English, Writing, & Communication

Style Manuals

2009-11-06T08:00:00.001-08:00

Depending on your subject area, you will be using one of several style manuals to help you get your paper and references in order. Both of the most popular style manuals had new editions this summer. The Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) manuals are commonly used on our campus.

We have copies of both on reserve in the library. If you are requested to use the APA style, it is important to know that there are many errors and typos in the first edition. We are hoping to receive the 2nd edition soon. In the meantime, you can go to their web site or read the following for updates.

http://supp.apa.org/style/pubman-reprint-corrections-for-2e.pdf

ENGL 292: Alternative Literature

2009-10-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

"Alternative Literature" is outside the mainstream of traditional literature. It includes mysteries, sci fi, graphic novels, and lots of other genres. Join us for the NEW class starting Spring Semester 2010, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 - 9:50 am. We'll read a variety of works from short stories to plays to poems, and lots in between. Assignments will include more than just reading and discussion. Make a storyboard, do a powerpoint and compare a film and a book, put on a costumed mystery for others to solve - there will be lots to do as well as read. We're excited and hope you will be, too.

Controversial Issues

2009-10-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

A common writing assignment for composition classes is the argumentative essay on a controversial issue. It is often quite easy to locate material on one side of the issue but not on the other. Particularly if you feel strongly one way or the other, it is difficult to order your thoughts to present the opposing opinion.

A new site to help you is on the library web site. On the Electronic Reference page http://www.ndscs.nodak.edu/library/reference.jsp you will find links to the ProCon site, under controversial issues. You should be able to read source material to help you on just about any issue that is currently making waves.

See more about Pro and Con support in the June 25 blog below.

Ray Bradbury and Books

2009-10-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

As I said below, the more you read the better you write. It is particularly important to read books that are well written, with ideas to stimulate your thinking. One contemporary writer that has written many books that fascinate the imagination is Ray Bradbury. Arguably his most famous book is Fahrenheit 451 which discusses issues of censorship and intellectual freedom.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 7:30, a panel of experts will discuss the issues presented in this book in the Fireside Lounge at MSCTC in Fergus Falls. Join in the discussion or just listen. There will be drawings for free books from The NEA Big Read, as well as refreshments. All are welcome.

The Big Read

2009-09-16T09:36:00.001-07:00

As most writers will tell you, the best way to learn to write well is to read a lot. This year the library is participating in a nationwide reading community through the National Endowment for the Arts, "The Big Read."

The book we will be reading is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a science fictional look at a future world where reading is discouraged and censorship controls the population. Watch for information about events related to this book, and to other books as well. You will have the opportunity to hear a well-known science fiction author (unfortunately not Bradbury) at the Stern Cultural Center in October.

Smarthinking

2009-06-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Do you know about Smarthinking? This is a service that NDSCS supports to give you 24/7 access to tutoring and topic helps. Among others, there is a Writing Lab that can help you with papers for any class. Some things they can help with are lab reports, business plans and literary analysis. You can forward them a paper and have them critique it with you.

You will need a password and login to set up your account, so first contact your instructor or the library to find out how to get started. The website is

http://www.smarthinking.com/

You will set up a new username and password to use whenever you access Smarthinking for tutoring. Then you can get help whenever you need it.

Pros and Cons

2009-06-25T10:59:00.001-07:00

A common essay given to English classes is to take a stand on an issue, either pro or con, and defend that stand with support from articles and books by scholarly or expert individuals. If you are looking for materials that will help you in this type of paper, here are some sources to look at.

Opposing Viewpoints: http://www.ndscs.edu/library/magazine.jsp
Choose the Gale Group and click on the link to Opposing Viewpoints.

ProCon.org: http://www.procon.org

Also, we have books from the Opposing Viewpoints series in the library, another set on Clashing Views, and others. Check in the ODIN catalog for details.

Writing Professionally

2009-06-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

It has been said that the best way to learn to write is to apply the seat of the pants firmly to your chair and write. But everyone always needs some help in certain areas, often style, grammar, spelling and so on. We have recently added some new guides in writing, with some professional tips as well. There are many more out there. Take time to read some earlier posts and look at the new links on the left of the page. There will certainly be something useful to help you in creating the best written project that you can.

New MLA standards

2009-03-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

There will be new standards coming out for MLA citations, probably in the April edition. We are reading that they are going to be easier for undergraduates to work with, as well as updating to take advantage of the newer online resources that have developed since the current edition was published. All the old MLA instructions will need to be rewritten over the summer. I will keep an eye on this have something ready for fall semester. In the meantime, keep on with the current standards.

New Book reviews weekly

2009-03-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

Did you know that reviews of new books in the library are published everyweek in the NDSCS eTransmitter? There is always an interesting variety of new materials coming to the library every week, and we want to share these for you to find. In the library, the new books have their own display area, and we focus on some of these in our weekly article. They are always available to be checked out.

See the link to the weekly article at the left.

New MLA standards

2009-02-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

With the upcoming April edition of the MLA standards, there are significant changes in making citations of articles and web sites. If you would like to get acquainted with them, you will want to check out some of the tutorials that are available. Before using the new standards, however, make sure which style your instructor wants you to use during this transition time.

See the links at left for tutorials from other campuses. Changes for scholars and graduate students are in effect as of January 1; changes for undergraduates are expected later in the year.

Doing Library Research

2009-01-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Anyone can find research in the library. But "doing library research" means to create something new, something no one has yet written about. It may be a small research paper for a class, or a large book for professional reasons, but it is all library research.

Several disciplines depend a great deal on library research. These include history, literary studies, musicology, sociology, political science, and anthropology. As a researcher you find primary documents, read and browse through other people's research, and put it all together in a unique way. Libraries pull together a lot of material and help you locate it, but the researcher does the work.

Points to remember: faster isn't better; take time to browse and make mental connections; reinterpret what you read; the more you know, the more you can develop by what you read. Look for patterns to create a conversation. Efficiency is not a virtue.

Writing Book Reviews

2008-11-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Writing a good book review for a class isn't the same as writing a book report that you did in High School. You are looking for many different things which help you determine if this is a good source to recommend that others read for knowledge on your topic. You are not just reporting your own thoughts about the book.

Some things to look for to comment on would be

The purpose for writing the book and who or what audience it is intended to reach.
What thesis the author is supporting.
What additional help will this book give in understanding a topic or discipline.
If the material presented is primary or secondary, or what other material is included.
If the author backs up their research with other references or a bibliography.

For other thoughts, see the list of links in the topics on the left side of this page.

Tutorial help for Searching

2008-08-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

As you progress in writing classes and doing research, the more capable you have to be to find the articles you need to support your research. You probably need to do some of the tutorials on the North Dakota State Library’s Instructional Tutorial Page. These tutorials are designed to instruct you in using the ODIN catalog and the Online Library Resources. If you are having trouble viewing the tutorials, you may have to adjust your computer display settings. You may need to download Adobe Flash Player, install Microsoft PowerPoint (ppt), or adjust your volume to view some tutorials.

http://ndsl.lib.state.nd.us/OnlineTutorials.html

Current Events and News

2008-06-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for news articles on any current events? The place to start is in the Library's subscriptions to online newspapers and the NewsBank NewsFile. From the Resources page you can connect to links to news of all kinds. NewsBank has full length articles on a variety of topics. Look at their directory, or use the Hot Topics links to find a good selection on recent events of interest. You might also want to browse the print newspapers in the library for local and state-wide news.

Citing your Sources

2008-06-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

It is important in writing assignments and other projects that you distinguish between your own thoughts and those of others you read or researched in writing the work. Your teachers will require a "works cited" page of some kind as well as citations in the text to indicate where you got an idea or facts. You have to give credit to the person who said it first. In the writing support links on this site you can find some great sources to help you determine the correct way to indicate what that person said. If you can't quite figure it out on your own, call the Library or the Academic Service Center. Someone will be glad to help you get it right!

Course Reserves

2008-06-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Many of the college instructors put materials for their classes on reserve. You can look at a list of what your teacher may have by going to ODIN and clicking on the Course Reserve button at the top of the basic search screen. Then you have to choose NDSCS from the list of colleges participating. A new search screen comes up.

Items on reserve usually stay in the library and can be checked out for 2 hours, althought there are some differences. There is a larger fine for reserves, so you want to be sure to bring the materials back before the limit.

A basic ODIN search on a title also will tell you if an item is on reserve. You must then be in the library to check it out.

English 110 "Names" Assignment

2008-06-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

One of the projects for Deb Dusek's ENG 110 class is to do original research on your name. The library has collected books on names, which are available only on reserve while this assignment is going on. Some of these books are very scholarly, with lots of details about the origin and background of both personal names and family names. They may go into depth about the language or country of origin, or how this name came to be a connection to a family or perhaps a famous person.

Other books are baby name books, fun to read but not as authoritative. You will want to look at all of them. There are several web sites that are useful as well, and some genealogy might be useful although genealogy is not the point of the assignment. Use them all to be creative and imaginative while you tell Mrs. Dusek all about YOUR name.

Literature Criticism Online

2008-06-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Areyou writing a paper about an author, a short story, or a novel? You will want to have some biographical materials, criticism, and possibly a summary of the plot. Reading what others have to say about your topic helps a great deal in figuring out your own thoughts. If you are on the NDSCS campus, you can access Literature Criticism Online directly. If you are in an off-campus class, you can contact the library or your teacher to get the password.

This is a terrific resource that used to take hundreds of printed volumes in the library. It still looks like printed books, but you can search a lot faster. Try it, you'll find a wealth of materials.

Welcome to the Library Writing Page

2008-06-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Everyone is always looking for good places to get help with writing papers and projects. There are so many out there, it is hard to know where to go. We hope to help you with some suggested links for finding both writing helps and research helps. Have a look at the links that can help you in your English classes and with other writing assignments.