Library News Blog

Free Subscriptions

The Union Institute & University community has free access to The Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times. It is now easier than ever to read world-class journalism using these school-wide subscriptions.

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

“The Chronicle of Higher Education has the nation’s largest newsroom dedicated to covering colleges and universities. As the unrivaled leader in higher education journalism, we serve our readers with indispensable real-time news and deep insights, plus the essential tools, career opportunities, and knowledge to succeed in a rapidly changing world.” The Chronicle Website

The diverse coverage will be of interest to many, with sections devoted to teaching, administration, leadership & governance, faculty, research, publishing, technology, finance, admissions,  student aid, graduate students, campus spaces, and technology.  The Chronicle also provides a variety of newsletters focused on teaching, educational technology, quick tips, and news briefings delivered daily or weekly.

Students, faculty, and staff members can access to the Chronicle of Higher Education using their regular MyUnion username and password.  Note: you can ignore the subscribe/login information in the top, right-hand corner of the Chronicle website.  Creating a personal account is only needed for posting comments and subscribing to newsletters.

 

The New York Times

“The New York Times is dedicated to helping people understand the world through on-the-ground, expert and deeply reported independent journalism.” –The NYT Website

The paper covers a variety of topics with unsurpassed quality and depth through breaking news articles, blogs, videos and interactive features.  Faculty members can visit the New York Times in Education website for a curated collection of teaching resources and ideas about how to integrate NYT content into online courses.  To activate your pass, visit UI&U’s group pass page. Select Create Account. Enter your information and choose a personal account password. You will need to reauthorize your Pass once every 365 days from the UI&U group pass page.  Once activated, your Pass will provide access to New York Times website or mobile apps from any location.  Visit the New York Times website to login and begin your free subscription today.

UI&U Group Pass Page (for account set-up and re-authorization every 365 days)
New York Times Website (begin reading the New York Times)
New York Times in Education (curated educational content for courses)

 

If you have any questions about these subscriptions, please contact a librarian at library@myunion.edu or 513-487-1487.

APA & MLA Formatted Citations!

Are you frustrated by the APA, Chicago or MLA citation styles? The library provides resources to help you to create, format, and manage bibliographies. One of our favorite tools is OneSearch Cite.  Resources in OneSearch come with formatted APA, Chicago, and MLA citations that you can copy and paste into your research papers.  Please note that citations are automatically formatted and need to be checked for accuracy.  The Citation & Plagiarism page in the library help center includes citation examples that you can use to check your citations.

  1. Find the article/book
  2. Click the Cite icon
  3. Copy & paste the citation into your research paper.  Fix any errors.

Click the Cite icon for the formatted APA, Chicago, or MLA citation

Thesis Turned Cookbook Helps Million+

What do eggs, dried beans, rice, oatmeal, yoghurt, and seasonal vegetables all have in common?  They are food staples in Good and Cheap, a cookbook designed to help people live on $4/day.  For her master’s thesis at New York University, Leanne Brown challenged herself to create affordable, healthy, and tasty meals for students, seniors, people on food stamps, and anyone else on a tight budget.

In her own words, “I wanted to make something that not only summed up the work I had done during my studies, but also had a useful life outside of academia…it bothered me that so many ideas for fixing the food system leave out the poor: it seemed like they didn’t have a voice in the food movement. I wanted to create a resource that would promote the joy of cooking and show just how delicious and inspiring a cheap meal can be if you cook it yourself.”

Her thesis turned kickstarter project has resulted in one million+ free or discounted cookbooks.  A Spanish version, Bueno y Barato, is also available in PDF and book formats.

Mouthwatering recipes include:

  • Broiled Grapefruit
  • Cold (and Spicy?) Asian Noodles
  • Cornmeal Crusted Veggies
  • Brussels Sprout Hash and Eggs
  • Potato Leek Pizza
  • Black-Eyed Peas and Collards
  • Half-Veggie Burgers
  • Coconut Chocolate Cookies

Inspired to try out some of these recipes?  You can download a free copy of Good & Cheap or purchase a print copy (and a second copy will be donated).  Writing your own thesis or dissertation?  The library has resources to help!  To find one of the audiobooks or ebooks listed below, copy and paste the title into the search box on the library homepage.

