Frequently Asked Questions
Although we can help you with some basic formatting and citations, we recommend you use other resources provided by the university, such as the librarians. You can ask for a librarian's help at the circulation desk or contact a librarian via the green chat button on Murray Library's website. Librarians are able to go through your formatting and citations with you, helping find errors or figure out especially tricky citations. Click here for the library's citation guide.
You can also use the Writer’s Reference in Canvas, the APA Style website, or the Purdue OWL website. ZoteroBib is a great website for generating citations for different sources, but you should check to make sure these citations are correct before using them in your paper.
We can! However, we will often look at your grammar after we look at the rest of your paper, and we usually don’t have time to discuss every grammar mistake. Many students find it helpful to read their papers out loud because they catch mistakes they wouldn’t otherwise. If your professor makes comments on specific grammar rules that you don’t know or understand, or if you want to refresh your grammar knowledge in general, the Writer’s Reference in Canvas has a helpful section on grammar and mechanics.
At the Writing Center, we believe writing is a collaborative process. No one’s paper will be perfect—even if it's good, there are always ways it can be made better. Often, another set of eyes can see areas for improvement that you wouldn’t on your own. Talking about your paper with someone else is a great way to process your ideas, get direct feedback , and show you how readers of your paper might interpret it.
No; the Writing Center can help you with any level of writing. Writing can always be improved, and even “good” writers can benefit from the Writing Center. Our own tutors often make appointments at the Writing Center because they recognize the value of the services we offer.
Of course! We can help you at any point in the writing process, from brainstorming to final revisions. Whether you have a full draft to read through, an outline, or nothing at all, we are happy to simply talk through your ideas with you and help you at any stage of the writing process.
While we do accept walk-ins, we prefer that you make an appointment. This helps us ensure that someone is available to help you. You can schedule an appointment up to one hour in advance of your desired appointment time and can cancel at any time. If you are unsure of how to make an appointment, visit Scheduling a Session.