Chapter 2: Types of Student Assignments
A Note About Types of Assignments
APA Style does not have an established format for business reports or scientific lab reports. Students completing these types of assignments should confirm the format and requirements with their instructor.
A Note About Language
The words “paper” and “essay” are often used interchangeably in English. In this manual, the word “essay” is used to refer to long-form writing, and “assignment” is used to refer to any work assigned by an instructor.
What kind of essay should I write?
The type of essay that a student writes is based on the requirements of the assignment. Students should always follow the instructions and the marking rubric provided by their instructor. The descriptions below include types of essays and other written assignments.
Annotated Bibliographies (1.10)
An annotated bibliography is made up of reference list entries which include a short summary of each work. These short descriptions are called annotations. In the case of student work, the instructor may have additional requirements. Writers often confuse a literature review and an annotated bibliography, but they are different types of papers. Deborah Knott, from the New College Writing Centre at the University of Toronto, has created a useful guide on writing an annotated bibliography, which can be found in the links at the end of this chapter.
Cause and Effect Essay (1.10)
A cause and effect essay reports on how specific events lead to specific results. This type of essay requires a strong thesis. Paragraphs in cause and effect essays are usually structured by describing each cause and its corresponding effect, with logical transitions between the paragraphs and their ideas.
Comparative Essay (1.10)
Comparative essays compare and contrast two or more ideas or items, with the goal of linking different or dissimilar items under a central thesis. A comparative essay can focus on Topic One and then on Topic Two, or the two topics can be interwoven throughout the essay.
Expository Essay (1.10)
Expository essays explain or provide information on a specific topic using a multi-paragraph structure with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Evidence is provided to support the written claims in the paper.
Literature Review (1.6)
A literature review is a critical summary of what the existing published literature says about a specific topic or question. Dena Taylor, from the Health Sciences Writing Centre at the University of Toronto, writes that a literature review should tell the reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and that it should also tell the reader what the strengths and weaknesses of those ideas are. A literature review is based on a specific topic or thesis, or on a specific problem or issue. It is not just a description of the material available, or a summary. Writers often confuse a literature review and an annotated bibliography, but they are different types of papers. A literature review helps the writer to do several things:
- to improve their knowledge on a topic
- to learn to scan and evaluate the existing literature effectively
- to learn to apply principles of analysis to identify useful resources
Taylor has also developed a useful list of tips for conducting a good literature review. A link to this list can be found at the end of this chapter.
Narrative Essay (1.10)
A narrative essay tells a story from a clear point of view, and it includes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Narrative essays have a clearly defined purpose and focus, and the language use is concise.
Persuasive Essay (1.10)
Persuasive essays are meant to convince or persuade readers to adopt a particular viewpoint. This type of essay presents a clear argument with logical transitions, and it’s similar to an expository essay.
Response or Reaction Essay (1.10)
A response or reaction essay summarizes one or more works, and they describe the writer’s reaction or response to those works. This includes how the work impacted the writer and how it is relevant to their life. This kind of essay is usually written in the first person.
What’s Next?
The next chapter introduced basic principles and techniques for conducting research.
Sources
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style (7th ed.).
Knott, D. (2004). Writing an annotated bibliography. University of Toronto. https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/annotated-bibliography/
Taylor, D. (n.d.). The literature review: A few tips on conducting it. University of Toronto. https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/literature-review/
APA Style is set of guidelines created by the American Psychological Association (the APA). These guidelines help writers, including students, to format written work and citations in a consistent way.
A bibliography is list of books and other materials that are used to write an assignment. It can be easy to confuse a bibliography and references page, and sometimes the two terms are used to mean the same thing, but "references page" is the correct term in APA Style.
A reference list entry is the information in a reference list at the end of an assignment or essay. Each source of information in an essay or assignment must have a reference list entry. An APA Style reference list entry includes author(s), a date, a title, and a source.
Summarizing means putting the main idea(s) of a resource into your own words, including only the main point(s). Summaries are significantly shorter than the original resource, and they provide a broad overview.
A literature review is a summary and explanation of the current research – or literature – on a focused topic. A information being summarized and explained might be found in academic books, journal articles, or other sources connected to the subject of study. Literature reviews aim to provide an overview of sources that were explored while researching a particular topic. It shows readers how the research fits into a larger field of study.
Research is the process of finding and discovering knowledge to find answers to a question.
