Citations by Questia » Footnotes

Tactical tricks for becoming a better writer

Cindy Cesca — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:34:36 +0000

(Photo credit: Ken Whytock)

For some the writing process is cathartic, while for others it’s more like torture. As a college student, having good writing skills is more critical for certain majors than others. However, once college is over, to compete in today’s job market, good writing skills aren’t an elective — they are a MUST. We could all use a lesson or two on how to brush up on our writing. Here are some useful tips on how to become a better writer.

Listen with attention

How many people do you know who are good listeners? I’d bet not all that many. Listening is a highly undervalued skill, but it can do wonders in helping your writing to get better. Like novelist Chuck Wendig says in his terribleminds.com blog post, “25 ways to become a better writer,” a good listener can tell how words sound on the page (be advised this post has some naughty language).

“We read with our ears as much as with your eyes and so it’s critical you know what sounds good as well as what reads well,” Wendig writes. “Sit down at a bar, listen to a conversation. Turn on an audio book or a radio show. Listen to a stand-up comedian deliver jokes and stories. Write it down if you must — see how it lays on the page.”

Read aloud

Hearing yourself reading your own work out loud may seem strange at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll notice right away those areas of your writing that just don’t jive. If it doesn’t read well while you’re reading it aloud, it probably needs some tweaking.

Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local and NY Times best-selling author, posted to LinkedIn February 21, 2013, in “Want to be taken seriously? Become a better writer,” how reading out loud has saved him.

“It’s great to hear my writing the way others will ‘hear’ it as they read,” Kerpen said. “Especially since tone in emails is difficult to convey, it’s valuable to say what you’re writing aloud, and then consider a quick edit, before you put it out there.”

Honor your inner weirdo

Stretching that proverbial writing muscle takes some creativity. Whether you’re writing a term paper, thesis or presentation, we can all benefit from some off-the-wall hilariousness. Have an idea for a sci-fi romantic comedy? Jot down a short story or let the ideas flow. The point is to just let the words flow and it’ll be much easier to get back to that boring assignment you’ve been circling for days.

Let the criticism fly

So you know that I know that we are our own worst critics. Sometimes those criticisms are true, but usually they are inflated insecurities floating around in our heads. To get some perspective, it’s always a good idea to tap a friend for some good advice on said work in question. Encourage honesty and keep your trap shut, and you might just get the real answers you’re looking for.

Proofread like your life depends on it

Think no one will notice a couple of typos in that email you sent with your resume? Well, maybe if if the reader is your mom. Otherwise, good luck with denial. The worst case scenario is your potential new boss will zoom in on the error and not hire you. Nothing feels worse than telling yourself, “If I’d only…” We’ve all been there. One of the best ways to avoid this scenario is to get in the habit of proofreading your work, all the time. It’s amazing how even one pass over can save you from disaster.

In a March 9, 2013, post to the Tribune-Review/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Be careful what, how you write,” Anita Bruzzese Gannett interviewed Helen Cunningham, author of The Business Style Handbook, to get the skinny on the benefits of proofreading.

“Take time to proof your writing,” Cunningham said. “Read over your emails before sending to make sure they’re well written, and ask a colleague to review important messages or reports. Never put anything in writing that you would not want to see on the front page of a newspaper.”

For more information on writing, visit Questia’s topic page on Communication.

What tips/exercises have helped you to improve your writing?

8 college tips for handing in a high-quality term paper

Lorraine Savage — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:34:21 +0000

My term paper sucked! It came back covered in red. What happened?! I thought it was awesome. How can I tell if the term papers I’m handing in are of high enough quality to get me a good grade? Some simple advice, such as using an outline, visiting the student resource center and following term paper format will help you go a long way. By taking time to review some college tips for writing successful term papers, you could achieve a student advantage over others who just put words on paper.

Here’s a checklist of things to do before handing in your term paper:

1) Don’t write a high school paper.

This is college now. The tricks you learned in high school to write a paper won’t cut it in the more academic world of college. “Old formulae, such as the five-paragraph theme, aren’t sophisticated or flexible enough to provide a sound structure for a college paper. And many of the old tricks — such as using elevated language or repeating yourself — will fail you now,” noted Karen Gocsik in “What is an academic paper?” on the Dartmouth Writing Program site at Dartmouth.edu.

2) Make an outline and follow it.

So it doesn’t sound like you’re rambling through 10-15 pages, do some research first, get a good idea of what you want to write about, make an outline and stick to it. This will make your paper sound professional.

