Citations - Parking, APA, MLA, & the Purdue OWL

Citations, citations, citations.

Most of us hate them. Whether they come in the form of parking tickets (of which I received two…in two different cities in a matter of two days) or in the form of a reference list, they are ever the cherry on top of a bad day sundae. (Sense the sarcasm.)

Citing sources is not hard. However, when we're juggling a million different thoughts and tasks and our attention is otherwise occupied, it makes getting them done correctly hard.

MLA or APA? Italics or quotation marks? Underline or parentheses? Citing is a never ending balancing act of the memory. There are no easy ways to remember which rules apply to which style. There are no pneumonic devices, at least that I know of, to jog the memory.

So … how do we get it right? Instead of taking an “educated” guess (we learned them both at some point, right? So we have a 50/50 shot of getting it correct.), why not seek the exact formula we need?

Easier said than done, right?

Wrong.

There is a handy-dandy website called Purdue Online Writing Lab or Purdue OWL for short that makes the entire process of citing – for lack of a better term – idiot proof. I use it weekly.

There are examples for every different kind of source. They show exactly where the author’s name, the title of the source, page numbers, publisher’s name, etc. all go. Essentially, there is no way to go wrong when using this website. We just transfer the information from our source into the “blanks” of the example and voilá! We are done citing.

The moral of this story: when in doubt, put some change in that meter or go to Purdue OWL’s website to double-check how to do in-text citations and bibliographies.

For specific links to guides for APA or MLA, here are you go-to sites:

• APA Formatting and Style Guide
• MLA Formatting and Style Guide

In addition, you can find both of these links -- and more -- on the "Resources for Writers" page of the EIU Writing Center's webpage. 

JSTOR and More

It's still the week before finals, so I figure every little bit helps. The assignment that many of us have due within the next couple weeks is no doubt a research paper. Sure, it's a pain to seek sources (who has time for that?), but I figure I'll try to make it slightly less painless by helping you to find sources with relative ease.


EIU students (and I imagine students at most universities) have access to the wonderful database, JSTOR. For someone like me, JSTOR is a dream come true. Type in what you're looking for and JSTOR will come up with related results much like your average search engine. However, unlike your average search engine, your results are not webpages but scanned and digitized versions of articles from various academic journals. Does your instructor demand peer-reviewed scholarly articles? Look no further. Actually, scratch that. Do look further but further into JSTOR.


Let's say I want to find something about Walt Whitman. In the search field, I'll type "walt whitman" (capitalization be damned in the search bar!). JSTOR promptly brings up results 1-25 of 16012 for "walt whitman." Now let's say my paper's on Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln. There are two ways I can search for articles about the both of them. One way involves simply typing "walt whitman and lincoln." The other way is typing "walt whitman" into the first search bar, and then "lincoln" into the one right below it. There's a drop-down menu right next to it that'll say "AND." It's other options are "OR," "NOT," "NEAR 5," "NEAR 10," and "NEAR 25." This drop-down menu can be useful in that if I wanted to, I could leave out results with "lincoln" by putting it into the second search bar and selecting "NOT." This can be helpful in omitting unwanted information in your later search.


Now enough about searching. Let's look at an article we found. We'll take a look at "Walt Whitman and Lincoln" by Clarence A. Brown, the fifth result of searching for "walt whitman and lincoln." There's a small box just above the first page of the article that has a few different options. One is, "View PDF" which you can use to download the PDF version of the scanned article for later viewing at your leisure. The rest of them, however, all involve citations. The most useful option may be "View Citation." It should be noted that the citation that they give you isn't in a format that I recognize so it may not be a commonly-used citation system:

Walt Whitman and Lincoln
Clarence A. Brown
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1908-1984) , Vol. 47, No. 2 (Summer, 1954), pp. 176-184

Nevertheless, it gives you all the information you'll need.


Also, if you're in a pinch, some articles have a summary or abstract that you can read. "Walt Whitman and Lincoln" does not, but if you want to find it on an article that you've found on JSTOR, select "Summary" next to "Page Scan" just above the article's image. Aside from an abstract, it will also list all of the footnotes and bibliographic information you'll need.


EBSCO is another invaluable resource with a bit more variety. Often, people will use the Academic Search Complete, which touts itself as "the world's most valuable and comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database." Regardless of which part of the EBSCO database you use, they'll all have the same interface. Using the MLA International Bibliography, we'll do a similar search as earlier about "walt whitman." Similarly to JSTOR, we have a drop-down menu with options like "AND," "OR," and "NOT." But for now, we'll just stick with a "walt whitman" search.


There is some overlap with articles, but there are also some new results here. We'll look at Jim Garrison's "Walt Whitman, John Dewey, and Primordial Artistic Communication." You'll notice we don't get a scanned copy of the essay right away; instead we get a bunch of information. From here, you can formulate a citation. That being said, there's also an option on the side called "Cite" that will give you citation examples for that particular work in some of the more common citation formats. It is a convenience that JSTOR doesn't provide. 


Not all articles have a PDF copy on EBSCO, but they will almost always have some way for you to find it. Sometimes it might link to another database like Project Muse, or will send you back to your library's website to search for the location of the article on your shelves. Nevertheless, it's an important tool to legitimate research. 


Aside from all of that, all that's left is to curl up next to the fire with a good scholarly journal article.

OWL-ternative Online Sources: The Smackdown

In the spirit of March Madness, we here at EIU Writes will be examining the other online writing labs that we've discovered so far and pit them against one another until only one brave gladiator remains.  Sure, there are a bunch of alternatives ... so what?  How do they stack against one another?  Do any of them give the Purdue OWL a serious run for its money?  Well, brave home viewers, lets put on our game pants and find out.  (We're also apparently at a loss of synonyms for "smackdown" ... or we really like that one.)

So, without further ado, let's take a look at our contestants (spectators, fighters, racers ... take your pick) for the evening.  I'm joined tonight by Fake Doug, since the real Doug can't be here to help me spectate.  Too bad for him.  Anyway, let's hear it for our OWL-ternatives:

HyperGrammar: Hailing from the University of Ottawa, HyperGrammar boasts the British spelling of Centre, a virtual classroom, and a plethora of links embedded within the texts, explanations, and examples.  It's sleek user interface and professional appearance certainly give it a level of aesthetic appeal.

Steve: Do you think our Canadian underdog stands a chance tonight, Fake Doug?
Fake Doug: H.G. is certainly a strong contender, even if it has nothing to do with anyone named "Adrian."  Parts of it are still under construction, but enough of it is finished to make the overall site rather smashing.
Steve: The real Doug would never say "smashing."
Fake Doug: He would to spite you for saying that.
Steve: Fair enough.  Anyway, on to the next combatant ...

Guide to Grammar and Writing: Also known as the "The Super Duper Zany Grammar Funhouse of Doom" (at least in my book), this lab is based out of the Capital Community College Foundation of Hartford, Connecticut.  Though its visual appeal is childish and clumsy, its vast index of grammatical terms and explanations make it a useful tool for any writer, budding or veteran.

Fake Doug: You should stick with its original name.  Yours is terrible.
Steve: But what's not terrible is G.G.W.'s index.  If anything gives it weight in this competition, that's going to be it.
Fake Doug: S.D.Z.G.F.D -- that's what your acronym would be.  Terrible.
Steve: Shush, you.  Next!

The Writer's Handbook: From the University of Wisconsin at Madison, The Writer's Handbook isn't quite as beefy as the Purdue OWL, but it does have a clear breakdown of several topics that many writers can find immediately relevant.  It gives specific tips on research paper, dissertations, proposals, and other forms of academic writing that often throw students for a loop.  The interface is simple, straightforward, and pretty easy to use.

Steve: The tiny text on the right-hand bar can give you a headache if your vision sucks like mine.
Fake Doug: To be fair, Purdue's OWL isn't retina-friendly, either.  The big cheese's influence is pretty apparent in the layout.  Not necessarily a bad thing, though.
Steve: Retina-friendly?  Really?
Fake Doug: Don't get snarky with me.  I'm not the one writing those lines.  Just introduce the last one, will ya?

Writing@CSU: Last, but certainly not least, Colorado State University's website packs some serious punch with resources ranging from small articles, to textbooks, to online word processors to help organize ideas.  It has resources for teachers and students alike, and the layout isn't painful to look at.

Fake Doug: If this website were a person, I'd marry her.
Steve: It is definitely aesthetically pleasing, but it's not just a pretty face, you know?  Lots of good stuff here.  You seem pretty into this competitor, Fake Doug.  Any reason why?
Fake Doug: Partially because you're exaggerating my enthusiasm.
Steve: That's a shame.
Fake Doug: Even so, it's still an awesome site.  It probably has the most variety out of all the OWL's we've looked at so far.  Even -- dare I say it -- Purdue's.  The resources are good, and the different kinds of resources are staggering.
Steve: Definitely.  We'll see if that gives it the edge it needs.

And with each of our competitors out and ready to roll, it's time to rumble!  Let's see how these OWLs compare.

Round 1:

HyperGrammar ~vs~ The Writer's Handbook

Even though HyperGrammar still has parts undergoing construction, it manages to beat out The Writer's Handbook according to us here on EIU Writes.  HyperGrammar isn't trying to be the OWL, and that gives it a lot of clout.  Sure, there are many OWL-esque features that it shares with The Writers Handbook and Purdue, but it's easier to navigate than its opponent (especially considering those nifty embedded hyperlinks) and plenty informative.  Though both are solid sources, we give the victory to HyperGrammar!

Round 2:

Guide to Grammar and Writing ~vs~ Writing@CSU

Guide to Grammar and Writing, while informative, gets the snot kicked out of it by Colorado State's spiffy interface.  Though one could argue GGW's buckets of raw information outweigh the information found on WCSU, the manner in which the information is presented does matter.  WCSU makes it absolutely clear where you need to go to find specific, relevant information rather than giving you a whole bunch of drop-down menus to choose from.  GGW definitely has a lot of heart, but WCSU certainly isn't lacking for substance either.  Colorado State takes the victory in this one.

Semi-Finals:

HyperGrammar ~vs~ Writing@CSU

A close match, for sure.  Once again, WCSU's sleek, objective-driven interface gives it the edge it needs to pull away from its Canadian opponent.  Though we still recommend HyperGrammer for those looking for specific rules and definitions, WCSU weighs in as a better overall resource for writing.  The Semi-Finals go to Writing@CSU.  Insert obnoxious applause and cheering here.

Finals:

Writing@CSU ~vs~Purdue OWL

After a near-eternity of blood, sweat, and tears, both of our brave competitors come out scratched and bruised -- but not beaten.  Crazy though it may seem, this final match-up ends ... in a draw.  I know, I know!  Yes, ties are lame!  But honestly, both of these writing labs offer equally good resources depending on what you're looking for.  The victory is purely contextual.  If you're looking for information on a given citation style, Purdue is the big dog.  It blows WCSU out of the water.  It has examples galore -- we all know that.  However, WCSU's variety of peripheral writing tools, such as the built-in bibliography tracker, outlining tool, and in-site word processor (just to name a few) make it a completely unique OWL experience. 

So, for those looking for a more specific verdict:  The Purdue OWL is better for the sake of pure information.  The examples and clarity are second-to-none.  However, if you're looking for a more interactive, hands-on OWL experience that integrates information with various tools and external resources, then WCSU might actually be the better choice.

The moral of the story is you can bring a horse to water, but you can't judge it by its cover.

No, wait, that's not right.  Ah well ... I'm sure it will come to me eventually.  In the meantime, keep on writing, and don't be afraid to expand your horizons!  There are plenty of good resources out there, just waiting to be stumbled into.

OWL-ternative Online Sources: HyperGrammar (University of Ottawa)

Yes, that's an abomination of a pun.  But it was the best I could come up with in the absence of a portable Doug.  He rocks those titles.

Anyway, all fowl puns aside (sorry, couldn't help myself), I thought it might be interesting to explore some quality online resources outside of the comfortable realms of Purdue's OWL.  Sure, the OWL is a fantastic resource, but variety is the spice of life.  It's time to broaden our online horizons.

In all seriousness, it can't hurt to have a few more resources under your belt.  Different people are going to react differently to the various layouts and approaches.  In some instances, these alternative sources might even be better for you.  Blasphemy, right?  I know, I know.  Set down your jagged rocks.  Put out ye flaming torches.  Toss aside your sharpened pitchforks.

The first newcomer hails from the University of Ottawa.  Their Writing Centre (yes, they use the fancy spelling) has a segment called HyperGrammar, which is actually pretty neat.  Now, before you go traipsing off to that website and return in a huff, let me preface this introduction by admitting it focuses more on the basics of writing than much of what you'll find on the OWL.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

HyperGrammer is actually presented in a way that resembles an online classroom.  There's a nice navigation bar on the left-hand side that allows you to either progress through the numerous subject they offer or hunt down the one that's giving you the most trouble.  Honestly, I think it can be incredibly helpful even for advanced writers to occasionally return to the basics.  I know when I'm in the Writing Center, struggling to explain something that I learned half a dozen years ago, having a place of reference makes the task a whole lot easier.

