Types of Academic Writing

1. Which of these do you use?

2. Which are common to your academic department/discipline?
3. Do you define your assignment the same way as your colleagues; i.e., is one
teachers research paper another teachers essay?
4. Which could you try as a new approach to a writing/research assignment?
5. Is there a category of academic writing not listed below?

a) Information writing assignment

b) Extended assignment
c) Case study
d) Review
e) Technical report
f) Lab report
g) Book report
h) Critical analysis/critique
i) Bibliography
j) Annotated bibliography
k) Literature review
l) Term paper
m) Research paper
a. Short
b. Argumentative
n) Position/opinion paper
o) Essay
a. Definitional essay
b. Expository
p) Subject outline
q) Statistical summary
r) Senior thesis
s) Grant writing
t) E-mail
u) Web writing
v) Oral presentation of written report
w) PowerPoint presentation [yes, this is academic writing, too!]
x) Historical research [primary & secondary sources]
y) Midterm/final exam essay
z) Resume & other business writing
aa) Experiential Learning-related project/assignment
bb) Service Learning-related project/assignment
cc) Independent study/Lifelong learning-related activity

Reference/Instruction Department
Indiana State University Library
April 2007 mmiller24@indstate.edu