Resources

This page is dedicated to hints, handouts, and links that can help you become a better writer.

The Writing Process

How to Get Started (with thanks to Purdue University)

Writing the Personal Statement (with thanks to Colorado College)

Dealing With Writer’s Block (with thanks to the Purdue OWL)

Thesis Statements (with thanks to the University of North Carolina)

More on Thesis Statements (from Purdue)

Help in All Stages of Writing (from Smith College)

Critical Reading and Thinking

Reading to Write (from UNC)

How to do a “Close Reading” (with thanks to the Harvard Writing Center)

Dan Kurkland's guide to Critical Reading

Research

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing (from the ever-resourceful Purdue OWL)

Evaluating Internet Resources (sites recommended by Van Wylen Library)

Evaluating a Web Page for Use in a Research Paper (with thanks to U Cal Berkeley)

Revising

Revising is More than just Fixing! (from UNC)

The Tools of the Writer: brief hints for improving your writing

Grammar Aid

The 20 Mistakes that Account for 90% of Errors (with thanks to Dartmouth College)

An Interactive Guide to Grammar (with thanks to Capitol Community College)

A Well-designed Online Grammar Handbook (with thanks to the University of Illinois)

Editing and Citing

The Oxford English Dictionary

Citation Guidelines (Disclaimer: This website does not contain the most up-to-date version of APA (6th ed.). For a pdf version of the APA updates, click here and here.)

Style Manuals

American Psychological Association (APA): Visit the Website or Find our library copy

Chicago Manual of Style: Visit the Website or Find our library copy

Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA) Website or Library Copy

Avoiding Plagiarism

Hope College’s Site (with lots of linked pages for the details)

Understanding Plagiarism (with thanks to Colorado State)

Pages Like This One (that list loads of resources) at Other Institutions

Brown University

Dartmouth College

Duke University

Purdue University

University of Wisconsin