How to create the first Draft of a Research Paper
Writing a first draft is basically the beginning of the writing process. At this point, you are using notes you have collected to get a general idea of what your paper may look like upon completion. Writing a draft is important as if can help you understand what your final draft will look like. You don’t need to worry about editing and proofreading at this point. Just focus on getting your details presented clearly and concise.
Research Your Topic and Take Good Notes
Taking proper notes on your topic will provide the beginning contents for your paper. This means you need to take your time when learning about your topic. When you do your research mix up your sources and try to find interesting pieces of information related to your main idea or thesis. This information will act as your supporting details that will help you form sentences and paragraphs later. The more notes you collect the more likely you will be able to write your paper with little problems. In some cases, if you don’t collect enough you may struggle to provide enough proof for your argument.
Use an Outline to Help You Organize Data
An outline can be almost seen as a cheat sheet that helps you organize your paper. As you complete your research you should have an outline handy. How your outline will look may vary but it is based on how your paper should be structured. This means your entire assignment will be broken into smaller sections but they will appear in logic order. As you collect data your findings can be listed under each section or category of your outline. Your notes are getting organized at the same time and you can use this to help you start writing your draft.
Start Writing Your Draft with What You Know
Your have your outline to help you get started, but don’t forget to review assignment guidelines and instructions. Consider details that you may be required to include and where they should appear. Read over your notes and consider information you want to include and where it should appear on the page. Some students may decide to write certain sections of their research paper first instead of working from the beginning to the end. This draft won’t be perfect and you will have opportunities to go back and revise your content.
