|
|
RESOURCES FOR WRITERS
Chapman University Writing Center Handouts
| APA Citation |
This handout discusses guidelines for citing sources in an APA paper and provides examples for some commonly referenced sources, including scholarly journal articles. |
| Avoiding Plagiarism |
Are you worried about plagiarism but not sure what it means or how to give credit to your sources? Read this handout for a clear explanation of plagiarism and for ways to steer clear of it. |
| Commas and Conjunctions |
Conjunction confusion? Go beyond the confines of and, but, and or to see how and when to use coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Also learn about how these exciting linking words interact with commas. |
| Eliminating Wordiness |
Spit it out! Get to the point! Learn how to trim fat sentences down into lean, mean point-making machines. Switch out weak words for stronger, punchier ones. Leave your audience informed, excited, and hungry for more! |
| The Importance of Parallelism |
Parallelism—or parallel structure—simply means using the same grammatical pattern or structure when listing two or more words, phrases, or clauses. This handout will help you strengthen your writing skills by demonstrating parallelism at work with gerunds, infinitives, past tense, adverbs and adjectives. |
| MLA Style Guidelines |
This handout discusses general guidelines for formatting an MLA paper, including layout, document heading, citing sources, and works cited page. |
| Prewriting |
Suffering from writer’s block? Having trouble beginning the writing process? This handout offers suggestions for generating and organizing ideas for a writing assignment. |
| Screenwriting Fundamentals |
Is the screenwriting format bogging you down? Knock out common errors and improve your screenplay. This handout discusses not only technical formatting issues, but also how to approach plot content as a screenwriter. |
| Semicolons, Commas, and Periods |
Confused by all the punctuation choices? This handout explains the different uses for semicolons, commas, and periods. |
| Transitions |
Readers expect each new section of your text to link clearly to what they have already read. This handout describes how to use transitions as "signposts" to direct your readers. |
Grammar and Usage
| Purdue University OWL |
One of the most respected on-line writing centers, access this site for handouts on writing, grammar, and style concerns. |
| University of Wisconsin OWL |
This site contains an array of handouts on academic writing, grammar, and style. In addition, there are handouts about letter writing and application essay writing. |
| Virginia Tech Writing Center |
This site contains a "Grammar Hotline" and "KnoW-It-OWL" that is open to the public. You can email grammar questions to professional writers and access a handy reference page that covers many grammar topics. |
| Rensselaer Writing Center |
Access this site for "e-handouts" covering topics such as technical writing, revising, ESL problems, style concerns (APA and MLA), and thesis writing. |
| Guide to Grammar and Writing |
Access information on all aspects of writing, from sentence-level grammar issues to information on writing research papers. The site, sponsored by Capitol Community College Foundation, also offers free grammar quizzes. |
| Word Detective |
Read entertaining and informative answers to readers' questions about words and language. |
Research, Citation, and Style Guides
| Leatherby Libraries Style Guides |
Our library provides links to information on different writing and documentation style guides, including AMA, APA, ASA, Chicago, and MLA. Our library also links here to websites that help you format citations. |
| Leatherby Libraries Online Databases |
Use these databases to search for articles and other sources for your academic research. You can see the list of research databases listed alphabetically by name or by topic. |
| Leatherby Libraries Research and Subject Guides |
Begin your research project two steps ahead by using the resources the library has already organized for you. The library has guides for everything from athletic training to freshman foundations to education. |
| JSTOR |
Search this popular database for a variety of academic research resources. Students find this database particularly helpful for research within the fields of humanities, social science, and business management. |
English Language Help
| Merriam-Webster |
Check a word's meaning or find a synonym on this free online dictionary and thesaurus. |
| Online Word Reference |
Multilingual students can use this free translation dictionary to find the correct word or phrase in English. The site also hosts a forum to discuss usage and meaning for difficult-to-translate colloquial or slang phrases. |
| Dave's ESL Cafe |
Search this site for information on learning and teaching English as a second or foreign language. You'll find exercises and advice to improve English-language skills, as well as resources on teaching English abroad. |
Creative Writing and Literature
Miscellaneous Writing Issues
| Application Essays |
Handout from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Writing Center. Learn how to write a compelling application essay for graduate schools, internships, and other programs. |
|
