The guides below can give you an overview of what a typical academic research paper may include.  Remember: The best instructions for what your paper should include are found within your course outline or assignment instructions. Talk to your instructor if you are unsure.

If you are looking for more detailed information on a specific paper type, it is recommended to start with a paper style guide.

1. Group the main ideas of your notes/research and their supporting ideas into categories. Be sure to keep your stance in mind when considering what makes each piece of evidence similar to others.
2. Select from among the ideas those which seem to work together.
3. Organize the main ideas and their supporting ideas into a logical pattern. These can later help form topic sentences for your supporting paragraphs.
4. Reduce the ideas to an outline based on how they work together.
5. Now, based on the outline of the ideas, generate a thesis which coordinates and encapsulates your ideas.
6. Review your main ideas in light of your thesis.
   1. Do they still seem to be in the right order?
   2. Are they all still needed?
   3. Are there any voids in your argument?
   4. Have you included all the necessary details and examples?
7. When you have all the necessary ideas in good order, decide what the linking words or ideas are between main and supporting ideas and between main idea groups. At this time you may decide that one or more main ideas should precede your statement of thesis as an introduction.
8. You are now ready to write. In fact, you have already done most of the work. Don't forget to include your citations as you link together your evidence.
9. Your main ideas should provide the topic sentences for your paragraphs. Your supporting ideas should develop your main ideas. When you have completely explored a main and supporting idea group move onto another paragraph and another main and supporting idea group.
10. When you have explored all of the ideas that you have collected, you are ready to comment on them in a reflective or analytical conclusion.