Alphabetical Annotated Links Library for the Handbook of Technical Writing
A B C
D E F G
H I J L
M N O P
Q R S T
U V W Y
A
abbreviations
Abbreviations
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides succinct guidelines for common abbreviations including titles,
numerals, foreign and geographical terms, acronyms, and how to use spacing and
periods.
Acronyms and
Abbreviations
The Michigan Electronic Library
Sponsored by the Michigan Library, this site provides links to electronic
resources for acronyms and abbreviations, including searchable databases and
specialized listings of acronyms used in professional fields such as astronomy,
health care, and the military.
Acronym Finder
Mountain Data Systems
A searchable database of more than 235,000 abbreviations and
acronyms, this site covers the areas
of computers, technology, telecommunications, and the
military.
Official USPS
Abbreviations
U.S. Postal Service
This site specifies abbreviations for states and protectorates as well as
streets and other geographical names.
absolute words
Absolute Terms
Bartleby.com
Bartleby.com presents great books online, including many reference works.
This site provides the definition and description of absolute terms from The
American Heritage Book of English Usage.
abstract/concrete words
Abstract, Concrete, General, and Specific
Terms
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Written by Associate Professor John Friedlander of Southwest Tennessee
Community College, this site provides an overview of abstract versus concrete
language and general versus specific terms. The site is linked to the Guide to
Grammar and Writing Web site hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital
Community College.
Abstract/Concrete
Language
The Center for Teaching and Learning at Idaho State University
This online handout offers brief definitions of abstract versus concrete
language and general versus specific words.
Words
Clayton E. Samels, The University of Akron, Wayne College
This basic writing course document offers definitions for abstract, concrete,
general, and specific language.
abstracts
How to Write an
Abstract
Phil Koopman, Carnegie Mellon University
This site offers a brief point-by-point description of how to write an
abstract suitable for a conference paper or journal article and offers
suggestions for further reading.
Writing Abstracts
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, presents this overview of the abstract, including an abstract
sample, written by Judith Kilborn.
The Writing Center Guide to Writing an
Abstract
University Writing Center, George Mason University
This site offers a brief guide to understanding and writing an
abstract.
Writing Up Research: The
Abstract
Asian Institute of Technology, AIT Extension
This site presents a guide to writing abstracts, including common problems,
the differences between abstracts and introductions, and two sample
abstracts.
acceptance/refusal letters (for employment)
Acceptance/Refusal
Letters
Trustee Center for Professional Development, Hartwick College
This site offers tips on writing cover letters for job seekers, including
acceptance and refusal letters and outlines of each.
Deciding on a Job
Offer
PE Technicon, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
A job-seeking skills self-help pamphlet, this site presents an overview of
how to evaluate a job offer and decide whether to accept or decline it. The site
includes sample acceptance and refusal
letters.
acknowledgment letters
Correspondence
Career Center, Pennsylvania State University
This site offers the correspondence section of Career Recruitment Media,
Inc.'s Placement Manual with tips on how to write cover letters,
thank-you letters, and other types of job search
correspondence.
Sample Business Letters
4hb.com
This Entrepreneur's "For Home Business" Information Web site, sponsored by
Capella Systems Group, Inc., has an alphabetical listing of over 550 sample
business letters covering a wide range of needs and
situations.
acronyms and initialisms
Acronyms and
Abbreviations
The Michigan Electronic Library
Sponsored by the Michigan Library, this site provides links to electronic
resources for acronyms and abbreviations, including searchable databases and
specialized listings of acronyms used in professional fields such as astronomy,
health care, and the military.
Acronym Finder
Mountain Data Systems
A searchable database of more than 235,000 abbreviations and
acronyms, this site covers the areas
of computers, technology, telecommunications, and the
military.
The Opaui Guide to Lists of Acronyms, Abbreviations, and
Initialisms on the World Wide Web
Opaui Translators
An alphabetized list of links to Internet Web sites for acronyms,
abbreviations, and initialisms, this site includes a wide range of international
and professionally specific resources.
Punctuation and Writing: Acronyms and
Initialisms
Scribe Consulting
This site offers a tip describing acronyms and initialisms extracted from
Scribe's book Better Writing Skills. Included on the site is a link to a
downloadable chapter of the book.
adjectives
Adjectives
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers usage guidelines for the adjective as well as interactive quizzes
incorporating the material presented.
What Is an Adjective?
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
Heather MacFadyen, this site offers definitions and examples of adjective usage
including links to key terms.
adjustment letters
Business Letter Writing: Claim Adjustment
Letters
About.com
Part of the Homework Help Web site, this page, presented by Kenneth Beare, is
designed to help the student of English as a second language understand typical
business correspondence in English by offering sample letters.
adverbs
Adverbs
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers a succinct review of adverb usage and includes an interactive
quiz.
Using Adverbs
About.com
Part of the Homework Help Web site, this page, presented by Kenneth Beare,
offers brief rules of adverb usage and includes links to other grammar
topics.
What Is an Adverb?
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
Heather MacFadyen, this site offers definitions and examples of adverb usage
including links to key terms.
affectation
Affectation
Xrefer
This site offers a definition of the term affectation, taken from
The Oxford Companion to the English Language.
Avoiding Affectation
The Howe Writing Initiative, Miami University
This site offers a brief tip on how to avoid affectation, written by Lisa
Mahle-Grisez.
agreement
Pronouns and Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers a review of pronouns and pronoun-antecedent agreement and includes
several interactive quizzes.
Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, presents this overview of pronoun-antecedent agreement,
written by Maggie Escalas.
Subject-Verb
Agreement
The Writing Center, City College of New York
This Web handout presents an overview of subject-verb
agreement.
allusions
Inference: Association and
Reference
www.criticalreading.com
Dan Kurland authored this brief article on inference and allusions. The site
includes links to related topics.
ambiguity
Ambiguity
Department of English, Emory University
This site offers a brief discussion of the literary meaning of ambiguity,
written by Harry Rusche.
ampersands
Punctuation and Writing: All About
Ampersands
Scribe Consulting
This site offers a tip describing ampersands, extracted from Scribe's book
Better Writing Skills.
antonyms
Finding Antonyms on Thesaurus.com
Lexico LLC
The online version of Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and
Phrases.
apostrophes
Apostrophes
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
This site features the apostrophe section of Jane Straus's grammar reference
guide and handbook, including a practice exercise and test.
Apostrophes
Writing Lab, Bellevue Community College
This site presents a brief overview of apostrophe usage, including
examples.
The Apostrophe
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of apostrophe usage and includes an
interactive exercise.
appendixes
Appendices
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech
Part of a site featuring writing guidelines for science and engineering
students, this Web page covers laboratory reports in general and includes an
explanation of appendices and a sample appendix link.
Appendices
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of
the West of England, Bristol
This Web page offers a guide to the form, content, and style of student
project reports and includes a section on appendices.
Appendixes
The Technical Report
On this site, author B. Barclay presents notes on how to handle an
appendix
application letters
About Cover Letters
JobStar
Part of a job resource Web site, this page offers tips on writing cover
letters, including links to sample cover letters and cover letter resources on
the Web.
Dynamic Cover Letters
Tutorial
QuintCareers.com
An interactive tutorial on how to write cover letters, including lots of
samples, is available on this Web site.
Cover Letters
The Writing Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
This Web site offers an electronic handout with guidelines for writing cover
letters.
Cover Letters
CareerCity.com
Cover letter tips and samples are available on this job resource Web
site.