3) Ask your teacher.

Pay attention to directions if your teacher or professor tells you exactly what he/she wants: How many pages, on what topic, how many sources needed.

4) Go with your research.

Research today is easier than ever with electronic resources. In addition to Google and Bing (stay away from Wikipedia), there are Worldcat.org, InfoTrac, OneFile, LexisNexis Academic, EBSCOHost and ProQuest. You can also find professional journals and international books and periodicals. Consult your school librarian or city librarian.

5) Evaluate the credibility of scientific information.

If your paper is for a science, medical, health or engineering class, make sure your science and math are correct. No one likes sloppy science. Get your information from a credible source, not from a place that has an agenda or passes off personal experiences or public relations as real science. “Unethical lobbying groups who have particular political or business interests can take advantage of this, and work to perpetuate the disconnect between scientific and public understandings,” reported Kristen St. John in “The Need to Teach about Ethics and Science, and the Credibility of Sources,” in Journal of Geoscience Education, February 2013, found in Questia.com.

6) Don’t plagiarize.

Yes, you’ve heard it before. But it’s really true. Plagiarism gets you nowhere. You need to learn to write your own ideas in a clear and persuasive manner. And, professors are on to you — they know how to scan your paper into plagiarism detection software. Matt Petronzio’s August 29, 2012, article “How to Detect Plagiarism Online” in Mashable.com highlights ten online services that check text for plagiarism, including TurnItIn, Viper and PlagiarismChecker.com, all geared toward college term papers.

7) Check spelling and grammar.

Don’t forget to spell check. But also don’t forget to proofread your paper. Your spell checker doesn’t know the difference between synonyms and homonyms. If your grammar is a bit fuzzy or English is not your first language, ask a friend to read over your paper for good measure. A second set of eyes never hurts.

8) Use term paper format.

In addition to grammar and spelling, presentation is important. For easy reading and so the teacher has room to make comments, format your paper with:

an easy-to-read serif font, such as Times New Roman
one-inch margins, double-spaced text
a header or footer on each page with your name, paper title, page number and course name
on plain standard white 8 ½ x 11 paper (no onion skin, pink paper with hearts or resume paper).

What are your tips for writing a high-quality term paper?

History of Memorial Day: Free research on American soldiers in major wars

Alana Joli Abbott — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:22:23 +0000

Do you know the history of Memorial Day? Founded in 1868 under the name Decoration Day, the first Memorial Day was intended to honor those soldiers who had fought in the American Civil War by decorating their graves. Since then, the event has expanded to honor veterans of any wars fought by American soldiers. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday and scheduled for the last Monday of May. In honor of American soldiers and Memorial Day, we at Questia are sharing five free resources for the top research topics about American soldiers. You can also check out Questia’s other sources on the U.S. Revolutionary War, the U.S. Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War.

A Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763-1789

Authors: James Kirby Martin and Mark Edward Lender

In this 2006 edition of the book originally published in 1982, Martin and Lender discuss the soldiers of the American Revolution beyond the national mythology of the farmers serving as soldiers to found a new nation. The authors focus on the history of the Continental army as an important part of the nation-making process that helped to form the United States. Rather than discussing just the battles and tactics of the martial conflicts in which the army served, the authors look at the broader historical context shaped by those martial actions. The second edition adds several new illustrations, a Note on Revolutionary War History and Historiography, and a fully revamped Bibliographical Essay.

The Civil War Soldier: A Historical Reader

Editors: Michael Barton and Larry M. Logue

Starting in 1943, the study of not just military actions, but the lives of the everyday soldier during the U.S. Civil War launched scholarship that has been compiled in this anthology by editors Barton and Logue. The book features resources from the 19th century in which a soldier gives a detailed account of his life, as well as more modern publications that investigate the women who disguised themselves as men in order to join the army. Published in 2002, the book looks at a number of provocative questions about the U.S. Civil War: What were the differences between Union and Confederate soldiers? What were soldiers’ motivations for joining the army their “will to combat”? Is there a basis for comparison between the experiences of Civil War soldiers and those who fought in World War II or Vietnam? How did the experiences of black soldiers in the Union army differ from those of their white comrades? The numerous perspectives on what life was like for the men and women who fought do not answer all of these questions, but they do provide points of view on which to begin forming those answers.