Additionally, nearly all the explanations include hyper-links embedded into the actual explanatory text.  Forget the difference between a correlative and coordinating conjunction while reading up on strategies for combining sentences?  No problem -- click on the phrase and it'll take you straight to the matching page.

Whether you're a veteran writer looking for a refresher or a frustrated freshman trying to sift through gerunds and appositives, HyperGrammar is at least worth a looksie.

For those of you who want to check it out, the link is below:

http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/grammar.html

(Well, you could also click on the linked "HyperGrammar" up where it's first mentioned, but I felt like pasting a URL.  It was cathartic.  Don't ask me why.)

Put into a Comma after Punctuation-palooza

So you have this bundle of assignments that you got done two weeks ahead of finals because you're an especially responsible student who enjoys a relatively stress-free conclusion to his/her semester. First of all, bite me. Second of all, good for you. Although now you're probably getting anxious; none of your professors accept early assignments because they have "other things to work on" before they receive the torrent of papers and accompanying papercuts that arrive just before holiday break. What to do, what to do.

Here's a crazy idea: go back over them. Now I know it's painful to go back and look at old work (I have a whole folder of assignments on my computer that I refuse to open because I'm sure it'll send me into shock), but you haven't turned in your assignment yet. Basically, you're not quite done yet. That compare/contrast paper you did on the political associations of Fox News and MSNBC? You know, the one you knocked off in a couple hours so you could go see the new Twilight at midnight because your friends are fans of the series but you never saw one before because you read high-brow stuff like David Sedaris and frequent McSweeney's? Welp, you might just want to glance over it one more time.

MSNBC has Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell, and Chris Matthews.

Fox News features Bill O'Reilly, Shepard Smith and Greta Van Susteren.

Look hard. There is a difference between those two sentence, one that goes beyond the content. I'll give you a hint. It's not the periods. Give up? It's the commas. You use them in a series. While in the first series you use one before the "and," you didn't put one before the "and" in the second one. Now, it's my understanding that either is acceptable but here's a word of advice: consistency. You want to keep the stylistic choices you make consistent or someone's going to take them for mistakes as opposed to a decision of style.

Commas are a weakness, you say? Let's change that. Let's make them a strength.

Oh, here's another spot.

Fox News personalities tend to sit on the right-wing of politics; conversely many MSNBC personalities sit on the left-wing.

Astute observation. Bravo on the semi-colon. But you forgot something. It's not the--

Yeah, it's the comma. Or rather, the lack thereof. Any idea where you might jam that comma?

Fox News personalities tend, to sit on the right-wing of politics; conversely many MSNBC personalities sit on the left-wing.

NOPE. Try again.

Fox News personalities tend to sit on the right-wing of politics; conversely, many MSNBC personalities sit on the left-wing.

Huzzah! Right after the transition! Bravo. One more spot.

Keith Olberman was once on MSNBC, but has since left.

Now let's--okay, so you're getting it now. Commas. Solid. But what do you think the issue is with this comma? Still nothing? Try reading after the comma and conjuction:

has since left.

Who has since left? What has since left? What did you do with that subject?! By jamming that comma before the phrase you created a compound sentence out of a sentence and a fragment--a union that should never be.

Now there are some other spots in that paper where you made similar mistakes with commas.

Eliminate them.

From the Comma Police to the Judge's Sentence

If you'll recall Gina's Radiohead homage/how to on introductory clauses and comma use, you'll remember that commas are used both after introductory phrases and when introducing someone. But you may be shocked to learn that commas have a few other uses that might just blow your mind. You may also note that the title of this post was a poorly-constructed attempt to do her post homage, but please forgive me. Parody is not my strong suit.

Commas (or as some confused people call them, "comas") are often thrown in by budding writers when they think a natural pause appears. It's like they want to mark a spot where the reader can take a breath if reading out loud. While it's certainly kind of them, it's unnecessary.

You may be asking, "Doug, can I use my commas in my cooking?"

"No," I answer, though I am interested in seeing you try.