Cover Letters: How to Sell
Yourself
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers tips on how to write a successful cover letter and includes
a sample letter.
appositives
Appositives
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of appositives and includes an interactive
exercise.
Appositives
Writer's Workshop, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This site offers a brief definition of appositives with
examples.
Appositives
The Writing Center, Ball State University
Definitions and examples of appositives are offered on this
site.
Daily Grammar Lessons 126-130: Parts of the
Sentence—Appositives
Word Place
This site offers brief lessons on appositives, supported by exercises with
answer keys.
articles
Articles, Determiners and
Quantifiers
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides succinct guidelines for understanding and using articles, determiners,
and quantifiers, including an interactive quiz on the material.
Clarity in Writing: Use of
Articles
University of Sussex Language Institute
This site offers a brief description of points relevant to article
usage.
Online Grammar Lessons—Adjectives and
Adverbs
ESLhome.org
This site provides links to online quizzes, lessons, and exercises covering
adjective and adverb usage. Some links require software
downloads.
The Use and Non-Use of
Articles
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of article usage and includes interactive
exercises.
audience
Audience and Purpose
Writing Center, California State University, Los Angeles
This site offers brief tips on how to think about audience and focus in
different types of writing situations.
Audience and Purpose
The Guide, SUNY Geneseo
Part of an online writing guide offering advice and information about the
process and product of writing, this site covers audience and purpose in
academic essays.
How Audience and Purpose Affect
Focus
Writing Center, Colorado State University
The Writing@CSU site offers writing help and guidance in an online textbook
format. This Web page directs the user to various discussions on the roles of
audience and purpose in essay writing.
awkwardness
Strategies for Improving Sentence
Clarity
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of strategies for writing clear sentences
including lots of helpful examples.
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B
biased language
Avoiding Gender Bias in
Pronouns
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, presents this overview of biased versus gender-free language,
written by Sharon Cogdill and Judith Kilborn.
Eliminating Gender-Biased
Language
Georgia Learning Connections, Georgia Department of Education
This site lists guidelines for eliminating gender-biased language using
illustrative examples.
bibliographies
How to Prepare an Annotated
Bibliography
Cornell University
Part of a hypertext guide to library research, this site presents succinct
guidelines to writing an annotated
bibliography.
brackets
The
Bracket
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides succinct guidelines for the use of
brackets.
brainstorming
Brainstorming
Creativity Web, Charles Cave, Author
This site offers a brief discussion of brainstorming, including
rules.
The Step by Step Guide to
Brainstorming
Jeffrey Baumgartner, Author, JPB Creative Co., Ltd.
This site offers practical steps to follow in a brainstorming
session.
brochures
Eight Sure-Fire Steps to Better
Brochures
RMR & Associates, Inc.
Part of the RMR Marketing Advisor Web site, this Web page offers eight
techniques designed to make brochures more successful.
How to Make a Super Brochure or Mailing
Piece
PrintingForLess.com
This site offers eleven tips for making brochures and mailers more
effective.
Sample Brochures
Debra Jason, The Write Direction
This Web site supporting a small freelance marketing consultant's business
offers samples of her marketing products including brochures, mailers, catalogs,
and newsletters.
Ten Tips for Better
Brochures
The Write Concept, Inc.
This site presents ten tips for creating more effective
brochures.
buzz words
Buzz Words
Investopedia.com
This list of popular buzz words used in the world of investment offers
definitions and links to related cultural sites.
BuzzWhack
John Walston
This lighthearted site created by a former newspaper editor is dedicated to
the meaningful use of buzz words.
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C
capitalization
Capitalization
Professor Steve Tripp, University of Aizu
This site offers a list of capitalization rules and some
exercises.
case (grammar)
Noun and Pronoun Case
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
David Megginson, this site offers definitions and examples of noun and pronoun
characteristics.
What Is Case?
SIL International
An extract from the LinguaLinks Library, this page explains the grammatical
term case and offers definitions of various kinds of
cases.
cause-and-effect method of development
Cause and Effect
Learning Lab, Parkland College
Ruth Ann Vokac offers this brief overview of causal analysis in
writing.
Global Warming: A Cause and Effect Writing
Lesson
The Internet TESL Journal
Amy Ogasawara of Miyazaki International College offers this writing
assignment designed to practice cause-and-effect skills.
Methods of Development—Cause and
Effect
English Department, San Antonio College
This Web site offers a brief definition and description of cause and
effect.
University Writing Skills: Cause and Effect;
Reason/Result
Janet Sutherland, University of Bremen
This site offers a brief discussion of cause and effect and outlines a
related writing assignment.
chronological method of development
Organizing Material According to Purpose: The
Chronological Method
Harvard ManageMentor
Using an e-course interactive format, this site defines the chronological
method, part of a course guide to a reader-centered approach to
writing.
clarity
Clarity in Writing: Use of
Articles
University of Sussex Language Institute
This site offers a brief description of points relevant to article usage and
clarity in writing.
Clear Writing: Ten Principles of Clear
Statement
University Extension, University of Missouri
Adapted from The Technique of Clear Writing by the Gunning-Mueller
Clear Writing Institute, Inc., this site outlines ten principles that lead to
clear writing.
Strategies for Improving Sentence
Clarity
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers tips and strategies for writing effective, clear
sentences.
clauses
Adverb Clauses
English Language Centre, University of Victoria
This site presents an online introduction to adverbs with links to further
study and exercises.
Building Clauses
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
David Megginson, this site offers a definition of clauses with links to more
detailed information and practice exercises.
Independent and Dependent Clauses
(Definitions)
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers definitions of clauses and examples of usage.
clichés
Cliché Site
ClichéSite.com
An alphabetical listing of clichés in English, this site offers definitions
and notes the country of origin for each
cliché.
clipped words
Clipped Words
The Teacher's Desk
This Web site offers resources to teachers of grades five and six, including
an assignment on shortened forms of longer words in
English.
coherence
Coherence
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers tips for coherent writing.
Coherence: Transitions Between
Ideas
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers tips on making coherent transitions in writing and includes an
interactive quiz.
collaborative writing
Collaborative Writing
New Century College
This online writing guide offers strategies for successful collaborative
writing.
Group Work and Collaborative
Writing
University of California, Davis
Brian A. Connery and John L. Vohs's online guidebook is a thoughtful and
comprehensive discussion of how to use group work and collaboration to complete
complex assignments such as field research, term papers, and group
presentations.
Strategies for Document Sharing and
Collaboration
Jon G. Houseman, Teaching Technologies
This site presents guidelines for collaborative group work including how to
use technology to share, route, and collate individual input in group work
situations.
colons
The Colon
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers tips on colon usage and includes an animated exercise and interactive
quizzes.
Colons
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
This site features the colon section of Jane Straus's grammar reference guide
and handbook, including a practice exercise and test.
Colon Rules
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, presents this overview of rules for colon
usage.
comma splice
The Grammar Outlaw: The Comma
Splice
English Department, Acadia University
This site offers a brief and lighthearted explanation of the comma
splice.
The Infamous Comma Splice (and How to Avoid
It)
The Writing Centre, University College of the Fraser Valley
This online handout reviews the comma splice and gives examples of ways to
correct it.
Rules for Fixing Comma Splices and Fused
Sentences
Grammar Bytes
This site reviews rules for correcting the comma splice and fused sentences,
including a link to a variety of interactive grammar
exercises.