 

They Say, I Say

Available in audiobook format

“The New York Times best-selling book on academic writing―in use at more than 1,500 schools.
“They Say / I Say” identifies the key rhetorical moves in academic writing, showing students how to frame their arguments in the larger context of what others have said and providing templates to help them make those moves. And, because these moves are central across all disciplines, the book includes chapters on writing in the sciences, writing in the social sciences, and―new to this edition―writing about literature.” -Publisher

Stylish Academic Writing by Helen Sword

Available in ebook and audiobook format

“Elegant data and ideas deserve elegant expression, argues Helen Sword in this lively guide to academic writing. For scholars frustrated with disciplinary conventions, and for specialists who want to write for a larger audience but are unsure where to begin, here are imaginative, practical, witty pointers that show how to make articles and books a pleasure to read―and to write. Dispelling the myth that you cannot get published without writing wordy, impersonal prose, Sword shows how much journal editors and readers welcome work that avoids excessive jargon and abstraction. Sword’s analysis of more than a thousand peer-reviewed articles across a wide range of fields documents a startling gap between how academics typically describe good writing and the turgid prose they regularly produce…” -Publisher

Masters

Doing Your Master’s Dissertation: From Start to Finish. Just starting your Master′s? Worried about your dissertation? This book is an indispensable] guide to writing a successful Master′s dissertation. The book begins by addressing issues you′ll face in the early stages of writing a dissertation, such as deciding on what to research, planning your project and searching for literature online. It then guides you through different aspects of carrying out your research and writing up, helping you to: write a research proposal, choose one or more methods, write the introduction and conclusion, discuss the literature, analyze your findings, edit and reference, formulate research questions, and build your argument. –Publisher’s description

How to Write a Thesis. How to Write a Thesis [by Rowena Murray] provides an invaluable resource to help students consider, plan and write their theses. The third edition of this best-selling and well loved book builds on the success of the second edition. –Publisher’s description

Writing A Successful Thesis Or Dissertation: Tips And Strategies For Students In The Social And Behavioral Sciences. The advice and resources you need to complete your thesis or dissertation! Written in a conversational style for both faculty and students, this how-to manual covers quantitative and qualitative research methods and provides comprehensive guidance for successfully completing a master′s thesis or doctoral dissertation. Drawing on 40 years of experience supervising dissertations, the authors provide examples from 100 completed projects to guide readers through: choosing a topic and writing research hypotheses, selecting a chair or committee, ensuring a successful proposal and oral defense, adapting the finished product for publication, using the Internet and desktop publishing effectively. –Publisher’s description

Doctoral

Writing a Proposal for Your Dissertation: Guidelines and Examples. This user-friendly guide helps students get started on–and complete–a successful doctoral dissertation proposal by accessibly explaining the process and breaking it down into manageable steps. Steven R. Terrell demonstrates how to write each chapter of the proposal, including the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions and hypotheses; literature review; and detailed plan for data collection and analysis. Of special utility, end-of-chapter exercises serve as building blocks for developing a full draft of an original proposal. Numerous case study examples are drawn from across the social, behavioral, and health science disciplines. Appendices present an exemplary proposal written three ways to encompass quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs. –Publisher’s description

The Dissertation Mentor (Videos)

Helpful videos on purpose statements, problem statement, theoretical frameworks, literature reviews, methodology and more.

 

Publishing Your Work

Revising your Dissertation: Advice from Leading Editors.  The aftermath of graduate school can be particularly trying for those under pressure to publish their dissertations. Written with good cheer and jammed with information, this lively guide offers hard-to-find practical advice on successfully turning a dissertation into a book or journal articles that will appeal to publishers and readers. It will help prospective authors master writing and revision skills, better understand the publishing process, and increase their chances of getting their work into print. This edition features new tips and planning tables to facilitate project scheduling, and a new foreword by Sandford G. Thatcher, Director of Penn State University Press. –Publisher’s description

 

Academic Writing and Publishing

Whether you are interested in publishing your research or just want to improve your academic writing skills, the UI&U Library is here to help. Check out the library’s newest e-books for tips on persuasive and effective writing, finding the right home for your research, and understanding the publishing process. You can also access additional publishing and writing resources in OneSearch.

