Prompt: 

• Spend some time reading the assignment and thinking about what you would like to write about. Which topics deserve further exploration?

• Develop a research question to guide your research without favoring a particular thesis.

• Find and read potential sources. Keep a running references list.

• Narrow your topic after going through research.

• Develop a preliminary thesis.

• Brainstorm your paper. Check out our handout on brainstorming techniques!

• Assess your audience. Who are you writing for?

• Assess your purpose. Which verbs are used in the prompt? Examples include:

  • • analyze

    • compare

    • list

    • summarize

    • contrast

    • identify

    • explain

    • argue

    • discuss

    • evaluate

    • apply

    • critique

    • classify

    • review

    • illustrate

Outlining: 

When you’re ready to organize your thoughts, consider outlining your paper in a way that follows the assignment instructions and aids the flow of your argument. An outline can be five lines or fifty, so do what best serves your purposes!

• Write quickly; save revisions for later.

• Feel free to leave blank spaces and come back to them later.

• Make sure your tone is appropriate for your audience.

• When you’re finished, consider a reverse outline to check the structure of your paper.

Take a break: 

Take some time after your first draft to clear your head and prepare for revision.

Revise:

• Do I have enough support or evidence?☐ Is there an introduction, body, and conclusion?

• Are paragraphs cohesive and ordered logically?

• Do I have transitional statements and topic sentences?

• Do I repeat myself? How is my style?

Edit:

• Do I vary my sentence structure?

• Is my word choice appropriate to my audience?

• Does my paper use the correct format/documentation?

• Have I read my paper aloud to listen for wording issues?

Proofread:

• Do I have correct grammar, spelling, and usage?

• Do I meet the required formatting/layout standards?