Run-On Sentences, Comma
Splices
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides a brief review of comma splices and run-on sentences, including several
interactive quizzes.
commas
Commas, Commas, and More
Commas
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This site features an online handout reviewing seven points about comma
usage.
Proofreading for
Commas
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers tips for spotting and correcting comma errors while
proofreading.
Rules for Comma
Usage
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides a review of comma usage and includes links to several interactive
quizzes.
Using Commas
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a review of comma use and
abuse.
comparison
Making Comparisons
Professor G. Labanick, University of South Carolina, Spartanburg
This site presents an example of comparison by turning a list of descriptive
information on two items into effective sentences that compare the
two.
Resources for Writers: Comparison
Writing
C. Sandra Jamieson, Drew University
This site presents guidelines for using comparison in academic papers
including a list of questions for peer review of
drafts.
comparison method of development
Comparison and
Contrast
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides an overview of how to use comparison and contrast in academic writing,
including a sample student essay.
Comparison/Contrast
Essays
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, presents this overview of the comparison/contrast approach to
writing an essay, including several sample essay outlines.
Comparison and Contrast
Essays
The Alphabet Superhighway, US Department of Education
This Web site, geared toward elementary and secondary students and teachers,
offers guidelines for writing comparison-and-contrast essays.
Methods of
Development—Comparison
English Department, San Antonio College
This Web site offers a review of the comparison method of development taken
from Aristotle's writings.
complaint letters
Business Correspondence: Complaint and
Adjustment Letters
Online Technical Writing, David A. McMurrey, Author
The business correspondence section of an online textbook for technical
writing by author David A. McMurrey, this site offers tips on writing complaint
and adjustment letters including links to annotated example
letters.
complements
Complements
Writers' Workshop, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Part of an online grammar handbook, this site explains and illustrates the
basic concepts of complements.
The Adverbial and Adverbial
Complement
The HyperText Books, Daniel Kies, Author, Papyr.com
Cited as a model online composition course, the HyperText Books is a highly
usable Web site that provides a collection of handouts, exercises, notes, and
other resources to writing students. This page is a review of the adverbial and
adverbial complement.
The Object Complement
The HyperText Books, Daniel Kies, Author, Papyr.com
This page of the HyperText Books Web site is a review of the object
complement.
The Subject Complement
The HyperText Books, Daniel Kies, Author, Papyr.com
This page of the HyperText Books Web site is a review of the subject
complement.
compound words
Compound
Words
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides a definition and overview of compound nouns including an interactive
quiz.
Spelling Compound Words With or Without
Hyphens
Stephen Wilbers, Author
Part of an online guide to writing, this site lists compound words according
to how they are spelled with regard to hyphens, spaces, and
usage.
conciseness/wordiness
Conciseness: Methods of Eliminating
Wordiness
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers ten methods of eliminating
wordiness.
conclusions
Conclusions
The Ohio State University Center for the Study of Teaching and
Writing
This site presents a brief discussion of different ways to write a conclusion
to an essay.
Ending the Essay:
Conclusions
Writing Center, Harvard University
This site offers advice on how to conclude—and how not to conclude—an
essay.
Strategies for Writing a
Conclusion
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, offers suggestions and strategies for writing essay
conclusions.
conjunctions
Conjunctions
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
covers rules for conjunction usage, including coordinating, subordinating, and
correlative conjunctions.
Grammar and Style: Conjunctions and
Adverbs
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center
This site offers a brief review of rules for punctuating conjunctions and
adverbs.
What Is a Conjunction?
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
Heather MacFadyen, this site offers definitions and examples of conjunction
usage including links to key terms.
contractions
Contractions
EnglishCLUB.com
This Web site offers links to lists of commonly used
contractions.
Using Contractions
About.com
Part of the Homework Help Web site, this page, presented by Kenneth Beare,
offers a chart of common English contractions.
copyright
Ten Big Myths About Copyright
Explained
Brad Templeton, Author
This site presents an essay on copyright myths written by the man who
introduced the "dot" in "dot.com" addresses.
Title 17—Copyrights
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Users can access the full text of Title 17 on this U.S. Code Collection site.
Understanding Business Communication and
Copyright Laws
GigaLaw.com
This site offers an article, written by attorney Doug Isenberg, on copyright
law as it pertains to business correspondence.
U.S. Copyright Office
The Library of Congress
This official Web site of the U.S. copyright office offers a variety of
resources and links related to copyright law, licensing, and
policy.
correspondence
Business Writing
Language Centre, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
A self-help-style online leaflet directed at ESL students, this site offers
guidance materials and tips related to business writing
Correspondence: Letters and
Memos
Professor Jeffrey Lockledge, Wayne State College of Engineering
This site offers a succinct guide to all aspects of writing business letters,
memos, and e-mail messages
Writing Business Letters That Get the Job
Done
Writing Help Central
Shawn Fawcett offers advice on writing business letters on this
site.
cover letters
Cover Letters and Business
Correspondence
Weston Career Resources Center, Washington University
Sponsored by the Olin School of Business, this career resources site is
geared toward the job seeker, offering advice about and samples of cover letters
and thank-you letters.
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D
dangling modifiers
Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling
Modifiers
The Writing Center, Arizona State University
This online handout reviews modifiers and offers examples of proper modifier
usage.
Dangling Modifiers
Academic Center, University of Houston, Victoria
This site offers a review of modifier usage with practice
exercises.
Dangling Modifiers
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a review of dangling modifiers.
Misplaced and Dangling
Modifiers
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
Frances Peck, this site offers definitions and examples of misplaced and
dangling modifiers.
Modifier
Placement
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides succinct guidelines for proper modifier placement including interactive
quizzes.
dashes
The
Dash
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
reviews rules for proper use of the dash.
Dashes
Department of English, University of Victoria
Part of an online writer's guide, this site presents a brief review of dash
usage.
Dashes and Hyphens
IT and Communication, Jukka Korpela
This site presents a useful overview of how computer text processing has
impinged on the use of dashes and hyphens.
Grammar and Style:
Dashes
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center
This site offers examples of effective use of the
dash.
dates
The Right Way to Write
Dates
ETimes
This site reviews the correct way to write dates according to the
international standard.
Writing of Calendar Dates in All-Numeric
Form
Cataloger's Reference Shelf, The Library Corporation
This site provides the text of the international standard for the writing of
calendar dates.
defining terms
Definitional Techniques
The Writing Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
This site presents Professor Merrill Whitburn's overview of techniques used
by academic and professional writers for defining
terms.
definition method of development
Developing a
Definition
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
provides a discussion of how to develop a definition in essay writing and
includes a sample student essay.
Methods of
Development—Definition
English Department, San Antonio College
This Web site offers a review of the definition method of development taken
from Aristotle's writings.
description
Methods of
Development—Description
English Department, San Antonio College
This Web site offers a review of the description method of development taken
from Aristotle's writings.
Writing Descriptions
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a discussion of principles, conventions, and strategies for
writing description.
diacritical marks
Keystrokes—Diacritical Marks on the Standard
Keyboard
Rice UNIX Facility, Rice University
This site lists Macintosh and Windows keystrokes for diacritical marks on the
standard keyboard.
Those Foreign Diacritical Marks
(Accents)
Computer Support Services, University of Florida
This Web page cites examples illustrating how important proper diacritical
marks can be to meaning.
diction
Diction
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
David Megginson, this site offers a brief definition of the term
diction.
dictionaries
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition
Bartleby.com
This site provides a searchable online version of The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language
Merriam-Webster Online
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Online versions of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and
Collegiate Thesaurus are available on this site, along with lots of
resource links.
direct address
Commas in Direct Address
RHL School
A brief review of comma usage in direct address as well as exercises are
available on this Web site devoted to free teacher
resources.
division-and-classification method of development
Methods of Development—Classification (and
Division)
English Department, San Antonio College
This Web site offers a brief description of the classification method of
development taken from Aristotle's discussion of
writing.
documentation
Sun Products Documentation
Sun Microsystems
This site offers samples of documentation related to Sun Microsystems
products.
documenting sources
American Chemical Society
Chemistry.org
This Web site offers a multitude of resources to chemistry educators and
students including links to databases such as ChemResourceNews, which features
searchable research articles on the sciences.
American Geological Institute
AGIWEB
This site is an information resource for geologists, geophysicists, and other
earth scientists. The site includes links to searchable databases of articles
and resources of interest to geological science students and
teachers.
American Institute of Physics
Aip.org
The AIP Web site is a comprehensive information resource for scientists,
educators, and students working in the fields of physics, astronomy, and related
sciences. The site includes links to the organization's member societies and a
wide variety of online research sources.
American Mathematical Society
Ams.org
This Web site provides wide-ranging information resources for mathematicians,
math teachers, and students, including links to research databases, journals,
and reference tools.
American Medical Association
Ama~assn.org
This Web site offers links to timely information, research databases, medical
education and ethics, journals, and much more relating to issues of health in
America.
American Psychological Association
APA Online
Part of APA Online, the APAStyle.org site offers APA style tips on current
issues such as how to cite electronic references and removing bias in
language.
Council of Science Editors
This Web site serves members in the scientific, scientific publishing, and
information science communities by providing links to reference information
useful to editors, other professional societies, a member directory, and job
bank.
Diana Hacker's Research and Documentation
Online
Bedford/St. Martin's
This user-friendly, comprehensive Web site offers links to electronic
research databases, organized by discipline, coupled with links to Diana
Hacker's handbook so that the user can both find research sources and get
guidance on how to document those sources.
Modern Languages Association
Mla.org
The professional organization supporting the study and teaching of language
and literature, the MLA also publishes the MLA Style Manual and the
MLA Bibliography. Information about both resources is available on this
Web site.
National Information Standards Organization
Niso.org
NISO identifies, develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards to
manage information and it is the only standards organization to make its
standards freely available on the Web.
United States Government Printing Office
The United States GPO produces and distributes federal government information
products. The Web site offers information and resources for obtaining these
products.
United States Government Printing Office Style
Manual
This Web page accesses an online version of the style manual used by the
United States Government Printing Office.
University of Chicago Press
The Chicago Manual of Style
This site offers a question-and-answer-style online version of The Chicago
Manual of Style indexed alphabetically for user-friendly
browsing.
double negatives
Double Negatives
The Write Place, St. Cloud University
Learning Education Online (LEO), the home page for the writing center at St.
Cloud University, presents this brief overview of double negatives, including a
practice exercise, written by Judith Kilborn.
Double Negatives
Professor Paul Brians, Washington State University
This site offers a brief discussion of double
negatives.
drawings
Online Technical Writing: Graphics and
Visuals
Online Technical Writing, David A. McMurrey, Author
The graphics and visuals section of an online textbook for technical writing
by author David A. McMurrey, this site offers tips on the use and manipulation
of graphics—charts, tables, photographs and other visuals—in written
documents.
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E
ellipses
Ellipses
Professor Paul Brians, Washington State University
This site offers a brief guide to using ellipses and includes some tips on
how to handle ellipses when transferring electronic documents or using HTML
script.
Periods and Ellipses
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
This site features rules for the use of periods and ellipses taken from Jane
Straus's grammar reference guide and
handbook.
e-mail
Attachments
Information Technology Services, Yale University
This site offers answers to questions about sending e-mail attachments. Some
of the information is specific to the Yale University community, but most is
generally applicable.
Email Attachments
Department of Information Technology, Amherst College
This "help" site offers a friendly, step-by-step guide to handling e-mail
attachments.
Email: How to Write
Effectively
Kaitlin Duck Sherwood, Author
This site offers a guide to writing effective e-mail including how to
approach such issues as page layout, gestures, and intonation.
Netiquette
Virginia Shea, Author
This site offers the online version of Netiquette, a book devoted to
providing guidelines for proper conduct in
cyberspace.
emphasis
Visual Devices for Achieving
Emphasis
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of visual approaches to achieving emphasis
in writing using such strategies as font styles, punctuation marks, and word
position.
English as a second language
Dave's ESL Café
Dave Sperling, Author
A virtual café for students and teachers of English as a second language,
Dave Sperling's site offers comprehensive resources for the ESL
community.
English as 2nd Language
About.com
This site offers a wide range of Internet resources for ESL students and
teachers, including links to learning sites, games, teacher resources, chat
rooms, and ESL job banks.
EnglishLearner.com
Elek Mathe, Author
This site offers interactive tests and lessons for the student of English as
well as links to other ESL resources.
ESL Blue(s)
Eifion Pritchard, Author
This site offers a wide variety of interactive tests and activities designed
for the intermediate-level student of English as a second
language.
ESL Resources Online
Nanana.com
This site offers Internet links to ESL resources, games, songs, chat, and
books. Some links, such as the interactive games, are presented in English and
Japanese.
Exercise Central
Bedford/St. Martin's
The largest collection of editing exercises available online that provide
practice for mastering the skills of editing for grammar, style, punctuation,
and mechanics.
English, varieties of
The American Dialect Home
page
Claudio Salvucci, Evolution Publishing
This site offers links to national and international resources for those
interested in American and English dialects.
Varieties of English
Language Samples Project, Anthropology Department, University of
Arizona
This Web site contains information on general topics such as phonetics,
phonology, and IPA transcription, as well as information on different varieties
of English, such as Southern States English, African American English, and
British English.
ethics in writing
Ethical Problems with Writing a
Paper
Michael D. Mann, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center
This site offers a discussion of ethical problems associated with writing
papers.
Online Ethics Center for Engineering and
Science
Case Western Reserve University
This comprehensive site offers engineers, scientists, and science and
engineering students resources for understanding ethical problems that arise in
their work.
euphemisms
Euphemisms
Paul Shoebottom, Frankfurt International School
This site presents a brief overview of euphemisms geared toward students of
English as a second language.
exclamation marks
The Exclamation
Mark
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
presents a succinct guide to exclamation mark
usage.
executive summaries
Executive Summaries
Writing Center, Colorado State University
This site offers a comprehensive overview of executive summaries, including
examples and links to additional resources.
Executive Summaries Complete the
Report
C. Jay Christensen, California State University, Northridge
This site presents online class materials covering all aspects of writing an
executive summary.
expletives
Expletives
Online Writing Support, Towson University
This site offers a brief definition of expletives and includes examples of
usage.
Expletives: Use Them
Sparingly
Writing Center, Franklin & Marshall College
This downloadable online document outlines some of the problems of using
expletives when writing.
exposition
Information about Expository
Writing
Expository Writing Program, University of Michigan
This site presents a definition of expository writing, samples of
organizational patterns found in exposition, and a brief rationale for why
teaching expository writing is
important.
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F
fax
Creating and Sending a Fax with Microsoft Word
2002
Microsoft Corporation
This page from the Microsoft Office Assistance Center offers information on
using Word® to help you create and send a fax.