You then ask, "Can I use them to stick together pieces of paper?"

"Not quite," I respond, "but you're getting closer."

Before you can even get a word out, however, I excitedly shout the answer, "YOU CAN PUT SENTENCES TOGETHER WITH THEM!!!" While you're recovering from my outburst, allow me to explain.

Compound sentences are essentially combinations of two sentences slapped together. One of the ways you can do so is with a comma and a connector. For example:

I lost the bet, so now I have to wear a dress.

The first sentence here is "I lost the bet," while the second one is "now I have to wear a dress." You'll notice there is also a "so" there. What of this "so"? It's our connector, a coordinating conjunction like for, and, nor, but, or, and yet. Add the "so" on the end there and you'll remember the words easily: "FANBOYS."

Now you're telling me, "But Doug, I know this already. It's kids stuff."

Slow down there, sport. I got something else to tell you. There's another way you can paste two sentences together and it's with a little something I (and most people) like to call a semi-colon. You've probably seen it before; you might see it in this sentence here. You'll recognize it as the little brother to the colon, like a colon with a tail, but truthfully the two punctuation marks are functionally dissimilar. Let's look at our earlier compound sentence:

I lost the bet; now I have to wear a dress.

It looks a little cleaner, doesn't it? No comma, but also no connector. Don't let the cleanliness fool you, however. If you use a semicolon too much, you may get semicolon-happy. Some people want to use a semicolon when they actually want to use a comma. Our EIU Writing Center Punctuation Pattern Sheet notes that it's "most effective when used sparingly." Too many semicolons can make your paper semigood.

It's important to remember that, though the semicolon looks like a comma with a great idea, they're not perfectly interchangeable. Think of the dot in the semicolon as compensating for the missing connector; if you don't have the dot, all you have is a comma. And then you just look ridiculous.

Voice: Across the Curriculum

The writing process is different for everyone, but writing for a particular class can evoke a different voice or tone that’s present. Regardless of the writing itself, whether it’s creative, research, synthesis or any other style, your voice is present within the paper.

When writing a creative piece (fiction, play, poem, or essay based on personal experience), the voice of the writer can be examined insofar as the point of view of the characters or the type of creative piece overall. For example, the sentence, “I went home this past weekend for my brother’s birthday,” is a sentence in first person. Most of the time this is acceptable when writing creative pieces unless the assignment calls for something different. Also, when creating stories, having a steady narrator will allow for an avenue for readers to identify with the characters. While composing, the author has to make sure to maintain the voice in style and point of view in order to create cohesion of the piece itself.

In contrast to personal and creative writing, when writing research papers a lot of people don’t think their voices can be heard amongst the research. Sometimes this process causes difficulties for writers because they are struggling to make their voice heard since the use of “I,” “you,” and “we” are less common when composing a research paper. When writing a research-based paper, students should be composing mostly in third person, such as the use of “a lot of people” in the first sentence of this paragraph. Some commonly used phrases in research papers are “one,” “the results show…,” and “the conclusions are…” in contrast to pronouns such as “I” and “we.” For example, though this post doesn’t contain any pronoun indicators of being in first person, my voice shows by how my point is presented as well as by the tone of my post.

Being conscious of the assignment and what type of writing is required for a paper can help you use strategies to make sure your voice is present within a paper.

Other Types of Research

Books, journal articles and online databases are the tools that we normally use when doing research. However, there are many other sources of information that can be useful to anyone writing a paper. Here are just a few other options that can be considered.

One lost art of research is using actual hard copies of newspapers as a source for a paper. When I was speaking with a history major, she reminisced on the days that she was stuck in the library sifting through old newspaper articles because they alone provided the information that was useful in her paper. Somehow this form of research has become somewhat of a history artifact in and of itself.

If you’re an education major observing can provide insight when reflecting on strategies that have been learned in the classroom setting. Sitting in on professional meeting can also benefit business majors, administration majors or anyone involved in professional major. When observing, make sure to always take notes, not only on the setting and reactions of those involved in your observation but also on your reactions to the experience.

Along these same lines, interviewing someone with experience within your discipline can provide inside information and expertise. Like observing in a professional setting, conducting an interview should be well planned and executed in a professional manner. When compiling questions to ask, make sure they are leading to the points that you are trying to gain from the encounter. Also be sure to include questions that are also open ended, which can lead to more explanation or deeper conversations. As always, make sure to take detailed notes while conducting the interview. Then when compiling all of your information, make sure to reflect on what you’ve learned and how using the interview is beneficial to your project.