Doughboy War: The American Expeditionary Force in World War I

Author: James H. Hallas

In 1917, America did something U.S. presidents had long promised not to do: sent soldiers to fight on the ground in Europe. Celebrating their nickname, the Doughboys, Hallas takes a look at what life was like for the soldiers on the ground in this book, published in 2000. Though some became legends — such as Marine Sergeant Dan Dailey who famously inspired his fellows and cried, “Come on you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?” — many were just soldiers trying to do their jobs, stay alive, and come home. Hallas looks at those lives and posits that they have something to tell even modern readers about what it means to be American.

The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II

Author: William C. Meadows

Among the allied troops that came ashore in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, were thirteen Comanches in the 4th Infantry Division, 4th Signal Company. Under German fire they laid communication lines and began sending messages in a form never before heard in Europe–coded Comanche. For the rest of World War II, the Comanche Code Talkers played a vital role in transmitting orders and messages in a code that was never broken by the Germans. This book, published in 2002, tells the full story of the Comanche Code Talkers for the first time. Drawing on interviews with all surviving members of the unit, their original training officer, and fellow soldiers, as well as military records and news accounts, Meadows follows the group from their recruitment and training to their active duty in World War II and on through their postwar lives up to the present. He also compares the Comanche Code Talkers with their Navajo counterparts who served in the Pacific, as well as other Native Americans who used their languages for secret communications.

A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam

Author: Keith Walker

Fifteen thousand women served in the Vietnam War, but for years, the numbers were obscured, in part due to a change in record keeping, and in part because the media had little to say about the women who had served, and the aftermath the action had on their lives. After a 1983 interview with an emergency room nurse who had served in Cu Chi and Da Nang, Walker set out to discover more about those women who had been so close to the war zone, despite official U.S. policy that, at the time, said women were not supposed to be in life-threatening situations. Despite the difficulties of convincing these women to discuss their experiences, Walker eventually compiled the stories of 26 women who opened their hearts — and their lives — to him in hopes of helping others reconcile their feelings about and experiences in Vietnam.

Visit Questia for even more research on U.S. Military History.

How do you think the lives of American soldiers put larger military actions in perspective?

The American Civil War: Free resources for top research topics on Civil War facts

Alana Joli Abbott — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:45:57 +0000

From 1861 to 1865, the United States fought a war over the right of secession, as eleven states wanted to separate from the Union. The causes for the war, and the reasons for its outcome, remain topic for debate over a hundred years later. And Americans continue to celebrate a holiday that was originally designed to honor the approximately 620,000 soldiers who died during the action: Memorial Day, which was founded in 1868. In honor of Memorial Day, we at Questia are offering five free resources for top research topics on Civil War facts. You can also find even more resources on Civil War topics, including specific battles like the Battle of Gettysburg or topics like African-American Soldiers in the Civil War, in our Civil War library.

This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War

Author: James M. McPherson

One of America’s preeminent historians on the American Civil War, Pulitzer Prize winner McPherson compiles a number of his essays, several previously unpublished and all updated and revised, in this 2007 collection. Dealing with everyday topics, such as the love soldiers had for newspapers, to larger topics, such as the creation of the Lost Cause mystique in the postwar South, McPherson provides an interpretive history of the war and its meaning for America. McPherson spotlights famous figures including Harriet Tubman, John Brown, Jesse James and William Tecumseh Sherman, and offers new insights into General Robert E. Lee’s goals in the Gettysburg Campaign, Lincoln and Grant in the Vicksburg campaign, and Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief.

Why the Civil War Came

Editor: Gabor S. Boritt

The reasons for the Civil War — and why events led to such an outbreak of violence rather than a strictly diplomatic resolution — have been hotly debated since the beginning of the war in 1861. In this 1996 collection, editor Boritt compiles essays by a number of historians who offer insight into some of the reasons behind the war and its outcomes. William W. Freehling discusses the peculiarities of North American slavery; Charles Royster reveals the combatants’ savage readiness to fight; Glenna Matthews focuses on the war-catalyzing role played by extraordinary public women; and David Blight reveals an African-American world that “knew what time it was,” and welcomed war. These authors and others, including Boritt, create a picture of an America on the brink of disaster, when democracy failed and violence reigned.

Turning Points of the Civil War

Author: James A. Rawley

The Union came into the Civil War with distinct advantages: a complex industrial economy, an already formed and stable government, and a modern railroad system among them. But despite those strengths, a win was never guaranteed, and Rawley looks at seven turning points during the U.S. Civil War — junctures in history when force and counterforce met with such intensity that the outcome could go against the expected course of development. In this 1989 work, Rawley argues that there were a number of times during the war when, even with its advantages, the Union might have “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.”

