Internet Resources
Organizations at CTC
- BywaysThe Byways Journal of Arts and Letters is a student publication featuring original creative written work: short fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and drama. It also includes original art work: paintings, sculptures, photography, and metal works.
- English Honor SocietySigma Kappa Delta is the English Honor Society for Two-Year Colleges. It was founded in 1996 at Cottey College. Sigma Kappa Delta headquarters is currently located at Calhoun Community College. With more than 100 active chapters located in the United States, approximately 2,500 members are inducted annually. Sigma Kappa Delta's central purpose is to confer distinction upon students of the English language and literature in undergraduate studies.
- Forensics TeamThe award-winning Central Texas College speech and debate team is a great extracurricular activity for any student to consider, regardless of experience. We are an open student organization whose goal is to help any student with a desire to improve their public speaking and performance skills. The website includes detailed information on joining the Forensics Team at CTC.
Informative Websites for Grammar and Writing
- Common Errors in EnglishThis is a link to a list of commonly made errors in writing. The list is supplied by Washington State University's English Department. This link also includes additional resources such as a list of commonly misspelled words as well as suggestions for correcting these errors.
- Purdue University Online Writing LabThe most extensive, oldest, and best-known virtual writing center on the Web. This site offers resources for writers, links to other on-line writing centers. Purdue's OWL offers more than 200 resources for assisting with writing, research, grammar and syle guides as well as job searching and professional writing tools.
Informative Websites for Literature Criticism
- Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism by Purdue's Online Writing LabLiterary Theory and Schools of Criticism by Purdue's Online Writing Lab offers an introduction to the different eras of literary theory as well as the different types of criticisms for literature. The website also offers resources in how to write for certain areas in literature such as fiction, literature, and poetry.
- Critical TheoryThe website, created by Dr. Michael Delahoyde, an English professor at Washington State University, is a great resource to understanding different types of criticisms in literature.
- How to Research Literary CriticismEnoch Pratt Free Library offers an easy to use website on how to research literary criticism from what literary criticism is to the finishing of the paper. The Free Library also offers links to guides to help understand terms used during the criticism process.
Informative Websites for Public Speaking
- Famous Speeches in HistoryFamous Speeches in History by History.com offers many different speeches for evaluation. Users can search by person, event, or time period to find a famous speech to research.
- Types of SpeechTypes of Speech by ChangingMinds.org offers a quick recap of the different types of speeches. Descriptions include details such as the length of a type of speech and the type of information to include in different speeches.
- Public Speaking TipsPublic Speaking Tips by Toastmaster.org offers a host of tips for becoming a great public speaker as well as for overcoming the fear of public speaking.
- Before Public SpeakingBefore Public Speaking is a playlist of TED Talks. The playlist contains 9 videos, or talks, on public speaking.
Evaluating Websites
When researching, especially using internet sources, it is a good idea to evaluate the information to make sure it is “good” information. Making this determination can be difficult and often depends on the original purpose of the information and how you intend to use it.
How will I know?
One way to evaluate information is to use the CRAAP Test:
Currency: Timeliness
Pay attention to when the information was created or published. Is the information still current or is it outdated? Depending on your topic older sources of information may still be acceptable, in other cases it may not.
Relevance: Importance
Relevance means how the information relates to your topic. Who is the intended audience of the information? Students, professional, experts?
Authority: Source
Who created or authored the information? What company or organization operates/maintains the website? What are the credentials of the author, are they an expert or professional?
Accuracy: Reliability
Is the information factual correct? Are there other types of errors, such as grammar or spelling mistakes? Can you verify the information from other sources? Is the information biased?
Purpose: Reason
What is the goal of the information? Is it to persuade, teach, or sell? Does the information rely on facts and data, or opinion? Is it written with a political or religious agenda?
CRAAP test is adapted from the Meriam Library at California State University Chico