Basin Research at Penn State

Writing Help

Help with Abstracts:
A Scrutiny of the Abstract by Kenneth Landes
A Scrutiny of the Abstract II by Kenneth Landes
Scrutiny of the introduction by Jon Claerbout

Help with mathematics and equations:
General Help (.pdf)
SI Units in expressing geologic time - IUGSrecommendations (.pdf)

General Writing Tips:
The Science of Scientific Writing
Writing for the AAPG Bulletin, we're not literary giants, but we can try to be

Writing Tips for Resumes and Cover Letters :
Excerpts from Joe Schall's book. Chapter 7: resumes and Chapter 8: cover letters.

Email by Joe Schall on writing tips/resources for graduate students:
January 5, 2006
Increasingly, as the College’s undergraduate writing tutor, I am asked for advice about how graduate students can get help with their writing. Below, I summarize such advice.

First, I should clarify that I do not tutor graduate students except in the context of a paper they are writing for an undergraduate course. I have sometimes tutored graduate students in the past as a professional favor to the faculty who referred them, but I stopped doing so over a year ago because I needed to respond to increased demands from our undergraduates and to devote more time to my own writing and publications.

In seeking to improve their communication skills, graduate students have several options:

1) The Graduate Student Writing Center. For several years, Penn State has offered graduate students free writing tutoring in Kern Building. Students can make a one-hour appointment to work with another graduate student from the English Department, and they can return for multiple visits. Details about the Graduate Student Writing Center are at http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/grad/gwc.htm.

2) Penn State Career Services. For those graduate students seeking a free review of a resume or CV, Penn State Career Services holds drop-in hours with career counselors from 8:30 to 5:00 on weekdays, as well as Wednesday evening workshops. These counselors will review resumes and CVs one-on-one for both undergrads and grad students. The website is at http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/.

3) Graduate Writing Workshops and Classes. The English Department offers both short writing workshops and 400-level credited courses on writing, both designed for or available to graduate students. Examples of short writing workshops offered to graduate students during the fall 2005 semester are at http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/grad/workshopscontentframe.htm.

4) Private Tutoring or Editing. Assuming the student is willing to pay for local tutoring or editing, there are three locations at the University where lists of tutors and editors are available:

· The Graduate Student Association office (111 Kern Building)
· The Thesis and Dissertation office (114 Kern Building)
· The English Department Composition Program office (136 Burrowes Building)

The hourly rates and credentials of these editors vary, of course, and the lists are not updated very often. However, I’m happy to give specific recommendations for tutors or editors to graduate students or faculty if they describe the circumstances.

5) Self-Study. I’m often asked to recommend books related to writing, especially for ESL graduate students, and the best texts I’ve come across are Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph Williams, and Technical Writing and Professional Communication for Nonnative Speakers of English, by Huckin and Olsen. I like these books in particular because they use examples from the sciences and because they are exercise-oriented. I’m also asked if I can give free copies of my book Style for Students to graduate students and the answer is no--my limited budget just can't support the expense--but I am happy to e-mail pdfs of relevant excerpts from the book and it is also available for purchase in the bookstore. As an on-line "writing lab" designed for self-study, Purdue University has perhaps the best website around at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html.

Please feel free to contact me with any related questions.

Joe Schall
Giles Writer-in-Residence
14 Deike Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-6077

Department of Geosciences | Penn State University

This site was last updated on March 26, 2007
Questions and suggestions may be directed to hnelson@geosc.psu.edu

	Basin Research at Penn State
	College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and The Department of Geosciences
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PSU Publications BRG Papers BRG Abstracts Theses Online Library BRG Intranet Contact Information: Prof. Peter Flemings Dept. of Geosciences Penn State University 307 Deike Building University Park, PA 16802 814.865.2309	Writing Help Help with Abstracts: A Scrutiny of the Abstract by Kenneth Landes A Scrutiny of the Abstract II by Kenneth Landes Scrutiny of the introduction by Jon Claerbout Help with mathematics and equations: General Help (.pdf) SI Units in expressing geologic time - IUGSrecommendations (.pdf) General Writing Tips: The Science of Scientific Writing Writing for the AAPG Bulletin, we're not literary giants, but we can try to be Writing Tips for Resumes and Cover Letters : Excerpts from Joe Schall's book. Chapter 7: resumes and Chapter 8: cover letters. Email by Joe Schall on writing tips/resources for graduate students: January 5, 2006 Increasingly, as the College’s undergraduate writing tutor, I am asked for advice about how graduate students can get help with their writing. Below, I summarize such advice. First, I should clarify that I do not tutor graduate students except in the context of a paper they are writing for an undergraduate course. I have sometimes tutored graduate students in the past as a professional favor to the faculty who referred them, but I stopped doing so over a year ago because I needed to respond to increased demands from our undergraduates and to devote more time to my own writing and publications. In seeking to improve their communication skills, graduate students have several options: 1) The Graduate Student Writing Center. For several years, Penn State has offered graduate students free writing tutoring in Kern Building. Students can make a one-hour appointment to work with another graduate student from the English Department, and they can return for multiple visits. Details about the Graduate Student Writing Center are at http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/grad/gwc.htm. 2) Penn State Career Services. For those graduate students seeking a free review of a resume or CV, Penn State Career Services holds drop-in hours with career counselors from 8:30 to 5:00 on weekdays, as well as Wednesday evening workshops. These counselors will review resumes and CVs one-on-one for both undergrads and grad students. The website is at http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/. 3) Graduate Writing Workshops and Classes. The English Department offers both short writing workshops and 400-level credited courses on writing, both designed for or available to graduate students. Examples of short writing workshops offered to graduate students during the fall 2005 semester are at http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/grad/workshopscontentframe.htm. 4) Private Tutoring or Editing. Assuming the student is willing to pay for local tutoring or editing, there are three locations at the University where lists of tutors and editors are available: · The Graduate Student Association office (111 Kern Building) · The Thesis and Dissertation office (114 Kern Building) · The English Department Composition Program office (136 Burrowes Building) The hourly rates and credentials of these editors vary, of course, and the lists are not updated very often. However, I’m happy to give specific recommendations for tutors or editors to graduate students or faculty if they describe the circumstances. 5) Self-Study. I’m often asked to recommend books related to writing, especially for ESL graduate students, and the best texts I’ve come across are Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph Williams, and Technical Writing and Professional Communication for Nonnative Speakers of English, by Huckin and Olsen. I like these books in particular because they use examples from the sciences and because they are exercise-oriented. I’m also asked if I can give free copies of my book Style for Students to graduate students and the answer is no--my limited budget just can't support the expense--but I am happy to e-mail pdfs of relevant excerpts from the book and it is also available for purchase in the bookstore. As an on-line "writing lab" designed for self-study, Purdue University has perhaps the best website around at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html. Please feel free to contact me with any related questions. Joe Schall Giles Writer-in-Residence 14 Deike Building University Park, PA 16802 Phone: 814-863-6077 Department of Geosciences \| Penn State University This site was last updated on March 26, 2007 Questions and suggestions may be directed to hnelson@geosc.psu.edu