Using questionnaires or surveys can also provide detailed information that will be useful to a paper or project. The focus and design of a survey will depend on what information you’re trying to gather, as well as the characteristics of the group you are surveying. This form of research can provide a wide range of information and could be very useful when drafting a paper based on a gap of information that you’re trying to address.

Though these aren’t the only other forms of research besides books and journal articles, they can provide information research avenues for many projects and your professional development.

Successful Research: Note Taking

Brainstorming ideas and outlining are strategies that can help in organizing a paper. But how do you even get there in the first place? When reviewing multiple sources for a paper of any kind, taking careful, detailed notes will not only help you find the support that you’ll need in your paper, but also help with the organization of a draft. Here are a few helpful ideas on note taking when dealing with source material.

How Do You Take Notes From a Text You Can’t Write On?

- Sticky notes: Sticky notes can help mark useful passages that you want to later reference in your paper. Along with marking a particular point within the book, writing a word or phrase on sticky notes can help you connect and summarize the points that are important. I don’t want to spend actual money on sticky notes so I use small pieces of paper to mark the spot in a book. See, you don’t have to buy them if you don’t want to!

- Taking notes on paper: It’s helpful to take detailed notes of main points that you might later use when drafting your paper. If you’re not a detailed note taker, then just writing a page number on paper or a particular quote will help jog your memory.

- Note cards: Jotting down quotes and main ideas along with the reference information on notecards can make ideas easier to locate when drafting a paper. This way, the information is all in one place, and can even be useful when deciding how to organize the ideas for a draft. Note cards allow you to visually shuffle information.

Taking Notes On Printed Sources

- Highlighting and underlining: Highlighting and underlining can help you reference particular words or phrases that you plan to expand upon in a draft. Making notes in the margins will make it easier for you to pick out points that you want to use in your paper. These notes can later become points that you want to make in your paper.

Starting the search for sources early can only benefit your paper in the end because you’ll have time to effectively take notes. Though the process can take more time, making sure that you pick out points within research to support your ideas will only help when beginning to draft your paper.

Give Me Writing, or Give Me Death

Freewriting--we all do it, but do we do it enough? It's one of the most valuable prewriting strategies we have at our disposal, but do we treasure it as much as we ought to? Maybe it's the difficulty sitting down and just spewing words across the page that pulls us away from utilizing freewriting. Or maybe it's the comfort in knowing that we've got no reason to rush; the words will still be there when we lift our pens or take our hands from the keyboard, barring some freak accident in which we lose a computer or notebook.

But say the words weren't there long after you stopped typing or writing. Say the words just deleted themselves out of existence as if you held Ctrl + Z down for a prolonged amount of time. The only way to protect your words is to keep writing. Dawdle too long and some unseen force will gobble up your words like deviled eggs.

Fellow writing consultant Stephen Jefferies brought to my attention the website Write or Die, which brings such a nightmare to life. Designed by "Dr Wicked" (unknown whether he's a medical doctor or just has his PhD), Write or Die offers you a field in which you can write and pray that you stay productive enough that you don't lose your precious letters.

You begin by selecting a Word Goal--the number of words you plan to make it to. Achieve this goal and your words are protected. Then you select a Time Goal--a time limit to beat. Then there are varying consequences: "Gentle Mode," "Normal Mode," "Kamikaze Mode," and "Electric Shock Mode." Then you have three options for "Grace Periods": "Forgiving," "Strict," and "Evil."

"How masochistic!" you exclaim.

"Yes!" I concur, "but with the pain comes reward!" Write or Die essentially lights a fire under your seat; wait too long and you lose everything, and by everything I mean every word you so desperately generated. You have no time to pause, no time to breathe, no time to even blink. Waste too much time and time will waste your words.

If you wish to support Dr Wicked, you can purchase the "Desktop Edition" for $10, or if you'd prefer your torture pro bono you can take advantage of the Write or Die Online option.

Revision: the Neverending Process!

Editing, grammar, voice, tense, sentence structure. What do they all bring to mind? That’s right, revision. Those are some but not all things that you should focus on when editing your paper along with following the assignment that’s give by your professor.

