Chapter 23: RESOURCES & READINGS
How can you use online resources for writing
papers? ---
CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE:
Introduction
Your College Library
Readings on the Web
Specific Types of Papers & Disciplines/Professions
---
Introduction
Much writing starts with reading and research.
In many cases, you start with texts. But good college writing--especially
when it involves research--requires finding excellent resources. There are
a number of sources for such materials. Some common examples are
1. Materials required or recommended by your
instructor
2. Materials found in your college or other nearby
library
3. Materials you discover or create for yourself,
such as in interviews, lab research, or field research
4. Materials you find on the web
This brief chapter is about what you can find on the web
to help you write better.
---
Return to top.
Your College Library
The importance of a library in writing papers is
still unequalled. This is true even more in our times, when online
information is becoming much more common than printed information. This is
because more and more scholarly and professional resources--journals, books,
news, and reference materials--are now online. And often you have to go
to--or through--your own college library or its website to access these
materials for free.
In fact, we should look at a more modern definition
of what a library is. A library is not just a physical building or
location. It has become much more. It is a "resource center" that
includes not just printed materials but also a very important website and web
network--like a giant spider's web of resources--that reach both on campus and
far beyond it to national and international resources.
Your own college library--even the smallest physical
library--can have an enormous number of online resources unavailable to you on
the free Web, and unavailable in a public library, as well. This is
because college libraries have a significant part of their budgets devoted to
subscribing to online academic, scholarly, and professional journals, news
sources, and a wide array of other subscription-only information that can be
highly useful in research.
College libraries also often have some of the very
best-trained individuals--librarians--for finding significant research materials
using subscription-only online services. These libraries subscribe to
these million-plus resources specifically to help students learn and complete
research. And they pay well-trained librarians to help the students.
Take advantage of the money you are paying--or
someone is paying--for your education. Ask a librarian to show you what is
available for your own research project. Librarians also can show you how
to access your college library system online from other locations on campus or
from where you live.
---
Return to top.
Readings on the Web
You also can access literally millions of college-level readings simply
and easily through the Web. One of the best ways to access them is to use
a search engine such as Google. Then learn to search using phrases. Often your
best bet is to use at least two or three search phrases until you find what you
want. In fact, one of the most important and greatest keys to finding material
online is to know how to use a search engine creatively, thoroughly, and
repeatedly. Here are some tips when researching college papers.
GRAMMAR
If you want grammar help, try a few search phrases:
for example,
"grammar help"
"college grammar"
"free help with grammar."
"English as Second Language help with grammar"
One very popular and successful site for college
grammar is the "Purdue Online Writing Lab" (also known as "OWL grammar").
A popular high school and general grammar website is "Grammarly" (spelled
with two "a's," no "e"). It has both free and subscription services.
LITERATURE
If you are looking for good literature to read,
numerous sources exist. Use several phrases that narrow your search to the kind
of literature you want. Do you want the literature to be free and online to
read? Do you want a list of titles? Do you want to know what books a particular
author or group of authors have written? Try phrases such as these:
literature about Blacks
literature by Louise Erdrich
Louis Erdrich novels
U.S. literature 19?? ["19??" means "1900-1999"]
Texas writers literature
Texas writers literature online readings
pdf of Mark Twain writings
study guide for Mark Twain writings
reviews of Amy Tan books
If you work creatively to use words for what you
want, often you will find what you are seeking.
ARGUMENT AND GENERAL READINGS
If you are searching for arguments, pro or con, to
help support a position you are taking, then try searches using a variety of the
key words you need. To start, you may want to look up the key words for your
argument, or for the opposite side's argument. To do that, use a "synonym"
("same as") or "antonym" ("opposite of") search. For example,
synonym capitalism
synonym money good
antonym democracy
antonym evil
If you don't find specifically what you are looking
for, then take one of the words or phrases in the results of your search, and
use that for another search.
Once you know what specific word or phrase you want
to use, then you can look for articles and essays about it. Place the word or
phrase into a new search with, for example, one of these phrases:
democracy article essay
democracy argument 2020
democracy editorial 2010-2020
democracy pros and cons essay Chicago Tribune
The more specific you can make your request,
sometimes the better.
GENERAL READINGS
If you simply are looking for general readings on a
subject, then search using phrases that describe what you want:
democracy readings about
newspaper writing about democracy
books on democracy
essays about democracy
editorials about democracy
newspaper magazine articles about democracy
local news about....
local books 20?? about....
Texas news about....
Texas books 19?? about....
history about ____
---
Return to top.
Specific Types of Papers & Disciplines/Professions
OnlineGrammar.org also has many dozens of sample papers, along with many
short sets of instructions on how to write them. Go to these parts of
www.OnlineGrammar.org to find sample papers and instructions for writing
them:
"Perfect
[Research] Papers?"
Chapter 12. "Types
of [1st- & 2nd-yr.] Papers"
Chapter 20. "Writing
in Majors, Disciplines, Professions"
Chapter 21. "Applications,
Resumes, Cover Letters"
---
Return to top. |