The UAS Research Library, Wiki, Glossary, and more
The University of Alternative Studies offers a free-to-the-public online library/resource center with over 500 research papers, articles, and books in various fields including parapsychology, neuroscience, quantum physics, and many other interdisciplinary fields. The resource center also offers many of the references utilized in UAS study materials so students can expand their knowledge-based through UAS even long after graduation.
Community Links
The following are links to trusted organizations that have been grascious enough to link back to UAS, and have a similar mission in education and research.
UAS Student Career Resource Center
Students, start your new career right after graduation! Not sure what type of career to peruse or how to go about perusing it? We have four major career types listed before with an array of ways to implement the start of your new career on only a short amount of time, and in some cases, in minutes. University of Alternative Studies graduates go on to become published writers and authors, consultants and counselors, educators and researchers. What is your dream?
:: Writers & Authors
Start your career as a professional writer. One of the main reasons so many authors are self-publishing today is twofold. One of the main reasons is because there is a huge market to capitalize on for POD or “Print on Demand” publishers. The other reason is because traditional publishers want to sign a sure thing when it comes to authors and their books. Self-publish your papers and books online in no time at all.
Papers & Books
Lulu.com – Sell your papers and books to the whole wide world. You’ll be amazed how inexpensive it is to self-publish a paperback book – and how quickly your 80% of all creator revenue can add up. Get a free ISBN — and get distributed in more than 60,000 retail locations, online and off. Set your own price — Lulu makes it easy to see exactly how much (or little) it costs to produce your book (for example, how much different paperback bindings cost), and just as easy to decide how much you want to earn from each sale. Build your own online storefront — to generate direct links, and more sales. Forget inventory — when a book is purchased, it is printed, shipped and delivered on demand. Paperbacks | Hardcovers | Papers
ePapers & eBooks
Lulu.com – Digital documents and ebooks are popping up all over the place. They’re the perfect way for you to earn a few bucks without investing a cent. The portfolio of your best work. Your essay. A simple (though of course brilliant) essay. Whatever. If you created it and want to make it available for others to enjoy, you’ve come to the right place. Sell your digital works as downloadable documents on the Lulu Marketplace. Optimize your ebook for use on an iPhone or Sony ebook Reader. Even, if you want, make your masterpiece available in printed book form.
Amazon Kindle – Digital Text Platform is a fast and easy self-publishing tool that lets you upload and format your books for sale in the Amazon.com Kindle Store. Have a book you want to sell? Sign up with Digital Text Platform and publish your content on our site in minutes. Digital Text Platform gives you everything you need to become your own publisher today. See for yourself.
B&N’s Pubit – Connect with millions of readers when you sell your publications with Barnes & Noble, the world’s #1 bookseller. Self-publish your written works, ideas and content as Nook Books.
GET THE WORD OUT
Sometimes just selling and providing services isn’t enough. You need to get the word out to potential buyers and clients who are not browsing online bookstores or directories, but would buy your published works or enlist your services if they knew about them.
Social Networking Sites
Interact with over 2 million avid book readers, fans and other authors. Readers can recommend your book to others and even post feedback or reviews to your page.
ogle Social Bookmarking Sites
Ready for something really cool? Once your product is published on a site, you can bookmark it on other networks to allow people with similar interests to find it.
Newswire & Press Releases
In simplest terms, a press release is a short notice of something the media might be interested in using as a story. You can send your press release directly to various media or to a newswire. Your press release should be well-written before you submit it to the media. A newswire is a service that sends your press release to newsrooms, websites, radio and TV stations and other media outlets worldwide. It’s your best bet for getting your press release to a large number of media outlets that, it must be said, may or may not publish it or air it. It’s up to you which newswire service you select, but here are some recommendations. Keep in mind that different services charge different fees, but some are free. We recommend these free services – www.pr.com and www.prleap.com and two fee-based services: www.prweb.com and www.prnewswire.com.
