Dictionary of American History

Describes key events in American History.

Browse other encyclopedias and dictionaries in Valley Stacks by E174.

General Help
The OSU Center for Writing and Learning offers free help with any writing task at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming and organization to questions of grammar and usage, and it is open to all OSU students. Call (541) 737-5640 for an appointment. Students may also submit their work-in-progress to the Center's Online Writing Lab. Purdue University and the University of Toronto each host excellent on-line guides to academic writing, covering a wide range of questions and problems:

• Purdue Online Writing Lab
• University of Toronto Advice on Academic Writing

Proper Style and Citations
If you are using the Chicago Manual of Style it is located in the Valley Library at call no. Z253.U69 2003. Some information is also on-line:

• Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide
• Diana Hacker Chicago Documenting Sources
• The Writing Center @ The University of Wisconsin Madison Chicago/Turabian
• Concordia U Libraries has a quick guide to using Turabian.

Grammar
Perhaps the best short guide to grammar-all you probably need to know in a half-hour's reading-can be found in William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, available in the Valley Library at call no. PE1408.S73 1972 and PE1408.S772 1979a. You can find an online version of the first, 1918 edition of this classic text. There are many other on-line grammar guides; two especially strong ones are:

• The University of Illinois Grammar Handbook 
• Darling's Guide to Grammar and Writing

Search tips!

• In general, start your searching with just one or two keywords. Add more as needed.
• Be sure to try your topic in more than one database.
• Read citations and abstracts to get ideas of different keywords that represent your topic.

Locating articles: Once you find your citation, you will need to locate the journal to read the article. Some citations will have the full-text of the article available online. For others, click on this button: to see if OSU has an electronic or paper copy of the journal. 360 will open a new window and will display a link to full-text if available. If not click the link the library catalog to check if a paper copy is available. If neither is available request the article through Interlibrary Loan (https://library.oregonstate.edu/ill).

Government documents can be a great source of information, including archival or primary sources.

Use the OSU Libraries' guide to Government Information to identify congressional publications (hearings, serial set, house/senate reports and documents, etc.) from 1789 to the present. Once you have identified them, then find the full text in print, microfiche, or online depending on availability.  gives an overview of government publications and how to get them.