 

They Say, I Say (audiobook)

“The New York Times best-selling book on academic writing―in use at more than 1,500 schools.
“They Say / I Say” identifies the key rhetorical moves in academic writing, showing students how to frame their arguments in the larger context of what others have said and providing templates to help them make those moves. And, because these moves are central across all disciplines, the book includes chapters on writing in the sciences, writing in the social sciences, and―new to this edition―writing about literature.” -Publisher

Craft of Research

“With more than three-quarters of a million copies sold since its first publication, The Craft of Research has helped generations of researchers at every level—from first-year undergraduates to advanced graduate students to research reporters in business and government—learn how to conduct effective and meaningful research. Conceived by seasoned researchers and educators Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, this fundamental work explains how to find and evaluate sources, anticipate and respond to reader reservations, and integrate these pieces into an argument that stands up to reader critique.”  -Publisher

Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students

“Now in its fifth edition, Academic Writing helps international students succeed in writing essays and reports for their English-language academic courses. Thoroughly revised and updated, it is designed to let teachers and students easily find the topics they need, both in the classroom and for self-study. The book consists of five parts: The Writing Process Elements of Writing Language Issues Vocabulary for Writing Writing Models The first part explains and practises every stage of essay writing, from choosing the best sources, reading and note-making, through to referencing and proofreading. The four remaining parts, organised alphabetically, can be taught in conjunction with the first part or used on a remedial basis. A progress check at the end of each part allows students to assess their learning. All units are fully cross-referenced, and a complete set of answers to the practice exercises is included. New topics in this edition include Writing in Groups, Written British and American English, and Writing Letters and Emails. In addition, the new interactive website has a full set of teaching notes as well as more challenging exercises, revision material and links to other sources. Additional features of the book include: Models provided for writing tasks such as case studies and essays Use of authentic academic texts from a wide range of disciplines Designed for self-study as well as classroom use Useful at both undergraduate and postgraduate level Glossary to explain technical terms, plus index Written to deal with the specific language issues faced by international students, this practical, user-friendly book is an invaluable guide to academic writing in English.” -Publisher

The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing

“The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing is a groundbreaking resource that offers emerging and experienced scholars from all disciplines a comprehensive review of the essential elements needed to craft scholarly papers and other writing suitable for submission to academic journals. The authors discuss the components of different types of manuscripts, explain the submission process, and offer readers suggestions for working with editors and coauthors, dealing with rejection, and rewriting and resubmitting their work. They include advice for developing quality writing skills, outline the fundamentals of a good review, and offer guidance for becoming an excellent manuscript reviewer.” -Publisher

Stylish Academic Writing

Available in ebook and audiobook format

“Elegant data and ideas deserve elegant expression, argues Helen Sword in this lively guide to academic writing. For scholars frustrated with disciplinary conventions, and for specialists who want to write for a larger audience but are unsure where to begin, here are imaginative, practical, witty pointers that show how to make articles and books a pleasure to read―and to write. Dispelling the myth that you cannot get published without writing wordy, impersonal prose, Sword shows how much journal editors and readers welcome work that avoids excessive jargon and abstraction. Sword’s analysis of more than a thousand peer-reviewed articles across a wide range of fields documents a startling gap between how academics typically describe good writing and the turgid prose they regularly produce. Stylish Academic Writing showcases a range of scholars from the sciences, humanities, and social sciences who write with vividness and panache. Individual chapters take up specific elements of style, such as titles and headings, chapter openings, and structure, and close with examples of transferable techniques that any writer can master.” -Publisher

Essentials of Publishing Qualitative Research

“Getting a qualitative article or book published involves more than simply doing the research, writing it up, and sending it off. You also need to know how to navigate the social relations of presenting your work to the journal editor or book publisher—and how to craft your message to them—if you want to be successful. Written by a highly-respected publisher of qualitative research, this brief, practical resource shows you how to identify the right home for your work. It also guides you through the publications process– from crafting the abstract to writing, production, and marketing–once you’ve found the best publisher. The author -demystifies what publishers and journal editors do, how they make their decisions on qualitative articles, research studies, and methods. [Also] discusses edited books, how to publish from your dissertation, and when to consider open access and electronic publications. Includes case studies, appendixes, forms, and resources to help the aspiring academic” -Publisher

First Steps in Journal Article Writing

“This concise and practical volume guides the reader through the process of article writing for submission to scholarly journals. It provides helpful examples and clarification of the steps involved and will prove to be an invaluable resource for both novice and experienced researchers. Chapters include selecting a topic, proposal design, research design and methodological considerations, submitting an article for publication and the role of critical readers.” -Publisher

Publishing Journal Articles

“This accessible, informative and entertaining book provides practical strategies to help maximize the chances of success in getting your work published in the journal of your choice. It offers advice on vital topics such as: how to write and get the style right; what to select for publication; how to plan for success; how to cope with writer’s block; working with editors and reviewers; and how to cope with rejection. It is a must-have book for anyone seeking to write for successful journal publication.” -Publisher

Successful Academic Writing: A Complete Guide for Social and Behavioral Scientists

“Using rich examples and engaging pedagogical tools, this book equips students to master the challenges of academic writing in graduate school and beyond. The authors delve into nitty-gritty aspects of structure, style, and language, and offer a window onto the thought processes and strategies that strong writers rely on. Essential topics include how to: identify the audience for a particular piece of writing; craft a voice appropriate for a discipline-specific community of practice; compose the sections of a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research article; select the right peer-reviewed journal for submitting an article; and navigate the publication process. Readers are also guided to build vital self-coaching skills in order to stay motivated and complete projects successfully.” -Publisher

Write it Up: Practical Strategies for Writing and Publishing Journal Articles

“How do you write good research articles — articles that are interesting, compelling, and easy to understand? How do you write papers that influence the field instead of falling into obscurity? Write It Up offers a practical and revealing look at how productive researchers write strong articles. The book’s guiding idea is that academics should write to make an impact, not just to get something published somewhere. Your work will be more influential if you approach it reflectively and strategically. Based on his experience as an author, journal editor, and reviewer, Paul Silvia offers systematic approaches to problems like picking journals; cultivating the right tone and style; managing collaborative projects and coauthors; crafting effective Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion sections; and submitting and resubmitting papers to journals. With its light-hearted style and practical advice, Write It Up will help graduate students struggling with writing their first paper, early career professors who need advice on how to write better articles, and seasoned academic writers looking to refresh their writing strategy or style.” -Publisher

Writing Research Critically: Developing the Power to Make a Difference

“This is not a standard guide to writing a dissertation, thesis, project report, journal article or book. Rather, this book will help researchers who are dissatisfied with the typical recipe approaches to standardized forms of writing-up and want to explore how academic writing can be used to greater effect. Packed with examples from a range of writing projects (papers, dissertations, theses, reports, journal articles and books), this book provides a practical and refreshing way to approach and present research. Through case studies the authors offer a step-by-step guide from the early stages of planning a writing project, whether an undergraduate paper or a professional publication, to the polishing processes that make the difference between a merely descriptive account to an argument that intends to be critical and persuasive. This book will inspire a wide range of researchers from undergraduates to postgraduates, early career researchers and experienced professionals… and demonstrate how research can have more impact in the real world. -Publisher

The Productive Graduate Student Writer: How to Manage Your Time, Process, and Energy to Write Your Research Proposal, Thesis, and Dissertation and Get Published

This book is for graduate students–and others–who want to become more productive writers. It’s especially written for those who want to:

• increase their motivation, focus, and persistence to move a project to completion
• overcome procrastination and perfectionistic tendencies
• reduce (or write in spite of) their anxiety and fear of writing
• manage their time, work, energy (and advisor) for greater productivity

The process or craft of sustained writing is not a matter that’s taught to undergraduate or graduate students as part of their studies, leaving most at sea about how to start a practice that is central to a career in academe and vital in many other professional occupations.

