

As you can imagine, combined with the web pages you have to go through, this can slow you dow big time. That’s why some users like to keep their workflow online with tools like Google Drive.  But if you’re using Google Drive to quickly record data, then your biggest challenge lies in working between your research and how you use Google Drive itself.

If you’re writing for an online publication, are drafting a research paper, or are reporting on industry trends, accessing the information you record is perhaps one of your main priorities. To make things easier, try a few of the Google Drive tips below to keep your research going smoothly.

1.  Perform A Google Drive Search from Chrome

Because you can need a document at any given time, it’s important to be able to pull up the right file in an instant. Google Drive Quick Search makes it easy to start a search through your Drive directly from the Chrome URL address bar. Type “drive” in the address bar, your keywords and query, then hit enter. You’ll be directed to your drive with the related results ready and waiting for you to sift through.

2. Save Your Text to Google Drive

Save Text to Google Drive does exactly what its name implies. This Chrome extension makes it super easy to export heavily dense text webpage research from the web directly to your Google Drive.

Once installed, simply highlight the text you’re interested in, activate the extension by clicking on it in your toolbar or extension menu, and click on the Save button. The extension will create a document with the text in the Drive you’re logged into.

3. Quickly Access Folders and Create Google Docs From Your Toolbar

To access folders and separate files instantly, simply bookmark the URL of the file or document on your toolbar.  Open the file or folder in Google Drive and bookmark the URL you see in the address bar. Admittedly, this is a simple tip, but extremely handy if you like keeping things at your fingertips.

 4. Search Your Google Drive Directly From Gmail

Don’t waste time going back and forth between your Google Drive and Gmail.  You can do both at the same time by adding the Apps Search for Gmail extension. This is handy for when you’re either exchanging emails regarding your research project or are working with colleagues.

It will let you extend your search to Google Docs to fish out the files you’re looking for.  You can add the extension by going into Settings>Labs from your Gmail.  Then select to enable it for your account. Don’t forget to hit the “Save Changes” button at the bottom.

5. Edit PDF Text Uploaded To Google Drive

Because a lot of research comes in the PDF format, you may want to pay attention to the “Convert Text from Uploaded PDF and image files” setting. Have you been ignoring it? Well, it’s time to start paying attention to it. This setting allows you to convert PDF to text which you can then  edit within a Google Doc.

Go to the gear icon Google Drive and access the drop down menu. Then go to Upload Settings . From there, put a check mark in the “Convert Text from Uploaded PDF and image files”  option by clicking on it.  Select the Document language . You can have this permanently turned on, but if you want to use it selectively, keep the “Confirm settings before each upload” option checked.

6.  Save Images Directly to Google Drive

Who doesn’t clip web pages when researching online? Good news is you can do it with Google Drive.  Save to Google Drive  can serve as a simple web clipping tool, allowing you to instantly save content from the web to a Google Drive folder. Once you have it installed,  go to the page you’re interested in and activate it by clicking on its button to the right of the address bar.  It will then save your content in .PNG format.

7. Access Google Drive And Other Google Services From Chrome

Here’s a great Chrome extension for pushing your research productivity to the limits. Black Menu for Google allows you to access files on your Drive and to your other Google services in a side bar right within Chrome.

Perfect for Google addicts with research spread across different services. You can get the Black Menu extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Got any Google Drive tips of your own? We’d love to hear them! Add them in the comments below and let us know how they helped you deal with your web research.

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Students’ acceptance of file sharing systems as a tool for sharing course materials: The case of Google Drive

• Published: 10 November 2016
• Volume 22 , pages 2455–2470, ( 2017 )

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• Alaa Sadik   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-6837 1 , 2  

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Students’ perceptions about both ease of use and usefulness are fundamental factors in determining their acceptance and successful use of technology in higher education. File sharing systems are one of these technologies and can be used to manage and deliver course materials and coordinate virtual teams. The aim of this study is to explore how Google Drive is accepted as a system for handling course materials and uncover the factors that influence and contribute to students’ intentions to use it. The research approach is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). The participants for this study comprised 119 students at Sultan Qaboos University. The Students’ Acceptance of Google Drive Questionnaire was develop by the author based on the TAM. The results indicated that students perceived Google Drive as an easy-to-use and useful system for storing and sharing course materials, and they favored its use in university teaching. The results of a multiple regression analysis confirmed that students’ prior experience with Google Drive is a good predictor of students’ perceived ease of use and usefulness. In addition, perceived ease of use and usefulness significantly influenced attitudes toward the system and behavioral intentions to use Google Drive.

