How to Write a Research Paper: the First Draft

Homework Center – Writing Skills

Research Papers Establish your topic. Look for sources of information. Read your sources and take notes. Organize your ideas. Write a first draft. Use footnotes or endnotes to document sources. Write a bibliography. Revise the first draft. Proofread the final draft.

Finally, it's time to write!

Write a First Draft

1. Every essay or paper is made up of three parts:
   
   
   • introduction
   • body
   • conclusion
   
   
2. The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. It often begins with a general statement about the topic and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of your paper. The purpose of the introduction is to:
   
   
   • let the reader know what the topic is
   • inform the reader about your point of view
   • arouse the reader's curiosity so that he or she will want to read about your topic
3. The body of the paper follows the introduction. It consists of a number of paragraphs in which you develop your ideas in detail.
   
   
   • Limit each paragraph to one main idea. (Don't try to talk about more than one idea per paragraph.)
   • Prove your points continually by using specific examples and quotations from your note cards.
   • Use transition words to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph.
4. The conclusion is the last paragraph of the paper. Its purpose is to
   
   
   • summarize your points, leaving out specific examples
   • restate the main idea of the paper

Back: Organize your ideas

Next: Use footnotes or endnotes

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