Research Guide to Writing

General Sites

• Creative Writing via Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Creative_Writing)
• LitScene.com: The Search Engine for Writers (www.litscene.com)
• National Writers Union (NWU) (www.nwu.org)
• OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University (owl.english.purdue.edu)
• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant (POWA) by Chuck Guilford (www.powa.org)
• Resources for Writers and Writing Instructors by Jack Lynch, Rutgers University (andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/links.html)
• Writers' Resources in the Google Directory (www.google.com/Top/Arts/Writers_Resources)
• Writers Write: The Write Resource (www.writerswrite.com)
• Writing Resources from Artslynx (www.artslynx.org/writing/index.htm)

• Internet Journalism Resources by Shelton Gunaratne (www.mnstate.edu/gunarat/ijr)
• Journalism via Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com/news_and_media/journalism)
• Journalism Resource by Karla Tonella, University of Iowa (bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/journalism)
• American Journalism Review (AJR) full-text archives (www.ajr.org)
• Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) some articles in full-text (www.cjr.org)
• Online Journalism Review USC Annenberg (www.ojr.org/ojr/page_one/index.php)
• American Press Institute (www.americanpressinstitute.org)
• The Associated Press (AP) (www.ap.org)
• BusinessJournalism.org American Press Institute (www.businessjournalism.org)
• Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE) (www.ire.org)
• The Journalists's Toolbox American Press Institute (www.americanpressinstitute.org/toolbox)
• Journalism Library Columbia University Libraries (www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/jour/ejournals.html)
• National Press Club Online (npc.press.org)
• NewsLink newspapers, news magazines, radio, and TV (newslink.org/menu.html)
• Newswise a resource for knowledge-based news (www.newswise.com)
• The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press (people-press.org)
• Poynteronline Poynter Institute for Media Studies (www.poynter.org)
• Television News Archive Vanderbilt University (tvnews.vanderbilt.edu)
• American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) (www.asja.org)
• Center for Public Integrity: Investigative Journalism in the Public Interest (www.publicintegrity.org/default.aspx)
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) (www.spj.org)

• Publishers via Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com/business_and_economy/shopping_and_services/publishers)
• Association of American Publishers (www.publishers.org)
• BookWeb.org American Booksellers Association (www.bookweb.org)
• BookWire courtesy of R.R. Bowker (www.bookwire.com/bookwire)
• Book Review Sites via Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Reviews)
• Editor & Publisher (www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/index.jsp)
• Literary Awards and Bestsellers in the Google Directory (www.google.com/Top/Arts/Literature/Awards_and_Bestsellers)
• New York Times Best Sellers (www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller)
• Publishers' Catalogues by country courtesy of Northern Lights (www.lights.com/publisher)

• The New York Review of Books (www.nybooks.com/index)
• The New York Times - Books (www.nytimes.com/pages/books)
• The Paris Review (www.parisreview.org)
• WritersDigest.com (www.writersdigest.com)

• Avoiding Plagiarism Online Writing Lab (owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html)
• Plagiarism by Sharon Stoerger, MLS (www.web-miner.com/plagiarism)
• Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It Indiana University (www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml)
• Copyright & Fair Use courtesy of Stanford University Libraries (fairuse.stanford.edu)
• Copyright: An Overview Legal Information Institute/Cornell University (www.law.cornell.edu/topics/copyright.html)
• U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov)

• Style Guides via Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Linguistics_and_Human_Languages/Languages/Specific_Languages/English/Grammar__Usage__and_Style/Style_Guides)
• Research and Documentation Online by Diana Hacker/Bedford-St. Martins (www.dianahacker.com/resdoc)
• American Heritage Book of English Usage Bartleby.com (www.bartleby.com/64)
• The Chicago Manual of Style 15th edition (www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/cmosfaq.html)
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. (www.bartleby.com/141/strunk1.html)
• Guide to Grammar and Style by Jack Lynch, Rutgers University (andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing)
• A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices by Robert A. Harris (www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm)
• The Internet Grammar of English courtesy of University College London (www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar)
• Punctuation Made Simple by Gary A. Olson (www.stpt.usf.edu/pms)

• Ask an Expert in the Google Directory (www.google.com/Top/Reference/Ask_an_Expert)
• The Library Spot online reference resources (www.libraryspot.com)
• Ready Reference & Quick Facts Librarians' Index to the Internet (lii.org/pub/topic/reference)
• Familiar Quotations compiled by John Bartlett (www.bartleby.com/100)
• Biography.com courtesy of A&E Television Networks (www.biography.com/index.html)
• CIA World Factbook country profiles and maps (www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html)
• Encyclopedias in the Google Directory (www.google.com/Top/Reference/Encyclopedias)
• Finding Reviews of Books & Media by Joan Reitz, Western Connecticut State University (people.wcsu.edu/reitzj/res/reviews.html)
• Information Please almanacs (www.infoplease.com/almanacs.html)
• MapQuest (www.mapquest.com)
• Merriam-Webster OnLine English language dictionary and thesaurus (www.m-w.com)
• Repositories of Primary Sources world archives (www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html)
• RhymeZone dictionary and thesaurus (www.rhymezone.com)
• Statistical Abstract of the United States U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov/compendia/statab)
• Thesauri in the Google Directory (www.google.com/Top/Reference/Thesauri)

• LIBWEB: Library Servers via WWW courtesy of UC Berkeley Libraries (lists.webjunction.org/libweb)
• LibDex: The Library Index index to 18,000 libraries (www.libdex.com)
• WWW Library Directory (www.webpan.com/msauers/libdir)
• Email Reference Service WCSU Libraries (library.wcsu.edu/web/assistance/reference/related/email_ref)
• WCSU Libraries Homepage (library.wcsu.edu/web)

• American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) (www.asja.org)
• Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AMP) (awpwriter.org)
• The Author's Guild (www.authorsguild.org)
• Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) (www.clmp.org)
• Modern Langauge Association (MLA) (www.mla.org)
• PEN American Center (www.pen.org)
• The Playwriting Seminars by Richard Toscan (www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/seminar.html)
• Poetry Portal (www.poetry-portal.com/styles.html)
• Poets & Writers: From Inspiration to Publication (www.pw.org)
• Poetry Society of America (www.poetrysociety.org)
• Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets (www.poets.org)
• Writing Organizations via Yahoo! (dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Communications/Writing/Organizations)
• Scholarly Societies in Literature University of Waterloo (www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/society/literature_soc.html)
• MLA Guide to Doctoral Programs in English and Other Modern Languages Modern Language Association (www.mla.org/gdp_intro)
• Literary Prizes & Book Awards Christchurch City Libraries (library.christchurch.org.nz/LiteraryPrizes)

Reference books are shelved by Library of Congress call number in the reference section on the first floor of the Ruth Haas Library. They may not be checked out, but photocopiers are available for student use on the first and third floors of the Haas Library.

CONSULS catalog workstations are located in the Reference Area on the first floor, and on each of the other floors of the Haas Library. You may logon to CONSULS via the WCSU Libraries Homepage at library.wcsu.edu/web or directly at www.consuls.org. For more detailed instructions on searching, please see the yellow CONSULS flyer on the display rack on the first floor.

Please Note: CONSULS ignores upper and lower case, and you may omit punctuation, except the hyphen which must be replaced by a space.

TO FIND WORKS OF A SPECIFIC TITLE:

Select Title at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type as much of the title as you remember in correct word order. In CONSULS, you may omit "a," "an," or "the" at the beginning of a title.

Example: on writing well: the classic guide to writing nonfiction (press RETURN or ENTER)

Or just: on writing well (press RETURN)

TO FIND WORKS WRITTEN BY A SPECIFIC AUTHOR:

Select Author at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the writer's name last-name-first. Correct spelling is important.

Example: zinsser william knowlton (press RETURN or ENTER)

Or just: zinsser w (press RETURN)

To limit search results to items owned by WCSU, click on Limit/Sort in the toolbar at top of screen, select WCSU under "WHERE Item is Located" and then click on the gray Limit/Sort bar at bottom of screen.

TO FIND WORKS WRITTEN ABOUT A SPECIFIC PERSON:

Select Subject at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the writer's name last-name-first. Correct spelling is important. To limit results to items owned by WCSU, use the Limit/Sort option.

