Part 1 Composing
1. Think as a Writer
a. Think about the process of communication
b. Think about your audience
c. Think about your credibility
2. Read and View with a Critical Eye
a. Become a critical reader
b. Become a critical viewer
3. Plan Your Writing
a. Establish goals and find a topic
b. Write a working thesis
4. Write a Draft
a. Determine your organisation
b. Compose a draft
5. Compose Paragraphs
a. Focus your paragraphs
b. Write effective beginning and ending paragraphs
6. Revise, Edit, and Proofread
a. Evaluate your draft
b. Learn strategies for rewriting
c. Edit for specific goals
d. Proofread carefully
7. Write in Academic Genres
a. Write an observation
b. Write a case study
c. Write a lab report in the sciences
d. Write an essay exam
Part 2 Researching
Five Steps for Planning and Conducting Research
1 How do I find a topic?
2 How do I focus a topic?
3 How do I determine what research I need?
4 How do I find sources?
5 How do I keep track of my research?
8. Find Sources in Databases
a. Know the strengths of database sources
b. Find information in databases
c. Construct effective database searches
d. Locate elements of a citation in database sources
9. Find Sources on the Web
a. Find reliable Web sources
b. Construct effective Web searches
c. Locate elements of a citation in Web sources
10. Find Print Sources
a. Know the strengths of print sources
b. Find books
c. Find journal articles
d. Locate elements of a citation in print sources
11. Evaluate Your Sources
a. Determine the relevance of sources
b. Determine the quality of print and database sources
c. Determine the quality of Web sources
12. Plan Field Research
a. Know what you can obtain from field research
b. Conduct interviews
c. Administer surveys
d. Make observations
13. Incorporate Sources and Avoid Plagiarism
a. Avoid plagiarism
b. Quote sources without plagiarising
c. Summarise and paraphrase sources without plagiarising
d. Incorporate quotations, summaries, and paraphrases effectively
Part 3 Documenting
Five Steps for Documenting Sources
1 Which documentation style do I use?
2 What kind of source am I using?
3 When do I cite sources?
4 How do I cite a source in my paper?
5 How do I cite sources at the end of my paper?
14. MLA Documentation
a. In-text citations in MLA-style
b. Books in MLA-style works cited
c. Journals, magazines, newspapers, and documents
d. Library database publications
e. Online publications
f. Unedited online sources
g. Visual and multimedia sources
h. Sample research paper with MLA documentation
15. APA Documentation
a. The elements of APA documentation
b. In-text citations in APA-style
c. Books and nonperiodical sources
d. Periodical sources
e. Online sources
f. Visual, computer, and multimedia sources
g. Sample pages from a research paper with APA documentation
16. CMS Documentation
a. The elements of CMS documentation
b. Books and nonperiodical sources
c. Periodical sources
d. Online sources
e. Sample pages from a research paper with CMS documentation
17. Harvard Documentation
a. The elements of Harvard Documentation
b. In-text citations in Harvard style
c. Books in the Harvard style reference list
d. Journals, magazines, newspapers and documents in the Harvard style reference list
e. Online sources in the Harvard style reference list
f. Unedited online sources in the Harvard style reference list
g. Visual and multimedia sources in the Harvard style reference list
h. Sample pages from a research paper with Harvard Documentation
Part 4 Effective Style and Language
18. Write with Power
a. Recognise active and passive voice
b. Use action verbs
c. Find agents
d. Vary your sentences
19. Write Concisely
a. Eliminate unnecessary words
b. Reduce wordy phrases
c. Simplify tangled sentences
20. Write with Emphasis
a. Manage emphasis within sentences
b. Forge links across sentences
c. Use parallel structure with parallel ideas
21. Find the Right Words
a. Be aware of levels of formality
b. Be aware of denotation and connotation
c. Use specific language
d. Write to be inclusive
e. Recognise international varieties of English
Part 5 Understanding Grammar
22. Fragments, Run-ons, and Comma Splices
a. Fragments
b. Run-on sentences
c. Comma splices
23. Subject-Verb Agreement
a. Agreement in the present tense
b. Singular and plural subjects
c. Indefinite pronouns as subjects
d. Collective nouns as subjects
e. Inverted word order
f. Amounts, numbers, and pairs
24. Verbs
a. Basic verb forms
b. Irregular verbs
c. Transitive and intransitive verbs
25. Pronouns
a. Pronoun case
b. Pronoun agreement
c. Avoiding sexist pronouns
d. Vague reference
26. Shifts
a. Shifts in tense
b. Shifts in mood
c. Shifts in voice
d. Shifts in person and number
27. Modifiers
a. Choose the correct modifier
b. Place adjectives carefully
c. Place adverbs carefully
d. Revise disruptive modifiers
e. Revise dangling modifiers
28. Grammar for Multilingual Writers
a. Nouns
b. Articles
c. Verbs
Part 6 Understanding Punctuation and Mechanics
29. Commas
a. Commas with introductory elements
b. Commas with compound clauses
c. Commas with nonrestrictive modifiers
d. Commas with items in a series
e. Commas with coordinate adjectives
f. Commas with quotations
g. Commas with dates, numbers, titles, and addresses
h. Commas to avoid confusion
i. Unnecessary commas
30. Semicolons and Colons
a. Semicolons with closely related main clauses
b. Semicolons together with commas
c. Colons in sentences
d. Colons with lists
31. Dashes and Parentheses
a. Dashes and parentheses to set off information
b. Dashes and parentheses versus commas
c. Other punctuation with parentheses
32. Apostrophes
a. Possessives
b. Contractions and omitted letters
c. Plurals of letters, symbols, and words referred to as words
33. Quotation Marks
a. Direct quotations
b. Titles of short works
c. Other uses of quotation marks
d. Other punctuation with quotation marks
e. Misuses of quotation marks
34. Other Punctuation Marks
a. Periods
b. Question marks
c. Exclamation points
d. Brackets
e. Ellipses
f. Slashes
35. Capitalisation, Italics, Abbreviations, Numbers
a. Capital letters
b. Italics
c. Abbreviations
d. Acronyms
e. Numbers
Glossary of Grammatical Terms and Usage
Index
Revision Guide
Lester Faigley understands how students learn best. He believes that students learn best when they can find the information that they need in a handbook without being overwhelmed by detail. To accomplish this goal:
• The design of The Little Penguin Handbook makes important information stand out visually and verbally, thus inviting students to browse the book for answers and advice.
• Complicated processes are broken down into clear, simple steps.
• New ideas and terms are presented in clear and accessible language.
• Comprehensive, cutting-edge treatment of research includes thorough coverage of plagiarism and integrating sources.
• The Little Penguin Handbook was the first very brief handbook to offer visual “source samples” for documentation.
• Grammar and style issues are covered in practical, accessible language in “Common Errors” boxes–a key at the back of the book and boxes throughout the book make it easy for student writers to find guidance on the most common errors. Each box addresses a specific error with information on how to recognize, understand, and correct it.