Research by Subject: Writing
Books: Use the Library Catalog
General OneFile 
Current journal and news information in humanities, education, business, science, art, politics, economics, social sciences, law, health care, computers, technology and environmental issues. Formerly InfoTrac OneFile.
Note: Formerly known as InfoTrac OneFile
Academic Search Premier
Multi-disciplinary academic database. Some 1975-current.
MLA international bibliography of books and articles on the modern languages and literatures (ProQuest)
Index to language, literature, folklore, linguistics etc. in international scholarly journals, books, papers etc.
JSTOR
Complete backfiles of core scholarly journals, searchable by journal (1 or more), keywords, author, title etc. Files do not include the latest 3-5 years.
Project Muse
Full-text scholarly journals in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Mathematics; Coverage varies by journal but generally only 2-3 current years.
ERIC (Ebsco interface)
Educational information produced by the Educational Resource Information Center; annotated references to published and unpublished materials. 1966-present.
PsycINFO
Bibliographic citations in psychology for journal articles, books, and book chapters. 1872-present.
Philosopher's index
Philosophy and related interdisciplinary fields: index to books and journals. 1940-present
International Writing Centers Association 
Gateway to writing resources and guides on the Web. See the links under "Resources for Writers" and "Links to Writing Centers/Labs Online."
The Writing Studio (Duke University)
Consult the "Resources for Writers" section and then "Handouts Masterlist."
Writing Guides (University of Kansas)
Resources on critical thinking, academic essays, the writing process, research, citation, and avoiding plagiarism.
The University of Victoria Writer's Guide
Clear, comprehensive guide to academic writing. Begin with "Essays." Includes a useful section on "Logic."
Writing Center (University of Richmond)
Access information by stages of the "Writing Process" or use the "Topic Index & Search Engine."
The Writing Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Go to "Writer's Handbook," where "Common Types of Writing Assignments" guides are particularly helpful.
OWL: Online Writing Lab (Purdue University)
Use the "Navigation" menu on the right.
The Writing Center at Rensselaer
Useful "E-Handouts," especially under "Types of Writing," "Styles of Writing," and "Careers and Graduate School."
The Columbia Guide to Standard American English
6,500 entries covering usage, grammar, and punctuation.
Guide to Grammar & Writing
Writing guides at the sentence, paragraph, and essay levels, with helpful illustrations.
Common Errors in English
Devoted to common mistakes in word usage, especially terms confused with one another.
Punctuation Made Simple
Clear explanations of colon, semicolon, comma, dash, and apostrophe usage.
Grant Writing Resources (UC Berkeley)
A quick online guide to grant-writing resources, created by UC Berkeley.
Ithaca College Department of Writing
Link to departmental website.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED Online)
Meanings, history and pronunciation for words, present and past; traces the evolution of each word through chronologically arranged quotations.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Call Number: REF PE1628 .A623 1992
A standard of American lexicography, illustrated. Online edition is the 4th edition c2000.
A standard of American lexicography, illustrated. Online edition is the 4th edition c2000.
The Chambers Dictionary
Call Number: REF PE1628 .C41745 1993
Concise definitions and comprehensive coverage of (British) English from Chaucer to the present.
The New Oxford American Dictionary
Call Number: REF PE1628 .N429 2001
A dictionary of current American English, with concise definitions based on "central norms of usage."
Dictionary of American Regional English
Call Number: REF PE2843 .D52 1985
Seminal work on regional variations in the history of American English.
Dictionary of American Slang
Call Number: REF PE2846 .C46 1995
American slang, ephemeral or enduring, with supporting quotations.
Roget's International Thesaurus
Call Number: REF PE1591 .R73 1992
Words arranged in categories by meaning, allowing comparison of synonymous and related terms.
The Oxford Thesaurus: American Edition
Call Number: REF PE2832 .U7 1992
Entry words followed by synonyms.
Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins
Call Number: REF PE1580 .M6 1988
A mixture of etymology, history, hypothesis, and legend.
The Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases
Call Number: REF PE1582 .A3 O94 1997
Records the international influx of foreign words and phrases into English, emphasizing the 20th century.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language
Call Number: REF PE1072 .C68 1995
Lavishly illustrated history of the English language, its sources, and its influence.
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric
Call Number: REF PN172 .E52 2001
Both brief articles and substantial essays on all aspects of rhetoric and its history.
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language
Call Number: REF PE1106 .H74 2002
Comprehensive guide arranged by parts of speech and types of sentence.
The New Fowler's Modern English Usage
Call Number: REF PE1628 .F65 1996
A standard source for word denotation, connotation, and grammar.
A Dictionary of Modern American Usage
Call Number: REF PE2827 .G37 1998
Helpful for defining and differentiating related words and phrases.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Call Number: REF BF76.7 .P83 2001
The APA manual covers grammar, punctuation, style, and citation for scholarly articles and research papers in the social sciences.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Call Number: REF LB2369 .G53 2003
The Modern Language Association guide to writing research papers in the Humanities, covering grammar & punctuation, formatting, and citation.
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing
Call Number: REF PN147 .G444 1998
The Modern Language Association guide to the basics of scholarly writing, the preparation of dissertations, and the publication of journal articles and books.
The Chicago Manual of Style
Call Number: REF Z253 .U69 2003
A standard handbook of grammar, punctuation, and citation.
The Stylebook and briefing on media law
Call Number: REF PN4783 .A83 2006 (41st ed.)
AP standards for spelling and usage in journalism.
Sports Style Guide & Reference Manual
Call Number: REF PN4784 .S6 S66 1996
A guide for sports writers, editors, and broadcasters.
The Columbia Guide to Online Style
Call Number: REF PN171 .F56 W35 1998
Concise guide to online writing and publishing.
The Columbia Guide to Digital Publishing
Call Number: REF Z286 .E43 C65 2003
A guide for all aspects, technical and stylistic, of electronic publishing.
The Writer's Handbook
Call Number: REF PN137 .W73
Current advice and contact information on how and where to publish all types of writing.
The Writer's Market
Call Number: REF PN161 .W83
Current information on what to write, how to target markets, and where to publish.
Literary Market Place
Call Number: REF PN161 .L5
Contact information for North American publishers of books and journals, literary agents, and trade associations, with an index of publishers by Subject.
International Literary Market Place
Call Number: Z291.5 I5
Contact information for international publishers, with an index of publishers by Subject.
American Heritage Book of English Usage
A detailed look at grammar, style, diction, word formation, gender, social groups and scientific forms.
Bartleby.com: Great Books Online
Full-text books: literature, reference, verse; quotations from Bartlett's, etc.
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