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Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

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1.1 Students’ acceptance of Google Drive questionnaire (SAGD)

Demographics and experience (EXP = 4)

How frequently do you use the Internet?

- Very infrequently - Somewhat infrequently - Occasionally - Somewhat frequently - Very frequently

What is your preferred way for sharing course materials with classmates?

- File sharing systems - LMS - E-mail - Social networks - Other

What is your preferred file sharing system?

- Google Drive - Dropbox - FileCloud - SQU Drive - Other

How frequently do you use Google drive?

- Never - Rarely - Sometimes - Often - Very Often

Perceived ease of use (EOU = 8)

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Often I become confused when I use Google Drive.

Using Google Drive is often frustrating.

It takes a long time to learn how to perform a task with Google Drive.

Often I need to consult the course instructor or my classmates when I use Google Drive.

I find it easy to do my assignments via Google drive.

Using Google drive, I can complete and submit my assignment quickly.

Google drive is simple.

Overall, I find Google Drive easy to use.

Perceived usefulness (USF = 8)

Studying this course would be difficult without using Google Drive.

Google Drive gives me greater control over sharing course materials.

Using Google Drive saves my time.

Google Drive enables me to access course materials more quickly.

Google Drive increases my productivity.

Using Google drive increases the quality of my work.

Instructors should use Google drive in their courses

Overall, using Google Drive is useful for sharing course materials.

Attitude (ATT = 4)

All things considered, using Google Drive in my study is:

Good/bad idea

Wise/foolish idea

Favorable/unfavorable idea

Positive/negative idea

Behavioral intention to use (BIU = 4)

I will continue using Google Drive in other courses in the future.

I will frequently use Google Drive to perform my study-related Internet tasks.

I will strongly recommend Google Drive to my students.

I will use Google Drive many ways in my life.

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About this article

Sadik, A. Students’ acceptance of file sharing systems as a tool for sharing course materials: The case of Google Drive. Educ Inf Technol 22 , 2455–2470 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9556-z

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Published : 10 November 2016

Issue Date : September 2017

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9556-z

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How-To Geek

How to use the google docs explore feature for research.

Perform research without even leaving Google Docs.

Quick Links

Open the explore tool in google docs, use content, images, and google drive with explore.

You can make research less time-consuming and tedious when working in Google Docs. The Explore feature helps you find content, images, and other material for your research paper, report, or essay.

Similar to the Researcher tool in Microsoft Word , Google Docs gives you the Explore tool. This lets you quickly look up topics related to your document without leaving Google Docs. Then, you can add pertinent content or images and include citations for those sources.

You have a few ways to open the Explore tool in Google Docs. First, you can click the Explore icon at the bottom-right corner of the Google Docs screen.

Second, you can click Tools > Explore from the menu.

(These first two options to open Explore are convenient if you plan to research a variety of topics and simply want to open the tool.)

Finally, you can open Explore and go directly to your topic. Select the text in your document that you want to look up. Then, right-click and choose "Explore [selected text]."

Each action opens the Explore tool in the sidebar for you to work with.

Whether you use the third option above and go right to your topic or use the Search box to explore, you'll then have three tabs at the top of the Explore sidebar. These include Web, Images, and Drive.

Include Web Content

Click "Web," and you'll see web results for the subject listed like you would when using Google to search. You can click one to go directly to that source in a new tab if you want to read more. You can also scroll to the bottom of the results and click "See All Results on Google" for a full list. This is a convenient way to read up on your topic.

If you want to include a snippet of the content you see in the list, you can copy and paste it into your document and include a citation. Select the text, right-click, and pick "Copy." Then, place your cursor in your document, right-click, and pick "Paste."

Alternatively, you can select the current text in your document for the citation.

Add a citation by clicking the "Cite as Footnote" icon at the top right of that source. This automatically inserts the source as a footnote with MLA formatting.

To change the citation format, click the "Select Citation Format" icon (three dots) at the top of the web results. Then, choose MLA, APA, or Chicago.

You can also add one of the links that you see in the web results to your document. Right-click the link, pick "Copy Link" or "Copy," and then paste it into your document where you want it.

Insert Images

If you need a picture for your document, click the "Images" tab at the top of the Explore sidebar.