FAQ: How Can I Send a Fax from the Internet?
Savetz.com
Freelance computer and technology journalist Kevin Savetz authored this
online document answering frequently asked questions about how to send faxes
over the Internet.
Junkfaxes.org
Robert H. Braver, Sponsor
This Web site offers information on various junk fax senders, including a
searchable database as well as links to news and resources related to junk fax
laws.
feasibility reports
Comparative Feasibility Report Outline
Northern Illinois University English
Department
This site features an outline for a comparative feasibility
report.
figures of speech
Figures of Speech
Department of Computer Science, University of York
Professor Susan Stepney sponsors this site listing definitions of figures of
speech taken from various sources.
Figures of Speech
About.com
Part of the Homework Help Web site, this page, presented by Cathy Spalding,
is designed to help students understand how figures of speech can add flair to
writing.
flowcharts
About Flowcharting
Flowchart.com
This Web site provides links to information on flowcharting and its
use.
Effective Process Diagrams and Flow
Charts
English Department, University of Maine, Orono
This Web site features support resources for students interested in technical
and business writing and focuses on what it takes to create strong visuals to
support that writing. The site includes links to various sample
visuals.
Examples and
Applications
Flowchart.com
This Web page provides links to samples of different types of
flowcharts.
foreign words in English
Foreign Words and
Phrases
The Learning Network, Inc.
This Web site features an alphabetical listing and definitions of foreign
terms that are commonly used in English.
formal reports
Formal Reports
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech
Part of the online Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science
Students workbook, this site features a discussion of different types of
formal reports and links to sample reports.
Writing Formal Reports
Technical Writing Center, Washington University in St. Louis
James C. Ballard's helpful article, a lighthearted but serious guide to all
aspect of writing formal reports, is available on this Web site
Writing Formal Reports
School of Business, Clayton College and State University
This site features an outline for a formal business
report.
format
Format Your Documents
Writing Center, Colorado State University
Part of an online writing guide, this Web page offers advice on formatting
formal documents and offers links to other writing
topics.
forms of discourse
Seven Types of Paragraph Development
Professor Gerald Grow, Author, Florida A & M University
This site offers annotated examples of seven types of paragraph
development.
functional shift
Functional Shift
Bartleby.com
This site features the entry on the grammatical process of functional shift,
from The Columbia Guide to Standard American English, written by Kenneth
G. Wilson.
The Functional Shift
The Writer's Workshop, University of Illinois
This site features the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on functional
shift.
Methods of Word Formation
Wilton's Word & Phrase Origins
David Wilton offers explanations of the four major categories of word
formation on this site.
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garbled sentences
Strategies for Improving Sentence
Clarity
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of strategies for effective sentence
construction.
gender
Gender, Adjectives
UltraLingua.net
This site offers a brief guide to adjective usage along with links to other
grammar topics.
Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ
Aether Lumina
This site features a discussion of gender-neutral alternatives to gendered
pronouns, written by John Williams
Gender, Nouns
UltraLingua.net
This site offers a brief guide to noun usage along with links to other
grammar topics.
The Gender of Nouns
The Internet Grammar of English
This site features the entry on the gender of nouns taken from The Survey
of English Usage.
general and specific method of development
Developing an Outline
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise guide to writing an outline.
Organizing Ideas
Plain Train
This Web page offers tips and advice on organizing ideas and is part of an
online training course designed to improve communication skills with the use of
plain language.
global communication
Intercultural
Communication
Pellissippi State Technical Community College
This site offers insights on the difficulties of translating connotative
versus denotative meanings across languages. The material is summarized from
Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others by Steven A. Beebe, Susan
J. Beebe, and Mark V. Redmond.
Intercultural Press, Inc.
Intercultural Press is a source of publications aimed at specific cultures as
well as a wide variety of subjects from cross-cultural theory to international
business.
Country Studies
The Library of Congress
This site presents information on the economic, social, and political
institutions of over 100 countries and regions.
Universal Usability in Practice: Users from
Other Cultures than the U.S.
Eiman M. Elnahrawy, Author, University of Maryland
This site features an article with recommendations and guidelines for
Web-site developers about accommodating diverse users, in particular users from
cultures other than the U.S.
International Affairs Resources
The WWW Virtual Library
This well-organized portal provides access to over 2,000 selected and
annotated links.
global graphics
Color in Graphics
ACM Siggraph
SIGGRAPH offers resources and information on the theory, design,
implementation, and application of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
This site offers information on using color in Web-page
graphics.
Marketing to Diverse
Cultures
Michael Lee, Seminars Unlimited
Michael Lee offers helpful tips on what to consider when using numbers,
colors, images, and graphics when developing marketing materials for specific
cultures.
Using Graphics and
Pictures
Bonnie Skaalid, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan
This site offers research findings on how to use graphics and when they are
useful or distracting in Web design.
glossaries
Glossaries
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
OPLIN offers links to glossaries organized by subject matter on this Web
site.
Glossary of International
Technology
Microsoft.com
This site features an alphabetical glossary of terms related to international
technology compiled from Developing International Software, published by Microsoft
Press.
gobbledygook
Gobbledygook
Susan Hagedorn, Department of English, Virginia Tech
This site offers a definition of gobbledygook as a term for overly wordy and,
therefore, weak writing.
Gobbledygook
World Wide Words
Gobbledygook, or unintelligible language, is explained in the "Weird Words"
section of this Web site.
Jargon, Weasel Words, and
Gobbledygook
California State University, Northridge
This site offers a helpful selection of guidelines relating problematic use
of language to problems in writing style.
grammar
Grammar Slammer
English Plus+
This site presents an easy-to-use online grammar reference handbook which is
also available as software.
Grumpy Martha's Guide to Grammar and
Usage
Encarta
This site features Martha Brockenbrough's online column with low-key tips on
common grammar problems.
HyperGrammar
The Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa
This site offers an alphabetical listing of key grammatical terms with links
to definitions and examples.
Glossary of Grammatical
Terms
Mark H Nodine, Department of Computer Science, Brown University
An alphabetical glossary of grammatical terms is featured on this
site.
graphs
Bar Graphs
LabWrite Project 2000, North Carolina State University
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the LabWrite Project is
designed to help improve students' lab-report writing by offering the "how to"
guidelines and related resources available on this site.
Tables and Graphs
This Web site has information on various types of tables and graphs as well
as graphics and quizzes.
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H
headers and footers
Sections, Section Breaks, Headers and
Footers
The Social Law Library, Boston, MA
This legal resources site sponsors a link to the Microsoft Word® "Legal
User's Guide." This section of the guide explains how to use the sections,
section breaks, and headers and footers functions in Microsoft
Word.
Word Tips and Tricks: Headers and
Footers
Department of Technical Communication, University of Washington
This site offers tips and tricks for using the headers and footers functions
in Microsoft Word.
Word Tips Online Answers: Headers and
Footers
Discovery Computing, Inc.
This site features links to various articles on using the headers and footers
functions in Microsoft Word.
headings
APA Documentation:
Headings
Writing Center, University of Wisconsin—Madison
Part of an online writer's handbook, this site simplifies some of the
complexities of using headers in APA style documentation.
Guide to Using Bullets, Numbering, Tab Stops,
Headings, and Paragraph Styles in Microsoft Word®
Rick Lewis, Sandhills Community College
This site offers a step-by-step guide to using selected functions in
Microsoft Word.
hyphens
Hyphens
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
This site features the hyphens section of Jane Straus's grammar reference
guide and handbook, including a practice exercise and test.
