Research and Writing (RaW): 7. Outline, Write, and Re-Write

Create a Research Question

• Finalize your topic then turn it into a question (your research question!)

Craft Your Thesis Statement

• You may want to think of your thesis statement as an answer to your research question.
• Your thesis statement should:
  • tell readers what your paper is about
  • assert a claim that others may agree or disagree with
  • appear at the end of your introduction (generally)
  • be 1-2 sentences
  • be a statement, not a question
  • be written in your own words
  • be proven in your paper
• Tips for writing a thesis statement

Prepare an Outline

• How to Outline
• Types of Outlines
• Follow the MEAL Plan
  1. Main Idea: Your topic sentence stating the claim that the paragraph is advancing.
  2. Evidence: How you're supporting your topic sentence's claim. Utilize paraphrasing or direct quotations from cited materials.
  3. Analysis: Your evaluation of the evidence, which explains the evidence you've provided and its overall relevance to your main idea.
  4. Link: Link back to the larger claim in your paper. This ensures that you end the paragraph with a strong statement that connects back to your thesis.

Write Your First Draft

• Flesh out the outline you created. You'll want to analyze the information you discovered, compare and contrast the evidence, then come to your own conclusions.

Revise and Rewrite

• Tips for proofreading