diff --git a/http-dispatch.cabal b/http-dispatch.cabal
--- a/http-dispatch.cabal
+++ b/http-dispatch.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                http-dispatch
-version:             0.5.0.0
+version:             0.5.0.1
 synopsis:            High level HTTP client for Haskell
 description:         Please see README.md
 homepage:            http://github.com/owainlewis/http-dispatch#readme
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:      src
   exposed-modules:     Network.HTTP.Dispatch.Core
                      , Network.HTTP.Dispatch.Types
+                     , Network.HTTP.Dispatch.Headers
                      , Network.HTTP.Dispatch.Internal.Request
   build-depends:       base >= 4.5 && < 5
                      , http-client
diff --git a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Core.hs b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Core.hs
--- a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Core.hs
+++ b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Core.hs
@@ -29,8 +29,13 @@
 -- | Make a simple HTTP GET request
 --
 -- @
--- get "http://google.com" =>
--- HTTPRequest {reqMethod = GET, reqUrl = "http://google.com", reqHeaders = [], reqBody = Nothing}
+-- get "http://google.com"
+--
+-- HTTPRequest { reqMethod = GET
+--             , reqUrl = "http://google.com"
+--             , reqHeaders = []
+--             , reqBody = Nothing
+--             }
 -- @
 get :: Url -> HTTPRequest
 get url = HTTPRequest GET url [] Nothing
@@ -39,13 +44,19 @@
 --
 -- @
 --   getWithHeaders "http://google.com" [header "Content-Type" "application/json"]
---   HTTPRequest {reqMethod = GET, reqUrl = "http://google.com", reqHeaders = [("Content-Type","application/json")], reqBody = Nothing}
+--
+--   HTTPRequest { reqMethod = GET
+--               , reqUrl = "http://google.com"
+--               , reqHeaders = [("Content-Type","application/json")]
+--               , reqBody = Nothing
+--               }
 -- @
 getWithHeaders :: String -> [Header] -> HTTPRequest
 getWithHeaders url headers = HTTPRequest GET url headers Nothing
 
 -- | Make a simple HTTP POST request
 --
+--
 post :: Url -> Body -> HTTPRequest
 post url body = postWithHeaders url [] body
 
@@ -54,34 +65,51 @@
 postWithHeaders :: Url -> Headers -> Body -> HTTPRequest
 postWithHeaders url headers body = HTTPRequest POST url headers (Just body)
 
+-- | Make a HTTP PUT request
+--
 put :: Url -> Body -> HTTPRequest
 put url body = putWithHeaders url [] body
 
+-- | Make a HTTP PUT request with headers
+--
 putWithHeaders :: Url -> Headers -> Body -> HTTPRequest
 putWithHeaders url headers body = HTTPRequest PUT url headers (Just body)
 
+-- | Make a HTTP PATCH request
+--
 patch :: Url -> Body -> HTTPRequest
 patch url body = patchWithHeaders url [] body
 
+-- | Make a HTTP PATCH request with headers
+--
 patchWithHeaders :: Url -> Headers -> Body -> HTTPRequest
 patchWithHeaders url headers body = HTTPRequest PATCH url headers (Just body)
 
+-- | Make a HTTP DELETE request
+--
 delete :: Url -> HTTPRequest
 delete url = deleteWithHeaders url []
 
+-- | Make a HTTP DELETE request with headers
+--
 deleteWithHeaders :: Url -> Headers -> HTTPRequest
 deleteWithHeaders url headers = HTTPRequest DELETE url headers Nothing
 
 -- | Add query params to a request URL
 --
 -- @
---   withQueryParams (get "http://google.com") [("foo", "bar")] =>
---   HTTPRequest {reqMethod = GET, reqUrl = "http://google.com?foo=bar", reqHeaders = [], reqBody = Nothing}
+--   withQueryParams (get "http://google.com") [("foo", "bar")]
+--
+--   HTTPRequest { reqMethod = GET
+--               , reqUrl = "http://google.com?foo=bar"
+--               , reqHeaders = []
+--               , reqBody = Nothing
+--               }
 -- @
 withQueryParams :: HTTPRequest -> [(String, String)] -> HTTPRequest
 withQueryParams req params = req { reqUrl = u ++ p }
     where u = reqUrl req
           p = compileParams params
-          compileParams params = "?" ++ kweryParams :: String
+          compileParams params = "?" ++ qParams :: String
             where parts = map (\(k,v) -> mconcat [k, "=", v]) params
-                  kweryParams = mconcat (intersperse "&" parts)
+                  qParams = mconcat (intersperse "&" parts)
diff --git a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Headers.hs b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Headers.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Headers.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
+module Network.HTTP.Dispatch.Headers
+       ( contentType
+       , contentJSON
+       , contentXML
+       , basicAuth
+       ) where
+
+import qualified Data.ByteString             as S
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Base64      as B64
+import           Data.Monoid                 ((<>))
+import           Network.HTTP.Dispatch.Types
+
+-- | Create a new content type header
+contentType :: String -> Header
+contentType = header "Content-Type"
+
+-- | Return a JSON content type header
+contentJSON :: Header
+contentJSON = contentType "application/json"
+
+-- | Return an XML content type header
+contentXML :: Header
+contentXML  = contentType "application/xml"
+
+-- | Helper to generate Basic authentication
+basicAuth :: S.ByteString -> S.ByteString -> Header
+basicAuth user pass = ("Authorization", auth)
+    where auth = "Basic: " <> userPassEncoded
+          userPassEncoded = B64.encode $ user <> ":" <> pass
diff --git a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Internal/Request.hs b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Internal/Request.hs
--- a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Internal/Request.hs
+++ b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Internal/Request.hs
@@ -69,4 +69,4 @@
     runRequestWithSettings httpRequest settings = do
         manager <- newManager settings
         request <- toRequest httpRequest
-        httpLbs request manager >>= return . toResponse
+        toResponse <$> httpLbs request manager
diff --git a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Types.hs b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Types.hs
--- a/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Network/HTTP/Dispatch/Types.hs
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
   , respBody    :: LBS.ByteString
 } deriving ( Eq, Show )
 
--- | Helper function that contstructs HTTP headers from string values
 header :: String -> String -> Header
 header k v = (SC.pack k , SC.pack v)