Using
Hyphens
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of hyphen
usage.
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I
idioms
English Idioms: Sayings and
Slang
Wayne Magnuson, Author
This site provides a searchable database of English idioms and their
definitions.
Prepositional Idioms (Phrasal Verbs)
Patricia Goldstein, Author
This document is a selected list of prepositional idioms developed for The
Business Writer's Handbook and the Handbook of Technical Writing by
Patricia Goldstein, ESL composition instructor at the University of Wisconsin -
Milwaukee.
Prepositions to Use with Common
Words
The Writing Center, Arizona State University
This online handout features a list of prepositions to use with common verbs,
adjectives, and idiomatic expressions.
Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs
(Idioms)
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers a concise review of verbal idioms and includes lists of
separable, inseparable, and intransitive phrasal
verbs.
indentation
HTML Reference Guide: How Do I Indent
Text?
Webspawner.com
This page of an HTML reference guide describes how to indent
text.
Indents
Academic Computing and Communications Center, University of Illinois at
Chicago
This online handout describes how to use the indent function in Microsoft
Word® 2000.
Microsoft Word 2000—Indenting
Text
Beginners.co.uk
This site features an online tutorial with instructions and tips on using the
indent function in Microsoft Word 2000.
WordPerfect 7: Changing the Margins, Alignment
and Spacing of Text Using Shortcut Keys
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This site features step-by-step directions for using selected functions in
WordPerfect® 7.
indexing
Creating an Index
Klariti
This site offers technical documentation, online help, and business writing
services including this guide to creating an index.
Creating an Index in Word
97
Academic Computing and Communications Center, University of Illinois at
Chicago
This online handout describes how to create an index in Microsoft Word
97.
inquiries and responses
Business Correspondence—Inquiry
Letters
Online Technical Writing, David A. McMurrey, Author
The business correspondence section of an online textbook for technical
writing by author David A. McMurrey, this site offers tips on writing inquiry
letters and includes samples.
instructions
How to Write Instructions
Dr. Mary Ellen Guffy, Author
This site offers student-oriented step-by-step guidelines for writing an
effective set of instructions.
Online Technical Writing:
Instructions
Elizabeth City State University
This site features tips on writing and formatting a set of step-by-step
instructions.
intensifiers
Deadwood: Empty or Pretentious Expressions
Including Weak Intensifiers, Redundancies, Euphemisms, Jargon, and
Clichés
Collin County Community College District
This site lists phrases and words to avoid in good writing.
Intensifiers
English Rules
Lucy Silver has created this Web site geared to teachers and students
offering a simple review of intensifier usage.
Qualifiers/Intensifiers
Online Writing Support, Towson University
This site features a brief definition and examples of
qualifiers/intensifiers.
interjections
Interjections
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers a brief definition of interjections.
Interjections
Dr. Ed Vavra, Pennsylvania College of Technology
This site offers a review of interjections including a definition and a
discussion of interjections as subordinate clauses.
What Is an
Interjection?
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
Heather MacFadyen, this site offers a definition of
interjections.
international correspondence
Communication Across Cultures: Lecture Handouts and Related
Links
Dr. Daradirek "Gee" Ekachai, Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale
This site provides links to lecture handouts on the topic of intercultural
communication.
Google International Business and Trade
Directory
This is an excellent starting point for searching the Web for information
related to customs, communication, and international standards.
International
Netiquette
Leith O'Malley, Netiquette Guide
A simple and friendly guide to etiquette on the Internet, this site discusses
issues that cross cultures such as contact information, humor, and
ethnocentrism.
Internet
Measuring the Net
T & D Limitless Web, Ltd.
This Web page features links to sites containing statistics and demographics
about the Internet including the estimated size of the net, usage, and information about its
users.
Internet research
Bartleby.com
This site provides users with access to electronic versions of the
Columbia Encyclopedia; The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language; Roget's II: The New Thesaurus; Bartlett's Familiar Quotations; and
a number of standard reference works.
Evaluating Web Resources, Widener
University
Wolfgram Memorial Library
Jan Alexander and Marsha Tate created this Web module that provides links to
materials to assist in teaching students how to evaluate the informational
content of Web resources. The site also includes a bibliography of materials on
applying critical thinking techniques to Web resources.
Evaluating Web Site
Content
Study Guides and Strategies, University of St. Thomas
This site provides a good overview of information on how to evaluate Web
sites along with links to Web sites related to Web evaluation.
Evaluating Web Pages: Questions to Ask and
Strategies for Getting Answers
UC Berkeley
This site provides a breakdown of the information available on Web sites that
can help a user evaluate whether the source is legitimate, timely, reliable, or
biased.
Lookoff.com
Lookoff.com is an entire site devoted to helping users navigate the Internet
using the advanced tools and techniques that experts use. This section of the
site has links to thousands of search engines organized by
topic.
Research Tools
iTools
This site allows users to search various reference sites of general
information such as encyclopedias, biographies, telephone area codes,
trademarks, and quotations—all from one search screen.
Search Engine Watch
This site provides up-to-date information on search engines—classifying,
evaluating, and summarizing the current features of
each.
Why We Need to Evaluate What We Find on the
Internet, Purdue University
D. Scott Brandt, Associate Professor, Purdue University
This site features an overview of criteria for evaluating Web site content
presented in an outline format.
interviewing for information
Informational
Interviewing
DANEnet, Madison, WI
This site lists steps to take and suggests questions to ask in preparing for
and conducting an informational interview.
Qualitative
Interviewing
Professor Monika Ardelt, University of Florida
This site features course materials outlining how to conduct a qualitative
interview including how to establish rapport, guide the interview, make field
observations, and ask questions that are especially suited to life-history
interviews.
Research Interviewing
Office of the Director of Research, Deakin University
This downloadable online training module offers a comprehensive discussion of
effective research-interviewing practices.
Research Methods Resources on the WWW:
Quantitative and Qualitative Interviewing
School of Library, Archival and Information Studies, The University of
British Columbia
This Web site offers links to various resources and articles related to
quantitative and qualitative interviewing.
interviewing for a job
Guide to Job Interviewing Resources
QuintCareers.com
Quintessential Careers lists its top picks for helpful Internet sites related
to making the best of a job interview.
Interview
CareerCity
This Web site for job seekers offers advice on everything from what to wear
to a job interview to what to do once the interview is over.
The Job Interview
Mapping-Your-Future
This site lists five steps the job seeker can follow to prepare for an
interview.
Job-Interview.net
This site offers a wide range of tips and resources to help the job seeker
prepare for a job interview.
Job Interviewing
About.com
Dawn Rosenberg McKay "gets down to the basics" in this article outlining how
to prepare for and succeed in a job
interview.
introductions
Getting Started
Word-Space
This site presents two possible strategies for beginning a business memo or
in-house report.
Introductions
The Ohio State University Center for the Study and Teaching of
Writing
This brief article discusses what is essential to an essay's introduction and
ways to cope with feeling "blocked" at the beginning of a paper.
Introductions
Writing Center Online Guide, Lynchburg College
Robert Ward prepared this brief discussion of what a thesis for a paper
entails and what paper introductions should do.
Introductory Paragraphs
The Writing Center, Harvard University
This Web site's outline of what to include in an essay's introductory
paragraph was adapted from The HarperCollins Guide to
Writing by Sommers and Simon.
Writing Introductions
The University Writing Center, Texas Tech University
This Web site's discussion of how to write an introduction to an essay
includes sample introductions following different modes of development as well
as suggestions for effective introductions taken from "Writing Introductions"
in Contexts: Writing and Reading by Jeanette Harris and Ann
Moseley.
investigative reports
Investigative Report Tips for Private
Investigators
Council of International Investigators (CII)
On this site, Robert Hyman offers three steps plus additional tips on writing
a professional, easy-to-understand investigative report.
Investigative Report
Writing
The Private Investigator's Mall
Leilani F. Canella presents 12 tips on how to write a clear, professional
investigative report.
italics
Italics
The Department of Communication, York University
This site offers a review of italics usage, part of the York University
online style guide.
Italics/Underlining & Quotation
Marks
On-Line Writing Lab, Utah Valley State College
This Web page offers two brief exercises testing the user's knowledge of the
proper use of italics and quotation marks.
Using Italics and
Underlining
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers usage guidelines for italics and underlining with
examples.
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J
jargon
Avoiding Artificial
Language
The Writing Center, State University of West Georgia
This site presents some examples of artificial language in the form of
pretensions, jargon, euphemisms, and doublespeak.
Avoiding Slang, Jargon, and
Cliché
Online Writing and Learning, LeTourneau University
This Web site offers a tutorial designed to help the user recognize and
revise slang, jargon, and cliché.
Dictionary of Management Jargon: What Your
Boss Meant to Say
William Wieker, Author
This site offers a compiled list of jargon used in business as well as
explanations and definitions in plain language.
The Jargon Dictionary
Astrian Corp.
The Jargon File Web site features a comprehensive compendium of
computer-hacker slang and related information, including a dictionary of hacker
jargon.
Jargon Files
The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
This site offer resources related to the use of jargon, including a
jargon-finder database and an article by Tony Proscio on how to avoid tomorrow's
jargon.
job descriptions
Guide to Writing Job
Descriptions
Personnel Department, UCLA
This site offers guidelines and resources for analyzing jobs and writing job
descriptions.
Guidelines for Writing Job
Descriptions
Human Resources, Rice University
This Web page offers succinct guidelines for defining the essential elements
of a job and writing a job description.
Writing Job Descriptions for Small
Businesses
Ohio State University
This university fact sheet written by James R. Lindner explains job analysis
and offers a sample job description.
job search
America's Job Bank
This site features a job bank and career tools for job
seekers.
CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder.com is an online job bank and recruitment service
site.
CareerWeb
Partnered with the nationwide print publication The Employment Guide,
Career Web is an online recruiting site, bringing job seekers and employers
together.
College Grad Job Hunter
CollegeGrad.com is an Internet job search service for college students and
recent graduates.
Finding a Job and Evaluating a Job
Offer
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Part of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, this site offers tips for
job seekers.
Graduating Engineer and Computer Careers
Online
Career Recruitment Media, Inc.
Graduating Engineer Online is a career and information center for young
engineering and computer science majors starting their
careers.
HotJobs
HotJobs.com, a subsidiary of Yahoo, offers this job search site as well as
recruiting solutions and software for employers.
Monster
Monster.com is a global online network with resources for linking job seekers
with careers.
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L
laboratory reports
Instructions for Writing Laboratory
Reports
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Georgia
This site offers a brief and clear outline for writing a lab
report.
Lab Reports
The Writing Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jennie Skerl presents this online handout describing a generally applicable
format for lab reports.
Laboratory Reports
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech
Part of an online writing guide for engineering and science students, this
Web page presents a commonly used organization for laboratory reports including
written samples of each report section discussed.
Writing Lab Reports and Scientific
Papers
Joe Landsberger, University of St. Thomas
This online guide to writing lab reports reviews the basic format with an
explanation of the essentials within each report
section.
layout and design
Common Page Layout Terms
Explained
Computing Services, The University of Edinburgh
This Web site gives detailed explanations of common layout terms such as
aspect ratio, greeking, and widow, and includes a link to
ten simple tips for putting a better document together.
Desktop Publishing
About.com
Jacci Howard Bear offers tips on desktop publishing topics such as raster
image processing and special fonts as well as explanations of publishing
terminology.
Layout and Design (Using Quark
Express)
Trinity College, The University of Dublin
This section of an online student publishing guidebook covers general and
specific points on desktop publishing layout and design using Quark
Express.
library research
Glossary of Common Library
Terms
Marriott Library, University of Utah
The alphabetized glossary on this site gives accessible definitions for
selected library and computing terms that are used frequently in library
settings.
Google Directory of Libraries
This directory provides access to online archives, college and university
libraries, and government documents.
LibDex Library Index
LibDex is a worldwide directory of library home pages, Web-based Online
Public Access Catalogs (OPACs).
Library of Congress
This site offers access to the online catalog holdings and special
collections of the Library of Congress.
Library Terms
Auraria Library, Denver, CO
This Web site offers an alphabetical listing of common library terms, as well
as terms from related disciplines, with definitions designed to help demystify
libraries and the research process.
listening
Active Listening
Techniques
Poynter.org
The Poynter.org site provides journalists with reliable information, useful
tools, and provocative suggestions. This page briefly outlines four types of
active listening techniques.
Listening Skills
Canadian Association on Student Activity Advisors (CASAA)
This site offers a brief discussion of how facial expression and eye contact
are vital to effective, active listening.
lists
Techniques for Generating Ideas:
Lists
Writing Center, Amherst College
This site offers a discussion of ways to use lists for brainstorming and to
organize ideas for an essay.
Using Numbers, Writing
Lists
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers advice on how to write numbers and organize lists in standard academic
prose.
literature reviews
Conducting a Literature
Review
University Libraries, The Pennsylvania State University
The online course materials on this site offer a discussion of how to conduct
a broad literature review, identify other literature reviews, and write a
literature review.
How to Write a Literature
Review
SportScience
This site features an article by Will G. Hopkins that outlines how to write a
literature review for scientific journals. The article is in the form of a
literature review so that it can also be used as an example.
Writing a Psychology Literature
Review
Psychology Writing Center, University of Washington
This site features concise and comprehensive step-by-step information on how
to write a literature review in the field of psychology.
Writing Literature
Reviews
University Libraries, The Pennsylvania State University
The online course materials on this site provide links to guidelines for
writing literature reviews as well as links to sample
models.
logic errors
Argumentation/Persuasion: Logic in
Argumentative Writing
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers links to a set of online handouts that discuss common terms
and concepts used in formal logical reasoning.
Common Errors of Logic in Argumentative Writing (Logical
Fallacies)
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Campus
Steve Moiles has designed this online handout that reviews and gives examples
of common errors of logic in argumentative writing such as false analogy and
circular reasoning.
Identifying the Argument of an
Essay
Dr. Frank Edler, Metropolitan Community College
This site offers a tutorial in recognizing the logical components of an
argument and thinking critically.
Stephen's Guide to Logical Fallacies
DataNation
Stephen Downes's Web site features this guide to logical fallacies, organized
by category, including definitions, examples, proofs, and references for each
fallacy listed.
lowercase and uppercase letters
Type Resources: Use the Right
Character
Adobe Systems Inc.
This site features a discussion of topics in typography, such as italics,
boldface, and uppercase, designed to help the user create more professional
documents.
