Student's Guide for Writing College Papers [Paperback]

Kate L. Turabian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1977 | ISBN-10: 0226816230 | ISBN-13: 978-0226816234 | Edition: 3 Revised

This third edition of Kate L. Turabian's Student's Guide for Writing College Papers is designed for high school, junior college, or college students faced with writing their first long, documented paper. Besides the book's step-by-step directions for all aspects of paper writing, the sixth chapter, "Some Matters of Style," has been extensively revised, and the List of Reference Works useful to students has been recompiled and greatly expanded by Donald F. Bond, a specialist in bibliography. Students and teachers will appreciate a new system of numbering each paragraph which facilitates locating any desired item through the Index or cross-references in the text.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 3 Revised edition (March 15, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226816230
• ISBN-13: 978-0226816234
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,340,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dated, February 3, 2000

By 

M. L. Goodson (Davis, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Student's Guide for Writing College Papers (Paperback)

In it's time this was probably THE reference for writing term papers, but with the passing of time, it has become dated. With information on such things as footnotes, it is simply not up-to-date with the styles currently in use at most colleges. Probably manuals such as the Beacon Handbook or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers would be better reference choices.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aging Well, and Still Worth Reading, July 10, 2010

By 

Gilgamesh (Middle Earth) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Student's Guide for Writing College Papers (Paperback)

The photograph of a typewriter on the cover is evidence that this was written quite some time ago. Because it was originally published in 1963, and this edition came out in 1976, it is probably older than most of the people purchasing it! The book has largely been superseded by The Chicago Manual of Style (15th Edition) and other more recent works, yet it still has important advice.

MOST RELEVANT SECTIONS FOR STUDENTS TODAY (pages 1-76, 169-179)
--------------------------
-what a paper ought to be
-why we right them
-how to choose a topic
-how to use the library
-evaluating sources
-outlining
-note taking
-writing first drafts
-final drafts
-sample research paper

SECTIONS WORTH READING, BUT DATED
--------------------------
Chapter 6 on style and Chapter 7 on bibliographies and footnotes are easier to read than many other books out there, and I thumb through them every once in a while. However, in my own writing, I rely on conventions in the Chicago Manual of Style.

BOTTOM LINE
--------------------------
This is an inexpensive, solid work that has stood the test of time. I would recommend it as a supplement to more up-to-date style manuals.
***Please note that a fourth edition just came out in May. I hope to look at it sometime soon to see what changes they made (Student's Guide to Writing College Papers: Fourth Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Student;'s Guide for Writing College Papers, October 4, 2007

By 

D. Connelly "grad student" (Palm Springs, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Student's Guide for Writing College Papers (Paperback)

I was disappointed with this book for several reasons:
1) It was written pre-video, pre-internet; therefore, many aspects of incorporating sources into class papers lack any directives by Turabian.

2) While sharing the "what not to do's", this book lacked many "to do's". For example, in the footnoting section, she indicated when not to use Ibid., but the book lacks specific direction on what to do.

3) Information is not easily accessible for specific points...lots of searching to find where the information is located in the book.

While eventually you get to the information you need, I found myself using my "best guess" in writing my papers and hoping for the best. I had hoped that this book would build my confidence BEFORE I submit my student work. Unfortunately, my university using the Turabian method!