WIReD
Writing Instructor Research and Development

IPFW Composition Resources

When writing at home, students sometimes need help beyond their assigned texts. Listed below are a variety of resources for students to access:

Websites: Many of the sites below suggest strategies for student writing in many stages of the writing process.

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers one of the most comprehensive writing websites online
Modern Language Association addresses MLA concerns and questions
Salt Lake Community College Online Writing Center
San Francisco State University Writing Tips

Textbooks:

The College Student’s Research Companion

As its title implies, this text is specifically designed for college students’ research process.  The table of contents listed below indicated that the text is organized according to the steps of the research process.  In addition to being an excellent source to recommend to students who are nervous about research, this source also offers outstanding, independent chapters that instructors may recommend to their students with specific research concerns.

    Arlene Rodda Quaratiello

    Table of Contents
    “Start the Engine:  Research Essentials”
    “Hit the Road:  The Online Catalog and Database Searching Basics”
    “Read the Map:  Library Organization”
    “Stop for Directions: Reference Sources”
    “Find Your Way: Periodicals and Periodical Indexes”
    “Choose the Vehicle: Selecting Electronic Resources”
    “Use the Vehicle: Searching the Electronic Resources”
    “Explore Uncharted Territory: The World Wide Web”
    “Bring It All Back Home: Evaluating and Citing Information”

Sin Boldly:  Dr. Dave’s Guide to Writing the College Paper

Sin Boldly speaks directly to traditional college students using an informal tone but still offers superb writing advice for all stages of the writing process.  This text has two excellent chapters on grammar which IPFW composition instructors may want to recommend to students with grammar concerns.  One flaw to highlight when recommending this text to students is its 2000 publication date, which makes some electronic MLA citation information outdated. Table of contents is listed below. 

    David R. Williams

    Table of Contents
    “Some Really Crude Basics”
    “Choosing a Topic and Telling Your Story”
    “In the Beginning…Pulling Your Creation Out of the Void”
    “Choosing a Voice”
    “Plain-Style American Populism”
    “Arguing Your Case”
    “How to Lose Your Case”
    “For Instance:  Two Examples”
    “Literary Games”
    “The Social Sciences”
    “Grammatical Horrors”
    “Some Common Stupid Mistakes”
    Punct’uation!?!”
    “Citing Sources Successfully”
    “A Sample Quiz—Just for Fun”
    “Concluding Sermon"

Writing Concern Handouts:

Writing a Conclusion--contributed by Worth Weller
Exploring a topic--contributed by Jenn Stewart

On-campus Resources:

CASA (Center for Academic Support and Enhancement--specifically targeting grammar concerns)
IPFW Writing Center (for feedback in all stages of the writing process)
IPFW Helmke Library

 

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