LibGuides: Division of Arts: Culinary Arts Program: Helpful Paper Writing Tools

The Basics You Need To Know!!!

How to: APA Formatting Guide
Click this link for a libguide dedicated to APA format guidelines.
How to: MLA Formatting Guide
Click this link for a libguide dedicated to MLA formatting guidelines.

Tutorials and Videos on Paper Writing

Universal Class: Writing Help
short courses on a variety of writing elements. Can take most as a class and recieve a Certificate of Completion or simply access the content to brush up on skills.

Does require the creation of an account (contact the library for assistance if needed). See the Kansas State Library page above for more information.
Quick and Dirty Writing Process Video
This video posted by CIS*2050*DE is a good overview of the best practices in writing process. Goes over the key aspects of creating a well written paper/project/email/blog/etc..
Using Citations 101
This video posted by Shmoop is a fun and short video that goes over the basics of using research correctly in the text of your paper.
What are in-text citations?
This video from Imagine Easy Solutions breaks down the different types of in-text citations that you can use inside of a paper and how to cite the information appropriately.

Plagiarism Check!

Plagiarism: Lesson One
Professor Andrew Young discusses "What is Plagiarism?" The video makes reference to Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ), specifically FSCJ's Student Handbook. Lesson two will address how to write a Works Cited page and how to incorporate in-text citations within an essay.
Academic Honesty Lesson 2 - How to Avoid Plagiarism
BVC Upgrading
Published on May 23, 2018
In lesson one we learned what plagiarism is. Now learn how to avoid it.
Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism: Types of Plagiarism
U of G Library
Published on Sep 30, 2014
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

https://plagiarismcheckerx.com/buy

Pros: There is a Free version that can be downloaded to your computer.

Cons: There are some limitations on the free version including # of searches

Paid Version: Each plan has benefits and drawbacks. Really only beneficial for when you will write A LOT of papers

PlagiarismChecker

Pros: 100% free; Easy and detailed instructions; The "Author" option allows for checking if others have plagiarized your work online; Does not require any download or installation.

Cons: It searches phrases separately, which means that you need to hit “Enter” after each phrase.

Paid Version: Not available. **Note- Online tool only. Read carefully this is not a "download"

DupliChecker

Pros: 100% free; Extremely easy to use; Has the options of copy-pasting the text, entering the URL of the content destination required to be checked, or uploading a text file; Registered users can perform 50 searches per day.

Cons: Unregistered users can perform only 1 search per day.

Paid Version: Not available.

PaperRater

Pros: Offers 3 tools: Grammar checking, plagiarism detection, and writing suggestions; It is developed and maintained by linguistics professionals and graduate students; Readability statistics; Title validation.

Cons: Cannot save reports.

Paid version: Accepts longer documents (up to 6000 words);Faster processing; No banner ads; Ability to upload documents; $7.95/mo (with annual payment).

This information comes from: Christopher Pappas "Top 10 Free Plagiarism Detection Tools: eLearning Industry 18 November 2016 https://elearningindustry.com/top-10-free-plagiarism-detection-tools-for-teachers 9 November 2016

Grammarly Online Proofreading
Pros- Catches a lot of things that are missed by standard spell check features. Requires download of Grammerly for Microsoft Office (there is also a package for online content as well, separate donwload)

Cons- Grammar and spelling only; does not check for plagiarism

Common Graded Areas of Writing

6 Traits of Writing
This is a video posted by Heidi Elmoustakim that explains each of the 6 traits most commonly graded in writing assignments. This is important to understand so you know what your teachers will be looking for when reading your written work.

IDEAS:

Does it make sense?

Does it explain to the point of clear understanding?

Does it stay on topic and focused?

Does it contain clear (factual) information?

Does it show insight and is unique to the writer?

ORGANIZATION:

Does each paragraph present a clear topic and idea?

Does each paragraph clearly connect to each other?