Example: mencken h l (press RETURN or ENTER)

Or just: mencken (press RETURN)

CONSULS will retrieve a list of Library of Congress subject headings that begin with the words you typed:

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956 (main heading is subdivided)

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956--Bibliography

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956--Biography

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956--Correspondence

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956--Criticism and interpretation

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956--Political and social views

Mencken H L Henry Louis 1880 1956--Quotations

TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC BY SUBJECT HEADING:

Select Subject at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the Library of Congress subject heading which best describes your topic. Correct spelling and word order are important. The complete list of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is published in a set of big red books available in the Reference Area on the first floor of the Haas Library.

Type: Fiction--Authorship--Psychological aspects (press RETURN or ENTER)

Or just: fiction authorship (press RETURN)

The following Library of Congress subject headings are relevant to professional and creative writing:

Authors and publishers

Authorship (many subdivisions)

Authorship--Marketing

Authorship--Style Manuals

Book proposals

Books--Marketing

Censorship

Copy-reading

Copyright--United States

Copyright licenses

Creative writing

Diaries--Authorship

Desktop publishing

Drama--Technique

Editing

Electronic publishing

English language--Rhetoric

Feature writing

Freedom of the press

Freelance journalism

Fiction--Technique

Journalism (many subdivisions)

Journalism--Authorship

Journalists

Mass media (many subdivisions)

Mass media--Moral and ethical aspects

Motion picture--Authorship

Plagiarism

Playwriting

Poetry--Authorship

Prose literature--Authorship

Publishers and publishing

Report writing

Screenwriters

Short story--Authorship

Style, Literary

Technical writing

Television--Authorship

Travel writing

Web publishing

Writing (many subdivisions)

Writing--Psychological aspects

TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC BY KEYWORD(S):

Select Keyword(s) at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the words which best describe your topic, in any order.

Example: (writing or writer*) and style and (guide or handbook or manual) press RETURN or ENTER

Narrower: fiction and (writing or writer*) and (guide or handbook or manual) press RETURN

Use the * (asterisk) as a truncation symbol to retrieve variant forms of a word root. Use the Boolean OR to expand your search by including synonyms and related terms. When using two different Boolean commands in the same search statement ("and" and "or" in the preceding examples) you must include parentheses to indicate which command is to be performed first.

TO REQUEST MATERIALS FROM THE OTHER CSU LIBRARIES:

If the item you need is owned by one of the other CSU Libraries (CCSU, SCSU, or ECSU) but not by WCSU, or if the WCSU copy is checked out, you may order the item electronically via Inter-Campus Loan. At the full record display in CONSULS, click on the Request option in the top toolbar, then type your student ID# and your library PIN code. Be sure to specify a pickup location (Haas or Young Library) before clicking on the gray bar at bottom of screen to initiate your request. If you need assistance with your library PIN, please contact the librarian at the Haas Reference Desk (203-837-9110).

There is a limit of ten (10) Inter-Campus Loan requests per person. Videos are available via Inter-Campus Loan. Please allow 4-5 working days for delivery to the Haas Circulation Desk. Items borrowed via Inter-Campus Loan may be renewed for an additional borrowing period if no one has placed a HOLD on the item.

Computerized Databases

Academic Search Premier in EBSCOhost

Coverage: 1990 - present (earlier for many publications)

Location: Under Articles/Databases at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.

Scope: Indexes over 8,000 scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers in most fields, including language and literature, with over 4,000 available in full-text.

JSTOR

Coverage: Issue number one to within 1-3 years of present

Location: Under Articles/Databases on the WCSU Libraries Homepage.

Scope: Full-text of over 400 core scholarly journals in more than 25 disciplines, including language and literature (complete backfiles).

MLA International Bibliography

Coverage: 1963 - present

Location: Under Articles/Databases at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.

Scope: Indexes books, journal articles, and Ph.D. dissertations in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. No abstracts; some linked full-text. Also available in print in the Haas reference area.

Communication & Mass Media Complete (CMMC) in EBSCOhost

Coverage: Starting date varies with the publication

Location: Under Articles/Databases on the WCSU Libraries Homepage.

Scope: Full text of over 200 journals in communication and media, plus citation coverage for additional sources. CMMC incorporates CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association) and Mass Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Penn State).

LexisNexis

Coverage: Starting date varies with the newspaper

Location: Under Articles/Databases on the WCSU Libraries Homepage.

