Writing Resources

  • How to Research and Cite Your Sources

    Online Writing Lab Resources that may also be useful grades 7-12 instructors and students

                   
            7 Steps to Help You Write a Research Paper

                                Step 1: Select a Subject. ...

                                Step 2: Craft out an Initial Bibliography. ...

                                Step 3: Prepare a Working Outline. ...

                                Step 4: Start Taking Down Notes. ...

                                Step 5: Outline the Paper. ...

                                Step 6: Write the Rough Draft and Edit it. ...

                                Step 7: Write the Final Draft.

    More Citation Help

    Citation Machine® helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. Cite sources in APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, ...

     

    A "citation" is the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find the location details of that source on the reference or Works Cited page. A citation must include a set of parenthesis.  

    Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

    The dictionary by Merriam-Webster is America's most trusted online dictionary for English word definitions, meanings, and pronunciation.

     

    Think of a dictionary as a tool that will help you accomplish your very best writing. Dictionaries help you determine the precise denotations of words, while a thesaurus, used responsibly, can help you to capture subtle differences in the connotations of words.  

    Encyclopedias

    Explore the fact-checked online encyclopedia from Encyclopaedia Britannica with hundreds of thousands of objectives.

     

    Encyclopedias are highly recommended as a starting point for your research on a particular topic. Encyclopedias will give you introductory information to help you broaden or narrow your topic, while also providing keywords and terms needed to conduct further research.  

    Census Bureau Data

    Learn about America's People, Places, and Economy on the official United States Census Bureau data platform. Explore, customize, and download Census data.

     

    How is census data helpful?

    The census tells us who we are and where we are going as a nation, and helps our communities determine where to build everything from schools to supermarkets, and from homes to hospitals. It helps the government decide how to distribute funds and assistance to states and localities.

    TED-Ed

    TED-Ed offers a series of animated lessons, including those on writing and communication.

    HyperGrammar2

    Use this tool, whether you are a native English speaker or not, to find explanations and exercises on grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage.