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Loyola University Chicago Libraries

ENGL 220: Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing

Introduction

Loyola's collections, both in print and online, are vast, and research can be intimidating. So, if you don't know where to start, start here!

Getting Started: Searching the Library Catalog

The library catalog is a great place to start your research. Here are some tips to make searching more effective:

  1. Make sure that you sign in. This allows you to see your access options for library materials, save searches, set notifications on saved searches, and save items to your favorites.
  2. Use Boolean operators if you're doing a keyword search. For example:
    Composition AND ESL AND tutors - the catalog will return only materials that mention all three search terms: composition, ESL, and tutors
    Composition AND (ESL OR "second language") - the catalog will expand your results by returning materials that mention both composition and ESL or materials that mention both composition and second language
    Composition AND ESL NOT elementary - the catalog will reduce your search results by returning materials that mention composition and ESL but do not mention elementary education or elementary schools.
    Make sure that you enter Boolean operators in all caps: AND, OR, NOT
  3. Use truncation and/or wildcards. For example:
    Entering the search term tutor* will return results for tutor, tutors, tutorial, tutorials, tutoring
    Entering the search term wom?n will return results for woman, women
  4. Group your terms using parenthesis to do multiple searches at once. For example:
    ("higher education" OR undergraduate) AND "writing centers"
  5. Narrow your results to a specific genre, place, or time. For example:
    Writing centers AND elementary schools
    Writing centers AND United States
    Composition AND pedagogy AND 19th century

 

Getting Started: Other Search Tools

If you need an overview of research in Education or research in English at Loyola University Libraries, start with the research guides:

If you need a general overview of a topic with a bibliography leading you to more resources, start with:

If you need articles, start with:

If you need dissertations and theses, start with:

If you need books, start with:

 

Getting Started: Search Terms

All of the research tools listed above will require you to determine keywords in order to use them most effectively. The following search terms may be useful as you search for resources to support your projects:

  • Academic learning
  • Collaboration
  • College students
  • Composition
  • Motivation in education
  • Online pedagogy
  • Online writing laboratories
  • Peer tutoring
  • Rhetoric and composition
  • Student writers
  • Student writing
  • Study and teaching
  • Tutoring
  • Tutors
  • Undergraduate students
  • Universal design
  • Universities and colleges
  • Writing center
  • Writing centers
  • Writing instruction
  • Writing lab