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Writing
and Researching in the Social Sciences: A
Guide to Resources in the University Libraries
Introduction
The University Libraries
collections include many important guides and tools to help you in researching
and writing your class papers, theses and professional articles. The
following is a selective list of some of the more important books and
Web sites that you may find useful in your research. For more information,
or to locate additional materials, please consult LUMINA (http://www.lib.umn.edu), the gateway to the online catalog of the collections of the University of Minnesota
Libraries. Reference staff at any library on campus will be happy to
assist you as well.
Books
on Writing in the Social Sciences
- Anderson, Daniel
Connections: A guide to on-line writing. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon, 1998.
This book covers techniques for Internet writing.
Location: Wilson PE1408 .A586 1998
- Arnold, Judith
Research writing in the information age. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon, 1999.
This book guides readers through the research process and the role
of cyberspace in a user-friendly way.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .A75 1999
- Bart, Pauline
and Linda Frankel. Student Sociologist's Handbook. 4th Ed.
New York: Random House, 1986.
Provides information on the types of sources to use, and gives some
good advice on how to structure and style your paper.
Location: Wilson HM68 .B37 1986
- Ballenger, Bruce
The curious researcher: a guide to writing research papers, 2nd
ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
This book challenges the assumption that a formal research paper has
to be dry and uninteresting to read by helping writers see how integrally
the research process and the writing process are bound.
Location: WilsonLB2369 .B246 1999
- Barzun, Jacques
andHenry F. Graff. The Modern Researcher. 5th Ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
A classic on how to do historical research, this also covers the basics
of reporting on results, organizational methods, etc.
Location: WILS LB2369 .B28 1992
- Becker, Howard
S. andPamela Richards. Writing for Social Scientists: How to
Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1986.
This covers everything from the general paper to formal journal or
book publication.
Location: Wilson H91 .B4 1986
- Block, Gertrude
Effective legal writing: For law students and lawyers, 5th
ed. New York, NY: Foundation Press, 1999.
Useful information and advice for anyone writing about legal topics
or using legal literature.
Location: Law KF 250 .B56 1999
- Bolker, Joan.
Writing your dissertation in fifteen minutes a day: A guide to
starting, revising, and finishing your doctoral thesis, 1st ed.
New York: H. Holt, 1998.
The author, a clinical psychologist who cofounded the Harvard Writing
Center, offers suggestions on how to create a writing habit and stresses
the need to set reasonable goals and deadlines for yourself to keep
from getting discouraged.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .B57 1998
- Brusaw, Charles
T. et al . The Business Writer's Handbook. 5th Ed. New York:
St. Martin's Press, 1997.
Covers many types of publications - from reports, proposals, letters,
papers to résumés - it also gives advice on styling
your work for a particular audience and purpose.
Location: Wilson and MaGrath HF5726 .B874
1997
- Cuba, Lee J .
A Short Guide to Writing about Social Science. Glenview, IL:
Scott, Foresman, 1988.
Covers the entire process of writing papers in these fields.
Location: Wilson H91 .C78 1988
- Edgar, Christopher
Nearness of you: Students andteachers writing on-line. New
York: Teachers andWriters Collaborative, 1996.
Written by a composition instructor, this guide covers the various
issues in style and format for writing for the Web and other online
media.
Location: Wilson PE1404 .F43 1996
- Feldman, Ann
Merle Writing and learning in the disciplines. New York: HarperCollins
College Publishers, 1996.
This comprehensive text covers writing in the sciences, humanities
and social sciences with good examples of writing style and research
using various types of original documents/research.
Location: Wilson PE1408 .F43 1996
- Garner, Diane
L. The complete guide to citing government information resources:
A manual for writers and librarians. Bethesda, MD: CIS, 1993.
An important manual and reference source for citing any type of governmental
report, testimony, bill, etc., in your research paper.
Location: Wilson Reference Z7164 .G7
G234c 1993 (other copies on campus)
- Glesne, Corrine
Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction, 2nd ed.
New York: Longman, 1999.
Covers interview techniques and other information gathering techniques
as well as writing tips for the social sciences and education.
Location: Wilson H61 .G555 1999
- Henson, Kenneth
T. Writing for professional publication: Keys to academic and business
success. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
Originally prepared to support the author's Writing for Publication
workshops (delivered on more than 200 college campuses), the book
emphasizes writing for professional journals or university presses.
Location: Wilson PN151 .H447 1999
- Holtom, Daniel.