Freedom, Union, and Power: Lincoln and His Party during the Civil War
Author: Michael S. Green

In this 2004 history, Green analyzes the beliefs of the Republican Party during the Civil War, how those beliefs changed, and what those changes foreshadowed for the future. With Lincoln’s election, Republicans faced something new: responsibility for the government. With responsibility came the need to wage war for the survival of that government, the country and the party. And with victory in the war came responsibility for saving the Union by ending slavery — and for pursuing policies that fit their belief in a strong, free Union. Green shows how Republicans wielded federal power to stop a rebellion while maintaining their hold on that power — the intersection of policy and politics.

Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War

Author: Gary W. Gallagher

Despite the wealth of books published on the Civil War, most Americans rely on Hollywood — movies, television and other popular media — for their ideas on why the war was fought. Gallagher investigates how popular culture has portrayed the U.S. Civil War in recent film and art, and how the media’s representations of the Civil War are impacted by the social, political and racial currents of their times. In this 2008 work, Gallagher posits that an understanding of the war is hampered by the four traditional of views on the Civil War that continue to be perpetuated today: the Lost Cause, in which Confederates are seen as having waged an admirable struggle against hopeless odds; the Union Cause, which frames the war as an effort to maintain a viable republic in the face of secessionist actions; the Emancipation Cause, in which the war is viewed as a struggle to liberate 4 million slaves and eliminate a cancerous influence on American society; and the Reconciliation Cause, which represents attempts by northern and southern whites to extol “American” virtues and mute the role of African Americans. Gallagher tracks how the media has swung from the Lost Cause to a predominantly Emancipation view, and looks at how popular entertainment impacts the opinions formed on current matters of debate.

Visit Questia for even more research on the U. S. Civil War.

What do you think are the most important aspects about the U.S. Civil War to study in the classroom? Is there anything you’d love to learn more about? Let us know in the comments below!

Writing help: Planning a research paper

Ginny Gaylor — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:34:49 +0000

The odds are pretty slim that you will make it through four years of college without having to write a research paper. But don’t be frightened by the prospect. Planning a research paper doesn’t have to be scary; in fact, we often make it more difficult than it needs to be. Questia, the Internet’s top research and paper-writing tool for students, is a great place to find writing help.

Research can be rewarding

When you first learned about a research paper requirement for a class, you probably felt anxious. Maybe you haven’t had a lot of experience planning a research paper. But don’t let yourself be derailed by inexperience and anxiety. According to the post on February 21, 2013 by Jack Raymond Baker and Allen Brizee titled “Writing a Research Paper” for Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL), “the process of writing a research paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences one may encounter in academics.”

But like anything new, planning and writing a research paper takes practice. As the OWL post says, “There are few individuals for whom this process comes naturally.” They suggest starting the process by thinking about:

Genre: Learning the difference between the two types of research papers—analytical and argumentative.
Choosing a Topic: A guide on how to pick the best topic.

Planning makes a difference

Questia’s tutorial on Planning a Paper offers five steps to get you on the right track to creating a research paper that will not only impress your professor but earn you the best grade. The tutorial takes you through each step with help from quizzes and videos.

Step 1—Selecting a topic

You want to pick something you will enjoy writing about, which will help you put the necessary time into the work.
Step 2—Considering what your readers know about the topic

After you’ve picked your topic, it’s time to think about who your reader is going to be. Who your reader is and what they expect will influence what sources and evidence you need to use to persuade them of your argument or give them clear information on the topic.

Step 3—Developing an objective stance

Part of the purpose of a research paper is thinking critically. When planning a research paper, be sure to be aware of how you use your sources so that they strengthen your paper’s purpose.

Step 4—Composing a thesis

Now you’re ready to write your thesis statement—the representation and summation of your paper’s purpose. What do you think your research will show in the end? Your thesis statement should focus on that idea.

Step 5—Organizing your ideas

During this final stage of the planning process, determine how you want to structure your research to prove your thesis statement. This outline will provide the framework for your research paper.

Start now and stay focused

While you might be tempted to procrastinate, it’s easy to see why getting started on a research paper as soon as possible can be a big help in the end. The Writing Center at the American University advises students that beginning in advance can reduce stress, in their blog post from January 31, 2013, “Research Papers: the When and How” by Meridian Ganz-Ratzat.

