The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Writing Resources
These graduate-level resources provide academic & writing support. Students who use these services in combination are likely to perform better in the academic setting.
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AbbreviationsDefine most abbreviations upon first use—that means to present the full version of the term and then the abbreviation. However, do not define some common abbreviations, such as the following:
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APA 7th EditionDesigned to support the citation and reference needs of USC students, staff, and faculty. The 7th edition of the manual does make distinctions between formatting certain components for academic use over publication. This guide will distinguish student/academic formatting where applicable.
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Avoiding PlagiarismHelps raise students’ awareness to the similarities and differences among summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting as they prepare to use these strategies in an effort to avoid plagiarism.
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Bias-Free LanguageWrite about all people with professionalism, respect, and sensitivity. Just as you have learned to check what you write for spelling, grammar, and wordiness, practice reading your work for bias.
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Disability Services and ProgramsFor students who have completed the registration process, this section of the website provides helpful information regarding your DSP-approved accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services. Here you can learn more about the role of your DSP Specialist, as well as your own Roles, Rights and Responsibilities.
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OWL Writing LabThis resource explains two dominant ideas in professional writing that will help you produce persuasive, usable resumes, letters, memos, reports, white papers, etc. This section outlines the concepts of rhetorical awareness and user-centered design, provides examples of these ideas, and contains a glossary of terms.
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RefWorksRefWorks is a web-based citation manager that helps you keep track of your research, organize citations, and create bibliographies
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USC Kortshak CenterKCLC offers outreach, programming, and individual coaching services to USC students and departments to promote a campus-wide understanding of learning differences and their potential to facilitate creativity and academic excellence.
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USC Writing CenterThe Writing Center offers twenty-five minute individual sessions with graduate student or faculty consultants. Academic consultants have backgrounds in a range of academic disciplines, are well versed in composition, and have both general and specialized subject-matter expertise.
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The Writing Center: The University of North CarolinaTips & Tools
USC Libraries Reference & Reseach Guides
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Adult Mental HealthResources related to the MSW department. Research to improve the mental health and physical well-being of individuals across the adult lifespan, from young adults to older adults.
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African American StudiesProvides access to articles, encyclopedia, history.
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American Studies & EthnicityProvides background resources.
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Asian American StudiesProvides access to articles, encyclopedia, history.
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Black American Documentary Films in StreamingThis guide is intended to help the USC Library community locate and access many of the outstanding documentary films dealing with Black Americans available through our many streaming platforms
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California Government InformationA guide to politics and government practices in the state of California
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Chicano, Latinos and other U.S. HispanicsThis guide offers an overview of the specialized multidisciplinary research resources at USC on Chicanos, Latinos and other U.S. Hispanics.
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Data and Visualization WorkshopsUSC Library for International and Public Affairs offers a variety of workshops, events, and other outreach programming focusing on data, visualization, tools, software, government information and collections housed within USC Library for International and Public Affairs and other libraries.
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Distance LearningThis guide provides resources and helpful tips to support students in Distance Learning programs or online courses.
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Diversity, Equity & InclusionThis guide has been designed to provide information on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I).
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E-BooksHow to find eBooks through USC Libraries website.
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Holocaust Documentary and Feature FilmsFeature films dealing with the Holocaust available on USC's streaming platforms.
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LGBTQIA+ Health and Cultural CompetencyThis guide provides LGBTQIA+ health and cultural competency resources for healthcare providers, educators, and students.
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Los Angeles and Southern CaliforniaMaterials related to the study of Los Angeles and Southern California are as diverse and widespread as the geographical area they document. Use the tabs above to explore USC's varied collections, as well as other primary source materials available online and at other institutions.
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Mindful AgingThis resource guide offers a number of recourses for creating, developing, revising and refining your personal mission statement.
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Visual StudiesThe purpose of this guide is to point you to visual resources.
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Wellness & YouThis guide provides a calendar and information about wellness activities taking place at USC.
Career Writing Resources
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Resume & Letter Writing ResourcesResources covering: cover letters, resumes, types of interviews, thank you notes, online platforms.
Writing & Grammar Assistance Third-Party Sites
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QuillBotFree grammar checking tool and several other productivity enhancing tools for students. and researchers.
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GrammarlyCompose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly’s powered writing assistant.
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Grammar: Practices and ExercisesPractice on points of English grammar: Clauses, Noun Phrases, Verb Phrases, Averbials, Connectors, and more.
Writing Support Guided Tutorials
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Avoiding Plagiarism"Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism” and breaking it into two modules: “What is plagiarism? What is citation?” and “Citing to avoid plagiarism.” All versions were created in consultation with the Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards office (SJACS).
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Grammar and Style TutorialThis guided tutorial goes over the most common grammar and style mistakes including passive voice, pronoun reference, comma usage, subject-verb agreement, run-ons, and fragments.
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Paragraph Organization Module OnePart one of a three part "Organizing Paragraphs" guided tutorial. Part one covers topic sentences, thesis statements, and transitions.
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Paragraph Organization Module TwoPart two of three of our "Organizing Paragraphs" lesson. This module covers evidence, analysis, and paraphrasing.
Lets Play Social Work Match Game & Learn
Writing Support Blogs
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APA StyleAcademic Writer’s advanced authoring technology and digital learning tools allow students to take a hands-on approach to learning the scholarly research and writing process.
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PunctuationUse Them Correctly