Tyndale Writing Tips

It’s week 5 of Jerusalem term and you’re just sitting down to look at your term paper assignments. You glance at the requirements: 2000 words, 10 sources, including an original interview with the world’s leading authority on box turtles. That may sound overwhelming, but don’t worry: the world’s leading authority on box turtles is our very own Dr. Wilson, and you can usually find him in his office or chatting with students at Tea Time.

When it comes down to the wire it’s easy to let anxiety take control, but a few careful steps can increase the quality and speed of your writing.

My advice regarding papers is to start as soon as you have the information you need. By this, I mean that the more time you can spend analyzing your sources and writing - rather than cramming at the last minute - the higher the quality of thought you will contribute to your paper. I wish I had followed this advice. —Bryan Sarchet

Outline your paper before you begin writing. It will keep your thoughts from rambling. —Magdalene Anderson

Research Guides

If you are a smart, diligent student, as you are planning your paper you will do research on it. And if you are not a smart, diligent student, keep reading! You might be able to change your ways. The Tyndale Library website has Research Guides and online databases like JSTOR available for use. Under the Research Guide section of the website, there is a page dedicated to research help, guides for how to get started on your paper, how to find books in the library and a style guide. Also available is a page titled “Research by Discipline” where you can find organized resources with headings such as Theology or Languages. Each discipline has at least one subheading for more specific research. The databases include journal databases, ebooks, and much more.

I have used JSTOR to find articles for practically every paper I have written in my time at  NSA. It is very useful! —Magdalene Anderson

The JSTOR link has been my most used library resource. While paper is definitely better in my opinion, JSTOR provides a huge variety that a physical library simply cannot compete with. —Bryan Sarchet

Interlibrary Loan

Need a book or source not available locally? Head to the Tyndale Website and check out our Interlibrary Loan policies—then simply fill out a request form and we’ll be happy to get you the materials you need! Don’t forget to check out other local libraries first: The University of Idaho and Washington State both have copious collections, and you can find extensive catalogs at the Moscow and Pullman public libraries as well.

ILL is great for getting access to articles that are behind a paywall. If there's a book I'm looking for that I can't find locally, I use the Amazon or Google Books Preview to view the table of contents, then request scans of the specific chapters I need, which arrive much faster than if I request the physical book. —Miriam Barreth

Chicago Manual of Style

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is the standard format for most papers you’ll turn in at NSA. It’s best to familiarize yourself with the basics early on and return to the guide for specific questions as needed. One purpose of CMOS, like Tyndale’s Dewey Decimal System, is to be a uniform paradigm that makes citations consistent and traceable.

The Tyndale Library has several ways to utilize the Chicago Manual of Style. You’ll find one copy always available in the reference section (the corner with the four chairs). You can also find the Student version of the CMOS, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian), both in Stacks and permanently on reserve behind the front desk.

The CMOS is also available online through the library website. In Populi click “library” on the top menu and then navigate to the “links” tab. Scroll down to Online Reference Resources and you’ll find a link to the Chicago Manual of Style. Or, in the library website itself (tyndale.nsa.edu), simply go to Databases on the left-hand menu, and look for CMOS.

The Writing Center

Need help with writing? It’s NSA’s (unintentionally) best-kept secret—the College has a writing center that provides personal assistance to help YOU write the best paper you possibly can! Simply book an appointment at least 18 hours in advance and then bring your printed work ready for review. If you are able to send your work to the writing center tutor, Dulcinea, at least a day or so before your meeting, she may be able to read it in advance and save time during the meeting for a more in-depth conversation. This is particularly helpful for larger assignments/longer papers. Papers sent ahead of a scheduled session can be sent to dstutzman21@nsa.edu.

Talk to your professors! They want to help you and will be able to tell you if you're going in the right direction and also give you sources. —Miriam Barreth

If you have any questions about the library resources, please come and ask the library staff, we’re happy to help you get started with any of the library services. Upperclassmen are usually willing to help you as well since they’ve been in the same boat. Now? If you’re still reading then you’re procrastinating, so apply what you’ve learned and go write!