Does it have clear points/ support paragraphs?

Does it have a balanced amount of sentences per point?

Does it have a clear completion/ ending?

VOICE:

Does the writing for the assignment/ question?

Does the writing seem engaging and interesting?

Does the writing convey the type of person who wrote it?

Is there a clear feeling about the thoughts/ opinions expressed?

Is the writing clearly for the reader (but does not use "you" references in the text)?

WORD CHOICE:

Are words specific to the topic or subject?

Do the words show a good range of applicable vocabulary?

Do the words seem natural and flow in writing?

Does the writer repeat the same word(s) / phrase(s) frequently?

Are the words chosen strong enough to convey understanding?

SENTENCE FLUENCY:

Do the sentences show a good range of length/structure?

Do the sentences seem natural and flow within the writing?

Are the sentences powerful/ meaningful to the topic?

Are the sentences easy to read aloud?

Are you able to read the paper without having to stop and reread sentences for clarity?

CONVENTIONS:

Are the words in the paper spelled correctly throughout?

Are the rules of grammar followed and executed properly?

Is punctuation used correctly and appropriately?

Grammar 101: Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech- Helpful website to understand the parts of sentences

Grammar 101: Punctuation

Using Proper Grammar is the difference between:

We ate grandma. or We ate, grandma.

Grammar 101: Spelling Rules and Guidelines

Handouts on How to cite APA style

Libguide APA
For more and detailed information on APA go to this Libguide.

Handout on how to cite MLA style

Libguide MLA
For more and detailed information on APA citations go to this Libguide.

FOR FUN

Word Crimes!

Report Issues or Problems

If any of the links on this page are not working or if there is a question about the information and content provided- please notify the Director of Information Resources by emailing library@fhtc.edu

Q: What does "Scholarly Article" or "Peer-Reviewed Article" Mean?

Coulter, P. (2016). Richard G. Trefry library: American public University System. Libanswers. http://apus.libanswers.com/faq/44354

"Scholarly" and "peer reviewed" are often used synonymously, but they are not necessarily the same thing. Peer reviewed articles are always scholarly, but not all scholarly sources are peer reviewed. It may seem confusing, but it makes more sense if you think of "scholarly" as an umbrella term for several different kinds of authoritative, credible sources. These include:

Peer reviewed journals. These journals primarily exist to publish the research findings of experts in a field. The articles that you see in these journals have been closely scrutinized by a panel of reviewers (also experts in the same field) before they are published.
Trade or professional journals or magazines. The articles in these periodicals are also written by and for experts, but there is no peer review. The articles aren't limited to research...they may be news, best practice tips or opinion pieces.
Government Publications Many government agencies publish books, reports, data or statistics. Government researchers, like those who publish in peer reviewed or trade journals, are often experts in their field.
Books. Many researchers publish books or book chapters.

How can you tell if an article is scholarly? You will have to do some detective-work, but there are some telltale signs:

Author(s): Ideally, you should rely on information that has been published by an expert, someone who has studied the topic long and hard. Most scholarly publications will list an author's credentials (their degrees -- M.S., Ph.D., Ed.D., etc. - and the institution that they work for) along with his or her name.
Content: Look for articles that cover a topic in detail (more than just a few pages long, typically). It will probably include some kind of literature review, and discuss the work of other authors, in addition to any original research findings. Make sure it cites its sources (a scholarly article will always have a "references," "bibliography" or "works cited" list).
Audience: Scholarly articles are written for professionals in the field. You will probably notice a lot of technical language and/or discipline-specific jargon. The tone will be formal.
Publisher. Visit the journal's website to see what organization publishes it. Professional associations, universities and government agencies are particularly good signs. As you become more experienced, you'll also start to recognize major publishing companies in your field of study (Wiley, Elsevier, Sage, etc.).
Purpose and scope. When you're on the journal's website, look for an "about" link to learn who the intended audience is and what kind of articles are accepted.