Writing Resources
Explore our writing resources to assist you with the writing process, common projects, grammar, and more.
Please also check this resource sheet for information about additional academic, mental, social, legal, and other kinds of support for students.
Resources
- Critical reading strategies
- Designing and revising visuals for quantitative data
- Revision checklist
- Editing & proofreading strategies
- Getting the most from a writing group
Assignment calculator (interactive tool)
Developed by the University of Minnesota Libraries in collaboration with the Center for Writing and the Center for Teaching and Learning Services, the assignment calculator can help students break down any assignment for any course into manageable steps. After entering a due date and the academic department in which their course is being offered, users are given a series of suggested stages and deadlines to follow as they complete the assignment—the newest version of this tool will even provide email reminders if students request it.
Conducting research
Get more out of Google
An infographic on how to Google efficiently when doing academic research.
Peer Research Consultants
Find out how to contact a University of Minnesota Peer Research Consultant for one-on-one assistance on developing research strategies for research papers.
Thesis statements
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Detailed advice from Indiana University–Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services.
Paragraphs and topic sentences
Paragraphs and Topic Sentences
Detailed advice from Indiana University–Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services.
Using evidence
Using Evidence
Detailed advice from Indiana University–Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services.
Reverse outlining
Reverse Outlining (PDF)
Why and how to use this revision tool; from the Writing Studio, Thompson Writing Program, at Duke University.
Resources
- Articles (a, an, the) with proper nouns (PDF)
- Articles (a, an, the) with common nouns (PDF)
- Using an articles chart with common nouns (PDF only)
- Nonbinary gender pronouns (PDF)
- Parallelism (PDF)
- Prepositions (PDF)
- Run-on sentences (PDF)
- Subject-verb agreement (PDF)
- Verb form (PDF)
- Verb tense (PDF)
Learning English grammar and usage
This site compiles entries from several thesauri to provide synonyms and antonyms for any word a user enters. Each word the thesaurus suggests is itself hyperlinked to other related words, and writers can take the important step of looking up their selected words in the dictionary portion of the site before choosing which best reflects their intended meaning.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Online
An invaluable resource for learners of English, this dictionary provides information on which words take articles and on what prepositions to use, and it provides several sample phrases and sentences to help writers check usage.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
A dictionary designed specifically for English language learners. Not only are words explained in simpler language, but Longman also includes usage examples, common grammar patterns, and collocations (words that are commonly used together with the word being looked up).
Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary Online
(Type the word or phrase you want to look up into the box "Look It Up" box.) A resource that helps with usage more than with definitions, this dictionary provides users with context for their word choices. To see how this dictionary works best, look up the word “fire,” for example.
Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary
Another resource for English language learners with definitions and usage examples. Type the word into the Search box.
Common phrasal verbs (verb + adverb or verb + preposition), with meanings and examples. Provided by EnglishClub.com.
Resources
Integrating quotations from sources
Inclusive language
Using Gender-Neutral Language in Academic Writing (pdf)
Advice and examples by Jamila Stevenson from Warren Wilson College Writing Center.
Other style tips
Phrases to Use in Academic and Disciplinary Writing
This website is a resource of phrases that one can use when writing at the university level. For example, what are some ways to write a transition sentence? How do you introduce a series of examples?
Making Complex Writing Intelligible with the Known–New Contract (pdf)
From Carnegie Mellon University's Global Communication Center, a color-coded handout explaining how to work with reader expectations in order to create clear connections between sentences. Learn more about this technique on CMU's website.
Resources
- Colons & semicolons (PDF)
- Commas (PDF)
- Hyphens & dashes (PDF)
Specific citation styles
AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition
Log in with your UMN X500 to see the full AMA Manual of Style, courtesy of UMN Libraries.
APA Style
The official American Psychological Association style website. See especially their Handouts and Guides. Also check out the APA Style Blog, a searchable resource where APA editors answer specific questions.
The Chicago Manual of Style Online
Courtesy of the University of Minnesota Libraries, access the complete online version of the Chicago Manual of Style for U of MN students, faculty, and staff.
IEEE Documentation Style
From the University of Wisconsin–Madison Writing Center, a guide to the official style of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, often used in the fields of engineering and computer science.
Writing a Works Cited page in MLA
A quick guide to writing Works Cited pages in MLA style. Also check out the what's new in the eighth edition webpage.
National Library of Medicine (NLM)/International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (NCJME) Style
This page contains sample references, as well as links to other resources on NLM/NCJME style.
General resources about why we cite
Tutorials on citing sources
This website from the University of Minnesota Libraries features short tutorials on academic integrity and citations. It also includes information about citation managers.
Plagiarism...and how to avoid it!
This presentation for new international students at the University of Minnesota offers an introduction to American academic expectations about plagiarism, showing examples of what is and is not plagiarism using the framework of the "What are you telling your readers?" handout below.
“What are you telling your readers?”
This handout approaches citation from a reader’s perspective. Writers can use this resource as a crib sheet to assess whether they are accurately communicating who deserves credit for the words and ideas in their texts.
Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources
Writers with the best of intentions nonetheless do not always know whether to quote or to paraphrase sources, and how to do so appropriately. This comprehensive resource from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison helps writers address this common problem.