When searching online databases, using the words - AND, OR and NOT, is a common practice. The terms AND, OR and NOT are called "Boolean Operators".  "But this is so simple and basic. Why are you writing a blog post about this?" - you might ask. I write this blog post because it is important to use Boolean Operators correctly while searching. It is important that anyone who searches online should know how these terms work. Everyone thinks it is simple. But many people make mistakes in their usage. I am not talking about the inadvertent slips (I make them…

Recently I had a conversation with a doctor. By the way, what I am going to write is not unique to this doctor, but it has happened with many. And so - this piece We were talking about our online courses for undergraduate students. And she said, "When I studied my medical degree, we did not have all these resources, we only used our library and read books ." And I asked "Were you introduced to the Index-Medicus"? There was silence. The answer was obviously no. Index Medicus was a resource available since the 1950s. It was a weekly index…

When I was in school and college, I often helped younger cousins with their lessons. When I taught my cousins, I read their lessons and explained concepts to them. Something that their teachers had already taught, but they could not understand. I did not try to teach them new lessons and I made no attempts to get them ahead of their peers. It is said - The more you teach, the better you learn. As I taught in different contexts in my life, I not only kept learning more but also learned that: You must prepare yourself by studying thoroughly…