This book grew out of conversations Jan Allen has held with her graduate students for over 30 years and reflects the fruit of the writing workshops and boot camps she has conducted at three universities, her own and numerous colleagues’ experiences with writing and advising, as well as the feedback she receives from her popular Productive Writer listserv.

While Jan Allen recognizes that writing is not an innate talent for most of us, she demonstrates that it is a process based on skills which we can identify, learn, practice and refine. She focuses both on the process and habits of writing as well as on helping you uncover what kind of writer are you, and reflect on your challenges and successes. With a light touch and an engaging sense of humor, she proposes strategies to overcome procrastination and distractions, and build a writing practice to enable you to become a more productive and prolific writer.

Jan Allen proposes that you read one of her succinct chapters – each devoted to a specific strategy or writing challenge – each day, or once a week. When you find one that increases your concentration, motivation or endurance, make it a habit. Try it for two weeks, charting the resulting increased productivity. It will become part of your repertoire of writing and productivity tools to which you can progressively add.

Stay Current with Journals in your Field

Reading the top journals in your field is a great way to stay up-to-date, and the library is full of free, peer-reviewed journals!

Popular journals in the library’s collection include: Academy of Management Review, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, Signs, Journal of Human Lactation, Police Chief, Research on Social Work Practice, and the American Political Science Review.

The library collection even includes popular magazines such as Oprah, The Smithsonian, and Consumer Reports.

Your librarians are ready to help you find the right journals for you, and to set-up alerts so new issues are delivered straight to your inbox!  There is also a journals alert tutorial in the library’s help center with journal suggestions and instructions for creating an alert.

Sticky Notes

Proofreading Papers and Email with Text-to-Speech

The Microsoft Office 2010 Speak (text-to-speech) feature can be used to proofread papers in MS Word and emails in MS Outlook.

Add the Speak Icon (one time)

1) Open MS Word or Outlook
2) In the top, left-hand corner you will see several icons.  Usually a save icon, undo/redo icons, and a black arrow pointing down, which is the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button.
3) Go to: Customize Quick Access Toolbar button > More Commands > Change default “Popular Commands” to “All Commands”
4) Scroll down and highlight the “Speak” option
5) Click “Add >>”
6) Click “OK” to return to the document

Customize Quick Access Toolbar button

 

 

 

 

Use the Speak Button

1)    Highlight the text you want read aloud or use the keyboard shortcut Control+A to highlight the entire document
2)    Click the Speak button on the Quick Toolbar

Word document with text and speak icon highlighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

To view a demonstration of the Speak tool, please watch the view below.

 

Predatory Publishers

Are you planning on publishing?  Then you should be aware that not all academic publishers are reputable.  One helpful tool in avoiding shady publishers is Beall’s List.  Jeffrey Beall is a University of Colorado Librarian who maintains a list of “potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access publishers.”

Here is Beall’s List of publishers to avoid.

To find reputable open access journals in your field, search the Directory of Open Access Journals.

 

 

Publish Your Work

You’ve finished the work, and you’re proud of it (as you should be!). But then you begin to wonder: now how do I get this thing published?

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your work through revision, focus on the craft of writing, learn the ins and outs of academic publishing, or focus on online writing, the UI&U Library has you covered. Below is a sample selection of titles to help you polish–and perhaps even publish–your work. For further assistance in accessing similar titles, please feel free to contact us.

Academic Publishing

  • From Dissertation to Book by Germano
  • The academic writer’s toolkit by Berger
  • Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious About Serious Books by Germano
  • Writing for Academic Journals by Murray
  • The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing by Rocco
  • View All Academic Publishing Ebooks in OneSearch

Mainstream Publishing

  • Indie Design: How to Design and Produce Your Own Book edited by Lupton
  • Book Publishing Encyclopedia: Tips & Resources for Authors and Publishers by Poynter
  • The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them by Hill and Power
  • Publishing Confidential: The Insider’s Guide to What it Really Takes to Land a Nonfiction Book Deal by Brown
  • View All Publishing Ebooks in OneSearch

Ebook on a laptop