As basic as it may seem, a dictionary is one of the most important paper writing tools. A dictionary helps a writer determine whether the correct word is being used for the intended meaning, whether a word is spelled correctly and that letters in a word are capitalized when necessary. Dictionaries are available in the reference section of libraries and online. Dictionary.com, The Free Dictionary and Merriam-Webster are some of the online dictionaries from which to choose.
The use of a thesaurus can help a paper stand out from all the rest by suggesting alternative and often more vibrant synonymous words. For example "blissful", "jubilant" and "exultant" are all much more vividly descriptive words than "happy" and they all express a similar meaning. Most thesauruses also include an antonym section to suggest opposite word meaning. Dictionary.com, The Free Dictionary and Merriam-Webster each have online thesauruses in addition to their dictionaries.
A formatting and style guide presents general guidelines on spacing, margins, the use of italics and other formatting necessities. Style guides also give instructions on providing end notes and references in papers. There are many formatting and style guides from which to choose based on a paper's field of study. The Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is the preferred guide for research paper writing in humanities and liberal arts. The American Psychological Association Style book is used for research paper writing in the social sciences. Papers for media often use The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.
A proofreader is a mandatory tool when writing any kind of paper. It can be hard for a writer to proofread his own paper as he is too accustomed to his writing and may not be able to spot errors. An example from Virginia Tech is a student who wrote, "I like girdle cakes for breakfast." The student thought he had written "griddle cakes" so that is what he "saw" when he proofread his own paper. A separate proofreader reads a paper with his own eyes and catches errors that the writer has missed.