The structure Ganz-Ratzat suggests starts several months out:

2-3 months away—Think about what your topic is going to be
1 month away—Start researching your chosen topic
3 weeks away—Begin organizing your essay
2 weeks away—Write a first draft
1 week away—Edit for big problems with your thesis or organization
2 days away—Read through for a final proofreading and polish

Even if you develop your own schedule for planning a research paper, the best thing you can do is plan ahead. Writing a research paper is a new thing for many college students, putting it off won’t make it any easier. In fact, procrastinating is likely to make the challenge of a paper that much more difficult.

Interested in some of Questia’s other helpful tutorial topics such as “Avoiding Plagiarism” and “Working with Documentation Styles”? Try a free trial of Questia to check them out!

What other suggestions do you have for staying on track and planning a research paper? Your tip could help motivate someone else. Tell us in the comments below!

Free reading on today’s top environmental issues — From climate change to hazardous waste

Ginny Gaylor — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:32:29 +0000

Before the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, air pollution was not considered a national environmental problem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Climate change is something the Earth has experienced since its creation. Scientists first started theorizing about the reasons for these changes in the 19th century. Over the past 200 years, studies have highlighted the negative causes and effects of changes to our planet’s weather and the resulting environmental issues. Environmental and Earth sciences have become very hot topics in the last several decades, particularly relating to energy and the environment. As people and governments debate about the future of our planet, how we will provide energy and fuel for our citizens, and the dramatic shifts in the climate and weather patterns, we have all have begun to see the need for cooperation and education.

To take part in this ongoing conversation about ways to halt further environmental damage and take advantage of some free reading, Questia is sharing the top five most researched books and articles on climate change from our library. Each has been hand-picked by our librarians, and any one of them will give you insight into your next research paper on environmental issues.

The Long Thaw: How Humans Are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth’s Climate by David Archer

Think climate change means slightly hotter weather and a modest rise in sea levels? Think again. In The Long Thaw, David Archer, one of the world’s leading climatologists, predicts that if we continue to emit carbon dioxide, we may eventually cancel the next ice age and raise the oceans by 50 meters. Archer shows how just a few centuries of fossil-fuel use will cause not only a climate storm that will last a few hundred years, but also create dramatic climate changes that will last thousands of years. Archer argues that it is still not too late to avert dangerous climate change—if humans can find a way to work together.

WHO: Air Pollution a Continuing Health Threat in World’s Cities by Donya Currie

Air pollution is threatening health in many cities worldwide. According to World Health Organization data, in an article published in The Nation’s Health, more than 2 million people die yearly from breathing indoor and outdoor pollution. The WHO analyzed data from nearly 1,100 cities across 91 countries and found only a few meet the WHO air quality guideline for exposure to the most dangerous type of pollution particles. Calling for local action, national policies and international agreements to curb pollution, the agency believes the best way the information can be used is for cities to monitor their own trends in air pollution over time to identify and improve their interventions.

Fracking Fury by Janna Pallise

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” or “hydrofracking,” has garnered a lot of attention from the media lately. Used first in the 1940s, hydraulic fracturing, or HF, has opened up new areas of gas development in natural gas reservoirs such as shale, coalbed and tight sands. Pallise’s article, published in Science Scope, focuses on HF in shale reservoirs and looks at the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing in gas production, as well as the details behind the mechanics of the process.

Revisiting a Hazardous Waste Site 25 Years Later by Glenn Harris and Leah Nelson

In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which established the Superfund program to address the illegal disposal of hazardous waste. Two years after that, the Journal of Environmental Health published one of the earliest articles to report on a classic instance of “midnight dumping” and corporate abandonment leaving an orphaned hazardous waste site for others to deal with. Harris and Nelson take a look at what remedial actions were taken and what we can learn from the site, located in a rural area of the St. Lawrence River Valley in northern New York, adjacent to the Canadian border.

Genetically Modified Planet: Environmental Impacts of Genetically Engineered Plants by C. Neal Stewart Jr.

Genetically modified plants are currently causing controversy worldwide; a great deal has been written about their supposed environmental effects. However, the newspaper headlines and public debates often provide a level of reasoning akin to “this is your brain on genetically modified corn,” which is to say, they exclude or exaggerate the actual scientific research on the impacts of these plants. Genetically Modified Planet goes beyond the rhetoric to investigate for concerned consumers the actual state of scientific research on genetically modified plants. Stewart argues that while there are indeed real and potential risks of growing engineered crops, there are also real and overwhelmingly positive environmental benefits.

