Writing & Research - John M. Kelly Library

Working on an assignment and need help? Look no further.

The St. Mike’s Writing Centre, supported by the Principal’s Office and housed in the library, offers 30-minute one-on-one appointments with a writing instructor. Instructors help all registered St. Michael’s College students, including students in the Regis-USMC Faculty of Theology. Any individual enrolled in an SMC course may also receive help with their SMC writing assignments.

Our goal is to help you develop your own skills in writing, revising, and editing your own work. You can work with a writing instructor on any kind of written assignment such as essays, book reviews, critiques, essay exam preparations, presentations, and reports (yes, including science reports) at any stage of development, from conceptualization to final draft. You can also discuss your graduate school and scholarship applications.

During the appointment, students can receive instruction in and an objective critique of their written assignments for coursework in any discipline. We can discuss focus, thesis statements, argumentation, clarity in style and overall organization, citing sources, and grammar.

While our writing instructors will advise on organization and style, they will not proofread your essays, correct grammar, or provide feedback on the accuracy of your interpretation of the material in your assignment.

To ensure equitable access, students are limited to booking one Writing Help and one Research Help appointment per week. That is, students may book two appointments per week but cannot book two Writing Help or two Research Help appointments in a single week.

This policy will be strictly enforced. Appointments booked in surplus of one Writing Help and/or one Research Help appointment per week will be cancelled on behalf of the student. Appointments are available online or in-person at the library.

If you no longer require an appointment once booked, please use the online system to cancel at least 12 hours in advance so that the appointment is made available to other students. Failure to show up for an appointment will result in a penalty being applied to your account. After two penalties your account will be deactivated until the end of the semester.

Book an Appointment

Research Help Consultations are scheduled one-on-one appointments with a librarian to assist you in any state of the research process, from defining your research question, finding the best source, to formatting your citations.

The Kelly’s team of research help librarians – Dave Hagelaar, Noel McFerran, and Richard Carter – can help you with any stage of the research process so you can pinpoint your research question, find the best resources, and cite your sources correctly.

Here are some of the skills we can help you with:

Narrow a topic and form research questions
Navigating article databases
Finding and using primary sources
Advanced searching
Taking advantage of encyclopedias and bibliographies
Using the UofT Libraries’ catalogue
Avoiding plagiarism and citing sources correctly

Book an Appointment

Research and Writing Help Drop-In hours have ended for the 2022-2023 school year. We will resume this service in September 2023.

Were you unable to book a research or writing help appointment? Do you just want a quick opinion?

The Kelly Library hosts weekly Research and Writing Help Drop-In hours on Thursdays from 3pm to 5pm during the fall and winter terms. Questions are answered on a first-come, first-served basis in a one-on-one setting. No appointments are necessary.

Note that students are limited to a 10- to 15-minute meeting to address specific questions.

If you have a question, please get in touch. You can use either our general email address or our online form below. We will respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.

Email: reference.kellylibrary@utoronto.ca

Ask us!

Contact your Subject Librarian, who can consult with you on the services and resources available for your program or research.