We are currently updating the handouts below. When the updates have been completed, there will be a date below the handout description. For update suggestions, please e-mail Kandice Biggs at kbigg02s@uis.edu. Thank you for your patience.
Avoiding
Plagiarism (pdf): Accidental or Not, It's Trouble
Length: 2 pages
Topics: Defines plagiarism and gives several examples of an original text plagiarized and acceptably paraphrased.
Better Read Than Dead (pdf): Avoid Deadwood in Your Writing
Length: 2 pages
Topics: Lists common wordy phrases and edited remedies, and includes sentences for you to revise. (Answers included)
Common
Confusing Words (pdf): Or Are They Commonly
Confused?
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Presents pairs of commonly confused words
in sentences. Can you use these words in the
proper context? (Answers included)
Lost
Your Voice? (pdf) Maybe You're Too Passive
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Discusses active vs. passive sentence
constructions and how the reader perceives them.
Contains practice sentences for you to rewrite.
(Answers included)
Annotated
Bibliographies (pdf): Short and to the
Point
Length: 2 pages
Topics: Tells you what it is, how to write
one, and gives examples to get you started!
Just
a Few Words... (pdf) Getting Specific in Annotations and Thesis
Statements
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Helps you to pack more descriptive information
into fewer words for your theses and annotations.
Writing
a Journal Critique (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Offers general guidelines for critiquing
any journal article and specific considerations
for critiquing an empirical/research article.
Summary
vs. Abstract: (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Explains the difference between
a summary and an abstract. Outlines elements
you should include and steps you should follow
in writing an informative or evaluative abstract.
Distinguishing
Between Subject Area, Topic, and Thesis: (pdf): Or, How to Narrow
Your Focus
Length: 4 pages
Topic: Offers excellent definitions of each term
and advice on how to narrow your essay's
focus.
Navigate
the River of Your Ideas (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Offers nine techniques for linking
thoughts and ideas for your reader. Using
these techniques will make you a more effective
writer.
Which Way to the Point: (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Lead your reader effortlessly through your paper by employing transitional words and phrases to signal relationships between ideas. This page contains a long list of transitional phrases.
Don't Dash
Too Hastily (pdf)
(If You're Speaking Parenthetically,
See the Other Side of This Sheet)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Covers the use (and overuse) of dashes
and parentheses.
Writing
a Book Review (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Lays out the general concerns for writing
both fiction and non-fiction book reviews.
Science
Writing(pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Contains guidelines for citing and listing
references approved by the American Chemical
Society and Council of Biological Editors.
Writing
a Rough Draft and Incorporating Sources (pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Suggestions for efficiently writing
a rough draft and appropriately integrating
quotations into your essay.
Quoting
With Pizzazz (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Deals with introducing and punctuating
quotations. A series of practice questions with
answers follows the information.
Wadda
Ya Mean? (pdf) - Six Principles of Clear
Writing
Length: 1 page
Topic: Six style and usage suggestions
to make your writing more clear and, therefore,
more effective.
Riveting
Resumes (pdf): Some Do's, Taboos, and Boo-Boos
Length: 1 page
Topic: Proposes prewriting strategies to assist you in compiling all your important information to use in your resume.
Reshape
Your Resume (pdf) : It Doesn't Always Have to
be Chronological
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Think about your experience and then design
a resume that best highlights your strengths.
Functional resumes highlight skills and abilities
rather than work history.
Apply
Yourself (pdf) : Cover Letters That Show You
Off
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Gives advice on both the content and
format of a cover letter.
Questions to Ask Instructors About
Assignments
(pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Succinctly lists all the questions you should have answered for an assignment.
How
to Mark a Textbook (pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Taken from Walter Pauks' How to Study
in College, this outlines the benefits
of and suggests a method for marking textbooks.
Taking Notes (pdf)
Length: 3 pages
Topic: Everything you need to know about content and organization in order to take good notes.
Aids
to Remembering (pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Retaining and recalling information is
a skill, not a gift. Improve yours by following
these steps.
Summary of SQ3R (pdf): Survey, Question,
Read, Recite, Review
Length: 1 page
Topic: SQ3R is a very effective study tool for practically any sort of information.
How
to Take an Essay Exam: (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Learn to decode exam directions and the
best preparation methods.
How to Study for an Objective
Test
(pdf)
Length: 1 pages
Topic: Paraphrased from Walter Pauk's How to Study in College, this covers the most effective methods for studying for an objective test.
How
to Study for Exams (pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: The type of exam your professor gives
should affect how you study. Methods for handling
test anxiety are also covered.
Hints
for Taking a Test (pdf)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Gives an overview of navigating exams
from the length of time you should spend on a
question to the order in which you should answer
questions.
Taking a Test:
A Workable Strategy
(pdf)
Length: 3 page
Topic: By approaching exams with a strategy you can raise your scores.
Six Basic Questions (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Offers a series of questions useful in planning and organizing your research paper.
Empirical
vs. Library Studies (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Explains the organization and types of
data analyzed in both types of studies, as well
as information you should include in each section.
Preparing
for Research (pdf) Length: 2 pages
Topic: Details steps for analyzing a research
question and discusses research mistakes that
graduate students commonly make.
Don't
Overlook These (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Discusses basic matters you should include
in your report and common mistakes made in formulating
a research question/problem.
What's
a Literature Review? (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Covers how to relate your research
to the existing knowledge in your field.
Organize
Related Literature (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Offers tips for organizing your
literature review.
Advantages of a Pilot Study (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: It's a good way to work out the procedural bugs.
Common Errors in
Research (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Details common mistakes made in questionnaire,
interview, experimental, content analysis, observational,
and correlation studies.
Errors in Handling Data (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Gathering, processing, and analyzing data can be tricky--make sure to avoid these errors.
Preparing
the Report (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Tips on the organization, emphasis, language,
and style in your report.
Appropriate Apostrophes (pdf) (Without Apoplexy)
Length: 1 page
Topic: Lists rules for using apostrophes correctly and common apostrophe mistakes to avoid.
To Comma
or Not to Comma (pdf)? That (or is it Which?)
Is the Question
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Contains guidelines and examples for comma
use pertaining to essential and non-essential
clauses.
Comma
Chameleon (pdf) : Atta Boy, George, You Can Get
a Handle on 'Em
Length: 2 pages
Topic: The meaning of a sentence may change drastically
depending on where you place commas. Outlines
basic comma usage, as well as how meaning relates
to comma placement.
The Misnamed
Semicolon (pdf): It's More Like Half
Comma, Half Period
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Teach yourself this method for joining
two closely related independent clauses. This
contains guidelines and practice sentences (answers
included).
The
Spastic Colon (pdf): Quite Alimentary, Actually
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Learn when to use a colon and why.
It's not just for lists!
MLA Style (pdf)
Length: 3 pages
Topic: Presents the basics of MLA style.
APA Style (pdf)
Length: 6 pages
Topic: Gives the basics of APA style.
Cyber
Documentation - MLA Style (pdf)
Length: 2 pages
Topic: Clarifies the rules for tricky internet
citations.
Cyber
Documentation - APA Style (pdf)
Length: 4 pages
Topic: Contains rules and examples for APA
internet citations.
Turabian Style
Length: 6 pages
Topic: Presents the basics of the Chicago Manual of Style for students writing term papers.
Microsoft Word contains a number of templates for resumes, fax cover sheets, etc. but it has none for the three most commonly used citation/bibliographic styles. Doug Woken, former Interim Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, created Microsoft Word templates for these styles:
Turabian
Citation Style / Chicago Manual of Style
Long Island University
Presented by Long Island University, “Turabian Citation Style: A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th edition” is an excellent quick reference for the most common citation needs. It is color-coded to teach specific placement of all necessary information on the works cited page.
Pace
University Library
A website focused primarily on electronic citation
based on the updates for the Chicago Manual
of Style. It briefly covers the most common
sources on the internet for quick reference
and gives easy-to-follow examples.
Cornell
University
A detailed website that gives APA examples for in-text
citations and works cited pages. It covers a long list of different types
of documents and electronic sources. This website can be used easily and
efficiently.
Rochester
Institute of Technology
This website includes a thorough list of book,
journal, and internet citations. It also includes
a list of how to cite within the text. It addresses
film and television, but fails to give reference
examples of other visual art forms (sculpture,
painting, etc).
Bedford/St.
Martins Publishers
Part of a website called “Online!” which
is a reference guide to using online resources.
This particular page gives clear examples of how
to use CBE or Council of Biology Editors (now the
Council of Science Editors) in 1994 to site materials
in scientific papers for publication.
dianahacker.com
This web page has a link to a PDF file which
has sample pages showing the CBE citation style.
Long
Island University
Very basic website that uses a color coded system to show how to reference the most commonly used sources. Good quick reference for beginners and seasoned writers alike.
dianahacker.com
This website has a link to a PDF file which contains a sample paper using MLA citation style.
Bedford/St.
Martins Publishers
Part of a website called “Online!” which is a reference guide to using online resources. This offers guidelines for citing Internet sources are based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (2003) by Joseph Gibaldi.
