Each "genre" (type of document) involves specific features that set it apart from other genres. Therefore, writers must understand the format and writing style expected of them. These resources provide basic information for students to understand an instructor's writing assignment and the features of some types of documents students may be asked to write.

• Abstracts (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Abstracts (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Abstracts: Samples (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Sample Abstracts (University of Montana Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship)
• Writing Abstracts (University of Indiana, Bloomington Writing Tutorial Services)
• Writing Report Abstracts (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing Scientific Abstracts (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Annotated Bibliographies (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Annotated Bibliographies (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Annotated Bibliography (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)
• Annotated Bibliography Samples (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography (Cornell University Library)
• Sample Annotated Bibliography (Pennsylvania State University E-Education Institute Style Guide for Students)
• Tips on Writing an Annotated Bibliography (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Argument (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Argumentative Essays (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Persuasive Essays (Hamilton College Writing Center)
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Analytical Writing  (Educational Testing Service)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Argumentative Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Argumentative Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Argumentative Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Blog Considerations (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Blogs (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Effective Academic Blogging (University of Richmond Writing Center)
• How to Write an Effective Blog Post (Syracuse University School of Information Studies)
• Sample Blog Entries (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Writing a Book Review in History  (City University of New York)
• Book Reviews (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Reading for a Book Review (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)
• Writing a Book Review (Hamilton College Writing Center)
• Writing a Book Review (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing Book Reviews (Indiana University, Bloomington Writing Tutorial Services)

• The Article Analysis (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)

• The Case Analysis (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• Case Studies (Cengage Learning)
• Case Study Report (University of Guelph Writing Services)
• How Do I Write a Business Case Study Analysis? (Webster University Library)

• Cause and Effect Essay (Austin Peay State University Writing Center)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Cause and Effect Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Cause and Effect Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Cause and Effect Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Division and Classification Essays (Austin Peay State University Writing Center)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Classification and Division Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Classification and Division Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Classification and Division Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• How to Write an Op-Ed Article (Duke University Office of News & Communications)
• How to Write an Op-Ed or Column (Harvard Kennedy School of Government)
• Tips for Op-Ed Writing (The OpEd Project)
• Writing and Submitting an Opinion Piece: A Guide (Columbia University Earth Institute)

• Compare/Contrast Essay(Austin Peay State University Writing Center)
• Comparing and Contrasting (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• How to Write a Comparative Analysis (University of Minnesota)
• Organizational Patterns for the Comparison/Contrast Essay (San Jose State University Writing Center)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Compare and Contrast Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Compare and Contrast Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Compare and Contrast Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Cover Letter (NDSU Career Center)
• Cover Letters (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• Cover Letters: Types and Samples (Virginia Tech Career Services)
• Job Search Letters (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews: Guidelines, Tips and Examples (NDSU Career Center)
• Writing Cover Letters (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

• Essay Critique Guidelines (Goshen College English Department)
• Writing Critiques (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)

• Curriculum Vita Guidelines and Tips (NDSU Career Center)
• Curricula Vitae (CVs) versus Resumes (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (Pomona College Career Development Office)
• Writing the Curriculum Vitae (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing Your Curriculum Vitae (Dartmouth College Graduate Studies)

• Definition Essay (Austin Peay State University Writing Center)
• Definition Essays (Reed College Online Writing Lab)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Definition Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Definition Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Definition Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• The Descriptive Essay (Austin Peay State University Writing Center)
• Descriptive Essays (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Rhetorical Strategies: Description (Hunter College Reading/Writing Center)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Descriptive Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Descriptive Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Descriptive Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Demystifying the Dissertation Proposal (Chronicle of Higher Education)
• Dissertations (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Dissertations, Theses, and Papers at NDSU (NDSU Graduate School)

• Business Email (Colorado State University Writing Studio)
• Effective E-mail Communication (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Email (Virginia Tech Career Services)
• Email Etiquette (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Emails (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• How to E-mail Your Professor (Wellesley College Project on Social Computing)
• Re: Your Recent Email to Your Professor (Inside Higher Ed)

• Essay Exams (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• How to Take an Essay Test Part 1 (Old Dominion University Writing Center)
• How to Take an Essay Test Part 2 (Old Dominion University Writing Center)
• Taking an Essay Exam (Indiana University-Bloomington Writing Tutorial Services)
• Tips for Taking High-Stakes Essay Tests  (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Writing Essays for Exams (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing Tips: In-class Essay Exams (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Writers Workshop)

• Ethnography, Observational Research, and Narrative Inquiry (Colorado State University Writing Studio)

• Tips for Writing Thick Descriptions for Ethnographies and Case Studies (Vanderbilt University Writing Studio)

