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Program Resources

Research assistance, subject guides, and useful resources .

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   Websites in this guide have been vetted by librarians and faculty.
       

        

Web Resources

Helpful Writing Resources

 
Written by William Strunk. Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them, this classic reference book is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer. Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature, it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated.
 
This is a very useful site which lets the user look up words or phrases and the most common grammatical and definition errors made by writers.
 
YourDictionary is a free online dictionary and much more. The free dictionary search gives you definitions, thesaurus entries, spelling, pronunciations, and etymology results for your word. Alternatively, you can browse the English dictionary alphabetically or by related terms to find meanings and synonyms.  In addition, YourDictionary provides resources to help you find the best dictionary and translation sites for French, Spanish, Italian, German and many other languages.
 
A website with unabridged dictionary, word games, daily crosswords, Encyclopedia Britannica.
 
This is a first stop site, which has deep resources related to writing and the writing process, research and citation, styles manuals, internet literacy, creative writing and much more.
 
Learn about test strategy based on the type of exam you will take as well as note taking and study skills.
 
A handbook of rhetorical devices, this site provides definitions and examples of more than sixty traditional rhetorical devices, all of which can still be useful today to improve the effectiveness, clarity and enjoyment of your writing.

Use English Punctuation Correctly 
A quick and useful crash course in English punctuation.

 

Is It CRAAP?

Make sure that any information resource (books, research reports, websites, newspaper articles, etc.) you use for an assignment passes the CRAAP test:

Currency:  When was this information produced?

Relevance:  Is the information important to your topic?

Authority:  Who is the source?

Accuracy:  How reliable is the information?

Purpose:  Why was the information produced?

 

If you are unsure, look at this expanded list of questions to determine the value of your information resource.

Also see Evaluating Information Sources and Research Skills.