On this page
The resources on this page help familiarize you with the expectations of discipline-specific assignments. Keep in mind that (a) this list is not exhaustive, and (b) your writing assignment may have specific requirements not covered by these resources. Always check with your instructor or TA.
Anthropology
Anthropology Study Skills Guide
Education Corner: Scroll down to "Writing" Section. Includes links to other writing resources for Anthropology students.
Business
SFU Business Writing Mentors
SFU Beedie School of Business
Best Practices for Business Writing
Focus on report formatting and style
Principles of Business Writing (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
This handout explains principles in business writing that apply to many different situations, from applying for a job to communicating professionally within business relationships.
Business Writing
Literacy and learning, resources for technical and business writing
Professional, Technical, and Job Search Writing
Formal Business Letter Template (from Thompson Rivers University Writing Centre)
Engineering
An Introduction to Engineering Writing
Ohio University - College of Engineering
How Engineers Can Improve Technical Writing
The American Society of Mechnical Engineers
Education
Writing a statement of teaching philosophy
SFU Student Learning Commons
English
Critical Reading Toward Critical Writing
University of Toronto Writing Advice
Using Literary Quotations
How to incorporate material from literature into your analysis paper, University of Wisconsin, Madison
History
Writing a History Paper
SFU Student Learning Commons
A Student's Guide to the Study of History
The History Guide.org
Writing History Papers: The Short Version
Patrick Rael, Bowdoin College
Student's Guide to Writing History Papers
McGill University Dept. of History
Writing About History and The Comparative Essay
Writing at the University of Toronto
Indigenous Studies
*Note: These resources are broadly applicable for any writing by or about Indigenous Peoples, and not only for courses in the Indigenous Studies department.
Elements of Indigenous Style - Dr. Gregory Younging
"Elements of Indigenous Style provides guidelines to help writers, editors, and publishers produce material that reflects Indigenous people in an appropriate and respectful manner."
Four Feathers Writing Guide - Royal Roads University Writing Centre
"The Four Feathers Writing Guide respectfully presents traditional Coast Salish teachings and approaches to learning to support Indigenous students develop as academic writers."
Linguistics
Generic Style Rules for Linguistics
General style guide for standard conventions in linguistics
How to Write a Linguistics Paper
Short guide from the University of Trier, focuses on the components of an empirical paper and how to cite works
IPA Symbols
This website contains all of the IPA symbols, as well as the ability to easily add diacritics
SFU Linguistics Department Writing Centre
Offers one-on-one writing consultations for students taking Linguistics and Cognitive Sciences courses
Software Resources
SFU Linguistics Department has provided some guidance documents for using Microsoft Word and Latex to write and edit Linguistics papers
Philosophy
Writing a Philosophy Paper
Peter Horban, SFU Dept. of Philosophy
Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper
Jim Pryor, New York University
Psychology
Writing in Psychology (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
This handout discusses some of the common writing assignments in psychology courses, and it presents strategies for completing them.
Writing for Psychology
Harvard University Dept. of Psychology
Surviving (and acing) PSYC 300
Tips from a graduate writing facilitator
Writing a Case Study Report (writeonline.ca)
This guide provides advice and resources to help you write case study reports during your post-secondary education.
Science
General writing tips for science students
Style, clarity, and paraphrasing
Writing strategies for science students
Formal lab reports and critical reviews
Writing in the Sciences
University College Writing Centre, University of Toronto
Sciences
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper by Barbara Gastel and Robert A. Day
Book in the SFU Library Catalogue
Abstracts
University of Richmond Writing Center
Reports
Scientific Research Reports
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Biology Laboratory Reports
University of Richmond Writing Center
Sociology
Sociology
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Writing Sociology Papers
State University of New York, Geneseo
Additional resources
Thompson Writing Program at Duke University - Genres of Writing
Click on each genre for detailed information - definition, questions to ask, actions to take, and helpful links).
Find additional information about how to succeed in courses and classes in specific subjects.
Academic Writing for Undergraduate Students: a collection of sample papers from multiple disciplines, with instructors' comments and students' reactions -- Monash University, Australia.
Sample undergraduate papers from the SLC writing contest
Citing and formatting
And see the SFU Library's citation and style guides for more on citing and formatting in the various styles.