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CH120 Directions in the Christian Story: Writing and Research Tools

Center for Writing and Learning Support

The Center for Writing and Learning Support offers students "individual and small group consultations both online and in-person, writing workshops about general writing issues or those particular to a specific class assignment, handouts on aspects of the writing process, links to helpful websites and bibliographic resources, bi-monthly Writers’ Gatherings, and much more."

Visit the Center's website at https://www.pts.edu/Center-for-Writing-and-Learning-Support, or stop by the Center for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Citation Information

Turabian

In general, papers here at PTS require Turabian style citations, using Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writer's of Research Papers, 9th Ed. The Turabian guide is essentially an abbreviated, student-specific manual based on The Chicago Manual of Style (currently on it's 17th edition), which can also be used as an alternative.

 

SBL

While not the predominant style at PTS, SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) style may be required in specific classes. It can be found in THE SBL Handbook of Style, 2nd Ed.

Information Literacy

In 2016, the board of the American College and Research Libraries (ACRL) adopted a Framework for Information Literacy.  The Framework is a set of interconnected core concepts that serve as a guideline for students in higher education and their instructors as they encounter and evaluate information.  The six concepts, or "frames," are as follows:

  • Authority is Constructed and ContextualInformation resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
  • Information Creation as a Process:  Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
  • Information Has Value:  Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.
  • Research as Inquiry:  Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
  • Scholarship as Conversation:  Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.
  • Searching as Strategic Exploration:  Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

You can learn more about the Framework here, or in the PDF document provided below.

Writing and Research Books

What Is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is essentially when you copy a piece of writing from someone else and present it as your own work. Plagiarism is not allowed at PTS (or any academic institution). The following Internet resources provide more information, and can help to further clarify this important issue.