There are many strategies that you can utilize when going to edit a paper. First and foremost you should re-read your paper. It may seem monotonous because yes, you did write the paper, but even though there may have been a lot of forethought into a draft there are still many things you can catch by going back through it.

Reading aloud is also a really great strategy. This strategy of reading aloud can help you catch phrases that don’t make sense also causing you to look more closely at the grammar and mechanics of your paper. Reading it to yourself or another person can prove very helpful.

Along with reading aloud, reading a paper backwards can sometimes cause you to take a step back your work. It causes you to read your paper sentence by sentence and concentrate on it in sections instead of viewing your piece as a whole.

Important Points about Revision

Professors at Eastern are there to help you through your experience in college. When they list their office hours they don’t just do it to waste ink. Utilize the opportunity to meet with a professor one-on-one to discuss your paper regardless of its stage in the process of composition.

Most important is to draft your paper EARLY! Don’t start the revision process an hour before your paper is due. Make sure and complete the assignment and give yourself ample time to revise. Revision itself is a continuous process. It’s never complete because you can always go back and revisit some of your work, even if it means making small menial changes.

Though these are only some of the many strategies than can be used to revise, my best advice is to start revising early and never be afraid to try something new!

Research, Research, Research!

Research has a different meaning than it did even ten years ago. Today we can jump on the internet and type something into the goggle search engine and find many different resources. Years past that wasn’t the case when trying to compile information, thus life is a little easier today. Libraries still flourish as the main source of information. Now we have databases online with scholarly articles as well as the ability to obtain hard copies of many printed materials.

Through the first years of college, research is a word that you’ll hear repetitively. While at first it may seem like a daunting task to sift through piles of information many tools are in place to make this process easier.

Booth Library is a great tool that should be utilized regardless of the type of research that you’re planning to do. Along with the hard copies of books, magazines, newspapers and journal articles, Booth has a link to many scholarly websites online that are free for all students to use.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM!

These resources are provided to the students as tools to help with the process of writing. Along with being able to access the databases at Booth Library, students and faculty can also access the databases through the library when they’re off campus. Using the library number off your Panther Card, you are still open to the wide range of search engines that Eastern has provided through Booth Library.

Research may not be the end all be all of your college experience, but don’t be afraid to ask questions of the reference librarians or utilize the resources available to you while you’re attending Eastern. Professors don’t want the goggle definition for your main research topic, and they aren’t going to want you to rely on wikkipedia.com as your main source in a paper. The databases and resources to be found in the library are you’re best bet when writing academic papers!

Here’s a link to Booth Library’s website.

http://www.library.eiu.edu/

For Faculty: Writing Center Information and Orientations

The EIU Writing Center (3110 Coleman Hall) will open on Wednesday, August 24. The Center’s hours are M-Th, 9 am – 3 pm & 6 – 9 pm; F, 9 am – 1 pm.

If you would like one of our staff members to provide a Writing Center Orientation (5-10 minutes) for your students this semester, please contact me at tntaylor@eiu.edu or call the Writing Center at 581-5929 to schedule an orientation.

In addition, if you would like to provide information about the EIU Writing Center in your course policies/syllabi, feel free to copy and paste the following two paragraphs, which can be found on the “For Faculty” page of the Writing Center’s Web page, into your course documents:

     I encourage you to use EIU's Writing Center located at 3110 Coleman Hall. This free service provides one-to-one conferences with writing consultants who can help you with brainstorming, organizing, developing support, documenting, and revising your papers. The Writing Center is open to work with any student from any major at any stage of his or her writing process, and its system of one-to-one conferences demonstrates value and respect for individual writers, all of whom can benefit from feedback about their works in progress.

     To schedule an appointment, you can drop by the Writing Center (3110 Coleman Hall), or you can call 581-5929. The Center is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Friday hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

One resource that can assist students in your classes is the helpful “Resources for Writers” page located on the Writing Center’s Web page. This link offers numerous portals to writing-related resources and downloadable handouts.

If you’re interested in how to integrate writing more effectively into your courses, the “Resources for Faculty” page on the Writing Across the Curriculum webpage is a strong resource for faculty since it provides links to handouts and Web pages about “Response to and Evaluation of Student Writing,” “Integrating Writing & Designing Writing Assignments,” and “Strategies for Critical Thinking and Discussion.”

Have a great fall semester, and we look forward to your students visiting the Writing Center.