Scope: Full-text of 50 international and national/regional U.S. newspapers, including the New York Times and Washington Post. The entire backfile of the New York Times (1851-present) is available on microfilm on the third floor of the Haas Library

Newspapers Full-text from ProQuest

Coverage: Varies (New York Times: 1999 - present)

Location: Under Articles/Databases on the WCSU Libraries Homepage.

Scope: Full-text of articles published in eleven national newspapers, including the Hartford Courant. Indexing of the New York Times (1989 - present) is also available in Academic Search Premier (see above).

WorldCat via OCLC FirstSearch

Location: At the WCSU Libraries Homepage, select Articles/Databases and then OCLC FirstSearch.

Scope: Indexes 60+ million books, manuscripts, theses, and non-print materials. If the item is not owned by WCSU, you may use Interlibrary Loan.

Printed Indexes

Humanities Index

Coverage: 1974 - present

Location: Index shelves in Haas reference area (near the atrium).

Scope: Indexes articles by author and subject from 250+ English-language scholarly journals in the humanities, including language and literature.

International Index to Periodicals

Coverage: 1907-1955

Location: Periodical index shelves on first floor of Haas Library (near atrium).

Scope: Author and subject index to the editorial content of periodicals (published in the United States and Canada) not covered in Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (see below).

New York Times Index

Coverage: 1851 - present

Location: Periodical index shelves on first floor of Haas Library (near atrium).

Scope: Indexes the editorial content (articles, columns, editorials, obituaries, etc.) published in the New York Times daily newspaper.

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature

Coverage: 1802-1906

Location: Periodical index shelves on first floor of Haas Library (near atrium).

Scope: Subject index to 19th century English-language periodicals.

Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (RG)

Coverage: 1890 - present

Location: Periodical index shelves on first floor of Haas Library (near atrium).

Scope: Author and subject index to the editorial content of general interest periodicals published in the United States and Canada.

In the Haas Library, periodicals in print are shelved on the third floor in alphabetical order by title. Periodicals on microfilm and microfiche are stored alphabetically by title in metal filing cabinets near the elevator on the third floor. Photocopiers and reader/printer machines are available on the third floor for enlarging and making copies of microforms.

* Indicates that the periodical is available in full-text in Academic Search Premier from EBSCOhost, in JSTOR, or in LexisNexis.

To find out if WCSU subscribes to a specific periodical:

1. Select Journal Title at the CONSULS main menu, then type the name of the periodical (example: poets and writers) and press RETURN. If a title list appears on the screen, select the desired title, then look inside the box to find WCSU holdings. Be sure to scroll down the page to see if WCSU owns backfiles on microfilm or microfiche.

2. Or, use the printed WCSU Serials List, available in multiple copies in the reference area (first floor) and on the third floor of the Haas Library, which lists all the newspapers, magazines, and journals owned by WCSU in alphabetical order by title. If WCSU subscribes to the periodical you need, you will find it on the third floor. Print volumes are shelved alphabetically by periodical title. Microfilm and microfiche backfiles are stored alphabetically by title in metal filing cabinets. Reader/printer machines are available on the third floor for viewing and making copies of microforms.

3. To find out if a given periodical is available in full-text in an online database, you may use the A-to-Z Journal Title Locator at library.wcsu.edu/web/resources/journals or under "Resources" on the WCSU Libraries Homepage (library.wcsu.edu/web).

If the CSU Libraries do not own the book you need, or if WCSU does not subscribe to the periodical you need, you may request delivery of the item via Interlibrary Loan using the online ILLiad system available at: library.wcsu.edu/web/services/ill.

There is a limit of 5 Interlibrary Loan requests per person per day. Videos are not available via Interlibrary Loan. Under most circumstances, Interlibrary Loan is a free service, but please allow at least ten working days for delivery. You will be notified as soon as the material arrives. Faster document delivery service is available for a reasonable fee. Please see the librarian at the Reference Desk or call the Interlibrary Loan Desk at (203) 837-9114 for more information.

The Reference Desk on the first floor of the Haas Library is staffed by a professional librarian who is trained to assist in your research, or you may contact Joan Reitz, Instruction Librarian, at 837-8308 or reitzj@wcsu.edu. My office is located in Room 402 on the fourth floor of the Haas Library (near the glass elevator).