Resources

Dictionaries – General

Online

One of the strengths of online dictionaries, other than not taking up shelf space, is that they are updated as new words enter the English language. One of the weakenesses is that they rarely offer every word or definition. Many dictionaries, however, offer subscription services so you can access online all their content.

The Oxford English Dictionary – The OED is the finest, most comprehensive dictionary of the English language. By subscription only. Most large library systems offer full subscription access.

You will also find useful the more broad Oxford Dictionaries, on which you can search all their modern English dictionaries and thesauruses, and the Oxford Reference, which gives you access to many dictionaries, thesauruses, the World Encyclopedia, and a number of other references covering subjects from languages to physics.

Dictionary.com – Includes notes on usage. Thesaurus and reference searches also available.

You can also download a free app for your Android device for mobile access to Dictionary.com.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary – A good, basic resource for definitions, usage, and hyphenation. Includes a thesaurus and medical terminology.

You can also download a free app for your iPhone for mobile access to the online dictionary.

Macmillan Dictionary – Another good, basic resource. Includes a thesaurus.

You can also download a free app for your iPhone, iPod, or iPad for mobile access to the online dictionary.

Macmillan has a blog on which they discuss words, usage, and writing.

Print

Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1989 – The current edition of the OED fills twenty volumes plus additional volumes and supplements (to keep it up to date). It examines the origins of words and the evolution of their meaning and use over time. I don’t know any other dictionary in which you can find the difference between “use” and “utilize” or between “need” and “require.” The third, completely revisited of this dictionary, which will likely be double the size of the current version, is expected to come out in print in 2037. For more information, see the Wikipedia article.

The OED is also available in a compact version (complete with magnifying glass!) or on CD.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, 2003 – Comes with a CD-ROM of the dictionary. For more information, see the Wikipedia entry.

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, 2005 – Comes with a CD-ROM of the dictionary. Also available as an e-book.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, 2006 – An electronic version is also available. For more information, see the Wikipedia article.

Thesauruses

Online

Thesaurus.com – Includes not only synonyms and antonyms but a discussion of the usage of the synonyms. Many of the synonym’s thesaurus entries are also included on the results page.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary – Not as extensive as the one at Thesaurus.com but better than many and, if you’re using the online dictionary anyway, quite handy.

Print

Roget’s – A number of versions are available, including Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus (which I prefer), Houghton Mifflin Roget’s II (which also comes in an electronic version), and Roget’s International Thesaurus (which I find difficult to use). For more information, see the Wikipedia article.

Style Guides – General

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White – Now available online! This book’s small size belies the richness of the information within. It’s the third book on my reference shelf and the third most used (after the dictionary and the Chicago Manual of Style). It’s an easy read; I recommend perusing it once a year to refresh yourself on the basics.

Strunk and White, as it is often called, is not the extensive style guide that The Chicago Manual of Style or the AP Stylebook are. But it covers the basic use of the English language in a no-nonsense, concise way.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, 2010 – Widely used for many types of writing; extensive and comprehensive. (Read more about it.) Also available online by subscription.

A quick guide to its citation style can be found on the manual’s website.

AP Stylebook, 2010 – The Associated Press stylebook is used particularly for journalism. Also available online by subscription.

You can also download an app for your BlackBerry for mobile access to the AP Stylebook.

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd edition, 2008 – Published by the Modern Language Association of America. Used for academic writing.

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th edition, 2007 – Also called Turabian style, after its original author, Kate L. Turabian. Published by the University of Chicago Press.

A quick guide to citation and references styles can be found on the manual’s website.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, 2009 – APA Style is commonly used for academic writing, particularly the social sciences.

U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual, 2008 – Also available as downloadable text or PDF files and as a searchable online reference.

Style Guides – Specialized

Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, 3rd edition, 2004 – Widely used for software and application documentation.

Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 7th edition, 2006 – Published by the Council of Science Editors. Previous title: Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. Widely used for natural science writing, particularly the life sciences.

ACS Style Guide, 3rd edition, 2006 – From the American Chemical Society. Used by the physical sciences, including physics.

AMA Manual of Style, 10th edition, 2007 – Published by by the editors of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) and the Archives Journals. Used for medical writing. Also available online by subscription.

The AMA also has a blog, the AMA STYLE Insider, that addresses AMA style issues and questions.

Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), 2008 – From the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This is available as a PDF. NIST also has an online reference.

The Yahoo! Style Guide – A guide to writing and formatting content for the web.

Others

There are a number of other specialized style manuals such as

Standards

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – These include International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards.

The American Petroleum Institute (API)

ASTM International (originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials)

The IEEE Standards Association

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International

References – General

Check your local libraries for online access to encyclopedias and other reference books. For instance, my local library offers online access to the Encyclopedia Americana, the World Book online reference center, and the CIA World Factbook. The larger Denver Public Library offers online access to Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Both also offer access to a number of more specialized online references as well as databases of popular, academic, and professional articles.

Wikipedia can be an excellent source of information. They have recently become even more careful about maintaining only information that can be verified against reliable published sources.

Online reference sites such as Infoplease.com can be useful too. Because Infoplease is produced by Pearson Education Inc. (with which I am not affiliated), its information is probably pretty reliable. They provide access to almanacs, an atlas, a dicationary, and an encyclopedia.

Refdesk is a dizzying collection of online reference sites. You can get lost if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. For quicker results, scroll nearly to the bottom of the main page and look for “Refdesk Subject Categories“ in the center column. Or go directly to their more general “Reference Desk“ page.

References – Specialized

NIST’s “Weights and Measures” page

The Council of Science Editors’ “Reference Links”

The American Society for Indexing’s “Online Reference Sources” – See the section titled “Specific Reference Sources.”

OnlineUniversities.com’s “100 Best Reference Sites for Science Students”

Refdesk’s “Facts Encyclopedia: Science and Technology” and “My Facts Page: Science Information Resources.”

DWMTech’s “Science Online” page

Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage

Print

Grammar is the rules about using different types of words, phrases, and clauses and how those are put together to form sentences. Punctuation is the "road signs" that help readers correctly interpret words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. Usage addresses how words or phrases should and should not be used.

Many style guides have sections on grammar, punctuation, and usage.

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White – Available online, but I recommend buying a copy. Covers the most important basics of grammar, punctuation, usage, and good writing.

The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar; 1998 – Also available online by subscription.

The Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide; 2006.

Fowler’s Modern English Usage, by Henry W. Fowler, later updated by R. W. Burchfield; 2004 – Widely regarded as the finest English usage guide. Covers both American and British English. For more information, see the Wikipedia article.

Modern American Usage: A Guide, by Wilson Follett, revised by Erik Wensberg; 1998 – Another highly recommended usage guide. For more information, see the Wikipedia article.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage; 1994

As I write this, an online version is available through Google Books.

The American Heritage Book of English Usage, 1996 – An electronic version is also available.

Online

GrammarBook.com – Covers grammar and punctuation and some usage and style issues.

Wikipedia has a decent entry on “English grammar” that includes an extensive list of grammar books and useful links.

Writing and Editing

General

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser – The 35th Anniversary edition was published in 2012. This is, I believe, the finest book on writing. It’s easy to read and full of guidance, stories, and examples that will inspire you to write better.

Zinsser recently wrote an article, Visions and Revisions, in which he writes about writing On Writing Well and keeping it up-to-date for 35 years. He also writes a weekly essay, Zinsser on Friday.

Technical Communication

There are probably at least a hundred technical communication books or books useful to technical communicators and I certainly have not read all of them! In addition, different books are useful for different levels and different kinds of professionals. Moreover, other people have already put in a great deal of effort to research and compile lists, and I probably couldn’t improve on their hard work. Here, then, are some links to sites with useful lists:

Docsymmetry’s “Books for Technical Writers”

Ken Hanson’s “Help with Technical and Scientific Writing” – Includes a number of online resources and articles

Robert Wisbey’s “Technical Writing Books”

I’d Rather Be Writing’s “40 Foundational Books for Technical Writing”

All Write Information Design’s “Recommended Books for Technical Communications” – Includes online resources

Three books I recommend:

Technical Writing: A Comprehensive Resource for Technical Writers at All Levels, 2012, by Martinez, Peterson, Wells, Hannigan, and Stevenson

Managing Your Documentation Projects, 1994, by JoAnn T. Hackos

Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged, 2006, by Michael A. Stelzner

“The Science of Scientific Writing”, by George Gopen and Judith Swan, originally published in the November-December 1990 issue of American Scientist.

“Chapter 1, Writing a Scientific Paper”, from the ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors, 2nd edition, edited by Janet S. Dodd

KOK Edit’s “Copyeditors’ Knowledge Base” – A comprehensive list of resources compiled by Katharine O’Moore-Klopf.

ESL and/or Translation

The Elements of International English Style, 2005, by Edmond H. Weiss – Writing for international audiences is becoming an increasingly important skill, and this book is an excellent guide to the reasons for and the details of such writing.

As I write this, an online version is available through Scribd.com.

HTML, XHTML, CSS, and Other Web Design Resources

I have created a separate page for web-specific resources.

Organizations

The Society for Technical Communication

The STC’s Ethical Principles are excellent professional guidelines for professional communicators.

The STC has a blog, STC’s Notebook, about the STC and its events. It also has an excellent list of other technical communication blogs.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Communications Society, or ComSoc

ComSoc has a blog about the society and its events.

The National Assocation of Science Writers

The Council of Science Editors

The American Medical Writers Association

The Society of Professional Journalists

I particularly like SPJ’s Code of Ethics.

SPJ has a number of blogs on a variety of journalism issues.

If you really care about quality journalism, you may be interested in Investigative Reporters and Editors, which promotes quality investigative reporting.

The Editorial Freelancers Association

The EFA has an excellent “Editorial Rates” page.

The American Society for Indexing

The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors

The NAIWE has a good blog, NAIWE NewsWire, with useful articles for writers and editors.

The Boulder Writers Alliance – This is a local organization for communications professionals but it’s an excellent group and resource.

The BWA has a good blog with tips for communicators.

KOK Edit’s website has an extensive list of relevant organizations on its “Networking” page.