What exactly are book citations? For that matter, what are citations, period? Starting with the last question, citations are a way of acknowledging your source, and they’re usually used in academic works—research papers, theses, dissertations and journal articles. If John Jones wrote a book titled “The effective use of white space in advertising” and you […]
What is a Style Guide?
What exactly is a style guide? That is a good question to know the answer to before you begin writing an academic paper. And, which style guide are you supposed to use? Academic writing, whether it is a research paper, a thesis, a dissertation, or a paper to be presented at a conference, has to […]
When NOT to Use a Comma
One of the most common mistakes writers make is to insert commas where they are not needed. Because the comma is so helpful and its uses so varied, many writers sprinkle them liberally throughout their text – even when they do not quite belong. But however unassuming they seem, a misplaced comma can lead to […]
When to Use a Colon
Few punctuation marks confound as much as one that should be one of the simplest, the colon. Use of the colon has many writers scratching their heads. It’s either not used when it should be, or used way more often than it should be. Normally, it’s the last thing a writer will even think about, […]
When to Use a Semicolon
In normal prose, a semicolon is used between two independent clauses to indicate a closer connection between them– whether logical, causal, sequential, or associative – than would be implied by a period. The difference can be illustrated by the following two passages: 1. You need to prepare for your trip. It often rains in London. […]
How Do I Find a Publisher?
You always wanted to write a fiction novel, or a reference book, or your autobiography. You’ve gone through months or years of hard work to finish your book. Now it is time to choose a publisher for your writing, which can be a complex and painstaking process. It is extremely important that you choose the […]