What are some of your environmental concerns? Let us know in the comments below.

Education reform throughout the decades: Free reading on top education reform content

Taylor Massey — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:38:07 +0000

Education reform is the ongoing process of improving the public education. Historic issues have ranged from funding, to integration, and the merits of public versus private education for the millions of children in America’s elementary and high school system.

Playing such an important role in our society, it’s no wonder that it is a hot topic for debate on the political level as well as in classrooms and school boards. Education reform aims to make the highest quality public education available to as many citizens as possible, but with varying opinions, classes, cultures and needs to be considered, finding the best solution is no easy task.

In contribution to the education reform debate, we at Questia are sharing the top five most researched books on education reform from our library. And all of them are librarian-selected and research paper-approved. Enjoy!

Dewey’s Dream: Universities and Democracies in an Age of Education Reform: Civil Society, Public Schools, and Democratic Citizenship

Authors: Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy and John Puckett

This timely, persuasive, and hopeful book reexamines John Dewey’s idea of schools, specifically community schools, as the best places to grow a democratic society that is based on racial, social, and economic justice. The authors assert that American colleges and universities bear a responsibility for-and would benefit substantially from-working with schools to develop democratic schools and communities. Dewey’s Dreamopens with a re-appraisal of Dewey’s philosophy and an argument for its continued relevance today.

Troublemaker: A Personal History of School Reform since Sputnik

Author: Chester E. Finn Jr.

Chester Finn tells how his experiences have shaped his changing views of the three major strands of postwar school reform: standards-driven, choice-driven, and profession-driven. Of the three, Finn now believes that a combination of choice and standards has the greatest potential, but he favors this approach more on pragmatic than ideological grounds, arguing that parents should be given more options at the same time that schools are allowed more flexibility and held to higher performance norms. He also explains why education reforms of all kinds are so difficult to implement, and he draws valuable lessons from their frequent failure.

Children as Pawns: The Politics of Educational Reform

Author: Timothy A. Hacsi

In the first book to bring together the recent history of educational policy and politics with the research evidence, Timothy Hacsi presents the illuminating, often-forgotten stories of these five controversial topics. He sifts through the complicated evaluation research literature and compares the policies that have been adopted to the best evidence about what actually works. He lucidly explains what the major studies show, what they don’t, and how they have been misunderstood and misrepresented. Hacsi shows how rarely educational policies are based on solid research evidence, and how programs that sound plausible simply do not satisfy the complex needs of real children.

Critical Voices in School Reform: Students Living through Change

Editors: Beth C. Rubin and Elena M. Silva

School reform of one kind or another is a priority for education systems the world over. Yet the voices of students – those most affected by, and most pivotal to, the success or failure of any program of school reform – are rarely heard on this topic. This is the first book to look at school reform from the perspective of the students.

Women in American Education, 1820-1955: The Female Force and Educational Reform

Author: June Edwards

Recounts the remarkable achievements of women who dared to defy customs, break legal barriers, and endure hardship and discrimination in order to provide education for girls, young children, female teachers, homemakers, disabled students, the immigrant poor, and African American youth–the people excluded from traditional institutions of their day. Excerpts from the women’s own writings are provided as well as discussion of their unique teaching methods.

Visit Questia for even more research on educational standards in the U.S.

What are some of the biggest educational concerns facing your community? Let us know in the comments below.

Celebrate National Nutrition Month with free reading on top nutrition books on Questia

Taylor Massey — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:25:31 +0000

Welcome to National Nutrition Month 2013! Never celebrated before? This year is the perfect time to begin, being the 40th anniversary celebration of National Nutrition Month. According to EatRight.org, “The National Nutrition Month 2013 theme, “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day,” encourages personalized healthy eating styles* and recognizes that food preferences, lifestyle, cultural and ethnic traditions and health concerns all impact individual food choices. Registered dietitians play a critical role in helping people eat right, their way, every day.”

As we all know, nutrition is a hot topic in the United States all year round and makes for fascinating research as more and more information is discovered on subjects from health and fitness to nutrition and dieting. To celebrate National Nutrition Month here at Questia, we’re sharing some of our best content on nutrition for free for a whole month! These books are all librarian-selected and approved for use in high-quality research papers. Check out the five below books to get your research started, and you’ll be ready to write and research like a pro.

