Writing a good paper requires understanding others' expectations about the "genre" or kind of writing you are doing. Not only are there differences among an essay, a research paper, a report, and a business letter, but there are differences among research papers written for a music history class, a literature class, an education class, and a biology class. For more information, try these links:

The Sciences:

• LabWrite Project 2000
  a thorough introduction to writing about labs from North Carolina State University, funded by the National Science Foundation
• Writing Biology Lab Reports
  by Molly Cage and Jon Wakefield at the University of Richmond
• Scientific Reports
  brief guidelines from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students
  covering style and formats, with writing exercises on grammar and usage, created by Virginia Tech, University of Illinois, University of Texas, and University of Wisconsin faculty
• A Course in Analytical Writing for Science and Technology
  by T. M. Georges

The Humanities:

• Writing about Literature
  links to useful sites on literary papers
• Writing in History
  by Glen Hinkle at the University of Richmond
• Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper
  by James Pryor at Princeton University
• Tips on Writing a Philosophy Paper
  by Douglas W. Portmore
• Writing the Art History Paper
  from the Composition Center at Dartmouth University
• Art History Writing Guide
  from the Wesleyan Writing Workshop
• Writing about Music and Writing about Film
  also from Dartmouth's Composition Center

The Social Sciences:

• Writing a Research Paper in the Social Sciences
  by Ted Llewellyn, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of Richmond
• Psychology with Style: A Hypertext Writing Guide
  a very useful, comprehensive guide to writing in psychology by M. Plonsky at the University of Wisconsin-Cedar Point
• A Guide to Writing in Psychology
  from George Mason University
• Social Science Writing Guide
  by Dr. Susan McDonald and Dr. Eric Mayer for Victor Valley College
• Undergraduate Writing in Sociology
  from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• Writing in Political Science
  from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill