A Note to SNL Students from SNL Students and Writing Center Tutors Rich Orman and Oyekunle Oyegbemi
Hello,
Just like you, we are students in the SNL program. And, like many of you, we have been away from an academic environment for a number of years. When we returned, we discovered that there were many adjustments that we would have to make to be successful in school at this stage in our lives. One of the biggest challenges to any college student is the requirement to write competently. Some of you have learned or will learn that most SNL courses are writing intensive and that there is a high premium placed on being able to write well.
In order to help SNL students be successful writers, DePaul University has a Writing Center to assist in all aspects of the writing process. Qualified tutors are available to help students work through any writing problems that they might have. As a student at SNL it is important for you to know that resources are available to you as you work toward your academic goals.
The Writing Center is more than a ‘fix it’ shop. It is a place where you can dialogue about your ideas; it is a place of intellectual stimulation. So make an appointment if you need us, we’re located online, on the 16th floor of the Lewis Center downtown and in 150 McGaw Hall on the Lincoln Park campus. Have a look at the Writing Center.
Rich Orman and Oyekunle Oyegbemi
Spring 2005
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Writing Help
Where to go for:
DePaul's Writing Center
http://condor.depaul.edu/~writing/
The Writing Center offers individual tutorial sessions and writing support. This free service is available at the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses, and online. Students can email papers and questions to the Center and a tutor will provide feedback. Students can also set up regular tutorial sessions. Call the Center at the Loop: 312 362-6727 or Lincoln Park (312 325-7000 ex, 1805) or check the Center website.
The Writing Center's website also includes links to other writing-related sites on the Internet.
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Help with Grammar, ESL and Writing Papers |
Purdue University's OWL (Online Writing Lab)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Purdue was one of the first schools to offer an online writing lab, and this well-developed site continues to be one of the best. It includes instructional handouts to help students with everything from punctuation to writing a job letter, help with English as a Second Language (ESL), links to more writing resources, and information about and links for doing internet research. They offer a free Writing Lab newsletter, interactive quizzes, as well as resources for teachers. In addition, the writing lab hosts a grammar hotline, as well as writing and research help by email, both of which are open to the general public.
Capital Community Technical College Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm
A single professor has set up this quirky site. It offers hand-outs and over 170 quizzes designed to help students at every stage of the writing process, from the fundamentals (word and sentence-level writing) to the more advanced tasks of paragraph-writing, and even essay- and research paper-writing. The searchable “grammarlog” contains answers to over 6000 grammatical questions asked by people from all over the world.
University of Illinois Writing Workshop
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/CWS/wworkshop/
This well-designed site includes a grammar handbook, bibliographic style information, English as a Second Language (ESL) resources, Business and Technical Writing resources, writing tips and techniques which focus less on grammar and more on how to develop one's writing (including advice on how to compose philosophy papers, resumes, personal statements, and other difficult writing tasks), and information on where to get "friendly critiques" of one's writing via the web.
Saint Cloud State University Literacy Education Online (LEO)
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/index.html
This site is structured as a series of solutions to common structural and grammatical problems in student papers. It is less comprehensive than other sites in its treatment of grammatical issues, but its format makes it easy to navigate and a very useful resource when in need of a quick answer to a nagging question.
Colorado State University Writing Center
http://writing.colostate.edu/writers.cfm
Lacking in grammatical and mechanical instruction, this site focuses on the writing process, offering guides and exercises to help students refine and revise arguments, as well as providing templates for a wide variety of writing types including academic, science, and business writing.
Dave’s ESL Cafe
http://www.eslcafe.com/
Students for whom English is a second (or third, or fourth) language will find this to be a great resource, and some of the exercises are helpful for students who need to sharpen their basic grammatical skills. The site also includes resources for teachers, as well as boards for educators to post their resumes.
Indiana University Writing Tutorial Service
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml
Indiana University has an excellent collection of online pamphlets on plagiarism, proofreading, outlining, citing sources, how to use evidence, how to construct a thesis statement, how to write paragraphs and topic sentences, and how to write personal statements, application letters, essay exams, book reviews, resumes, and cover letters.
The Web Site for Diane Hacker's A Writer's Reference
http://www.dianahacker.com/writersref/
The textbook web site includes writing, grammar, and research exercises as well as model papers, links to other helpful web sites and a guide to online research and documentation. It also has a section on "language debates," covering such controversies as the usage of the passive voice, sexist language and split infinitives. A linked Instructor site that anyone can use also includes diagnostic tests and additional exercises.
Dr. Grammar Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/
If you have a question about word usage, this is a good place to check.
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Help with Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism |
DePaul's Academic Integrity Website
http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/
The Resources page of this website is very helpful. It includes definitions of academic integrity violations, examples of what does and does not constitute plagiarism, and guidance on how to cite sources, footnote, quote, paraphrase, summarize. If you are confused about plagiarism or unsure about citation, this site is a great place to start.
How to do an MLA or APA Works Cited
http://www.duke.edu/web/HonorCouncil/citationguide.html
This web page, from Duke University, is easy to follow and shows the differences between MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, and AMA styles.
The Citation Machine
http://citationmachine.net/
This site prompts students to type in citation information, and then generates a formatted Works Cited listing and parenthetic citation in both MLA and APA styles. There are a couple of minor glitches, but it is generally reliable.
Citation Guides
http://library.depaul.edu/Find/resourceList.aspx?s=52
This annotated list of links to online citation guides is buried in the DePaul Library web site, but it lists a number of helpful links, including Purdue's MLA and APA guides. It also includes "How do I cite?" from Duke, which has a particularly student-friendly interface and side-by-side comparisons between MLA and APA citations.
The Modern Language Association's (MLA's) Citation Style
http://www.mla.org/style_faq
Although the MLA does not publish their citation guides on the web, their FAQ page offers some answers to problems students may encounter, such as “How many spaces should I leave after a period or concluding punctuation mark?” and “How do I cite a web source with no page numbers?”
The American Psychological Association's (APA's) Citation Style
http://www.apastyle.org/
Like the MLA, the APA does not offer an online citation guide, but does give helpful tips for citing online sources, as well as information on how to cite interviews, in both their “FAQ” and “Electronic Reference” web site pages.
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Dictionaries and Encyclopedias |
Dictionary.com
www.dictionary.com
This is a wonderful and convenient place to check the spelling and definition of a word. It also offers a thesaurus with synonyms and antonyms, and an online encyclopedia. Pronunciation guides and other features are available for a subscription fee.
Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com/
More thorough than Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster offers, in addition to definitions, synonyms and antonyms, word origins, and free pronunciation guides.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can update. That means it is both a great source for information on everything from current events, to history, to pop-culture and that it is only as credible as its most recent contributor. It is a good place to start, but be sure to verify any information you gather from it.
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When You Want to Procrastinate |
Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
http://grammar.qdnow.com/
Grammar as entertainment – who would guess?! This grammar blog is both entertaining and informative. The podcasts are by subscription, but the articles are free and archived by topic.
Fun with Words
http://www.fun-with-words.com/
This is a site dedicated to clever wordplay. It contains amusing etymologies, anagrams, spoonerisms, and a host of other verbal games and mishaps. Also of interest are articles on language and language use and an extensive list of abbreviations used in internet dialogue.
A Painful Glimpse Into My Writing Process (in Less than 60 Seconds)
http://mag.awn.com/issue11.08/11.08clips/A_Painful_Glimpse.mov
This award-winning short movie about the agony of trying to write is directed by Chel White and written by Scott Poole. You can get more information about the film here: http://www.skysociety.com/epkpainfulglimpse.html
Who is a Writer?: What Writers Tell Us
http://comppile.tamucc.edu/NCoW/
Watch a video from the National Conversation on Writing in which writers of all ages and types talk about how and why they write.
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