How to Write A Great Press Release
Author & Writer Networking Sites
Of all the places you hang out, an online writing community could end up being your favorite. Readers, reviewers and other authors come together for the express purpose of discovering new talent and purchasing new works. You can submit your writing for others to view (and buy). Participate in writer workshops. Enter writing contests. Learn writing exercises. Share tips and ideas with other writers. And, of course, put in a good word for your book. Ready to check out a site or two? We recommend these for promoting your book:
Search Sites
Google Book Search – What’s better than someone searching for your book? Someone searching in your book. And with Google Book Search that’s not only possible, but also impossibly easy to set up. Once you obtain your own ISBN through Lulu.com you can opt to have the contents of your creation added to the Google Book Search database. Lots of computers start whirring in the background and within weeks, anytime someone searches with Google for any keywords that match your content, up pops an excerpt from your book showing the relevant passage in context. Don’t worry, your book is still protected. Viewers will only see snippets – no more than 20% – of your book, and functions such as “copy”, “save” and “print” are disabled. Even better, the very first link on this Google-hosted page offers a straight line right to your book’s listing in the Lulu Marketplace – so readers are just a click away from finding out more, getting completely sucked in to your masterful words and doing what comes naturally: buying your book.
Talk Radio & Podcasts
Getting the word out about a book is crucial to sales. We recommend getting the word out through many avenues, including talk radio. Getting airtime to talk about your book, or just commercial radio airtime for your book can boost your sales dramatically. This can be through traditional talk radio and online talk radio. We suggest looking into the many paranormal based radio shows to start.
Publish Your Essay
You can start your career as a self-published author or researcher soon after graduation and you write your first works. You can self-publish through online websites like Amazon Kindle and Lulu.com.
Grants
There are a few types of grants available to parapsychology writers. Every grant has certain requirements. We suggest the following when attempting to get a grant.
:: Consultants and Counselors
PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTING
Parapsychological based consulting is not to be confused with spiritual or mental health counseling as spiritual and mental health counseling is illegal in some states without proper licensing. Parapsychological counseling/consulting consists of addressing claimed psychical or paranormal abilities and implementing methods to allow the enhancement or control of a claimed ability. Parapsychological counseling/consulting can include, but is not limited to:
Validation – Through the professional assessment of the clients history of events and through measurements and testing via modern tools, comparison statistics, client journaling and recording results to validate change in the future.
Basic Life Assessment – To address if the mental and physical stability, lifestyle, motivation and dedication (willing to make time to enhance or control) of the client is equal to the elements required to successfully and safely enhance or control their ability. If a client requires mental health care, they are to be referred to a licensed mental health professional.
Support – Offering individual support and or providing group support to those who are in need of additional guidance.
Continuing Education – Providing basic information and directing clients towards scientific academic alternatives to advance their knowledge of the dynamics of their ability.
Questions and Concerns – Addressing any questions and concerns of the client.
Techniques – Providing clients with specific techniques and exercises to enhance or control their ability.
Partnering – In the case two clients with exact or similar abilities agree to partner for exercises and advancement.
Follow-ups – To moderate the progression or reversion of an ability.
Websites
Websites are a great way to start your career as a consultant. With a website you will have a virtual location to offer your services to the public. Also, you will have the option to add a shopping cart, such as PayPal’s shopping cart addition, allowing you to be able to safely and securely accept payment for your services online. There are many free hosting sites out there that will give you a free sub-domain, or free hosting with a purchase of a domain (usually under $10). If you are looking for a bigger and better option we suggest using DuoServers. They have low rates for big packages including 24 hour customer service and lots of add-ons for your site.
Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites are a great virtual location to offer your services without having to build a website. Some social networking sites offer blogs which will allow you to publish free articles to show potential clients you are well versed in your area of expertise. We suggest using Facebook first. If you already have a personal Facebook account, we suggest opening up another account, create a page, or crate a group specifically for your services. Create a professional profile with a short biography and mention your degree and any publications you may have. Facebook ranks very high on search engines, giving you a search engine boost you would not otherwise have with a new website. Keeping your url, headline, display name and profile information rich with keywords relative to your services is critical for optimal search rankings. You can easily accept payments through PayPal when using a website or a social networking site like Facebook.
