Now that you've done the background research, and read all the latest published information about your topic, take a break. Go swimming, go for a walk, go meet friends for coffee. I'm a verbal gal, and so generally I like to talk about what I'm working on, bounce ideas off a friend's skull, see if they have any insight, and sort out a direction to take the text. Talking about the project also helps me to start formulating my own opinion about what the site or culture is all about.
Then, back to your quiet spot. First, write down a list of the topics you remember being covered in the articles and books you've read. For example, if it's an archaeological site you're writing about, when and how was the site discovered? Who put a name to it, how did that come about? What was the evidence that convinced the most people about the site, or that confused the most people? If it's an important issue, what are the pros and cons?
Back to the Sources
Go back to your flagged references and start making notes about who said what. Use your bibliographic list to refresh your memory. Finally, start filling in the blanks, write a couple of sentences on each of the topics. You'll find as you go along that the paper starts to take shape all by itself. It's magic.Tips for Writing Research Papers
- Picking a topic
- Finding the literature
- Reading and synthesizing the literature
- You are here: Writing a first draft
- Next: Writing the final draft
