Guide to Useful Resources on Writing

1.

Books and writing guides

Becker, Howard S. 2007. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis,
Book, or Article. 2nd ed.Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [300.149 B3][e-book]
This is a book on social science writing, using examples mainly drawn from the sociological
literature. It provides suggestions on how to write academic works.
Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb& Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The Craft of Research, 3rd
ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [001.42 B725 c88] [e-book]
This is a very useful book covering key elements in research and writing for researchers and
students.
Gerring, John. Boston University. General Advice on Social Science Writing
http://www.bu.edu/polisci/files/people/faculty/gerring/documents/WritingAdvice.pdf
It provides advice on how to organize an article and develop causal arguments, as well as useful
tips on writing styles, use of sources, and citation formats.
Lipson, Charles. University of Chicago. How to Write a Thesis
http://www.charleslipson.com/How-to-write-a-thesis.htm
This guide draws on Lipsons book: How to Write a B.A. Thesis: A Practical Guide from Your
First Ideas to Your Finished Paper. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. [808 042
L7] [e-book]
Turabian, Kate L. 2007. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations:
Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[378.242 T929]
A comprehensive guide on research and writing, citation, and style.
Van Evera, Stephen. 1997.Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. Ithaca: Cornell
University Press. [X 320 V217 g]
It provides instructions on case studies and writing a political science dissertation.

2.

Websites on writing

Harvard College Writing Program

The Writing Center:
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/resources.html
Section on writing resources (guides to writing theses in different disciplines, and guides
for senior thesis writers):
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k33202&pageid=icb.page143936
HKU Library Research Guides
http://lib.hku.hk/general/research/
It provides useful guidelines on using different HKU databases and searching for reference
materials, as well as lists of recommended readings.
Johns Hopkins University Writing Center:
http://krieger.jhu.edu/writingcenter/writing_resources/
It provides links to academic ethics, online research help, and other topics.
Professor Charles Lipson, University of Chicago:
http://www.charleslipson.com/Reading-Writing-Plagiarism-and-Academic-Honesty.htm#AntiplagiarismResources
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It provides links to websites onacademic honesty, information and resources on writing, and blogs
on writing andthe teaching of writing.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL):
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
A comprehensive guide to writing, including formatting and style guides, grammar, and subjectspecific writing.
The University of North Carolina Writing Center:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/index.html
It provides handouts on grammar,word usage, paper writing, citation style, and many other topics.
University of Toronto: Advice on Academic Writing
Provides guidance on researching, organizing, using sources, as well asstyle and editing.
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice
For a list of books on writing (general handbooks, discipline-specific guides, grammar
and style, etc.):
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/books

3.

Formatting, style, and grammar

American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide 2009:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Resources on doing citation and the reference list, as well as APA sample papers, slide
presentations, and the APA classroom poster.
Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
A free trial is available at:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
Key topics are covered in the Purdue OWL:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/
Modern Language Association (MLA) Formatting and Style Guide 2009:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
It is a style commonly used in the liberal arts and humanities. The website provides examples for
the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the
Works Cited page.
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant:
http://www.powa.org/
An Instant Grammar Checker is available at: http://www.grammarly.com/?
gclid=CLjM57-95KoCFc0A4godznjA7w
After copying and pasting the text to the website, a scored report will be generated. Further
editing functions will require registration.
William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style(free online book)
http://www.bartleby.com/141/
A classic on writing. It offers useful advice on topics such as usage of words and punctuation,
principles of composition of sentences, words and expressions commonly misused, and
common misspelling of words.

4.

Dictionaries

Dictionary.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/
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It provides online dictionary and thesaurus.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
It includes both a collegiate dictionary and a thesaurus. Free applications for iPhone, iPad, and
Andriod are downloadable at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/promos/mobile-apppromo.htm
Oxford Dictionary of English
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