Academic Writing

Academic Writing Assignment Types

There are many different types of academic writing assignments. The links below provide helpful information for some of the most common assignment types. 

Abstracts

A short summary of a research paper or other sources that provides the work's major details.

• Allow readers to understand the gist or essence of the work quickly,
• Prepares the reader for the detailed information, analyses, and Arguments of the paper

Academic Posters

Annotated Bibliography

Consists of reference list entries followed by short descriptions of the work, called annotations.

Often ordered in alphabetical order with annotations under each resource as a separate paragraph(s).

American Psychological Association (2020, p. 9, 307).

Critical Reviews

Analysis of ideas identified, summarized, and evaluated in a book or article. A critical review will identify an author's thoughts on the topics presented within a particular work and explore how it relates to the whole of that work.

Literature Reviews

Provides a narrative summary and evaluation of the findings or theories within a subject area, capturing trends in the literature (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 8).

In literature review articles, authors should;

• Define and clarify the problem,
• Summarize previous investigations to inform readers of the state of the research.
• Identify relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature.
• Suggest the next steps in solving the problem.

Excerpt from American Psychological Association (2020, p. 8).

Exegesis in Creative Writing

Often submitted with creative work (literature, photograph, painting, etc.), an exegesis offers a place to explain the choices of themes or techniques for the project.

In an Exegesis for Creative Writing, authors should;

• • Clearly outline the literary technique and other decisions made for the project.
  • In-depth explanation of the creative effects

Reflective Writing

Critical analysis of an experience, recording its impact, and the importance of that new knowledge. Provides a deeper level of understanding of a topic as it's processed, often seen at the end of a research paper or as in-class processing.

In Reflective Writing, authors should.

• Write in the first person,  with a Subjective understanding, with an Analytical focus
• Approach the prompt with a Free-flowing response

Research Reports

Excerpts from

The University of Wisconsin

The University of Adelaide (n.d.).

Cambridge University (n.d.).

American Psychological Association