Resource

Website Resource:  Purdue Online Writing Lab

The Owl

The Owl is a product of the Purdue University Writing Center.

Website Design and Ease of Navigation:  

From the home page users can open doors to MLA, APA formatting, research and citation resources, and more.  In addition, in contrast to many websites, the OWL’s search function actually yields useful information.  When a user searches for “annotated bibliography,” the search yields all the information required to know what an annotated bibliography is, and how to write one.  From the Research and Citation Resources page, users can jump to particulars regarding APA, MLA, and the Chicago Manual of Style.  The OWL sets itself apart by presenting each formatting style in a logical sequence of use on the left side of the page.  The user never has to guess about functionality, and each style is presented by terms of use most relevant to the user.

Response and Recommendation for Use:

The OWL is the best academic writing tool ever assembled.  I wrote my first research paper with a pen, and then typed it on a typewriter.  I had to physically, thumb through page after page of the MLA Handbook in order to learn how to cite references.  At the same time, I cross-referenced the Harbrace College Handbook, and Strunk and White’s, Elements of Style for structure and grammar help.   The OWL makes all of these tools available to writers in one, user-friendly place.  I encourage every student I work with to have The OWL open in a browser tab at all times when writing.  If you have a question about the function of a semi-colon, type “semi-colon” in the search box, and the OWL returns relevant, helpful information.  All in all, the OWL is the best resource for academic writing on the web.  In fact, we’re all lucky it’s free.