Enjoy writing your science thesis or dissertation: A step by step
guide to planning and writing dissertations and theses for undergraduate
and graduate science students. River Edge, NJ: Imperial College
Press, 1999.
This book covers all aspects of writing a thesis or dissertation,
written by an experienced scientist who has advised many doctoral
dissertations.
Location: Norris Sci/Eng Reference T11
.H582 1999
- Johnson, William
A. (Ed) The criminal justice student writer's manual. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999.
Book is designed to teach beginning students how to conduct criminal
justice research and write papers in the discipline.
Location: Wilson HV9950 .C74323 1999
- Joseph, Nancy
L. Research writing using traditional and electronic sources. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999.
A comprehensive guide to efficient writing strategies and current
documentation styles for both traditional and electronic sources.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .J64 1999
- Kadesch, Margot
C. Insights into academic writing: strategies for advanced students.
White Plains, NY: Longman, 1991.
A good source for ESL students and their instructors, the book focuses
on critical thinking/discussion skills and gives examples of both
famous essays and provides separate rhetorical points for preparing
a first and second draft of a paper.
Location: Wilson PE1404 .K34 1991b
- Lester, James
D. The essential guide to writing research papers. New York:
Longman, 1999.
Takes the student through the research process; especially strong
in linking sources to the text, using Chicago, ALA and MLA styles.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .L47 1999
- Luck, Martin.
Your student research project. Aldershot, Hampshire, England:
Gower, 1999.
Provides positive support and good advice for the novice writer; such
as ‘distinguishing between failure and lack of success.’
Location: Wilson LB2369 .L73 1999
- Maner, Martin.
The research process: A complete guide and reference for writers,
2nd ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub. Co., 2000.
Another good resource for the undergraduate beginning a major writing
project in the social sciences or humanities, this gives good coverage
of all the major style formats, such as APA, MLA and Chicago.
Location: Wilson Reserve LB2369 .M344
2000
- Mauch, James
E. Guide to the successful thesis and dissertation: A handbook
for students and faculty, 4th ed, revised and expanded. New York
: M. Dekker, 1998.
Covering the preparation of dissertations and major research reports,
this guide provides important advice and information on all aspects
of the writing/research process.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .M377 1998
- McCloskey, Donald
N. The Writing of Economics. New York: Macmillan, 1987.
Provides good, practical advice and information on writing about this
field - and the information is useful in other social sciences as
well.
Location: Wilson and MaGrath PE1479 .E35
M33 1987
- McMerniman, Linda
From inquiry to argument. Boston: Allyn andBacon, 1999.
This book blends inquiry, research, and argument by interweaving a
discussion of argumentation strategies with instruction in critical
thinking and research skills and with writing tasks important to research
and argument.
Location: Wilson PE1431 .M4 1997
- Menasche, Lionel
Writing a research paper, Rev ed. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press, 1997.
A part of the Pitt Series in English As a Second Language, provides
many useful tips and ideas.
Location: Wilson PE1478 .M4 1997
- Meriwether, Nell
W. 12 easy steps to successful research papers. Lincolnwood,
IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1997.
The step-by-step approach of this book makes it a good starting point
for undergraduate research, including topics like including graphs
and tables in the text and how to use statistical information.
Location: Wilson quarto LB1047.3 .M47
1996
- Moxley, Joseph
M. (ed) Writing and publishing for academic authors, 2nd ed.
Lanham, MD: Rowman andLittlefield Publishers, 1997.
The book gives ‘inside’ information on how to publish scholarly articles,
book reviews, grants, magazine articles, and commercial and scholarly
books.
Location: Wilson PN146 .W75 1997
- Northey, Margot
and David B. Knight. Making Sense in Geography and Environmental
Studies: A Student's Guide to Writing and Style. Toronto: Oxford
University Press, 1992.
An excellent overview, this gives useful information on how to handle
interviews, field notes and other types of resources.
Location: Wilson G74 .N67x 1992
- Rich, Carole
Creating online media: A guide to research, writing, and design
on the Internet. Boston: McGraw-Hill/College, 1999.
A virtual media sourcebook, this practical guide covers all aspects
of writing/researching as well as types on creating your Web page.
Location: Wilson QA76.76 .I59 R53 1999
- Rodrigues, Dawn.
The research paper and the World Wide Web. Upper Saddle River,
NJ : Prentice Hall, 2000.