Click an image to get a larger view and to see the source with any licensing information. From there, you can click "Insert," or hit the arrow to return to your document.

You can also insert an image directly from the sidebar. Click the plus sign at the top right of that image.

Access Google Drive Documents

Maybe you have a document, an image, or another item saved in Google Drive that you want to reference. Click "Drive" at the top of the sidebar, and you'll see items that you've saved pertaining to your search term.

Select one to open and view it. From there, you can copy and paste from a document, or view and download an image.

Explore's Drive tab is ideal for when you have your own research materials that you need for your current document saved to Google Drive.

Related: How to Organize Your Google Drive

The Explore feature in Google Docs is perfect for researching your topic (including the content and the images), and even for referencing your own saved material from Google Drive.

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Formatting a Research Paper: The Google Docs Way

As educational institutions move towards a more collaborative and technology-based approach to learning, the need for students to become familiar with the use of digital tools for completing assignments is becoming increasingly important. Google Docs is one such tool which can be used in conjunction with other software programs such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Pro to create professional quality research papers. This article provides an overview of how formatting a research paper using Google Docs can enhance student productivity while maintaining a high level of accuracy and precision. Topics discussed include setting up document features, organizing sources within the text, applying styles, formatting citations correctly according to accepted guidelines, and sharing documents securely online.

I. Introduction to Formatting a Research Paper in Google Docs

Ii. advantages of using the google suite for writing and formating papers, iii. accessing an existing document or creating a new one within the platform, iv. a step-by-step guide to formatting your research paper utilizing the features of google docs, v. customizing margins, fonts, and spacing for optimal reading comfort, vi. making use of different styles and headings to make your content easier to follow, vii. finishing touches: checking spelling & grammar; inserting citations; and exporting/downloading your finished work.

Formatting Your Research Paper in Google Docs Google Docs is a powerful and user-friendly platform for creating and formatting research papers. This guide will walk you through the steps of setting up your document to make sure that it follows all of the standard academic requirements, such as margins, font size, line spacing, title page information and more. It can also help you ensure consistency throughout your paper by utilizing its helpful features like numbered lists and bolded headings.

To get started with formatting a research paper using Google Docs first create an account if necessary. Next open or create a new document within “My Drive”. Be sure to start with the correct type; from there select either “blank” or choose one of their many templates available specifically tailored towards writing essays or scholarly work including MLA format research paper template google docs or APA style templates which include running headers & footers along with other specifications needed for college level assignments

Real Time Collaboration Google Suite’s cloud-based functionality makes it easier for students to work together on projects, even if they are located in different parts of the world. By syncing documents and allowing multiple users to access them at the same time, Google Drive facilitates collaboration that can help turn an average paper into something more impressive. And by providing a chat window within each document as well as version control capabilities—which track every change made to any part of a paper—students have unprecedented ways to communicate with each other about their written assignments.

Simple Formatting & Styling Tools For those without much experience formatting papers according to style guidelines (e.g., APA or MLA), fear not! The Google Suite offers features like Heading Styles and Line Spacing which make writing research papers simpler than ever before. Students can also use templates in applications like Google Docs , making it easy for them quickly create outlines and adhere to standard format requirements while saving valuable time on tedious tasks such as setting page margins.

• No longer do you need expert knowledge of Microsoft Word.

. Additionally, basic styling tools enable novice writers perfect their professional presentation skills by adding stylistic elements such as italics or bolds with ease . All these features come together seamlessly so that students get the most out of their writing process regardless of how familiar they are with advanced word processing software

Users of the platform can easily create a new document or access an existing one. With the help of Google Docs , users have multiple options for creating and editing their documents:

• Create from scratch, using Google’s powerful online word processor.
• Start with an existing template to get you going in the right direction.

Once they’ve chosen which type of document to work on, users are then able to customize it however they want by adding text, images, videos and other forms of media. For more advanced projects like research papers or presentations, there are plenty of tools available for formatting them according to academic standards – including predefined templates specifically designed for different types of formats such as APA or MLA. Furthermore, features like revision history and sharing capabilities make it easy to collaborate with others on projects while ensuring that everyone is working off the same version.

