Electrical & Computer Engineering
Library resources and services for ECE.
Books for Improving Your Writing
Becoming an Academic Writer by Call Number: Open ReserePublication Date: 2016With its friendly, step-by-step format this book helps writers improve their writing by engaging in deep and deliberate practice. It is flexibly organized so readers can either work their way through all of the exercises in order or focus on the specific areas where they need additional practice building their skills.
A Scientific Approach to Writing for Engineers and Scientists by Call Number: Available onlinePublication Date: 2014This book fixes that problem by presenting a "scientific" approach to writing that mirrors the sensibilities of scientists and engineers, an approach based on an easily-discernable set of principles. Rather than merely stating rules for English grammar and composition, this book explains the reasons behind these rules and shows that good reasons can guide every writing decision. This resource is also well suited for the growing number of scientists and engineers in the U.S. and elsewhere who speak English as a second language, as well as for anyone else who just wants to be understood.
Technical Communication by Call Number: T11 .M346 2012Through clear advice and an accessible visual design, Mike Markel's Technical Communication models the principles it teaches, offering practical strategies that students can put to use right away. Using a student-friendly voice, Mike Markel shows writers how to tackle the major types of documents and writing situations they will encounter in their professional lives. Excellent and always fresh sample documents and examples demonstrate effective techniques and offer plenty of opportunities for analysis, while interactive cases provide engaging scenarios for writing practice. The new edition incorporates the latest workplace and technology trends, offering new advice for how and why to use social media effectively in technical communication.
They Say / I Say by Call Number: PE 1431. G73 2018This book identifies the key rhetorical moves in academic writing. It shows students how to frame their arguments as a response to what others have said and provides templates to help them start making the moves. The fourth edition features many NEW examples from academic writing, a NEW chapter on Entering Online Discussions, and a thoroughly updated chapter on Writing in the Social Sciences. Finally, two NEW readings provide current examples of the rhetorical moves in action.
University Writing Center
The University Writing Center is here to help you become a more confident writer by providing individual consultations with peer tutors. We work on papers from all disciplines - not just writing classes. Best of all, the Writing Center is a FREE service to students and faculty of the University of Utah.
The University Writing Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Marriott Library in room 2701.
Make an appointment
Improve Your Presenting Skills
TED Talks by Call Number: PN 4129.15 A 54A New York Times Bestseller. For anyone who has ever been inspired by a TED talk... this is an insider's guide to creating talks that are unforgettable. Since taking over TED in the early 2000s, Chris Anderson has shown how carefully crafted short talks can be the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, spreading knowledge, and promoting a shared dream. Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience's worldview. Done right, a talk is more powerful than anything in written form. This is the 21st-century's new manual for truly effective communication and it is a must-read for anyone who is ready to create impact with their ideas.
Show and Tell by Call Number: Open Reserve HF 5718.22 R6297 2014If I tell you the truth, if I tell it with a story, and if I tell that story with pictures, I can keep you glued to your seat. Let me show you how. For the vast majority of us, giving a presentation is an extremely difficult and nerve-wracking process, whether we're in a one-on-one meeting, a conference room with a dozen strangers, or a lecture hall in front of thousands. But according to Dan Roam, it doesn't have to be so hard. We struggle when we forget the basic steps we learned in kindergarten: show and tell. In this short but powerful book, Roam introduces a new set of tools for making extraordinary presentations in any setting.
IEEE Style Resources
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is a style primarily used in engineering.
In IEEE, your citations are in text in bracketed numbers, and your bibliography is at the end on a new page with the heading References.
- IEEE Reference GuideThis document goes over citations and references.
- IEEE Editorial Style Manual for AuthorsThis document goes over writing style in general.
- IEEE Author CenterA website with resources for authors writing in IEEE, including templates and checkers.
- IEEE StyleFrom the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Chicago Style Resources
From Purdue Online Writing Lab:
CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style) is most commonly used to cite sources within history and the arts.
Chicago has two main options for citations and bibliography: Author Date and Notes Bibliography. In Author Date style, your citations will be in text in parentheses, and your bibliography will be at the end on a page called References. In Notes Bibliography style, your citations will either be footnotes or endnotes, and your bibliography will be at the end on a page called Bibliography.
The Chicago Manual of Style by Call Number: Z253 .U69 2017ISBN: 9780226287058Publication Date: 2017-09-05Find a hard copy of the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition in the library! Not only does this include how to cite sources, but it is also a guide for writing in the Chicago style.
- Chicago Manual of Style
Online version of the 17th and 16th editions - Chicago Formatting and Style GuideFrom the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Citation Managers
There are four common citation managers: EndNote, NoodleTools, Zotero and Mendeley
EndNote, EndNote Basic, and Zotero are bibliographic management programs that help you manage, store, and organize references.
EndNote remains the favored, time-saving solution for organizing references and creating instant bibliographies.
- Significant learning curve
- If you are a scholar or aspiring scholar you should invest the time now in order to save time and headaches later
- You may purchase Endnote X.7 from the Office of Software Licensing (You may want to use both EndNote and EndNote Basic)
- See EndNote Desktop guide
EndNote Basic (formerly known as EndNote Web) is free for U of U students, staff, and faculty.
- Easier to use
- Undergraduate student focus
- See EndNote Basic guide
NoodleTools is free for U of U students, staff, and faculty.
- Easy to Use
- Undergraduate student focus
- Self-guided tool that teaches how to properly document sources in MLA, APA or Chicago/Turabian
- Produces a fully formatted Works Cited/References page
- See NoodleTools User Guide
- Freely available
- Easy to import citations from Usearch, many library databases, and many websites
- Can import dozens of citations at a time from Google Scholar
- Compatible with EndNote Basic and Mendeley
- See Zotero guide
- Freely available
- Can import citations from many library databases and webpages
- Can share citations through groups feature
- See Mendeley guide
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