Political Science - Brescia

Brescia University College Political Science Research Guide

Writing

Writing an essay or research paper can be hard work! The resources below can help you with your writing:

Visit the Writing Centre at Brescia.
The OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab has lots of writing resources for you to use. You can find out about subject-specific writing, writing mechanics, grammar, and more.
Check out Western’s Writing Support Centre Online Writing Resources. They have lots of writing support handouts for you to use.

Writing Resources

The brief Penguin handbook by Lester Faigley, Roger Graves, Heather Graves
Publication Date: 2014
With unique visual guides and models, and Lester Faigley's clear, accessible explanations, The Brief Penguin Handbook has established itself as the best-selling handbook to enter the market in eighteen years. This all-in-one handbook features excellent coverage of writing for different purposes, design and presentation, research and documentation, grammar and style, and writing for ESL students making it the ultimate resource for students.
They Say / I Say by Cathy Birkenstein; Russel Durst; Gerald Graff
Publication Date: 2018-02-26
The book that has taught millions of students to present their arguments as a response to what "they say" has been expanded to define as broadly as possible who's included in "they." Readings demonstrate the moves that matter in academic writing and represent a multitude of perspectives. The Fourth Edition includes an anthology of 40 readings--half of which are NEW--that will prompt students to listen, think, and write about five important issues, including NEW "How Can We Bridge the Differences That Divide Us?"
McGraw-Hill's concise guide to writing research papers by Carol Ellison
Publication Date: 2010
Perfect Phrases for Research Papers is exactly what you need to develop a paper that will earn you the best possible grade.Veteran composition instructor Carol Ellison guides you through the process of creating a solid, engaging research paper. Inside, you'll find:Hundreds of key words and attention-drawing phrases to properly articulate your ideas into a thought-provoking, cohesive research paperTransitional phrases to ensure a graceful flow of wordsAdvice on how to focus on a specific topic Practical and comprehensive, Perfect Phrases for Research Papers is the ideal tool to help you compose your thoughts into a paper that will stand out from the rest.

Citing

Citing is an important part of the research process – you need to give credit to the authors of the sources you used!

Style

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) and the American Psychology Association style (APA) are commonly used for political science papers. Both Guides will give you a basic introduction to in-text citations and references in these styles.

For more information, please see:

The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: the official guide to APA style (7th ed.)
Purdue OWL provides additional information about CMS including manuscript formatting, formatting the reference page, and accepted manuscript writing style.

Don’t forget – if you have questions about citation, ask a library staff member – we’re here to help!

Citation Management

What is Citation Management Software?

Want to know more about specific products? Check out these Quick Start Guides: