Writing a paper in college can feel different from writing one in high school. There are fewer guidelines, different sources and formatting, and a lot more material to cover.
Writing a paper in college can feel different from writing one in high school. There are fewer guidelines, different sources and formatting, and a lot more material to cover. Figuring out where to begin and what instructors are looking for is just the beginning.
Let’s conquer that intimidation right now! We’ll help you construct your next college paper by going over everything from structure to perfecting parenthetical and in-text citations and more!
Before you sit down to start writing your paper, there are a few things you can do to make the process better and improve your writing and research skills.
1. Choose a Topic
Professors may have a pre-approved list of topics, or they may give you a very general prompt. When choosing a topic, keep a few things in mind.
Once you have a topic, the next steps happen almost simultaneously: research and outlining.
2. Research
This is probably the most crucial part of your essay. To write an excellent paper, you need plenty of research to back up your thesis.
In the digital age, academic research takes place mostly online (although your campus brick and mortar library is still an AMAZING and highly underutilized resource). Still, this doesn’t mean that Wikipedia and other user-generated websites are acceptable sources. Use academic search engines such as Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and others. If you’re unsure how to access these, check with your campus library.
Here’s one crucial trick: Wikipedia and other user-generated sites are actually great resources, just not to cite directly. Wikipedia, for instance, typically contains a lot of sources in the citations at the bottom that link you to usable, credible resources.
3. Outline
Before you start writing, it can be helpful to outline your paper first. A research paper outline can help keep your paper well-organized and allow you to see what elements of your research and arguments can feed into each other, to keep the essay flowing logically.
You may want to have a rough outline before you dive fully into your research, so that you can focus your search. Have some flexibility, so that if you encounter something that amends your arguments, you have room to include it.
You probably know the five-paragraph essay: intro (with a three-pronged thesis), three body paragraphs, conclusion. The bad news: your college papers are going to be longer than that! The good news: the same principles still apply!
1. Introduction
Start with a quick overview of the topic and relevant background information. This is only a paragraph, so keep it engaging but succinct.
2. Thesis
You always need a thesis for a research paper. While it doesn’t have to be three-pronged, it should be a complex sentence that summarizes the main argument of your paper.
3. Body
This is the most important part of your paper, where your research and the arguments you’re using to support your thesis should go.
What belongs in a college paper? Some require a summary of research, while others want an original argument supported with research.
The key is simpler than you think: have an opinion and back it up.
Think about the debates you have with your friends—maybe over a reality show or whether chocolate chip cookies should be crispy or gooey. You take a stance and you have “proof” as to why it’s the correct answer, right? The same thing applies to your college papers: opinion or theory, finding evidence, and using it to make your point.
4. Conclusion
Use your final paragraph to wrap up your paper. Restate your main thesis, briefly summarize the results of your arguments, and end with a memorable sentence. It doesn’t have to be a “call to action,” but it should leave an impression.
Carefully read your teacher’s directions: Single or double spaced? Do you need a cover page? Is there a specific formatting style you should follow?
Up to now, you’ve probably used one style: MLA. While MLA formatting is commonly used, especially if you’re in a humanities or arts discipline, you should also discover your new best friend: APA format.
The most crucial part of formatting are around the citations. You must include a works cited list and cite your sources according to the required style guide! Within your paper, that means using in-text and parenthetical citations correctly. In general, those citations will include the last name of the author and a page number, year, or both denoting the source—format varies by style. These citations should go next to quotes as well as paraphrased information.
Example 1: MLA format parenthetical citation with a direct quote:
Example 2: APA format parenthetical citation with paraphrased information:
1. Proofread
Always give your paper one final read-through to check for minor errors. Try to do this the day after you finish your final draft so that you can check it with fresh eyes.
In addition, you can consider running an automated paper check before turning it in.
2. Revise
If needed, make revisions. But a word of reassurance: if you’ve done your research and proofreading, you’ve done good work! You don’t have to second-guess yourself.
3. Rejoice! You’re Done!
Before you begin writing, get a refresher on the basics with our grammar guides! Learn about irregular imperfect verbs, answer the question “what is a possessive pronoun,” explore demonstrative adjectives, and more!
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