Creating a Research Paper Format with Google Docs Creating the perfect research paper format can be daunting. But with Google Docs, it’s as easy as 1-2-3! Here is a step-by-step guide to formatting your document using all of its features:

1) Begin by opening up an empty Document in Google Docs. 2) To ensure that you are utilizing proper research paper format, use the built in Heading styles – Heading 1 for your title; and Heading 2 and 3 for subsequent sections throughout your work. This will keep all the titles consistent throughout. 3) With text highlighted, choose whether or not you’d like it to be bolded or italicized – both options are available within Google Docs. Additionally, there are many other font sizes and colors available if desired. 4) Utilize unnumbered lists when outlining items such as points or steps within each section. 5) Insert images into documents directly from either Bing Image search results or saved pictures already uploaded onto Drive (Google’s cloud storage). You also have complete control over placement on page and size adjustments of images.. 6 ) Incorporate tables to show numerical data related to your topic. 7 ) Add hyperlinks so readers can quickly access information related to topics presented in your writing. Once completed, double check links before submitting finished product – this ensures accuracy . 8 ) After these basic formatting tasks are completed , utilize ‘research tools’ feature located at top right corner : just highlight any word in article , click ‘Research Tools’ icon & relevant sources appear immediately below selection ! It ‘ s never been easier reference materials while composing one’ s own thoughts ..

By following these simple instructions found above , users should find no difficulty completing their very own professional looking research papers while utilizing only the powerful capabilities provided through google docs !

For a reader to have optimal reading comfort, customizing the document’s margins, fonts and spacing is essential. When looking at a research paper format on Google Docs for instance, we see that some of these settings are pre-configured.

• Margins: 1 inch all around
• Font: Times New Roman size 12

Spacing: Double spaced throughout; no extra spaces between paragraphs or sections. .

As you write a paper, it is important to think about how your readers will process the information. By using different styles and headings, you can help make your content easier for them to follow.

One of the most effective techniques for structuring content in research papers is through the use of Google Docs’ Research Paper Format. This format provides an outline structure which enables easy navigation between sections as well as adding visual cues that draw attention to key points or areas of interest. For example, each section heading should be bold and have its own number; subheadings within those sections can then be denoted with bullets or other symbols:

• Subheading 1
• Subheading 2

. Additionally, when introducing new topics in a paragraph, begin with an interesting sentence that captures readers’ attention so they are more likely to stay engaged throughout your writing. To further break up text-heavy material into easily digestible chunks while keeping main ideas clearly visible on the page, consider utilizing lists – both numbered and unnumbered -to present sequential steps in processes such as experiments or summarizing arguments/discussions that otherwise could become difficult for readers to understand due their lengthiness . When done correctly these features add depth and clarity allowing any reader unfamiliar with topic at hand engage quickly without becoming overwhelmed by volumes of dense textual content. Ultimately ensuring all elements work together harmoniously yields concise yet comprehensive documents; this serves not only benefit current audiences but also may create lasting impressions among future viewers who come across materials long after original authors may have forgotten how certain things were originally structured!

It’s finally time to take your hard work and turn it into something tangible. Now that you’ve finished your research paper, all that remains is to check for any errors in spelling and grammar, add the correct citations, then download/export the file as a PDF or other accepted format.

As far as checking for mistakes goes, Google Docs , Microsoft Word (or other similar applications) have spell-checkers available which can help identify misspelled words or incorrect punctuation. Once these are corrected be sure double-check with an online grammar tool such as Grammarly so no mistakes slip through the cracks. After this final step has been completed inserting citations should be easy; there are numerous citation generators available depending on what type of research paper you’re writing such as MLA 8th Edition Format Generator or APA 7th Edition Format Generator – even Google Scholar provides access to properly formatted references based on peer review articles from its database! Finally save/download your document using either a .docx (Microsoft Word), .odt (OpenOffice Writer) or .pdf(Adobe Acrobat Reader).

At the end of this article, it is hoped that readers now have a better understanding of how to format a research paper using Google Docs. With its user-friendly platform and extensive range of features, Google Docs provides an excellent platform for researching and crafting academic papers in an organized manner. As academics continue to embrace technology into their writing process, tools like Google Docs are becoming increasingly important for students hoping to take advantage of digital resources while maintaining scholarly standards. By having a comprehensive knowledge on how to use the functionality within these programs they can save time and improve productivity during all stages of the research paper drafting process.

How To Organize Your Research With The Power Of Google Drive

There are certain advantages to using Google Drive for your research work. It's free and available from everywhere of course. Everyone with a Google account has it by default. Tied to your Google account, it gives you a range of collaboration options. It only gets better from here as you can use the Research tool to power all your probes and quests.

