Writing Help: Specific Types of Writing

Resources for students working on different types of writing, from literature reviews to essays to business reports.

What are you working on?

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What are you working on? Here are some resources on different types of writing, from lab reports to comparative essays.

Specific Types of Writing
Book reviews, article critiques, literature reviews, academic proposals, abstracts, comparative essays, admission letters, application letters, lab reports, and presentations.
Guides for Various Disciplines and Topics
Scientific reports, discussion board postings, in-class essays, literature reviews, business genres, PowerPoint presentations, personal statements, and introductions and conclusions for humanities papers.
OWL Purdue Guide to Subject-Specific Writing
This guide includes resources and advice on a range of different types of writing, from engineering reports to writing about poetry. Categorized according to discipline.
Writing an Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliographies: Format, Breakdown, and Sample Entries

Writing a Critical Review
A handy table that walks you through the process of writing a literature review: questions, structure, and typical phrasing.
Critiquing a Research Paper
From the University of Calgary, elements of a critique and questions to consider.
The Process of Writing a Review
From Queen's, a resource that walks through the process of composing a literature review.

Sample Grant Proposals: Undergraduate Researchers
Annotated sample grant proposals from undergraduate student researchers across the disciplines.
Grant Proposal Writing Guide and Examples
Learn the basics for planning and writing a grant proposal. Includes examples.

USask Career Centre Appointments
Book an appointment with the Career Centre at USask to receive guidance on crafting effective resumes and cover letters.

Cover Letters and Resumes
From UBC. Examples from different disciplines, explanations.

Example combination resume
From the University of Alberta. A combination resume merges the best features of the chronological resume (which focuses on work history) and the functional resume (which highlights skills) to create a document that emphasizes both a candidate's skills and their work experience in a balanced way.
CV Guide
From the USask Career Centre.
Action Words
A list of action words to use in resumes and cover letters, from Harvard Business School

Posting to Discussion Boards
A recommended process for crafting a discussion board post, including replying to others' posts.
Emailing a Professor
A simple description of how to email your professor, including an example.
Student Email Etiquette
Explains some basic principles for emailing instructors.

DEAL Model of Critical Reflection
The DEAL model, which centers on reflective practice in the context of applied and experiential learning, has garnered significant recognition among post-secondary institutions in North America as a prominent framework for nurturing critical reflection.

Reflective Writing Examples
A summary of different types of reflective writing, including examples.
Experiential and Reading Reflections
Describes approaches to experiential and reading reflective inquiry.

How to Write an Effective Blog Post
Tips for writing blog posts from Syracuse University.
Writing for the Web
Tips for writing web-based content from Rutgers University.
How to Email a Professor
A PowerPoint presentation from the Purdue Online Writing Lab outlining how to create emails destined for professors.

Library Workshop:Conducting Searches
A USask workshop on comprehensive searching for your literature review.
Library Workshop: Writing Literature Reviews
Learn how to organize a thematic literature review using CARS (Create a Research Space) moves in this workshop.
Literature Review Planning Tool
Enter the due date for your literature review, and this guide will give you a series of dated steps toward completion.
General Features and Types of Literature Reviews
A basic explanation of the general features of literature reviews in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
PhD Lit. Review Dissertation Example
This guide demonstrates how to evaluate the form, function, and content of a literature review in a PhD thesis.
Interactive Guide to Literature Reviews
From the University of Waterloo: Overview, Planning and Researching, Parts of a Literature Review, Critical Writing Skills, Revising Your Work, and Additional Resources
What Review Is Right for You? Tool
"This tool is designed to provide guidance and supporting material to reviewers on methods for the conduct and reporting of knowledge synthesis."

Positionality Statement Guide and Recommended Resources
A handout on positionality statements, with a list of recommended further resources.

Writing a Positionality Statement: Videos

A Guide to the Abstract
This guide explains the function and key elements of an academic abstract, providing tips and sample formats to help writers summarize the purpose, methods, and findings of their work clearly and concisely. Contains annotated examples.

Writing Abstracts in the Sciences and Humanities
A detailed guide to writing an abstract, with science and humanities examples.