Online Academic Writing Resources
Here at the Pacific School of Religion, our writing center provides in person help to all ESL and native English-speaking students. We also want to make sure that when our doors are closed, that students have access to what major universities provide to their students and to anyone who visits their websites. There are excellent handouts, videos, short classes and more for students to utilize. Here are some of the best:
Purdue University
Purdue University’s writing center provides comprehensive resources on all types of writing needs. Many of the handouts that students at PSR receive through our writing center come from this resource. The site provides general writing help, grammar resources, and information on research and citation. This site also provides a link to Purdue’s video lessons on writing and grammar that can be accessed through YouTube.
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State’s writing center provides quick online courses that deal with all aspects of tackling academic writing. The provide guidance around planning and drafting papers, types of academic writing (none seminary specific, however), and citations and research. The also provide help in thinking about plagerism, working through writer’s block, and specific suggestions on writing a Master’s Thesis.
University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
The University of Victoria’s writing center has expanded into their Centre for Academic Communication. Their center provides reading resources that look at working with academic texts, critical thinking, and texts as the basis for starting academic writing. They provide support around writing skills, grammar, writing types of papers, and suggestions around publishing. The center also provides resources for class presentations and ESL resources.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University’s writing center is known as The Writing Place. The Writing Place has resources that help students plan and organize their writing and that help with negotiating and composing most common types and genres of writing.
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois provides their students with The Center for Writing Studies. As a part of the Center’s website, they have links to a grammar handbook, handbooks for various citation styles including Chicago, ESL specific resources, and writing tips for creating editing both undergraduate and graduate papers. They also provide test-taking tips and resources.
Help thinking about and avoiding plagiarism:
Plagiarism Policy at PSR
Northwestern University’s resources on avoiding plagiarism
Other Writing Resources:
Online Webster’s Dictionary and Roget’s Thesaurus
Bibme – online Turabian citation creator
For ESL students:
Activities for ESL Students
This website provides grammar and vocabulary quizzes and practice for ESL students.
Open Education Database
This site provides links to a host of websites that provide both academic support and conversational English practice. The resources range from university writing centers to sites that help work through conversation scenarios and popular media such as movies and TV.