Putting It Together: Drafting a Research Paper

  • An argument can be structured in a number of ways (five-paragraph, organic, IMRaD) and can use a number of rhetorical styles (cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, narrative, process analysis, etc) or patterns used to organize ideas and persuade the reader.
  • Freewriting is a good strategy to start writing an essay.  To begin a first draft of an essay, you might try fast drafting, inside-out drafting, or connect-the-dots drafting.
  • The argument is the overall claim being made by your essay, as well as the reasons given to support this claim.  The working thesis is essentially a first pass at an answer to your research question. Your thesis is the final, polished statement that should appear in your completed paper.
  • A strong thesis statement is assertive, descriptive, debatable, substantiated, unified, and precise (ADDS UP).  The key to writing a strong thesis statement is understanding the core of your argument and how you want to engage your audience.  The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions.
  • Writing with respect is a crucial component of writing with awareness.  Write with specificity, write with attention and the desire to keep learning, write with equity, use your best judgment about using people-first language, and commit to spending time educating yourself.
  • Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how marginalized individuals and groups of people face complex and interlocking forms of oppression due to the overlapping nature of their identities.  Language should be inclusive of gender, LGBTQ+ identity, neurological/physical differences, racial and ethnic diversity, socioeconomic status, and religious identification.
  • An introduction to an essay should include the central issue of the paper, important background information, why you have written the paper and what the reader should understand about your topic and your perspective, and tells the reader what to expect and what to look for in your essay. The thesis statement is often located at the end of the introduction and should clearly state the claim, question, or point of view the writer is putting forth in the paper.
  • Rather than treating your conclusion as if it is a return to your thesis, consider it as a final questioning and presentation of your thesis from the new position you have arrived at through your analysis.
  • Elements of effective body paragraphs include a topic sentence that links ideas back to your thesis statement and communicates the main idea of your paragraph. All topic sentences will be expanded through the use of supporting details, and in research papers, all paragraphs must integrate research to support your position.  All paragraphs must logically connect to the other ideas in your paper.  If you have information that contradicts your main idea, it is wise to acknowledge that information and explain why it has not changed your position.  All paragraphs must end with a transition sentence that leads the reader from one idea to the next.
  • Transitions help the reader understand the connections between your ideas, while transitional sentences help the reader understand the connections between your paragraphs.