New Review: The University of Chicago’s Student’s Guide to Writing College Papers

The Student’s Guide begins with a short introduction that explains the role of research in academic and professional contexts and clarifies why research skills are important for students to learn. Subsequent content is organized in three parts: (1) Writing Your Paper, (2) Citing Sources, and (3) Style. Students learn the stages of the process, including identifying a topic, posing a research question, collecting sources and information, constructing sound arguments, and planning, drafting, and revising the written report. They learn how to cite sources using a variety of bibliographic forms (e.g., Modern Language Association) and to incorporate the elements of style as presented in the “Chicago Manual of Style” (2010).

In conducting its review, Learning List interviewed university faculty who have used the Student’s Guide in the classroom with students. Faculty said they valued the Guide for its ability to present rigorous content in a manner that does not overwhelm students. Pointing to the treatment of argumentation as one of the Guide’s strengths, they explained that students learn to develop arguments that are supported by evidence and logic and that readers will care about.

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