[NRSKarenRN]

Check out George Mason University College of Nursing and Health Professions :

Writing in Nursing: A Guide for Undergraduate Writing

We have also established this Web site, with information on different Types of Writing nursing students use, Advice from your professors, recommendations for Collaborative Writing, and other helpful links about writing. Advice on avoiding plagiarism, as well as examples of critiqued student writing (reflective essay, experiential narrative, and position paper) are also available from this site.

[VickyRN]

Thank you, Karen, for posting this wonderful resource

Excellent resources for APA:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handou...PDFs/r_apa.pdf

http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

[VickyRN]

How to Write a Thesis Statement

Great resources!

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlet...tatement.shtml

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handou...gl_thesis.html

http://www.questia.com/newsletter/vo...startingpoints

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

[VickyRN]

Common Errors in Student Research Papers

An excellent check list....

[VickyRN]

Another great resource:

Avoid Amateur Grammatical Blunders.

Tips to help you avoid some common beginner mistakes involving:

Colloquialisms
Exclamations
Numerals
Parentheses

For more information, please see: http://www.questia.com/newsletter/vo...20060205m#tips

[VickyRN]

Defining Scholarly Sources

A scholarly source is one that meets the following criteria:

Authority

• Are the author or authors identified?
• Do they have scholarly credentials, or credentials within the appropriate field of expertise?

Structure

• Do the authors cite the works from which they drew inspiration and/or information?
• Do illustrations relay vital information (charts, etc.), rather than simply making the article or book more attractive?

Content

• Is the intended audience a group of scholars or a group of people who have expertise in a particular trade or profession?
• Is the language is specific to the discipline or intended for large audiences?

Definitions and examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary scholarly sources are also offered in this article.

More information about primary and secondary sources: Ask Nancy

[VickyRN]

Stuck? Try Brainstorming on Paper

If a blank screen or sheet of paper causes you to freeze, simply start writing your thoughts and ideas.... One idea stimulates another in a stream of association... Try scribbling across a blank page any impressions, ideas, arguments, irritations, anything that comes to mind in a frenzy of free association. This process is called "brainstorming" and is the way many successful students come up with their paper topics.

Great advice!

[VickyRN]

Revising — Last Step for a Clean Final Draft

The last step in turning out a clean final draft — revising — is one which trips up many writers who fall into major rethinking and reorganizing.

Follow these nine steps to final revise your writing project:

• Step outside yourself and get detached: Emphasize cutting.
• Keep your audience and purpose clearly in mind.
• Mark the good passages.
• Figure out the main point.
• Put the good passages in order; make an outline; add pieces that are missing.
• Write out a draft – excluding the beginning.
• Write the beginning; make sure you have a suitable conclusion.
• Tighten and clarify by cutting. Reading your draft out loud will help you.
• Get rid of mistakes in grammar and usage.

Proofreading Your Writing

Proofreading is primarily about searching your writing for errors, both grammatical and typographical, before submitting your paper for an audience (a teacher, a publisher, etc.). Use this resource to help you find and fix common errors.

[VickyRN]

Seven Stylistic Sins

• All right: There is no such word as alright.
  
• Effect: Don't confuse with affect .
  
• Farther, further .
  
• Imply vs Infer .
  
• Irregardless: Should be regardless.
  
• Avoid One of the most.
  
• Avoid The foreseeable future.

For more information: http://www.questianewsletter.com/new...0060401o#write

[elizabells]

So okay. I was a copyeditor in a former life, and I'm kind of missing it - I'm a freak, I know. So I just wanted to offer my free services. (Mods, if this belongs elsewhere, feel free to move it.) Anyone who needs help with an essay, resume, etc. can feel free to PM me for my email address and I'll be happy to help you out!