Google Docs has made its home on Google Drive. So after one year, it's high time to get used to calling it by the new account name. Some digital habits die hard, and in my case I find it's still kicking as I continue to call it by its former name. I am one of the stragglers here. But then there's one thing which hasn't changed – my continuing reliance on Google for my web research. Google Drive might be jogging steadfastly behind Microsoft Office, but Google Drive is adding muscles to its legs; at least enough to help out a writer-researcher with the basic features he needs to get his job done.

The Twin Benefits of the Research Tool

A smoother workflow.

The Research tool on Google Drive can be compared to a Google assistant who helps you search for the relevant content, images, maps, and other bits of information to include in your document. Think of it as an extension of Google Search which helps you navigate the web without moving your focus away from the document you are working on. As you can write and research at the same time, your thought process is not interrupted by the constant shifting from research to writing. This allows you to shave a few seconds and add to your productivity.

Citing Your References

The Research tool comes to the fore when you have to cite the sources of your information. With a single click you can insert a citation, automatically formatted, into your document. Citing sources improves the credibility of your document while at the same time pointing out the data that has come from secondary data collection methods like online articles, press releases, blogs etc. Citations are an organizational key to a good document, and if you try it out once, you would know it takes considerable time to do it right. There are many citation tools available online, but Google Drive gives you one right there.

With these twin benefits in mind, let's set up a new document with the Research tool.

Creating a Research Document

Sign into Google Drive with your Google ID. Hit the red colored Create button to open a blank document. You can also start with a Presentation.

After entering some information (or even at the start), you can activate the Research tool in three ways.

• From Tools – Research.
• With a keyboard shortcut ( for PC : Ctrl + Alt + Shift + I, for Mac : Ctrl + ? + Shift + I).
• From the context menu by selecting and right-clicking on a word.

As you can see in the screenshot below, the Research pane opens up on the right. If you have some content typed in, automatically senses the context and gives you a few initial results. You can continue your search here by typing in a keyword.

The Research tool gives you a slew of features to move around with all the information. Here's an overview of ten features…

1. Click on the bi-directional arrows and go back or forward through all the searches you performed.

2. The search also retrieves relevant information from your Gmail Inbox.

3. Mouse-over any search result and click on the Preview button to get a glimpse of the specific webpage. You can click on it to open it in a new browser tab.

4. Drag and drop any selected text from the Research tool into the body of your document.

5. Click on Insert link to add a link to the source website into the body of your document.

6. Click on Cite to enter the reference to the source material as a footnote. You can pick from MLA, APA, and Chicago citation styles. Citation styles are applicable for web results, images, quotations and article citations.

7. Filter your results (see screenshot below) and narrow down to the results you want to include.

8. You can filter your results by image and include copyright free images in your research document. The preview pane allows you to check out an image before you insert it. The image link is also cited in the footnote automatically according to the citation style selected.

9. Use the Research tool's dictionary to search for definitions, synonyms, and usage examples. You can also go to Tools – Define .

10. The Research tool also taps into documents, presentations, and spreadsheets from your Drive, also images from Picasa, and posts from your Google+ stream. You can pick them up for inclusion from the general search stream or filter them by selecting Personal.

Other Google Drive Features You Can Use For a Research Project

It goes without saying that Google Drive is also a collaborative environment. You can share your document with others and put in a joint effort to complete a research project. Sharing is as easy as a right-click on the document title on Drive and inviting others via an email.

There is a library of Google Apps you can use in the Google Drive ecosystem to aid with your research. Any app you connect with, is immediately added under the Create menu. Angela mentioned MindMup as a possible brainstorming solution with the help of mindmaps. You can use Drive Notepad for impromptu notes. I would recommend the Google Docs Template gallery which has hundreds of templates for quick use.

You can use the search feature to get research specific templates like MLA Style Research Paper Template or a Background Research Plan Template among the hundreds available. The templates can help you get started quickly and improve your turnaround time with a research project.

Finally, you can move the research document and any other you might have created to a separate folder. This organizational step at the very beginning should be habit forming if you want to avoid the job of sifting through a pile of documents later.

Google Drive is one of those research tools that's right there and available for free. Perhaps, it gets ignored in the scheme of things…but we underestimate its utility at our own loss. There are many ways to conquer your next research project . The question is would you be using Google Drive as your steed? Tell us about your love or hate relationship with Google Drive. What other tips do you think could help with research or writing productivity?

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