Google doc + Flow: an imperfect online reference management solution

Working on a manuscript simultaneously with your collaborators in Google doc is such a fun thing!

How about inserting references?

We usually download the manuscript into Word (*.doc) when it's nearly done and insert references in MS Word with external software such as Papers, EndNote etc. Most of the reference managers are not free. Now, this pain is over!

Solution: use Flow!

Flow supports to save the references from website to your Flow account and then from your Google doc Add-on, you can insert and format citations easily.

Here is the steps:
1. Set up a Flow account (you can also create a collection and share with your collaborator)
2. Import references from web sites (or other tools such as Mendeley etc.): http://help.flow.proquest.com/customer/portal/articles/1087119-save-articles-directly-from-the-web-using-save-to-flow
3. Install Google Add-on for Flow: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/proquest-flow/oekoebnddahgfhaalgnopcfhofmgnekd
3. Done!

You think you know how to type prime symbol (′)

Not everyone can correctly type the prime symbol when they use 5′ or 3′  DNA.

(Actually I noticed that not everyone know it's a prime symbol; many people just type single quotation ( ' ) or escape ( ` ) key for that, which are NOT correct). 

First of all, I want to claim that there is no keyboard shortcut (at least I cannot find one in Mac) for prime symbol. Option+Shift+e will give you acute accent ( ´ ), not prime ( ′ ). Did you see the difference?

OK. Here is how to:

1. Turn on your "Unicode Hex Input" (It's hidden in the "Input Sources", see screenshot below)

2. Switch to the "Unicode Hex Input" when you need to type prime symbol (by clicking the Input method in the menu bar)

3. Once you are in the "Unicode Hex Input" condition, type Option+2032 for prime symbol. For double prime, it's Option+2033. 

But the easiest way is to copy from this page :)

p.s. Other symbols in the Character Viewer: