The KU Writing Center is now closed for face to face consultations. Online submissions are being accepted until May 17th at 5 PM.
The Writing Center will re-open on June 4th for the Summer Semester. Thank you and have a nice summer!


Writing Guides

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KU Writing Center Jayhawk
Popular Resources
Graduate Cap
Graduate Writing Guides
A selection of our writing guides for graduate students

Writing Resources by Topic

Essays
The Writing Process
Thesis Statements
Prewriting Strategies
Abstract
Research Papers
Revising Content
Revising Organization
Editing and Proofreading


Related Links

Academic Integrity
Guidebook for Graduate Student Researchers
Paraphrase and Summary
Incorporating References

Related Links

MLA (Modern Language Association)

MLA Format Works Cited Page

MLA Formatting and Style Guide
What's New in MLA for 2009?

APA (American Psychological Association)

APA Format References Page

Using APA Format
APA Online Citations
What's New in APA for 2009?

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chicago Manual of Style Citation Online

Other Citation Styles


Helpful Guides

Related Links

Suggested Resources

Oxford University Press
Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary

Oxford's Learner's Dictionary allows you to type any word and learn about its definition, the different parts of speech in which it can be used, and how it is commonly used in speech and writing. It also shows idioms, and includes a list of synonyms.

Dave's ESL Cafe
Dave's ESL Cafe for Students and Teachers

Dave's ESL Cafe has a variety of resources both for ESL learners and teachers. There are links to grammar help and practice quizzes, language instruction jobs, places to upload a resume, teacher and student forums, a bookstore, and even podcasts.

Purdue University OWL
Writing for an American Academic Audience

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Transitions for ESL

Suzy McAnsh & Ken Pennington, Finnish Virtual University
Learn English effectively

How to Learn English Effectively is a website that offers advice and encouragement as well as methods for mastering English through everything from dictionaries to pronunciation. The site includes links to discussion forums and articles and resources. Language learners can also read Tom's Blog, which answers questions about English language learning and other languages.

Academic Writing in English
Academic Writing in English

Academic Writing in English covers various aspects of paper writing including cohesion, grammar, punctuation, and style. Each link includes links to other elements of paper writing such as topic sentences or contrastive connectors. The site opens up with a discussion of the definition of academic writing.

Suggested Resources

Edufind
Grammar by Topics

This guide will help you answer grammar questions you have. It is well ogranized by topics for easier search.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Writing Techniques Handbook

This handbook offers guidance for comma use, thesis statements, resumes, abstracts, and more.

University of Wisconsin, Madison
Writer's Handbook

The Writer's Handbook helps in getting started with assignments like research papers, reviews, and literary analysis papers. There is also information about writing style, citations, grammar, and punctuation.

Rutgers University
Resources for Writers and Writing Instructors

This page provides a list of websites and other resources for writers, most resources are annotated.

Interactive Grammar Review
Grammar Bytes!

Grammar Bytes offers definitions of grammar terms, practice exercises, presentations, and quick grammar tips. This site is helpful for teachers and students.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Grammar Handbook

This Handbook explains basic grammatical rules on parts of speech, clauses, sentences, and other common usage questions.

Capital Community College
Guide to Grammar & Writing

This Guide answers common writing questions at many stages of writing. There are essay examples to complement discussions on thesis statements, tone, and conclusions.

Oxford Online Punctuation Guide
Guide to Grammar & Writing

This Guide will help you with punctuation rules.

KU Writing Center Resources


The Writing Process
Prewriting Strategies
Outlines
Essays
Revising Content
Revising Organization
Editing and Proofreading
Paraphrase, Summary

Suggested Resources

University of North Carolina
"Reverse Outline"

This video demonstrates how to do a reverse outline.

George Mason University
Writing Resources

George Mason University
Editing and Proofreading Checklist

Michigan State University
Transition Words

University of Wisconsin–Madison
Twelve Common Errors to Watch Out For

This list includes brief examples and explanations for common editing problems.

University of Wisconsin–Madison
How to Proof Read

This resource provides a list of proofreading tips.

Suggested Resources

University of Michigan
Sample Scholarship Essays

This page has examples of winning personal essays.

University of Kansas Career Center
Resumes and Cover Letters

Comprehensive resources and examples for professional resume and cover letter writing.

University of Kansas
Writing Scholarship Application Essays

This handout provides a sample outline for a scholarship essay.

Purdue University
The Personal Statement

This page suggests questions for the pre-writing process to help you start writing a personal statement.

English Plus
Styles and Formats for Various Kinds of Letters

This page offers templates and sample letters for business purposes, including appropriate envelope and folding styles.

Purdue University OWL
Your Resume

This guide provides links to resources for workplace writers and people writing during the job search process.

Colgate University
Personal Essays for Grad School

This page gives a list of questions for brainstorming and editing your first draft of personal statements.

Purdue University OWL
Business Writing Resources

This page provides links to resources that assist in writing for job applications, resumes, curriculum vitae, and other professional situations.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
How to Write a Project Proposal

This guide offers a detailed outline for a project proposal, as well as explanations for each step in the process.

Colin Purrington
Designing conference posters

This is a great guide on how to design your poster and make it stand out.

Claremont Graduate University
Presenting Conference Papers

This page outlines some concerns specific to students presenting papers in the Humanities.

KU Writing Center Resources


Abstract
Original Research

Related Links

Related Links

Annotated Bibliographies
Original Research
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Research Papers
Incorporating References
A KU Guidebook for Graduate Student Researchers
Make an appointment with the Writing Center Make an appointment with the Writing Center
KU Writing Center Jayhawk

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