The Nature of Nutrition: A Unifying Framework from Animal Adaptation to Human Obesity

Authors: Stephen J. Simpson and David Raubenheimer

Nutrition has long been considered more the domain of medicine and agriculture than of the biological sciences, yet it touches and shapes all aspects of the natural world. The need for nutrients determines whether wild animals thrive, how populations evolve and decline, and how ecological communities are structured. The Nature of Nutrition is the first book to address nutrition’s enormously complex role in biology, both at the level of individual organisms and in their broader ecological interactions.

Public Health Nutrition: From Principles to Practice

Editors: Mark Lawrence and Tony Worsley

A systematic, research-based overview of the central principles and practice issues in the growing field of public health nutrition. With chapters by leading international experts, this is essential reading for practitioners and students in public health, nutrition, health policy and related fields.

Controversies in Food and Nutrition

Authors: Myrna Chandler Goldstein and Mark A. Goldstein

You can never have too many vitamins, until they kill you. Eat meat, but avoid beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. Packaged foods are more efficiently preserved than they were 100 years ago — but should we actually eat the stuff? Consumers are besieged with conflicting messages about food and nutrition, making it difficult for the average customer to know what to believe. Is anything safe at McDonald’s? Do carbohydrates cause obesity? This provocative new resource explores 15 common controversies in the field of food and nutrition.

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition

Authors: Arnold E. Bender and David A. Bender

This leading dictionary contains over 6,150 entries covering all aspects of food and nutrition, diet and health, including 150 entries new to this edition. From absinthe to zymogens, the volume offers jargon-free definitions that clearly explain even the most technical of nutritional terms, covering types of food (including everyday foods, little-known foods such as payusnaya, and dishes from around the world, from accoub and fair maids tomushy peas and zakuska), nutritional information, vitamins, minerals, and much more.

The Psychology of Eating and Drinking. Edition: 3rd

Author: A. W. Logue

Our fascination with eating and drinking behaviours and their causes has resulted in a huge industry of food-related pop science. Every bookstore and magazine stand is filled with publications promising to get your child to eat his vegetables, to tell you if someone you know has an eating disorder, or to show you how to lose weight. But the degree to which any of these works is based on scientific research is very limited: the information offered is at best incomplete and often simply incorrect. However, in contrast to this popular literature, the scientific research on eating and drinking behaviours is usually too technical for the general reader. Alexandra Logue’s The Psychology of Eating and Drinking, Third Edition, is unique in being a textbook that can also be comprehended by the educated general reader.

Visit Questia for even more research on Nutrition and the Psychology of Eating. Check out the National Nutrition Month page on Facebook for tips and info on nutrition.

Celebrating Black History Month: Top 5 African-American authors

Taylor Massey — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:25:21 +0000

Author Toni Morrison, 1986

With Black History Month on our minds, we determined Questia’s top 5 most-read African-American authors. To celebrate February, we’ve unlocked the reference books to these authors on Questia, the online research tool and library of over 77,000 academic books and 4 million journal articles, so everyone can read our free online books for the month. Some are novels, some are non-fiction and some are reference books. Leave a comment telling us which one’s you were inspired to read and what you thought!

Richard Wright:

An author of controversial novels, Wright penned the best-seller Black Boy in 1945, which remains a vital work of historical, sociological and literary significance. The seminal portrayal of one black man’s search for self-actualization in a racist society paved the journey for other successful black writers. [“Shouting Curses”: the politics of “bad” language in Richard Wright’s ‘Black Boy.’ Jennifer H. Poulos.]

Toni Morrison:

A Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, Morrison is most celebrated for her novels with epic themes and richly detailed characters such as in The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. [Toni Morrison’s World of Fiction. Karen Carmean.]

Zora Neale Hurston:

An American folklorist and anthropologist, Hurston authored novels, short stories, plays and essays. Her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was written during her fieldwork in Haiti with the Guggenheim Foundation, which provides grants to professionals in the creative arts. [Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life. Lori Robison.]

Frederick Douglass:

A strong public speaker and leader in the abolitionist movement, Douglass also authored several compelling autobiographies which detailed his experiences in slavery. [Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: His Early Life as a Slave, His Escape from Bondage, and His Complete History. Frederick Douglass.]

Alice Walker:

An American novelist, Walker penned the critically acclaimed novel The Color Purple for which she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. She was involved in the Civil Rights movement and marched in the 1963 March on Washington. [Alice Walker: 'Color Purple' Author Confronts Her Critics and Talks about Her Provocative New Book. Charles Whitaker.]

