B) Writing

Once you have evaluated the information you have collected, it is time to write your paper. As we stated at the beginning of this guide, it is very important to know what type of a paper you are writing. You should have asked yourself this question at the beginning of this research guide. This will help you determine the format the paper should take. Obviously a book review will contain different types of information than would a research essay.

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part of writing a paper. It often helps to jot down the main points you want to get across in point form so that you have a starting place. You may want to ask yourself some questions like:

Are you arguing for the question or against it?

What are the key issues?

Some people say you should start with your introduction so that you know what you're going to talk about, but others find it difficult to do that and prefer to just start typing or writing. It is often the case that once you've managed to write a couple of paragraphs it becomes apparent what direction your paper will take.

Continue