Select a Topic
When writing your academic paper:
- choose a topic that interests you;
- follow directions given by your professor (this is important!); and
- consult with the TA or professor if you are uncertain about the assignment
These three basic things will ensure you start work on your paper on a solid foundation.
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Create a Schedule
You will increase your efficiency in writing academic papers if you create a time schedule with deadlines for each step:
- research
- read and take notes
- outline/organize information
- write the first draft
- revise for completeness, conciseness and clarity
- edit and proofread
Make sure you start earlier, rather than later, and give yourself plenty of time for each step.
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Find Sources
Often, when doing research for an academic paper, you will find one source can lead to other useful information, so keep your eye open for this when you are checking out sources. As well:
- gather several different viewpoints to appreciate the topic's complexity;
- search the BISON catalogue for books, journals and other material in the UM Libraries' collections and search NETDOC databases for journal citations, full-text resources, abstracts; and
- make a complete reference note card for each source as you work so that you don't have to spend time looking for this information later.
Evaluate Resources
Students frequently skip the evaluation step of the research process. They think finding a resource - any resource - is enough. However, spending hours reading through weak information sources is a waste of your time.
Resources need to match your instructor's requirements and be relevant to your research topic. Don't "force" a resource to fit your assignment - keep searching until you find one you can really use.
A good resource will help you:
- support an argument;
- refute an argument;
- give examples; or
- provide "wrong" information you can challenge.
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Prepare Preliminary Questions
A good way to guide your reading and note-taking when writing an academic paper is to ask yourself the following preliminary questions:
- What information is needed to develop the topic?
- What are the important issues related to this subject?
- Who has contributed significantly to this area?
- What conclusions can be drawn?
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Step 6: Get Organized
Writing an academic paper goes much more smoothly if you design a system to keep you organized and to take notes:
- identify topic headings on each note card or loose leaf;
- indicate whether the information is a quote, a paraphrase, or a summary of the source;
- add your original thoughts about the reading; and
- on all cards or pages, identify title, author, and page reference in an abbreviated form.
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| from Purdue University. |
| from the University of Toronto. |
Outline your Paper
Purpose
The purpose of an outline is to help you organize your notes and thinking in preparation for the drafting process. Having an outline helps to keep you focused on proving your thesis statement rather than be derailed by peripheral information. It can also help you to begin drafting, especially if you struggle to get started on the writing process.
Types of Outlines
There are as many ways to create an outline as there are essays, depending on your style as a thinker and writer, your purpose, topic and the complexity of the subject. A common way to begin creating an outline is to brainstorm and use all your research notes to:
- list;
- classify;
- group; and
- number all discussion points.
This step will help you connect your ideas together to support the viewpoint you are putting forward in your thesis statement.
The resources listed below can help you organize your thinking and research so that you can begin drafting smoothly.
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| This tool is useful for organizing your thinking with topics that are chronological or sequential. |
| This organizer helps you not only compare and contrast articles, books, or other texts, but also prompts you to create categories or patterns for comparing. |
| This resource helps you plan out paragraph by paragraph the development of your essay as well as what each paragraph should contain. |
| This resource is helpful for those students who are linear and logical in their thinking, or who have a very clear idea of what they want to prove and what information is needed in order to prove it. |
Write a Rough Draft
Following your outline, write draft sections of your academic paper. You don’t need to start at the introduction, but be sure you have a working thesis and outline to guide your thinking and not get off track. Sometimes starting with the section you are most comfortable with or have the most understanding of can help get some momentum to do other parts.
You could also start by crafting a brief introduction that includes your thesis statement and sufficient background information. Include brief paragraphs that address each of your main points. Finish by writing a brief conclusion.
If you have trouble going from an outline to prose (sentences), you could try freewriting, which is a strategy to help overcome writer’s block. The premise is that you time set a time for yourself to write, such as one, 5 or 10 minutes, and you write non stop for that time, not worrying about grammar, spelling, or logic. You just write freely. After the time is up, you look back at the writing to see if there are ideas you can use somewhere in your essay, or at least the beginning of a good idea. If not, at least you’ve warmed up your hand and head. Check out Purdue's Invention Techniques in the key resources section of this page to find this and other strategies for getting started with writing.
If you’ve ever received feedback that your writing is choppy or not well organized, the Connection Words handout can help you find the missing connections between ideas, sentences and paragraphs.
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Formulate a Working Thesis Statement
In an academic paper, a thesis statement is a declarative sentence that expands your topic into a scholarly proposal, one that you will:
- prove;
- defend; or
- expand on in your paper.
As you work through the steps of writing your academic paper, you will refine your thesis statement based on the information you learn through your research.
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Revise
After all the work you have done to this point, it is time to set your academic paper aside for a few days to let your ideas "gel".
When you come back to it:
- read your paper aloud to detect any weaknesses in reasoning and structure;
- add or delete content to strengthen arguments and make connections;
- make certain everything in the paper relates back to your thesis statement; and
- have someone read and comment on it.
At this point in writing your academic paper, you should also finalize your thesis statement to:
- fit at the beginning or end of the introductory paragraph;
- anticipate your conclusion and set in motion the presentation of supporting points;
- control, focus, or direct the entire paper; and
- plainly state your position for the reader
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Edit Organization, Sentence Structure, and Word Choice
Edit your academic paper for organization, sentence structure and word choice. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does each paragraph have one main idea expressed in a topic sentence?
- Do succeeding paragraph sentences relate to their topic sentence?
- Does sentence structure vary?
- Have irrelevant or repeated words or phrases been deleted?
- Is word choice precise, vivid, varied?
Edit Grammar
Now that your content is logical, connected and well organized, take a close look at your grammar. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are appropriate verb tenses used?
- Are there any contractions e.g. "don't" or "can't"? If so, rewrite in full "do not" or "cannot".
- Have you run a spell-check? Have you searched for homonyms (their/there)?
- Are prepositions and modifiers in the correct places?
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| This is a user-friendly site with an excellent section on grammar with handouts available in both .pdf and printer friendly formats. |
Check Documentation
Your academic paper must included a listing of your references and citations. Check your documentation according to your particular discipline. Ask your professor which style should be used for your paper. For example, typically:
- humanities subjects use either MLA or the Chicago/Turabian (footnote) styles;
- social-science subjects use APA style; and
- science subjects use CBE style.
Refer to the appropriate style manual for the system you will use.
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Summary
As you can see, there are several steps to writing an academic paper. The steps give you direction on how to move through the process of writing a paper. They focus your attention on keeping your ideas logical and connected, and your work habits well organized.
Thoughtfully completing each step will result in a paper that achieves your intended goal.
| Page Content By: Learning Assistance Centre (Last Revised Aug 31, 2006) |
Contact: Learning Assistance Centre lac_admin@umanitoba.ca |
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