Student’s Guide to Writing College Papers, Fifth Edition

Students of all levels need to know how to write a well-reasoned, coherent research paper—and for decades Kate L. Turabian’s Student’s Guide to Writing College Papers has helped them to develop this critical skill. For its fifth edition, Chicago has reconceived and renewed this classic work for today’s generation. Addressing the same range of topics as Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations but for beginning writers and researchers, this guide introduces students to the art of formulating an effective argument, conducting high-quality research with limited resources, and writing an engaging class paper.
This new edition includes fresh examples of research topics, clarified terminology, more illustrations, and new information about using online sources and citation software. It features updated citation guidelines for Chicago, MLA, and APA styles, aligning with the latest editions of these popular style manuals. It emphasizes argument, research, and writing as extensions of activities that students already do in their everyday lives. It also includes a more expansive view of what the end product of research might be, showing that knowledge can be presented in more ways than on a printed page.
Friendly and authoritative, the fifth edition of Student’s Guide to Writing College Papers combines decades of expert advice with new revisions based on feedback from students and teachers. Time-tested and teacher-approved, this book will prepare students to be better critical thinkers and help them develop a sense of inquiry that will serve them well beyond the classroom.

Writing a successful college paper involves three things most students already do all the time: research, argue, and write. In this book, the authors behind The Craft of Research and The Chicago Manual of Style encourage students who are just learning to write college papers to think of the process as an extension of these everyday activities. In friendly but authoritative style they illustrate how to do research that addresses real questions, how to make arguments that not only assert a point but also consider the views of others, and how to communicate these arguments in writing clearly and coherently. This new edition has been thoroughly revised, with new examples of research topics, clarified terminology, more illustrations, and updated information about using online sources and citation software. It also includes updated guidelines for citations in Chicago, MLA, and APA styles and for proper paper format, a reorganized glossary, and an expanded bibliography of sources for beginning researchers.
 

Kate L. Turabian (1893–1987) was the graduate-school dissertation secretary at the University of Chicago from 1930 to 1958. Gregory G. Colomb (1951–2011) was professor of English at the University of Virginia. Joseph M. Williams (1933–2008) was professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. Joseph Bizup is associate professor of English and associate dean for undergraduate academic programs and policies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston University. William T. FitzGerald is associate professor in the Department of English at Rutgers University–Camden and director of the Writing Program.

“Offers far more than the standard term paper advice by suggesting that students read sources generously to understand, then critically to evaluate; support claims with reasons and evidence; create fair summaries and paraphrases; and be open to surprises and challenges.”