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malapropisms
Malapropisms
This Web page, designed by Dan Gookin, features a definition and list of
malapropisms originally collected and compiled by John
Ehrman.
manuals
How to Write Usable User
Documentation
Department of Computer Science, California Polytechnic State
University
John L. Massa presents this online tutorial designed to teach the user how to
create a module of usable user documentation.
LiveManuals.com
e-SIM, Ltd.
This site offers thousands of user manuals for consumer
products.
Successful Instruction Manuals
Right Words, New Zealand Limited
The Web site for Right Words, a communications consulting company, features
an outline of what makes an instruction manual
successful.
maps
Cartographic Information on the
Web
The University of Iowa Libraries
This useful site offers links to online maps and other types of
mapping/cartographic resources.
TerraServer
Microsoft Corporation
TerraServer is one of the world's largest online databases providing free
public access to a vast data store of maps and aerial photographs of the United
States.
U.S. Census Bureau's Mapping and Cartographic
Resources
This site offers links to various U.S. cartographic resources related to the
work of the Census Bureau such as census maps, geographic services, and state
and county quick facts.
mathematical equations
Equations in Text
Dr. Ronald B. Standler, Attorney
This site includes a review of several simple and often overlooked rules for
how to gracefully include equations in text.
meetings
Conducting Business Meetings
Online
Robin Nobles, Author
This online article reviews software and Web sites that facilitate online
business meetings.
memos
How to Write Memos!
English Works!, Gallaudet University
This site offers an online handout with tips on writing memos excerpted from
Quick, Take This Memo by Neil Chesanow.
Memos
The Writing Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Dan Murphy presents this online handout describing the format, content, and
style of the memo.
When Should You Write
Memos?
Department of Agricultural Information Science and Education, Mississippi
State University
This site features a short list of situations delineating when a memo is and
is not appropriate.
methods of development
Audience Awareness: Methods of
Development
Dr. Jan Strever, Spokane Community College
This online essay briefly describes various methods of paragraph
development.
Methods of Development
English Department, San Antonio College
This site provides answers to questions about exemplification, a method of
development found in Aristotle's discussion of writing.
Organizing Material According to
Purpose
Deborah Dumaine, Author
From the founder of the firm Better Communications, this site about business
writing includes a list of organizational methods and when to use
them.
Patterns of Development
Southeastern Louisiana University
Elisabetta LeJeune's site of online course materials offers simple and
accessible descriptions of various methods of development for
writing.
minutes of meetings
Keeping Board Minutes
About.com
Stan Hutton offers tips on the essentials of taking minutes at board
meetings.
Minute Writing—A Guide for
Clerks
The Official Cardiff Council Web site
This site features a detailed guide to the principles and concepts of writing
minutes at meetings.
Taking Meeting Minutes
MeetingWizard.com
This site features tips and advice on taking thorough and professional
meeting minutes.
mixed constructions
Confusion: Its Sources and
Remedies
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hosted by Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College, this site
offers advice on finding and revising sources of confusion in writing such as
mixed constructions, pronoun problems, and mixed metaphors.
Mixed Constructions
English Department, University of Calgary
This page of an interactive guide to grammar offers guidelines for avoiding
mixed constructions.
modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This site offers definitions and examples of dangling modifiers along with
examples of suggested revisions.
Modifiers
HyperGrammar
Produced by the Writing Centre at the University of Ottawa and written by
Frances Peck, this site is the chapter overview of modifiers and includes links
to six different categories of modifier usage and
function.
mood
ESL Grammar Hotline: Verb Mood
English Language Institute, University of Delaware
This site offers advice, in question-and-answer format, on the correct usage
of verb forms that tend to be difficult, especially for English language
students.
The Indicative and Imperative Moods
Xenos Evangelical Church, Columbus, OH
This site features a brief discussion of verb mood in relation to scripture
and excerpted examples of the imperative and indicative mood in biblical
writing.
Verbs: Conditional Mood
Word One, The Word Association, Inc.
Part of a computerized writing and language-skills instructional program,
this site features a low-key and accessible explanation of when to use the
conditional mood.
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narration
Narration
The Parkland Learning Lab, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
This site features Ruth Ann Vokac's brief overview of the elements of a
narrative essay.
Methods of
Development—Narration
English Department, San Antonio College
This site provides answers to questions about narration, a method of
development found in Aristotle's discussion of writing.
Writing Modes
The Washington Virtual Classroom
This page of a Web-based learning module site offers brief explanations of
the narrative, expository, descriptive, and persuasive modes of
writing.
new words
Neologisms—A Dictionary of Findable Words and
Phrases
Richard Leveridge, Editor
This Web site features comprehensive information on new and evolving words
and phrases in the English language, with special reference to U.K. English
usage. Many of the words are not listed on the Internet or findable by
searches.
Neologisms in Journalistic
Text
Research and Development Unit for English Studies, The University of
Liverpool
This Web site features a series of lists of neologisms chosen arbitrarily
from a newspaper source and presented in context for the benefit of teachers of
English language who want to stay abreast of new word usage.
New Words in English
This Web site's list of new words and novel uses of words in English was
compiled by Suzanne Kemmer's students at Rice University.
The Word Spy
Logophilia
This Web site has a database of recently coined words, existing words that
have enjoyed a recent renaissance, and older words that are being used in new
ways.
newsletter articles
Writing Newsletter
Articles
A Promotion Guide
Part of a Web site that offers a free step-by-step promotional tutorial, this
page features a discussion of how to write articles designed for publication in
newsletters that can help promote a business or Web
site.
newsletters
Checklist Will Make for More Effective
Newsletter
Stephen Wilbers, Author
Columnist Stephen Wilbers offers this checklist outlining essential points to
include when writing a newsletter.
How to Write Newsletters That Get Results:
Email Newsletter Essentials
This downloadable e-book written by Stephen Brown offers techniques for
writing newsletters that work.
Newsletter Design Tips
About.com
On this site, Judy Litt offers links to resources for designing
newsletters.
Tips on Email Newsletters
Digital-Women.com
This Web site offers a "how to" article by Debbie Buxton on how to write
e-mail newsletters.
nominalizations
Nominalization
Department of Physics, The Ohio State University
This online handout for John Wilkins's course entitled Writing and
Speaking About Physics and Astronomy defines and gives examples of
nominalizations including some legitimate occurrences.
Nominalizations
Center for Teaching and Learning, Lawrence University
This online writing pamphlet by Jocelyn Sykora covers nominalizations and
offers tips for effective usage.
Nominalizations and
Adjectivizations
Legal Research and Writing Program, Chicago-Kent College of Law
This site offers some brief examples of correct and incorrect usage of
nominalizations (verbs that have been turned into nouns) and adjectivizations
(verbs that have been turned into
adjectives).
note-taking
Lecture Note Taking
Office of Academic Advising, College of Saint Benedict, Saint John's
University
This site offers guidelines and tips for students taking notes in lecture
classes.
Listening and
Note-Taking
Study Skills Package, University of Waterloo
This site features tips on what is required to develop good listening and
note-taking skills.
Note-Taking and In-Class
Skills
The Division of Student Affairs and Cook Counseling Center, Virginia Tech
University
This site offers advice for students who want to improve their note-taking
skills.
Taking Meeting Notes on Your Pocket
PC
Microsoft.com
This site features Brad Adrian's article on how to use a pocket PC to keep
track of meeting details.
nouns
Complete List of Spelling Rules for Nouns and
Verbs
Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL, Georgia State University
This site features a list of rules for irregular plural formation