Writer's Shelf
Oxford English Dictionary (free online through Vanderbilt Library)
Definitive dictionary that offers etymology, pronunciations, quotations, and date chart.
Merriam-Webster
A free online dictionary with easy access.
Visuwords
An online graphical dictionary.
Writing Terms Dictionary
We’ve compiled a dictionary of commonly used terms in writing assignments, different disciplines, etc.
Roget’s Thesaurus
Online searchable version of handy synonyms books.
The Elements of Style (Strunk)
Online version of classic grammar and style book.
Bartleby.com
Free searchable classic literature, nonfiction, as well as reference books.
World Wide Words
Everything you ever wanted to know about words. Includes a category called “weird words,” explanations of turns of phrase, reviews of books about words, and Q&A about the origins of words and phrases.
Bedford St. Martin’s Research and Documentation Online
Need help finding and documenting sources? This site is divided into four categories: humanities, social sciences, history, and sciences. Each section includes sample papers and a glossary of research terms..
Guide to Grammar and Writing
While this is an excellent source for grammar, it also has a number of topics related to paragraphs, essays, and research papers. The layout offers pull-down menus by category, and it also has a number of PowerPoints and exercises.
Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing via a weekly podcast. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules.
St. Martin’s Handbook, Sixth Edition Online
Quick guides, exercises, resources lists, and more – you’ll need to create a login, but it’s free. This site has tutorials and research guides for writing across the disciplines and for evaluating online sources.
Library of Congress
Upgraded online catalog.
U.S. Copyright Office
All the ins and outs of U.S. copyright.
ABSTRACTS
Duke University (includes more links at end of article)
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hil
Princeton University (under section Advice for Academic Writing)
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Illinois-Springfield
LITERATURE REVIEWS
Duke University
University of Illinois-Springfield
RESUMES/COVER LETTERS
The OWL at Purdue
Professional, Technical, and Job Search Writing (click on link in navigation bar)
University of Illinois-Springfield
Resumes and Cover Letters
Dartmouth College
Writing for a Job or Professional Audience
Duke University
Resume (more links at end of article)
Cover Letter (more links at end of article)
PERSONAL STATEMENTS/APPLICATION ESSAYS
Dartmouth College
Writing the Graduate School Application
The OWL at Purdue
Writing the Personal Statement
BUSINESS LETTERS
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
The OWL at Purdue