This book provides a guide to writing research papers and an introduction
to Web searching for research.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .R585 2000
- Runkel, Philip
J . A Guide to Usage for Writers and Students in the Social Sciences.
Totowa, NJ: Rowman andAllanheld, 1984.
This guidebook includes a useful, specialized glossary of problem
terms.
Location: Wilson and Wilson Government
Publications PE1479 .S62 R86 1984
- Seyler, Dorothy
U. Doing research: The complete research paper guide, 2nd ed.
Boston: McGraw-Hill College, 1999.
This book, aimed at the undergraduate, is designed to stimulate the
creative processes behind successful research as students learn procedures
and conventions in various fields in the social sciences.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .S46 1999
- Silverman, Jay
Rules of thumb for research. Boston: McGraw-Hill College, 1999.
Using plain language and practical tips and examples, this book is
designed to give students the essential research skills that they
need in college and beyond.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .S52 1999
- Sociology Writing
Group A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers, 4th Ed. New York:
St. Martin's Press, 1998.
This book provides advice on finding, understanding, and using all
the various kinds of research readings and data that may become a
part of your paper.
Location: Wilson and Wilson Reference
HM73 .G78 1998
- Stewart, Mark
A. Real A+ college term papers. New York: Macmillan, 1999.
Giving a lot of information and examples of Web research, this book
shows how to write exposition, argument and other types papers on
any subject and how to properly cite research documents and other
sources used.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .S74 1999
- Van Wagenen,
R. Keith Writing a thesis: Substance and style. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991.
Covering everything involved in developing a topic to defending your
thesis, a concluding chapter on style offers practical tips on how
to organize, explain, and produce forceful writing. The book also
presents seven major groupings of statistical analyses, with complete
illustrations.
Location: Wilson LB2369 .V257 1990
- Walker, Janice
R Writing@online.edu. New York: Longman, 2000.
Covering all aspects of doing research, this includes useful sections
on email etiquette, copyright issues and other aspects of doing online
research.
Location: Wilson Reference (Desk) PE1408
.W31319 2000
Good
Web Sites on Writing the Social Sciences Paper
Getting
Started Online:
Style
Manuals
Put together by staff of the University Libraries, this guide leads
you to the various style guides available here on campus.
Research
QuickStart
A step-by-step tutorial developed by librarians here at the University
of Minnesota, is an excellent starting point for beginning your research
paper.
Student
Writing Center
A part of the University’s English Department, the Student Writing Center
"works collaboratively with undergraduate students, their instructors
and other University of Minnesota units to help those students learn
how to produce their own best writing." The site includes a set of links
and other information.
Important
Mega-Sites for Your Research:
Rather than
trying to develop our own list of links, here is presented links to
some of the more exceptional Web pages developed by universities and
colleges throughout North America. If you find sources of value, please
let us know!
Dr. Randall Hansen's Wide World of Web
This site provides
one-stop shopping for "indispensable writing resources" and includes
an excellent set of links to additional "OWLS" (Online Writing Labs
and Centers).
Information Literacy Tutorial
This site covers
basic "Information literacy and research skills" that you will need
to learn to better navigate libraries and information resources.
Ashland University Writing Center
This site provides excellent step-by-step
help in writing a paper, including how to cite information, how to use
the Internet and critiquing someone else's work. Also includes an excellent
set of links for more information.
Writing Center Handouts (Harvard)
Harvard's writing
center site offers brief handouts on developing and preparing papers
that take you from forming a topic to citing resources.
The UVic Writer's Guide
The University of
Victoria presents "Writing As A Process" Web site with very clear, step-by-step
information and help in doing your research paper.
TESL : Web Links
If English is a
second-language for you or your students, this site will provide important
information and links to help you navigate your research and reporting
from a short one-page assignment to a full-blown thesis.
Sam Geonetta's Web Site: Help with: Information, Research, Academic Assistance
From the Department
of Applied Science of the University of Cincinnati comes this useful
site providing help throughout the research and writing process, along
with important links and research/reference tools.
Department of History, The University of Memphis: Models and Examples
Citing Electronic
Information in History Papers, prepared by Maurice Crouse of the Department
of History, The University of Memphis, provides extensive examples and
information on citing electronic and other sources of information from
the Internet using APA, Chicago, Turabian and other style guides.
Writing and Language Resources
This web page from the
Waterboro Public Library on "Writing and Language Resources" is an excellent
and extensive (14 page) guide to general information on all aspects of writing
and background information on language/English resources.
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