Even writers who have been at the craft for decades find that there’s always something new to learn and better ways to make their writing more organized, concise and persuasive. We’ve collected some tried and true resources many students find useful.
Online Writing Resources
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) is the largest free online resource for writers. OWL has a very good search engine and you can usually find help on specific topics. The site offers direct tips on the writing process, academic writing, grammar, organization, structure, and English as a second language.
Saint Louis University's Library chat service can answer quick research and citation questions online. It is usually open whenever the library is open.
Assignment Calculator, provided by the University of Minnesota, is a free tool that helps to manage large writing projects. Enter the due date and type of assignment and the calculator will break down your work into twelve steps to help you stay on track.
Citation Machine automatically creates citations in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian.
Grammar Check is an online proofreading resource which looks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. It will detect typos and other distracting errors. After identifying potential areas of concern, it will provide wording alternatives, style suggestions, and general explanations about how to improve a written text.
University Writing Services: Handouts
The following guides, tips and resource sheets can help you on your way to becoming a better writer.
The Writing Process
- 10 Myths of College Writing
- High School vs. College Writing
- Tackling Big Writing Projects
- Tips for Productive Peer Review
- Writing Process Inventory