Overview

What kind of writing task do you need to complete? The list below will help you pinpoint the OWL’s resources that will be most helpful for you according to the kind of writing you need to accomplish.

If you’d like to see a complete list of our resources, please visit the OWL's main page.

When You’re Just Beginning Your Writing Task

• Understanding Writing Assignments
• Prewriting (Invention)
• Writer's Block/Writer's Anxiety
• Developing an Outline
• Audience Analysis

When You’re Ready to Compose Your Writing Task

For an Abstract:

• Writing Report Abstracts
• Writing Scientific Abstracts Presentation
• Conciseness

For an Academic Research Paper:

• Writing a Research Paper
• Evaluating Sources of Information
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Style Guides (for citation format):

• APA
• MLA
• Chicago Manual of Style

For a Bibliography or Annotated Bibliography:

• MLA
• APA
• American Sociological Association
• Chicago Manual Style Guides
• Annotated Bibliographies

For an Argument or Position Paper:

• Developing Strong Thesis Statements
• Logic in Argumentative Writing
• Organizing Your Argument Presentation
• Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for Argument Papers

For a Book Report or Book Review:

• Writing a Book Report
• Writing a Book Review

For a Business or Cover Letter:

• Writing the Basic Business Letter
• Business Letters: Accentuating the Positives
• Cover Letter Presentation
• Academic Cover Letters

For a Curriculum Vitae:

• Writing the Curriculum Vitae

For an Email:

• Email Etiquette
• Email Etiquette for Students

For an Exploratory Essay:

• Essay Writing
• Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for Exploratory Essays

For a Literary Analysis Essay:

General Advice:

• Writing About Literature
• Writing a Literary Analysis Presentation
• Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism

Writing About a Novel or Story:

• Writing About Fiction and Performing Close Reading

Writing About a Poem:

• Writing About Poetry

For a Literature Review:

• Social Work Literature Review Guidelines
• Writing in Psychology: Experimental Report Writing

For a Memo:

• Memo Writing
• Conciseness

For a Narrative or Descriptive Essay:

• Essay Writing: The Narrative Essay
• Essay Writing: The Descriptive Essay

For a Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose:

• Writing the Personal Statement

For a Poster Presentation:

• INDOT Poster Design Handout
• Visual Rhetoric
• Color Theory Presentation

For a PowerPoint Presentation:

• Designing an Effective PowerPoint Presentation
• Using Fonts with Purpose

For a Report:

• Handbook on Report Formats
• Writing Engineering Reports

For a Résumé:

• Résumés
• Résumé Design
• Résumé Workshop

For a Visual Analysis Paper:

• Visual Rhetoric
• Visual Rhetoric: Analyzing Visual Documents

For a White Paper:

• Writing a White Paper
• Prioritizing Your Concerns for Effective Business Writing

To Revise, Proofread, and Polish Your Writing:

• Proofreading Your Writing