Writing Papers: Understanding the Paper Writing Process

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While you may think papers are assigned only in English class, many courses require written reports. Perhaps you need to complete a research paper for a history class. Or you may look into new developments in science, writing a paper, for example, on DNA and crime solutions. In geography, you may complete an analysis of a particular country. And yes, in English, you may be asked to review a work and its key themes.

To start, then, the following sections take a look at the different types of writing projects, the steps for completing a paper, and the criteria that define a well-written paper.

Kinds of Papers

In your academic career, you’ll likely be asked to write different types of papers. Most often, your instructor will provide a detailed assignment, explaining the expectations for the assignment. Depending on the goal of the assignment, you may be asked to do any of the following:

• Summarize information. The most basic type of writing assignment is simply a summary of information. You may, for example, need to summarize the events that led to the Civil War.
• Describe a process. You may be asked to describe the steps for something. For example, you may have to write a paper explaining how to set up a Web site.
• Review a work. For reading assignments, you may be asked to critique the work, giving your opinion and backing that up with evidence. For example, you may write a review of Tom Sawyer.
• Compare and contrast different items. Some assignments require you compare (describe what they have in common) and contrast (describe what’s different) two items. For example, you can compare and contrast two characters in a play. Or you can compare and contrast two approaches to a problem.
• Argue a point. Some assignments ask you to find a controversy or problem, choose a side, and then present arguments to support your point of view. For example, you may be asked to argue for or against the death penalty.

Argue!

Really, all of your papers should have some element of argument. Without an argumentative edge, a paper can turn out to be just a summary of what others have said. Your goal is to say something new and different.

Parts of a Typical Paper

Even though there are different types of papers, most share a typical structure or organization and include the same elements. In particular, expect to include an opening paragraph (including a thesis statement), the body of the paper, any graphical elements, and a summary.

The opening paragraph should capture your reader’s interest and present your thesis statement. The thesis statement is your opinion; that is, the argument you intend to make in the paper. In addition to identifying this element, the thesis statement outlines the reasons for your opinion.

The bulk of the paper is the called the body. Here’s where you support the main idea you presented in the opening. The body text is broken up into paragraphs, and each paragraph should be centered on one key idea.

Some reports include graphic elements such as figures, illustrations, pictures, or tables. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” A picture can present the data in a snapshot to the reader.