Our personal favorite author from the list right now is playwright August Wilson. Inspired by the area of Pittsburgh, Wilson created many plays focusing on his favorite neighborhoods. In an online article in “Afro” entitled “Morgan State to Premiere August Wilson’s Jitney,” the author mentions the series of plays Wilson wrote about Pittsburgh: “Penned by late playwright August Wilson, ‘Jitney’ was a part of Wilson’s series of 10 plays that was entitled the ‘Pittsburgh Cycle.’ Each was set in a different decade and depicted the comic and tragic aspects of the African American experience in the 20th century. Wilson ultimately received two Pulitzer Prizes for the series.”

What are your favorite African-American authors? Are there any missing here that you think should make our top five list next year? Tell us in the comments!

Causes of writer’s block: Writing ideas for how to stop it before it starts

Questia — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:55:34 +0000

Writer’s block (Photo credit: photosteve101)

Writer’s block hits everyone at one time or another. We don’t all just wake up perkily and generate writing ideas. Even the most creative and the most dedicated of us can sometimes get stuck thinking of a term paper topic or idea for a science project. Once you know the causes of writer’s block, you can take steps to prevent it. One tip is to consult sources like history books, health articles, modern literature, recent science articles, or anything that fits your topic and can jump start your project. Another tip is to practice stress relief techniques to get the creative juices working. Read on for more writing ideas for stopping writer’s block before it starts!

Causes of writer’s block

One of the major causes of writer’s block is dwelling on it too much. If you’re worried about it, it just might come true. The more time you spend thinking about writing something or getting a project started, the more you’ll fall into a pattern of thought or expectations that you won’t be able to get out of. What’s needed is a plan, new experiences and out-of-the-box thinking.

Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) at www.owl.english.purdue.edu explains that writer’s block can be caused by:

not enough preliminary planning, brainstorming or outlining. Start by writing down the primary ideas you want to express.
a boring topic you’re forced to work with. Find an offshoot or aspect of it that interests you.
being too anxious or stressed out to begin thinking clearly. Take a minute to stretch, breathe, close your eyes and mentally focus on something relaxing.

Before writer’s block takes hold

Writer’s Relief offers “Tips On How To Beat Writer’s Block” before it hits, in the November 28, 2012, HuffingtonPost.com:

Before writer’s block takes hold, scout out places near you for inspiration that can jump start creativity: a café, park, library, shade tree, ocean view or busy street for people watching.
If you’re feeling down about your writing, change your perception of the writing experience. Boost your spirits by making a list of your achievements and writings or projects you’re proud of.
Before you start feeling stressed out about a writing project, do an activity that usually relaxes you: baking, jogging, a soothing bath, a crossword puzzle, etc.
To inspire you and make your spirit soar, play a few tunes or read some poetry to get in the creative mood.

Or try these other suggestions before writer’s block strikes:

Write down many questions you have about the topic: who, what, why, where, when. That will generate some topics for further exploration.
Gather some friends who are in the same predicament and brainstorm ideas together. No idea is too silly — just throw out suggestions and create discussions.
Speak to your teacher. Have them clarify the topic and point you to resources.
Don’t talk yourself out of it. Doubt can overrun even the most diligent. Instead of a defeatist attitude, brighten yourself up with positive thoughts (and maybe some ice cream).

What if it’s too late?

If you already have writer’s block, try these tricks:

Flip through the pages of any magazine. Look at the pictures, read headlines and read the ads. Your mind will wander and you’ll start thinking differently.
Browse through Questia.com’s topic categories to find information on a variety of academic fields.

Paul Joe Watson in the January 30, 2013, article “Overcoming (Copy)Writer’s Block” in Business2Community.com suggests that you simply start with what you know. Brainstorm some ideas to start with, start writing and the rest will come in time as you develop your idea. Get to know the basics of what you’re writing. Create an outline, synopsis or major themes or goals that you want to cover. And remember: give yourself a break to clear your mind now and again. Have a cup of coffee, talk to someone or send off a few tweets. Then get right back in the game!

Writer’s block really have a hold on you? Think your paper is simply doomed? Check out our blog post, “Writing tips: Unique tricks to overcoming writer’s block” and get the creative juices pumping again.

What are some of your other tricks for preventing writer’s block? Tell us in the comments below!