Websites
Resources from the Web
Check out this list of websites to get help with research or writing, or to see organizations and job opportunities associated with English.
Always be cautious when using sites from the open internet, and be sure to read websites critically.
How Google Search Works
Recommended Websites
- The Joseph Conrad Society (UK)
Here you can find access to the Conradian, a scholarly journal on Joseph Conrad’s work, as well as a Conrad bibliography and reviews of monographs on Conrad.
- Woolf Online
This site offers a look at the multiple drafts and revisions for an experimental passage in the “Time Passes” section of To the Lighthouse. It also includes contextual material for the study of the passage, including Woolf’s diary entries, her critical essays, and biographical information.
- The Home of Agatha Christie
Official website of Agatha Christie, managed by the corporation that handles the licensing of her works.
Writing Websites
These websites can teach you to write better.
- The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
This website and the printed Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation present American English rules and guidelines. The book is a perennial bestseller, and the site offers a wealth of free information.
- Designing an Effective PowerPoint Presentation: Quick Guide
A presentation on effective PowerPoint design from the OWL at Purdue.
- Grammar Girl
Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple ….
- Grammarly
Grammarly is a spelling and grammar checker that comes as a desktop app, a Word plugin, and a Chrome plugin.
- Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue.
- UW–Madison Writer’s Handbook
Instructional materials on academic and professional writing.
Read Websites Critically
Anyone can publish anything on the internet.
Use the Spider Method to ensure that your internet sources are appropriate for your research.
- Source
Who wrote the information? Is he qualified? If you can’t find an author, you shouldn’t trust the information until you verify it elsewhere.
- Purpose
Why does this website exist? Is it intended to sell a product or convince readers of something? Can you detect any bias?
- Information
Is the information current? Check for a publication date. If there isn’t one, you need to verify currency with another source.
- Domain
Be aware of the host site. Is the domain .edu or .gov? These domains sometimes have more authoritative or reliable information.
- Educational
Who is the intended audience? Is there adequate depth to the information? Are you sure it’s not a hoax site or satire?
- Reliability
Is the same information available on other websites? Triangulate with other sources to improve the chance of getting complete or accurate information.