Communications (reading, writing, and speech) at the college level can really be a challenge. Thankfully, we have professionals and peer tutors to support you in all aspects of communications for all subjects and courses. Submit your paper for feedback before you turn it in.
Need in-person help, but can't make it to campus? Visit the Writing Center Zoom Room. Open Monday-Thursday Noon - 8pm; Friday Noon-4pm; and Sunday 4pm-8pm.
A variety of resources created by Western instructors to help you with your writing. Covers different aspects of the writing process including grammar and usage, choosing a topic, crafting a message (tone, point of view, word choice, etc.), writing essays, and business writing,, as well as revising and polishing your writing before you submit an assignment.
Citing Sources
Why do I have to cite my sources?
to make your writing more credible
to show your reader you've found credible sources
to give credit to the author of the words and ideas you are using
to link the reader to your sources so they can learn more
to protect yourself from plagiarism
What do I cite?
anything that has been published
book, chapter, article
web page, social media post
video, audio or other media
What does "style mean"?
style refers to appearance -- the order in which citation elements (title, author, publication date, etc.) appear
different academic fields (psychology, literature, science, etc) have specific guidelines to distinguish their field
these differences are a way of identifying a particular field
an article about literature will look different than an article about psychology
MLA, APA, and Chicago are three common citation styles used in college
each one is laid out a little bit differently than the others
the order or the elements differs
This sounds complicated! How do I remember it all?
use the citation tools library databases and simply copy/paste the article's citation
NOTE: sometimes the citation is wrong, so double-check before submitting your assignment
use a print style manual at Western Library
link to one of the digital style guides (LibGuides) below
contact the Writing Center in-person or online - they will help!
Western Library: Print Style Manuals and Digital Style Guides (LibGuides)
Print style guides are available at Western Library
Digital style guides (LibGuides) created by Western librarians are linked below
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