Writing Help: Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts
Humanities, Social Sciences, Indigenous Studies, and the Arts
- USask Department of English Requirements for EssaysDetails how to create in-text citations and works cited for English essays, including for poetry, drama, and works in anthologies.
- English Research GuideLibrary help for literature studies and the Department of English.
- Purdue OWL Writing in LiteratureResources on writing about literature and poetry from the Online Writing Lab.
- History Essay GuideDetailed UOttawa guide to researching, writing and formatting a history paper.
- Writing in PhilosophySome practical guidelines for writing in philosophy.
- A Guide to Writing in Religious StudiesA comprehensive, detailed guide.
- Writing in DramaA handout describing how to write papers in Drama.
- Templates For Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge KeepersAn introduction to citation templates for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, created by Lorisia MacLeod and NorQuest Indigenous Student Centre staff.
- CitationRead assignment directions carefully to find out what citation style is preferred. Humanities disciplines tend to use either MLA or Chicago Style.
- Basic Essay StructureImportant note: before relying on this outline, ask your instructor whether it's acceptable for your particular assignment.
- Purdue OWL Writing in the Social SciencesResources for writing in the Social Sciences from the Online Writing Lab.
- Templates For Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge KeepersAn introduction to citation templates for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, created by Lorisia MacLeod and NorQuest Indigenous Student Centre staff.
- Writing in PsychologyA research guide providing resources on writing and citation in Psychology.
- Writing and Citing in Political StudiesInformation on writing and citing from the Political Studies research guide.
- Writing in SociologyA handout on writing in sociology from the University of North Carolina.
- Writing in GeographySelecting and using evidence; using figures; deciding when to use maps; common map elements; thesis statements.
- Writing in AnthropologyConventions; common types of writing; book reviews and ethnographic analyses; citation and formatting; and common errors.
- CitationCitation styles vary in the social sciences. Read your assignment carefully to ensure that you are using the correct style.
- Basic Essay StructureImportant note: before relying on this outline, ask your instructor whether it's acceptable for your particular assignment.
- Writing Positionality StatementsExamples, guide. See box 1.2.
- Writing Positionality Statements"Putting Ourselves Forward: Location in Aboriginal Research" by Cathy Absolon and Cam Willett.
- Writing a Critical ReviewA handy table that walks you through the process of writing a literature review: questions, structure, and typical phrasing.
- How to Write a Critical ReviewBy Frank Tough
- Templates for Citing Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and EldersAn introduction to citation templates for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, created by Lorisia MacLeod and NorQuest Indigenous Student Centre staff.
- Citing Interviews in Chicago StyleResources explaining how to properly cite an interview in Chicago style.
- iPortal - Indigenous Studies Portal
Online full text resources for Indigenous studies in all the disciplines, including articles, books, book reviews, websites, archival materials, and theses and dissertations. - Indigenous Studies Research GuideFind articles, archival resources, and more.
- Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples
A succinct style and process guide for "Indigenous writers and editors -- and everyone creating works about Indigenous Peoples." - Editing and Reviewing Indigenous Research and WritingA helpful infographic prepared by students and faculty at the University of Alberta.
- CitationIndigenous Studies typically requires either footnoting and bibliography Chicago Style or author-date Chicago Style. Read your assignment directions carefully.
- Art and Art History: Write and CiteInformation on writing and citation from the Art and Art History Research Guide.
- Writing in Art and DesignResources from Monash University on writing in Art and Design.
- CitationRead assignment directions to determine which citation style you should use.
Indigenous Academic Integrity
- Principles of Indigenous Academic IntegrityBy Keeta Gladue at the Taylor Institute, University of Calgary, this resource was created with a multimodal approach to sharing information in mind, informed by Indigenous paradigms.
Inclusive and Anti-Racist Language Workshops
- Practicing Anti-Racist LanguageA workshop from USask Writing Centre tutor Hannah Tran. Anti-racist writing involves thinking about the perspectives, peoples, and groups that might be excluded and harmed through word choice. This workshop covers the current appropriate terminology surrounding Black Peoples, Indigenous Peoples, and People(s) of Colour (BIPOC), how to engage in anti-racist writing within different citation styles, and how different grammatical structures including tense, capitalization, pluralization, and possessives affect academic conversations about BIPOC.
- Avoiding Gender-Biased LanguageA workshop from USask Writing Centre tutors Carolina DeBarros and Juno Raine.
Language and word use is often biased toward dichotomous gender (male and female). Do you want to learn how to avoid gender bias in your written and spoken language? This workshop covers the use of nouns, pronouns, and titles, and teaches you how to navigate your professors' expectations.