• Glossary of Poetic Terms (Poetry Foundation)
• Poetry Explication (Duke University Writing Studio)
• Poetry Explications (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)

• Expository Essay (Nova Southeastern University Tutoring and Testing Center)
• Expository Essays (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• How to Write a Book Review, Film Review, or Other Critique (Western Carolina University Writing and Learning Commons)
• How to Write About Film (University of Colorado-Denver Writing Center)
• Film Review (Duke University Writing Studio)

• Analyzing a Historical Document (Hamilton College Writing Center)
• History: The Document-Based Essay (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• History: Sample Document-Based Paper (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• How to Analyze a Primary Source (Carleton College History Department)

• History (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• History: The Research Paper (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• History: Sample Research Paper (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• How to Write a History Research Paper (Carleton College History Department)
• Writing a History Paper: The Basics (College of William and Mary History Writing Resource Center)

• See It Across the Disciplines--Illustration Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Illustration Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Illustration Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• The Beauty of Data Visualization (David McCandless--TED Talk)
• Making an Infographic of Your Own (Bellevue University Library)

• Journal Writing: Bungee Jumping for the Brain (Hamilton College Writing Center)
• Online Journals (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Maintaining a Personal Journal (Empire State College Online Writing Center)
• Tips for Writing Reading-Journals/Reflections (University of Vermont Writing Center)

• Improving Your Lab Report (North Carolina State University LabWrite)
• Lab Report (University of Waterloo Writing Centre)
• Lab Reports (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Center for Global Communication and Design)
• Laboratory Report Instructions (Reed College Online Writing Lab)
• Sample Lab Assignment (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)
• Tips From Tutors: Lab Reports (University of Vermont Writing Center)

• 8 Tips for Writing A Listicle That Will Get Published (Bustle)
• The Listicle as Literary Form (The University of Chicago Magazine)
• Rethinking the Listicle. What can it do for "serious" news? (Northwestern University Knight Lab)

• Learn How to Write a Review of Literature (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)
• Literature Review: Conducting and Writing (University of West Florida Libraries)
• Literature Reviews (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Literature Reviews (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Literature Reviews: An Overview (Video) (North Carolina State University Libraries)
• Write a Literature Review (University of California Santa Cruz University Library)

• How to Write a Manifesto (University College London Union)
• Manifestos (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Manifestos: A Manifesto (The Atlantic)

• Business Memos (Colorado State University Writing Studio)
• Memos (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Memos (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Center for Global Communication and Design)
• Memos (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• Writing Effective Memos (University of Maryland University College Effective Writing Center)

• The Memoir (University of Central Florida University Writing Center)
• Memoir: Tips for Writing about Your Life (University of Vermont Writing Center)
• Peer Editing Worksheet for Memoirs (National Council of Teachers of English)
• The Personal Memoir (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Self-Revision Worksheet for Memoirs (National Council of Teachers of English)

• Narrative Essays (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It Across the Disciplines--Narrative Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Narrative Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Narrative Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• How to Write a Personal Essay (Publishers Weekly)
• The Personal Essay: A Few Pointers (University of Vermont Writing Center)
• Personal Narrative Essays (San Jose State University Writing Center)
• Tips for Writing a Personal Essay (Poynter)

• Letter (BBC Bitesize)
• Letters (Gallaudet University Tutorial and Instructional Programs)
• Perfect Thank You Notes: Heartfelt and Handwritten (National Public Radio)
• Personal Letters (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Reviews and Reaction Papers (University of Maryland University College Effective Writing Center)
• Response Paper (Duke University Writing Studio)
• Types of Responses (Colorado State University Writing Studio)

• Application Essays (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Leave Dr. Seuss Out of It (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
• Personal Statements (Video) (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing Personal Statements: A Handbook (Pennsylvania State University Dutton e-Education Institute)
• Writing the Personal Statement (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing Tips: Personal Statements (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Writers Workshop)

• "5 types of photos that make for strong photo essays, audio slideshows" (The Poynter Institute)
• "Look: Photo essays from around the world" (The New York Times Magazine)
• Photo Essays (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Articles for Students & Teachers (Poetry Foundation)
• Glossary of Poetic Terms (Poetry Foundation)
• Poetry Invention Exercises (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Poetry Writing: Invention (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

Career

• Showcase Your Work in an Online Career Portfolio (DePaul University Career Center)
• What is a Portfolio? (Clarke University Career Services)

E-Portfolio

• Argumentative Portfolio Letters (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Digital Portfolio Examples (Louisiana State University Communication Across the Curriculum Program)
• E-Portfolios (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

