Student Writing @ CI

CI's Writing Guide provides an overview of the type of writing expectations you should expect in your major (the list includes Art, Biology, Communication, English, SRM, History, Sociology, Nursing, and more!). You can also find samples of student writing. Learn More by visiting Student Writing @ CI.

ENGL 299: Editing Studio

The Editing Studio offered by CI's English program offers 1 credit, pass/no pass classes where students can focus on learning how to edit their own papers, learn grammar mechanics, and cite evidence. Classes are limited to 7 students. For more information or for a permission code to enroll, contact Kim Vose (kim.vose@csuci.edu).

Writing in STEM

Technical and Science Writing:

MIT's OpenCourseWare offers free courses on a variety of topics related to writing an communication in the sciences including:

  • Science Communication: A Practical Guide
  • Science Writing and New Media: Communicating Science to the Public
  • Communicating in Technical Organizations

Robert Bly's "Avoid These Technical Writing Mistakes," published in American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 

Northeastern University's list of resources for writing in STEM fields.  This page includes 
--a checklist for scientific writing,
--University of Toronto's Engineering Communication online handbook for writing,
--Stanford University's Writing in the Sciences videos,
--MIT Communication kits for disciplinary specific writing (biological engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering and computer sciences, biological sciences, mechanical engineering).

University of Wisconsin-Madison's outline and guide for effective abstracts

Writing in Nursing

WMC Quick Guide to Nursing Writing at CI:  Overview of Nursing writing expectations, writing assignments, frequent questions.

Writing as a Professional Nurse (Purdue OWL):  General information about writing in nursing.

Writing in English Program

CI English Program provides tips for writing in English courses.

Writing Productivity Tools

Learn about free online tools (PDF, 325KB) that help you be a productive writer, whether it is for a class, a master's thesis, or your own personal writing.

Grammarly by WMC Tutor Madeline Lanois: Tutor Reviewer Review on Grammarly, an online grammar and spelling checker.

College Writing

Guide to Writing a Basic Essay

http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/
A great step-by-step site that offers advice on everything from topic selection to finishing touches.

Writing in the Arts and Sciences

http://www.marquette.edu/wac/departmental/DepartmentalReferenceGuide.shtml
A page of tips for students and a checklist for writing research papers in a large number of academic disciplines, provided by Marquette University.

Hamilton College Handouts

http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/writing-resources/writing-center-handouts
Provides handouts on how to write different kinds of essays in the writing resources.

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

http://www.powa.org/
Another interactive page that assists in the developmental stages of writing. It offers descriptions of various methods in creating effective writing strategies.

University of Richmond Writing Center - Writer's Web

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb.html
This site has detailed information on mechanics and other structural issues. It also provides in-depth looks at editing, analysis and writing across disciplines.

Developing a Thesis Statement

The University of Wisconsin Madison’s website offers a step by step guide on how to identify your paper’s topic and build your thesis from your topic.

Developing a Thesis

This is another guide to writing a thesis from the Harvard Writing Center. Features extensive written instructions on everything to be considered before writing a thesis.

ESL Resources

Owl Purdue Online Writing Lab

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/5/
This is a link to the Purdue Owl and its ESL resources which are thorough, in-depth and user-friendly.

Education First: Resources for Learning English

http://www.ef.com/english-resources/

Guide for English Grammar, idioms, vocabulary, and even tests for fluency level.

Grammar Resources

"Twelve Common Errors"

Check list of reminders while editing the paper and suggestions for working through the errors. Courtesy of the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The Grammar Slammer

http://englishplus.com/grammar/contents.htm
This site provides a no-frills, yet extensive list of grammatical definitions and terms.

Grammar Bytes

http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm
This site offers a unique and refreshing look at grammatical concerns with helpful illustrations along with clear and concise explanations.

Grammar Girl

This website features a search function. For each grammatical topic (e.g. comma splice) there is a short write-up on suggested ways to fix an error, as well as an explanation on what makes the issue ungrammatical.

"That" vs. "Which"

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/that-vs-which

This write-up will go over the right time to write “that” and the right time to write “which.” At the bottom of this page there is also a link to some practice exercises!

Oxford English Dictionary

http://www.oed.com/

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is more than a dictionary--it provides you with etymological (or history) of the word's usage.

Grammar of English / Speed Reading (Free BYU Courses)

ELANG 325: Learn English grammar and how it applies in a range of situations and contexts. This free course does not provide college credit.  
READ 041:  Leard how to Speed Read and increase reading comprehension.  This free course does not provide college credit.

Comprehensive Writing Resources

The Writing Lab at Purdue

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
The nation's flagship electronic writing center. This site offers an unusually wide selection of handouts, exercises, and self tutorials on topics including punctuation basics, resume writing, writing research papers, and documentation across academic disciplines.

The University Writing and Multiliteracy Center at UNC, Chapel Hill

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/
Excellent resource with handouts supporting all steps in the writing process, as well as information about writing and communicating for different disciplines.

University of Manitoba Academic Learning Centre

The University of Manitoba's website features a wide selection of handouts to assist with your writing. You can find many helpful handouts ranging from how to title your essay to how to paraphrase from a source and beyond!

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