AI and Indigenous Knowledges, Languages, and Data
- Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Working GroupResources, news and events, position paper, and more. "The Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Working Group develops new conceptual and practical approaches to building the next generation of A.I. systems."
- Decolonizing AI Ethics: Indigenous AI ReflectionsJennafer Roberts discusses citation, understanding AI outside the "Western Technoutilitarian Lens," and imagining decolonization with AI. Published July 10, 2023.
- How Native Americans Are Trying to Debug A.I.’s Biases"Data on Native communities are not at the levels needed for accuracy in A.I.-driven tools. A group is trying to solve that problem."
- Speaking my Indigenous language with new AIby Maori journalist Joel Maxwell: "But what about AI and indigenous culture? Do the new programs speak our reo? Would they claim to be Māori? And if they did, would that mean they expire, colonisation-style, seven years earlier than non-Māori AI?"
- Sand Talk, Indigenous Thinking and Digital FuturesPublished July 2023. Includes an interview with Tyson Yunkaport, writer, academic, and Indigenous thinker from the Apalech Clan of the Anangu people, in what is now known as Australia.
- Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position PaperMost recent update: May 2023. From Concordia University: "This position paper on Indigenous Protocol (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a starting place for those who want to design and create AI from an ethical position that centers Indigenous concerns."
Writing Centre Policy on AI Writing Tools
IMPORTANT NOTE: The information, tools, and compilations listed in this guide are not endorsed by the Writing Centre. Please read our policy, and keep in mind the following:
1) It is essential to obtain permission from instructors, supervisors, prospective publishers or any other stakeholders before utilizing generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. This ensures that you preserve learning and that you use resources responsibly, ethically, and lawfully, while also respecting the privacy of individuals and upholding intellectual property rights including Indigenous Knowledges.
2) Furthermore, before using any AI-powered tools, it is crucial to learn more about the ethical issues around generative artificial intelligence, including considerations around privacy, bias and discrimination, fabrications, environmental concerns, human labour, and academic integrity. These and other ethical concerns are outlined in plain language in a post by Leon Furze.
- Tutor Guidelines: Writing Centre Policy on AI Writing ToolsA policy and guide written for tutors at the USask Writing Centre. Version 4, March 15, 2023. Authored by USask tutors, staff, and faculty.
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence
- USask Recommendations for Ethical Use of Artificial IntelligenceFrom the USask Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning: "These recommendations were provided in June 2023 in response to a request from Deans to provide guidance to the campus community with respect to ChatGPT – a generative artificial intelligence tool that can produce content that is difficult to distinguish from that produced by humans. Some links were updated in July 2023.
Advice in this area is evolving and questions and suggestions are invited for future updates of this resource (contact susan.bens@usask.ca)." - ENAI Recommendations on the Ethical Use of ChatGPT in HIgher EducationThis paper presents "a set of recommendations with the aim of supporting academics, researchers and other educational stakeholders, including students’ organisations, on the ethical use of AI tools." - Published May 1, 2023 by the European Network for Academic Integrity
- Guidelines for the Use of AI Detection ToolsCanadian academic integrity expert Sarah Eaton explains the risks and potential harms of using artificial intelligence detection tools. She provides a set of guidelines for the ethical use of artificial intelligence detectors.
- UNESCO Guide: ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in higher education"This Quick Start Guide introduces ChatGPT . . . [,] provides an overview of how ChatGPT works and explains how it can be used in higher education. [It] . . . raises some of the main challenges and ethical implications of AI in higher education and offers practical steps that higher education institutions can take. Published in April 2023 by
- UNESCO: Ethics of AIThe UNESCO report provides key recommendations to empower policymakers in implementing core values and principles across diverse areas, including data governance, environment, gender, education, research, health, and beyond.
- Programs to Detect AI Discriminate Against Non-Native English SpeakersGPT detectors could lead to discrimination against non-native writers; false accusations of cheating can harm their academic careers and well-being.
- Nine Ethical Concerns around AIAn expert on the implications of Artificial Intelligence on writing instruction and education, Leon Furze discusses nine areas of ethical concern: bias and discrimination, environmental concerns, truth and academic integrity, copyright, privacy, datafication, emotion recognition, human labour, and power.
- Repository of Incidents and Controversies Related to Artificial Intelligence"AIAAIC's independent, free, open library identifies and assesses 1,000+ incidents and controversies driven by and relating to AI, algorithms, and automation." Helpful for class discussion and for research projects.