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Film and Digital Media

Writing Guides

A Short Guide to Writing about Film
Main Library ARC General Collection PN 1995 .C66 1998
Downtown Library General Collection PN 1995 .C66 2015
Both an introduction to film study and a practical writing guide, this brief text introduces students to major film theories as well as film terminology.
 
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/film-analysis/
From the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, a handy guide for writing film analyses, with descriptions of the various types of analyses (e.g., semiotic, narrative).

Style Manuals

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th and 16th eds.
Main Library Reference Z 253 .U69 2017, 17th ed.
Provides information on manuscript preparation, punctuation, spelling, quotations, captions, tables, abbreviations, references, bibliographies, notes, and indexes, with sections on journals and electronic media. Frequently used as a guide for citing sources in the humanities.
 
https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines
This is the second edition of the Guide, developed by the American Psychological Association (APA). According to the publisher, "This go-to resource aims to provide guidance on inclusive and affirming language in writing and conversation. The second edition includes expanded definitions and revised terminology based on feedback we received from the public, the latest psychological science, and constructive input from subject-matter experts."
 
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed.
Main Library Reference LB 2369 .T8 2013
Popularly known as "Turabian."  A simplified version of The Chicago Manual of Style (above) intended for use by undergraduates. Presents two basic documentation systems, notes-bibliography style (or simply bibliography style) and parenthetical citations-reference list style (or reference list style). Sample citations based on the 8th edition are available at http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html.
 
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 9th ed.
Main Library Reference LB 2369 .G53 2021
"...Provides an authoritative account of MLA [Modern Language Association] documentation style for use in student writing, including simplified guidelines for citing works published on the Web and new recommendations for citing several kinds of works, such as digital files and graphic narratives" (publisher's description).
 
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: The Official Guide to APA Style, 7th ed.
Main Library Reference BF 76.7 .P83 2020
"In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, ...offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive coverage of the treatment of numbers, metrication, statistical and mathematical data, tables, and figures for use in writing, reports, or presentations" (publisher's description). Also available is a condensed online version from the American Psychological Association at APA Style.
 
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University hosts a website that provides sample citations for APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.

Citation Management Tools

Citation management programs help researchers:

> Collect citations from online sources, including library catalogs and electronic databases;

> Organize references by subject, project, author, or other schemes; and 

> Create bibliographies formatted according to MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, or other widely used citation styles.

The UCF Libraries make available free of charge to current students, faculty, and staff one of the most commonly used citation management programs, EndNote.

There are also several free, open-source citation management programs, chief among them Zotero and Mendeley.