Nursing

• "How to compile a professional portfolio 1: aims and intended learning outcomes" (Nursing Times)
• "The Nursing Professional Portfolio: Pathway to Career Development"(Journal for Nurses in Staff Development)
• "What goes into your professional portfolio & what you'll get out of it"(American Nurse Today)

Teaching

• The Teaching Portfolio (Rutgers University Center for Teaching Advancement & Assessment Research)
• Teaching Portfolios (Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching)

Writing

• Using Portfolios in Writing-Enhanced or Writing Rich Courses (Stetson University Writing Program)

• Creating Scientific and Research Posters (Video) (Carnegie Mellon University Global Communication Center)
• Designing Research Posters (Carnegie Mellon University Global Communication Center)
• Guide to Creating Research Posters (University of Texas at Austin Office of Undergraduate Research)
• Poster Presentations (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)
• Research Posters (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• What Makes a Good Research Poster? (Video) (Texas A&M University Writing Center)

• Designing an Effective PowerPoint: Quick Guide (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Designing an Effective PowerPoint Part 1: Before You Start (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Designing an Effective PowerPoint Part 2: Design Principles (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Designing an Effective PowerPoint Part 3: Practical Guides (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Presentation Slides (Texas A&M University Writing Center)

• Conference Papers (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Delivering a Presentation (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• How to Convert your Paper into a Presentation (Duke University Writing Studio)
• Organizing a Presentation (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• Speeches (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Writing a Conference Paper (Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research)

• See It Across the Disciplines--Process Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• See It in Practice--Process Essay (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Does It Look Like?--Process Essay (Video) (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Hearts and Guts: Writing the Personal Profile (The Poynter Institute)

• How to Write a Profile Feature Article (The New York Times Learning Network)
• Must-reads of 2012: profiles (Columbia Journalism Review)
• Profile (NDSU Center for Writers)

• Grant Proposals (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Critical Reflection (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• Reflective Essays (DePaul University Center for Writing-based Learning)
• Reflection Papers (Cleveland State University Writing Center)
• Reflective Writing (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• Reflective Writing (Wilfrid Laurier University Writing Centre)
• Sample Reflective Writing Pieces (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)

• Handbook on Report Formats (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Structuring the Research Paper (University of Maryland Global Campus Writing Center)
• Writing a Research Paper (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

• Apply (resumes, cover letters, grad school, CVs)(NDSU Career Center)
• Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews: Guidelines, Tips and Examples (NDSU Career Center)
• 11 Things You Should Never Put on Your Resume (Business Insider)
• Resume and Cover Letter Development (University of Arizona Office of University Communications)
• Introduction to and Expectations for Resumes (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• What Recruiters Look At During the 6 Seconds They Spend on Your Resume (Business Insider)
• Resume with Military Experience (Military One Source)

• Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis (Brigham Young University Silva Rhetoricae)
• Doing a Rhetorical Analysis of a Text (Colorado State University Writing Studio)
• Introduction to Rhetoric (Video) (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Rhetorical Analysis (Kennesaw State University Writing Center)
• Rhetorical Analysis (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statements (Virginia Wesleyan College Learning Center)
• Sample Rhetorical Analysis (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Thinking Rhetorically (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Formatting Science Reports (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)
• The Scientific Manuscript (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• Scientific Reports (UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center)
• Writing the Scientific Paper (Colorado State University Writing Studio)

• CDC'S Guide to Writing for Social Media (US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Writing for Social Media: Tips, Best Practices, and More (Concordia University, St. Paul)

• The Full Technical Report (Grand Valley State University Center for Writing)
• Reports, Proposals, and Technical Papers (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Reporting Requirements for ABEN and ASM at Students NDSU (NDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department)
• Writing a Project Report for CE 489 at NDSU (NDSU Center for Writers)
• Writing Engineering Reports (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• The Video Essay: Celebrating an Exciting New Literary Form (Northwestern University News)
• Video Essays (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Video Essay Suite: Introducing Six Video Essays (Blackbird: An Online Journal of Literature and the Arts)

• Analyzing Visual Images (Texas A&M University Writing Center)
• Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition (The Kennedy Center)
• Visual Analysis (Duke University Writing Studio)
• Visual Rhetoric: Analyzing Visual Documents (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Web Pages (Excelsior College Online Writing Lab--OWL)
• Writing for the Web (US Department of Health and Human Services)
• Writing Student Papers for the Web (Prof. Ross Collins, NDSU Department of Communication)

• White Papers (Purdue University Online Writing Lab--OWL)

• Making and Using a Writer's Notebook (NDSU Center for Writers)