Start Your Own Local Small-Business
Some students may prefer to offer their services to the local public either through their home or though a center. Most cities, centers exists solely for therapists and counselors to meet with students certain days/times of the week. Some cities even have centers specific to mind/body and metaphysical interests. Using a center to provide your services through does carry a fee, but the amount of money you can make from offering your services through a center can be very profitable and easily make up the costs. Offering your services through your home is also a reasonable option if you are in a good location. In the case of starting your own business, you will need to acquire a business licenses.
:: Educators
Websites
Websites are a great way to start your career as an educator. With a website you can offer free educational content and add and eStores or just a shopping cart addition to sell your educational material. First you will need hosting. There are many free hosting sites out there that will give you a free sub-domain, or free hosting with a purchase of a domain (usually under $10). If you are looking for a bigger and better option we suggest using DuoServers. They have low rates for big packages including 24 hour customer service and lots of add-ons for your site.
Blogs
Education blogs are becoming a means for educators and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. Creating a blog with any of the top blogging sites can create a regular audience for your free and purchasable educational material. We recommend the following blogging sites:
Podcasts & Online Talk Radio
Podcasts let you interact with audiences in a way that blogs can’t. Ideal for educators, who have found an avenue through which they can share their knowledge, insights, and passions for teaching and learning and for the stories that they relish and teach. A podcast is a series of audio or video digital media files that are distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers If you have a passion for a topic and want to reach your current audience and build a new audience, perhaps this is an outlet you should consider.
YouTube
If you already have a way to sell your educational information, try using online video sites like YouTube to get the word out. Give your viewers a free glimpse of what you offer though another medium, such as online stores that carry papers and books published by you.
Your Own Online University
MyiCourse – allows any individual to immediately provide education courses online, at no cost. The accountability features of MyiCourse allow the course creator(s) to require a specified time (60 minutes, for example) and a test before a credit is earned. Since MyiCourse has a built in transcript feature, the student is able to obtain immediate electronic proof of all completed course work. Easily create courses and tests and set your prices per course.
Seminars & Lectures
Whether you choose to give lectures or seminars online, at a local university or elsewhere, sharing your knowledge with others is not only beneficial to the self, but can also bring in a fair income.
Grants
There are a few types of grants available to parapsychology educators. Every grant has certain requirements. We suggest the following when attempting to get a grant:
:: Researchers
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION
Based on the area of study a student graduates from, the graduate will be qualified to start and lead a paranormal investigations group. Paranormal investigators are not limited to the study of “ghosts.” Paranormal investigators can investigate a wide range of paranormal events including psychic and psychokinetic abilities. Some paranormal investigators charge for their services, while others offer their services for free and write and sell publications with their findings. Paranormal investigations does require the investment of basic investigative tools. Those wishing to investigate abilities and “ghosts” may wish to seek out a short course on paranormal investigating and the equipment used for investigations.
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH
Psychical research is the scientific investigation of extraordinary or as yet unexplained phenomena that have been called psychic or paranormal while exploring the uncharted realms of human consciousness. Such phenomena has enlisted the interest and active participation of a number of outstanding scientists and philosophers throughout history. Psychical research has been both privately funded and government funded. Depending on your approach, psychical research does require and investment in scientific instrumentation.
Grants
There are many types of grants available to parapsychology researchers. Every grant has certain requirements. We suggest the following when attempting to get a grant:
Lectures & Seminars
Attending lectures and seminars, or holding lectures and seminars on your findings will aide you in meeting other parapsychology researchers. Getting to know and work with others in your field will jump-start your research goals. Search online and in your local newspaper for relative lectures and seminars of interest. If you are more interested in giving lectures or seminars, contact a local university with a parapsychology department, or a local building that regularly holds seminars.
Keep Up-to-Date
Make sure you keep up to date on the latest parapsychology research and methods being used around the world. Subscribing to relative newsletters and journals is ideal for this. We suggest the following journals and newsletters: