how to write a research paper on a play

Theatre: Writing About Theatre

• Theatre Research at UK Libraries
• Background Information
• Performances & Video
• Primary Sources & Theatre Orgs
• Books & Play Scripts

Writing About Theatre

For those new to writing about theatre (and for general inspiration for everyone) discipline-specific guides to theatre research and writing about theatre can be very useful. Here are a few suggestions:

The Writing Center

The Robert E. Hemenway Writing Center at the the University of Kentucky offers free and friendly help to all UK students, faculty, and staff. Graduate student consultants and undergraduate consultants assist with the process of composing and communicating in writing, speaking, and multimedia projects across the curriculum, at every stage of the composing and communicating process.

• make an appointment

The Writing Center is located in the W. T. Young Library Hub in room B108B.

UK Libraries' Research 101 Guide

• Research 101 A description of services at the University of Kentucky Libraries and a brief introduction to college-level research.

Citing Your Sources

Writing a research paper means documenting, or " citing ," the sources of the information you use. How do you cite your sources? Every time you quote from or mention another person's writing or research in your own paper, you also mention the source of that work in a little aside called an " annotation. " At the end of your paper, you include a list called a bibliography  of all the sources you used throughout.

There are many different ways to annotate or call out sources in your paper, and many different ways to format the bibliography. These are called citation styles , and the professor who assigns a paper (or the publisher of a paper if it is being written for publication) tells writers which style they should use for any particular paper. Two common styles used when writing about the arts are Chicago (the Chicago Manual of Style) and MLA (the MLA Handbook).

MLA Handbook

( Please note : There is a citation generator on this site that is not free or recommended. See the list of recommended citation generators on our guide to Style Guides and Manuals .)

Citation Management

To help you keep track of the citations you find for articles, books, and images while you're researching, and to help you integrate the citations into your papers, footnotes, and bibliographies while you're writing, it can be helpful to use a citation management tools such as EndNote or Zotero .

Using a citation management tool (also called a bibliographic management tool) allows you to save your source citations for later, which is especially valuable for longer papers, like theses and dissertations, and for topics you return to over time.

EndNote is a subscription software program designed to store and manipulate bibliographic information (your citations). It is one of the  one of the more powerful and popular citation management tools. It is not freely available for everyone, but a s a UK student or staff or faculty member, you can download and use  EndNote as part of the university's subscription .

• UK Software Downloads with a student, staff or faculty login, download software to your computer.

• Zotero Includes the ability to store author, title, and publication fields and to export that information as formatted references, and the ability to organize, tag, and search in advanced ways.

Citing and Plagiarism

• The Office of Academic Ombud Services Guide to Academic Integrity: Cheating and Plagiarism Senate Rule 6.3.1 states that "All academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by students to their instructors or other academic supervisors, is expected to be the result of their own thought, research or self-expression." There are severe penalties for presenting others' work as your own, including for failing to properly cite sources you use in research papers.
• University of Kentucky's Plagiarism Policy UK's Official Policy on what constitutes plagiarism.
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• Last Updated: Sep 3, 2024 12:34 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uky.edu/theatre

EH -- Researching Plays: Home

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• Strategies for Research on Plays

Page Overview

This page offers general library information as well as a topic overview of dramatic literature.  It also provides links which identify and discuss the components/elements of a play.  It also provides information on how to read a play and write a research paper.

Special thanks to Houston Cole Library intern Alanna R. Cole for assistance in the preparation of this LibGuide.

General Works and Literature Librarian

Library Information

• My Library Account
• Ask a Librarian
• Just the FAQs
• Library Home Page
• Library Hours

• Personnel/Telephone Directory

JSU English Department Website

• JSU English Department

Topic Overview

• Dramatic literature From Britannica.com: a lengthy overview essay covering such things as general characteristics of drama, common elements of drama, the history of drama along with many others.

Useful links

Need help ask a librarian..

Need more help? Ask a librarian!

• Online Form
• In Person: 2nd Floor Reference Desk
• Call : 256-782-8034 or 1-800-782-5291
• Contact a Subject Specialist
• Chat : Blackboard IM: jsulibrary (this service is only available for JSU faculty, staff and students)

Reference hours:

• Mon-Thurs: 9 am - 10:30 pm
• Fri: 9 am - 4 pm
• Sat: 9 am - 4:30 pm
• Sun: 3 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Library Catalog Basic Search

Basic search in the Houston Cole Library catalog.  

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Find Journal(s)

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• Last Updated: Sep 3, 2024 10:23 AM
• URL: https://libguides.jsu.edu/litresearchplays

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How to Write a Research Paper: the LEAP approach (+cheat sheet)

In this article I will show you how to write a research paper using the four LEAP writing steps. The LEAP academic writing approach is a step-by-step method for turning research results into a published paper .

The LEAP writing approach has been the cornerstone of the 70 + research papers that I have authored and the 3700+ citations these paper have accumulated within 9 years since the completion of my PhD. I hope the LEAP approach will help you just as much as it has helped me to make an real, tangible impact with my research.

What is the LEAP research paper writing approach?

I designed the LEAP writing approach not only for merely writing the papers. My goal with the writing system was to show young scientists how to first think about research results and then how to efficiently write each section of the research paper.

In other words, you will see how to write a research paper by first analyzing the results and then building a logical, persuasive arguments. In this way, instead of being afraid of writing research paper, you will be able to rely on the paper writing process to help you with what is the most demanding task in getting published – thinking.

The four research paper writing steps according to the LEAP approach:

I will show each of these steps in detail. And you will be able to download the LEAP cheat sheet for using with every paper you write.

But before I tell you how to efficiently write a research paper, I want to show you what is the problem with the way scientists typically write a research paper and why the LEAP approach is more efficient.

How scientists typically write a research paper (and why it isn’t efficient)

Writing a research paper can be tough, especially for a young scientist. Your reasoning needs to be persuasive and thorough enough to convince readers of your arguments. The description has to be derived from research evidence, from prior art, and from your own judgment. This is a tough feat to accomplish.

The figure below shows the sequence of the different parts of a typical research paper. Depending on the scientific journal, some sections might be merged or nonexistent, but the general outline of a research paper will remain very similar.

Here is the problem: Most people make the mistake of writing in this same sequence.

While the structure of scientific articles is designed to help the reader follow the research, it does little to help the scientist write the paper. This is because the layout of research articles starts with the broad (introduction) and narrows down to the specifics (results). See in the figure below how the research paper is structured in terms of the breath of information that each section entails.

How to write a research paper according to the LEAP approach

For a scientist, it is much easier to start writing a research paper with laying out the facts in the narrow sections (i.e. results), step back to describe them (i.e. write the discussion), and step back again to explain the broader picture in the introduction.

For example, it might feel intimidating to start writing a research paper by explaining your research’s global significance in the introduction, while it is easy to plot the figures in the results. When plotting the results, there is not much room for wiggle: the results are what they are.

Starting to write a research papers from the results is also more fun because you finally get to see and understand the complete picture of the research that you have worked on.

Most importantly, following the LEAP approach will help you first make sense of the results yourself and then clearly communicate them to the readers. That is because the sequence of writing allows you to slowly understand the meaning of the results and then develop arguments for presenting to your readers.

I have personally been able to write and submit a research article in three short days using this method.

Step 1: Lay Out the Facts

You have worked long hours on a research project that has produced results and are no doubt curious to determine what they exactly mean. There is no better way to do this than by preparing figures, graphics and tables. This is what the first LEAP step is focused on – diving into the results.

How to p repare charts and tables for a research paper

Your first task is to try out different ways of visually demonstrating the research results. In many fields, the central items of a journal paper will be charts that are based on the data generated during research. In other fields, these might be conceptual diagrams, microscopy images, schematics and a number of other types of scientific graphics which should visually communicate the research study and its results to the readers. If you have reasonably small number of data points, data tables might be useful as well.

Tips for preparing charts and tables

• Try multiple chart types but in the finished paper only use the one that best conveys the message you want to present to the readers
• Follow the eight chart design progressions for selecting and refining a data chart for your paper: https://peerrecognized.com/chart-progressions
• Prepare scientific graphics and visualizations for your paper using the scientific graphic design cheat sheet: https://peerrecognized.com/tools-for-creating-scientific-illustrations/

How to describe the results of your research

Now that you have your data charts, graphics and tables laid out in front of you – describe what you see in them. Seek to answer the question: What have I found?  Your statements should progress in a logical sequence and be backed by the visual information. Since, at this point, you are simply explaining what everyone should be able to see for themselves, you can use a declarative tone: The figure X demonstrates that…

Tips for describing the research results :

• Answer the question: “ What have I found? “
• Use declarative tone since you are simply describing observations

Step 2: Explain the results

The core aspect of your research paper is not actually the results; it is the explanation of their meaning. In the second LEAP step, you will do some heavy lifting by guiding the readers through the results using logic backed by previous scientific research.

How to define the Message of a research paper

To define the central message of your research paper, imagine how you would explain your research to a colleague in 20 seconds . If you succeed in effectively communicating your paper’s message, a reader should be able to recount your findings in a similarly concise way even a year after reading it. This clarity will increase the chances that someone uses the knowledge you generated, which in turn raises the likelihood of citations to your research paper. 

Tips for defining the paper’s central message :

• Write the paper’s core message in a single sentence or two bullet points
• Write the core message in the header of the research paper manuscript

How to write the Discussion section of a research paper

In the discussion section you have to demonstrate why your research paper is worthy of publishing. In other words, you must now answer the all-important So what? question . How well you do so will ultimately define the success of your research paper.

Here are three steps to get started with writing the discussion section:

• Write bullet points of the things that convey the central message of the research article (these may evolve into subheadings later on).
• Make a list with the arguments or observations that support each idea.
• Finally, expand on each point to make full sentences and paragraphs.

Tips for writing the discussion section:

• What is the meaning of the results?
• Was the hypothesis confirmed?
• Write bullet points that support the core message
• List logical arguments for each bullet point, group them into sections
• Instead of repeating research timeline, use a presentation sequence that best supports your logic
• Convert arguments to full paragraphs; be confident but do not overhype
• Refer to both supportive and contradicting research papers for maximum credibility

How to write the Conclusions of a research paper

Since some readers might just skim through your research paper and turn directly to the conclusions, it is a good idea to make conclusion a standalone piece. In the first few sentences of the conclusions, briefly summarize the methodology and try to avoid using abbreviations (if you do, explain what they mean).

After this introduction, summarize the findings from the discussion section. Either paragraph style or bullet-point style conclusions can be used. I prefer the bullet-point style because it clearly separates the different conclusions and provides an easy-to-digest overview for the casual browser. It also forces me to be more succinct.

Tips for writing the conclusion section :

• Summarize the key findings, starting with the most important one
• Make conclusions standalone (short summary, avoid abbreviations)
• Add an optional take-home message and suggest future research in the last paragraph

How to refine the Objective of a research paper

The objective is a short, clear statement defining the paper’s research goals. It can be included either in the final paragraph of the introduction, or as a separate subsection after the introduction. Avoid writing long paragraphs with in-depth reasoning, references, and explanation of methodology since these belong in other sections. The paper’s objective can often be written in a single crisp sentence.

Tips for writing the objective section :

• The objective should ask the question that is answered by the central message of the research paper
• The research objective should be clear long before writing a paper. At this point, you are simply refining it to make sure it is addressed in the body of the paper.

How to write the Methodology section of your research paper

When writing the methodology section, aim for a depth of explanation that will allow readers to reproduce the study . This means that if you are using a novel method, you will have to describe it thoroughly. If, on the other hand, you applied a standardized method, or used an approach from another paper, it will be enough to briefly describe it with reference to the detailed original source.

Remember to also detail the research population, mention how you ensured representative sampling, and elaborate on what statistical methods you used to analyze the results.

Tips for writing the methodology section :

• Include enough detail to allow reproducing the research
• Provide references if the methods are known
• Create a methodology flow chart to add clarity
• Describe the research population, sampling methodology, statistical methods for result analysis
• Describe what methodology, test methods, materials, and sample groups were used in the research.

Step 3: Advertize the research

Step 3 of the LEAP writing approach is designed to entice the casual browser into reading your research paper. This advertising can be done with an informative title, an intriguing abstract, as well as a thorough explanation of the underlying need for doing the research within the introduction.

How to write the Introduction of a research paper

The introduction section should leave no doubt in the mind of the reader that what you are doing is important and that this work could push scientific knowledge forward. To do this convincingly, you will need to have a good knowledge of what is state-of-the-art in your field. You also need be able to see the bigger picture in order to demonstrate the potential impacts of your research work.

Think of the introduction as a funnel, going from wide to narrow, as shown in the figure below:

• Start with a brief context to explain what do we already know,
• Follow with the motivation for the research study and explain why should we care about it,
• Explain the research gap you are going to bridge within this research paper,
• Describe the approach you will take to solve the problem.

Tips for writing the introduction section :

• Follow the Context – Motivation – Research gap – Approach funnel for writing the introduction
• Explain how others tried and how you plan to solve the research problem
• Do a thorough literature review before writing the introduction
• Start writing the introduction by using your own words, then add references from the literature

How to prepare the Abstract of a research paper

The abstract acts as your paper’s elevator pitch and is therefore best written only after the main text is finished. In this one short paragraph you must convince someone to take on the time-consuming task of reading your whole research article. So, make the paper easy to read, intriguing, and self-explanatory; avoid jargon and abbreviations.

How to structure the abstract of a research paper:

• The abstract is a single paragraph that follows this structure:
• Problem: why did we research this
• Methodology: typically starts with the words “Here we…” that signal the start of own contribution.
• Results: what we found from the research.
• Conclusions: show why are the findings important

How to compose a research paper Title

The title is the ultimate summary of a research paper. It must therefore entice someone looking for information to click on a link to it and continue reading the article. A title is also used for indexing purposes in scientific databases, so a representative and optimized title will play large role in determining if your research paper appears in search results at all.

Tips for coming up with a research paper title:

• Capture curiosity of potential readers using a clear and descriptive title
• Include broad terms that are often searched
• Add details that uniquely identify the researched subject of your research paper
• Avoid jargon and abbreviations
• Use keywords as title extension (instead of duplicating the words) to increase the chance of appearing in search results

How to prepare Highlights and Graphical Abstract

Highlights are three to five short bullet-point style statements that convey the core findings of the research paper. Notice that the focus is on the findings, not on the process of getting there.

A graphical abstract placed next to the textual abstract visually summarizes the entire research paper in a single, easy-to-follow figure. I show how to create a graphical abstract in my book Research Data Visualization and Scientific Graphics.

Tips for preparing highlights and graphical abstract:

• In highlights show core findings of the research paper (instead of what you did in the study).
• In graphical abstract show take-home message or methodology of the research paper. Learn more about creating a graphical abstract in this article.

Step 4: Prepare for submission

Sometimes it seems that nuclear fusion will stop on the star closest to us (read: the sun will stop to shine) before a submitted manuscript is published in a scientific journal. The publication process routinely takes a long time, and after submitting the manuscript you have very little control over what happens. To increase the chances of a quick publication, you must do your homework before submitting the manuscript. In the fourth LEAP step, you make sure that your research paper is published in the most appropriate journal as quickly and painlessly as possible.

How to select a scientific Journal for your research paper

The best way to find a journal for your research paper is it to review which journals you used while preparing your manuscript. This source listing should provide some assurance that your own research paper, once published, will be among similar articles and, thus, among your field’s trusted sources.

After this initial selection of hand-full of scientific journals, consider the following six parameters for selecting the most appropriate journal for your research paper (read this article to review each step in detail):

• Scope and publishing history
• Ranking and Recognition
• Publishing time
• Acceptance rate
• Content requirements
• Access and Fees

How to select a journal for your research paper:

• Use the six parameters to select the most appropriate scientific journal for your research paper
• Use the following tools for journal selection: https://peerrecognized.com/journals
• Follow the journal’s “Authors guide” formatting requirements

How to Edit you manuscript

No one can write a finished research paper on their first attempt. Before submitting, make sure to take a break from your work for a couple of days, or even weeks. Try not to think about the manuscript during this time. Once it has faded from your memory, it is time to return and edit. The pause will allow you to read the manuscript from a fresh perspective and make edits as necessary.

I have summarized the most useful research paper editing tools in this article.

Tips for editing a research paper:

• Take time away from the research paper to forget about it; then returning to edit,
• Start by editing the content: structure, headings, paragraphs, logic, figures
• Continue by editing the grammar and language; perform a thorough language check using academic writing tools
• Read the entire paper out loud and correct what sounds weird

How to write a compelling Cover Letter for your paper

Begin the cover letter by stating the paper’s title and the type of paper you are submitting (review paper, research paper, short communication). Next, concisely explain why your study was performed, what was done, and what the key findings are. State why the results are important and what impact they might have in the field. Make sure you mention how your approach and findings relate to the scope of the journal in order to show why the article would be of interest to the journal’s readers.

I wrote a separate article that explains what to include in a cover letter here. You can also download a cover letter template from the article.

Tips for writing a cover letter:

• Explain how the findings of your research relate to journal’s scope
• Tell what impact the research results will have
• Show why the research paper will interest the journal’s audience
• Add any legal statements as required in journal’s guide for authors

How to Answer the Reviewers

Reviewers will often ask for new experiments, extended discussion, additional details on the experimental setup, and so forth. In principle, your primary winning tactic will be to agree with the reviewers and follow their suggestions whenever possible. After all, you must earn their blessing in order to get your paper published.

Be sure to answer each review query and stick to the point. In the response to the reviewers document write exactly where in the paper you have made any changes. In the paper itself, highlight the changes using a different color. This way the reviewers are less likely to re-read the entire article and suggest new edits.

In cases when you don’t agree with the reviewers, it makes sense to answer more thoroughly. Reviewers are scientifically minded people and so, with enough logical and supported argument, they will eventually be willing to see things your way.

Tips for answering the reviewers:

• Agree with most review comments, but if you don’t, thoroughly explain why
• Highlight changes in the manuscript
• Do not take the comments personally and cool down before answering

The LEAP research paper writing cheat sheet

Imagine that you are back in grad school and preparing to take an exam on the topic: “How to write a research paper”. As an exemplary student, you would, most naturally, create a cheat sheet summarizing the subject… Well, I did it for you.

This one-page summary of the LEAP research paper writing technique will remind you of the key research paper writing steps. Print it out and stick it to a wall in your office so that you can review it whenever you are writing a new research paper.

Now that we have gone through the four LEAP research paper writing steps, I hope you have a good idea of how to write a research paper. It can be an enjoyable process and once you get the hang of it, the four LEAP writing steps should even help you think about and interpret the research results. This process should enable you to write a well-structured, concise, and compelling research paper.

Have fund with writing your next research paper. I hope it will turn out great!

Learn writing papers that get cited

The LEAP writing approach is a blueprint for writing research papers. But to be efficient and write papers that get cited, you need more than that.

My name is Martins Zaumanis and in my interactive course Research Paper Writing Masterclass I will show you how to  visualize  your research results,  frame a message  that convinces your readers, and write  each section  of the paper. Step-by-step.

And of course – you will learn to respond the infamous  Reviewer No.2.

Hey! My name is Martins Zaumanis and I am a materials scientist in Switzerland ( Google Scholar ). As the first person in my family with a PhD, I have first-hand experience of the challenges starting scientists face in academia. With this blog, I want to help young researchers succeed in academia. I call the blog “Peer Recognized”, because peer recognition is what lifts academic careers and pushes science forward.

Besides this blog, I have written the Peer Recognized book series and created the Peer Recognized Academy offering interactive online courses.

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Writing a Play Script: Everything You Need to Know

When writing a play script , your script should include the settings, dialogue, and actions that take place throughout your play. This type of script outlines who says or does what when and how as well as describes the setting of the stage, like backdrops, lighting , and props. It is specifically for live visual stories on the stage, including dramas, comedies, and musicals.

How to write a play script

Before you get started, it’s important to understand the proper formatting of a play and what story elements you need to include. Follow these steps to write a play script:

Get inspiration

The first step is to read and watch as many plays as possible. During your research, take note of what other playwrights do well. If you notice dialogue you especially enjoy or useful stage directions, consider emulating them in your own play script. Reading a play first and then seeing a live performance of that play is a great way to see what a script can turn into.

Choose a Theme

Picking a theme for your play can help you write a play that audiences can connect to and understand. Consider the following when deciding on what kind of story you’re telling:

• Genre: This is the style, tone, and subject matter of your play, whether that be serious and somber or funny and insightful (see examples of movie genres here)
• Character growth: This is how your characters develop over the course of your play.
• Key takeaways: These are morals or lessons that the audience learns by the end of the play.

Create a Plot

The plot of your play is the events that take place and lead the entire story. You need to decide if you want your play plot-driven , meaning the story pushes characters from scene to scene, or character-focused, where characters’ actions direct the story. You may choose a combination of the two. Either way, many playwrights create a plot that leads to character growth.

When creating your plot, consider these key components:

• Characters: Decide who the main character of your play is. Make an effort to develop them into a believable person. You may also want to add supporting characters that support or challenge them. If you want a traditional hero story, you need to create a protagonist and an antagonist. Consider the relationships between all of your characters, especially ones that have a conflict with each other. Having a conflict creates more tension in your play and keeps the audience interested in the fate of your main character.
• Settings: Where is your play taking place? How does this add to the story? Determine how the setting impacts each scene or character and contextualizes themes. Limiting the number of different settings keeps your play grounded and improves its producibility. Consider how your crew could quickly transform one setting into another. Creating new settings is more complex for the stage than it is for film and television.
• Time: When is your play taking place? You need to figure out a way to convey this to the audience, whether that be through narration, costume, or dialogue.
• Story: The story of your play focuses on the characters’ reactions and emotions surrounding events of the plot.
• Exposition: Early on in your play, you need to establish the who, what, where, when, and why of your plot. If you have a central conflict in your play, this may be the time to present it.
• Rising action: Toward the middle of your play, more obstacles or challenges unfold. The conflict may deepen until you reach the climax of the play. This is the tensest moment, typically when characters fully address conflicts.
• Resolution: After the climax happens, the tension of your play lessens. During the resolution, your characters may overcome their conflicts or learn to live with them. Even if your ending is tragic, you may want to include a key takeaway or lesson.

Pick a Structure

Plays are made up of acts. Within each act are multiple scenes. When writing your play , you need to decide which kind of structure you want. As a new playwright, you may want to begin with a simple structure, such as a one-act play. These are the most common play structures:

• One-act play: The play runs all the way through without an intermission. You still need a narrative arc, but you may have fewer settings and scenes.
• Two-act play: Most contemporary plays use the two-act structure. A two-act play consists of two parts with an intermission in between. They allow for more complex sets since your crew can set up a new scene during the intermission. Audiences appreciate an intermission so they can stretch, use the restroom, and discuss the first act with one another.
• Three-act play: This is the most complex play structure to write. If you decide on a three-act play, you may need an intermission between each act. These types of plays tend to be longer due to the extra intermissions and length of the acts. In many three-act plays, act one is typically the exposition, act two is the rising action, and act three is the resolution.

Make an Outline

Before writing the entire play from scratch, create a general outline of your play. Include the following in your outline:

• When characters appear
• Narrative arc
• General stage actions

Write Using the Outline

Once you have a solid outline, you can start writing your play script. Filling in the outline with your actual script is a smart way to stay organized. You want to start giving your script depth and move it along with the following components:

• Dialogue: This is one of the main components that guide your play. Consider what dialogue each character has and how this develops who they are.
• Actions: Within the script, you need to note what each character is doing. Make it clear so the actors have a better understanding of what they need to do.
• Technical elements: This includes things like costume changes, props, lighting , and settings.

Edit and Rewrite

After writing your first draft, it’s time to read through the entire play script and start making adjustments. For instance, if your dialogue feels a bit flat, you need to rewrite it in a way that sounds more natural. Consider how people talk in real life, and try to make your characters feel human and emotional. Things such as interruptions and tangents can make it sound more realistic.

Have someone else read through your play to see if it makes sense to them. Ask them to note anything that is a bit confusing or needs more development. Since the story is in your head, you may not realize that it’s not as straightforward on paper.

Play Script Example

Follow these formatting rules when writing a play script:

• Center act and scene headings.
• Center and capitalize your characters’ names before each line of dialogue.
• Capitalize your characters’ names in action lines.
• Indent and italicize stage directions.

Here is a brief example of a play script:

Midwestern high school. Teacher’s office. Right after school lets out.

SAM, an eccentric history teacher, sits at her desk. She sorts through a stack of papers and struggles to find what she is looking for.

Talking to herself.

Why is my life such a mess?

GEORGE, a put-together looking man, enters.

Because you’re Sam.

GEORGE chuckles as SAM rolls her eyes.

Writing a play script takes a lot of effort and practice, but it is worth it when you see your vision come to life on stage. Check out Nashville Film Institute’s other blogs to learn about writing a script for film or television .

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How to Write a Research Paper

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Research Paper Fundamentals

How to choose a topic or question, how to create a working hypothesis or thesis, common research paper methodologies, how to gather and organize evidence , how to write an outline for your research paper, how to write a rough draft, how to revise your draft, how to produce a final draft, resources for teachers .

It is not fair to say that no one writes anymore. Just about everyone writes text messages, brief emails, or social media posts every single day. Yet, most people don't have a lot of practice with the formal, organized writing required for a good academic research paper. This guide contains links to a variety of resources that can help demystify the process. Some of these resources are intended for teachers; they contain exercises, activities, and teaching strategies. Other resources are intended for direct use by students who are struggling to write papers, or are looking for tips to make the process go more smoothly.

The resources in this section are designed to help students understand the different types of research papers, the general research process, and how to manage their time. Below, you'll find links from university writing centers, the trusted Purdue Online Writing Lab, and more.

What is an Academic Research Paper?

"Genre and the Research Paper" (Purdue OWL)

There are different types of research papers. Different types of scholarly questions will lend themselves to one format or another. This is a brief introduction to the two main genres of research paper: analytic and argumentative. 

"7 Most Popular Types of Research Papers" (Personal-writer.com)

This resource discusses formats that high school students commonly encounter, such as the compare and contrast essay and the definitional essay. Please note that the inclusion of this link is not an endorsement of this company's paid service.

How to Prepare and Plan Out Writing a Research Paper

Teachers can give their students a step-by-step guide like these to help them understand the different steps of the research paper process. These guides can be combined with the time management tools in the next subsection to help students come up with customized calendars for completing their papers.

"Ten Steps for Writing Research Papers" (American University)  

This resource from American University is a comprehensive guide to the research paper writing process, and includes examples of proper research questions and thesis topics.

"Steps in Writing a Research Paper" (SUNY Empire State College)

This guide breaks the research paper process into 11 steps. Each "step" links to a separate page, which describes the work entailed in completing it.

How to Manage Time Effectively

The links below will help students determine how much time is necessary to complete a paper. If your sources are not available online or at your local library, you'll need to leave extra time for the Interlibrary Loan process. Remember that, even if you do not need to consult secondary sources, you'll still need to leave yourself ample time to organize your thoughts.

"Research Paper Planner: Timeline" (Baylor University)

This interactive resource from Baylor University creates a suggested writing schedule based on how much time a student has to work on the assignment.

"Research Paper Planner" (UCLA)

UCLA's library offers this step-by-step guide to the research paper writing process, which also includes a suggested planning calendar.

There's a reason teachers spend a long time talking about choosing a good topic. Without a good topic and a well-formulated research question, it is almost impossible to write a clear and organized paper. The resources below will help you generate ideas and formulate precise questions.

"How to Select a Research Topic" (Univ. of Michigan-Flint)

This resource is designed for college students who are struggling to come up with an appropriate topic. A student who uses this resource and still feels unsure about his or her topic should consult the course instructor for further personalized assistance.

"25 Interesting Research Paper Topics to Get You Started" (Kibin)

This resource, which is probably most appropriate for high school students, provides a list of specific topics to help get students started. It is broken into subsections, such as "paper topics on local issues."

"Writing a Good Research Question" (Grand Canyon University)

This introduction to research questions includes some embedded videos, as well as links to scholarly articles on research questions. This resource would be most appropriate for teachers who are planning lessons on research paper fundamentals.

"How to Write a Research Question the Right Way" (Kibin)

This student-focused resource provides more detail on writing research questions. The language is accessible, and there are embedded videos and examples of good and bad questions.

It is important to have a rough hypothesis or thesis in mind at the beginning of the research process. People who have a sense of what they want to say will have an easier time sorting through scholarly sources and other information. The key, of course, is not to become too wedded to the draft hypothesis or thesis. Just about every working thesis gets changed during the research process.

CrashCourse Video: "Sociology Research Methods" (YouTube)

Although this video is tailored to sociology students, it is applicable to students in a variety of social science disciplines. This video does a good job demonstrating the connection between the brainstorming that goes into selecting a research question and the formulation of a working hypothesis.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement for an Analytical Essay" (YouTube)

Students writing analytical essays will not develop the same type of working hypothesis as students who are writing research papers in other disciplines. For these students, developing the working thesis may happen as a part of the rough draft (see the relevant section below). 

"Research Hypothesis" (Oakland Univ.)

This resource provides some examples of hypotheses in social science disciplines like Political Science and Criminal Justice. These sample hypotheses may also be useful for students in other soft social sciences and humanities disciplines like History.

When grading a research paper, instructors look for a consistent methodology. This section will help you understand different methodological approaches used in research papers. Students will get the most out of these resources if they use them to help prepare for conversations with teachers or discussions in class.

"Types of Research Designs" (USC)

A "research design," used for complex papers, is related to the paper's method. This resource contains introductions to a variety of popular research designs in the social sciences. Although it is not the most intuitive site to read, the information here is very valuable. 

"Major Research Methods" (YouTube)

Although this video is a bit on the dry side, it provides a comprehensive overview of the major research methodologies in a format that might be more accessible to students who have struggled with textbooks or other written resources.

"Humanities Research Strategies" (USC)

This is a portal where students can learn about four methodological approaches for humanities papers: Historical Methodologies, Textual Criticism, Conceptual Analysis, and the Synoptic method.

"Selected Major Social Science Research Methods: Overview" (National Academies Press)

This appendix from the book  Using Science as Evidence in Public Policy , printed by National Academies Press, introduces some methods used in social science papers.

"Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: 6. The Methodology" (USC)

This resource from the University of Southern California's library contains tips for writing a methodology section in a research paper.

How to Determine the Best Methodology for You

Anyone who is new to writing research papers should be sure to select a method in consultation with their instructor. These resources can be used to help prepare for that discussion. They may also be used on their own by more advanced students.

"Choosing Appropriate Research Methodologies" (Palgrave Study Skills)

This friendly and approachable resource from Palgrave Macmillan can be used by students who are just starting to think about appropriate methodologies.

"How to Choose Your Research Methods" (NFER (UK))

This is another approachable resource students can use to help narrow down the most appropriate methods for their research projects.

The resources in this section introduce the process of gathering scholarly sources and collecting evidence. You'll find a range of material here, from introductory guides to advanced explications best suited to college students. Please consult the LitCharts  How to Do Academic Research guide for a more comprehensive list of resources devoted to finding scholarly literature.

Google Scholar

Students who have access to library websites with detailed research guides should start there, but people who do not have access to those resources can begin their search for secondary literature here.

"Gathering Appropriate Information" (Texas Gateway)

This resource from the Texas Gateway for online resources introduces students to the research process, and contains interactive exercises. The level of complexity is suitable for middle school, high school, and introductory college classrooms.

"An Overview of Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection Methods" (NSF)

This PDF from the National Science Foundation goes into detail about best practices and pitfalls in data collection across multiple types of methodologies.

"Social Science Methods for Data Collection and Analysis" (Swiss FIT)

This resource is appropriate for advanced undergraduates or teachers looking to create lessons on research design and data collection. It covers techniques for gathering data via interviews, observations, and other methods.

"Collecting Data by In-depth Interviewing" (Leeds Univ.)

This resource contains enough information about conducting interviews to make it useful for teachers who want to create a lesson plan, but is also accessible enough for college juniors or seniors to make use of it on their own.

There is no "one size fits all" outlining technique. Some students might devote all their energy and attention to the outline in order to avoid the paper. Other students may benefit from being made to sit down and organize their thoughts into a lengthy sentence outline. The resources in this section include strategies and templates for multiple types of outlines. 

"Topic vs. Sentence Outlines" (UC Berkeley)

This resource introduces two basic approaches to outlining: the shorter topic-based approach, and the longer, more detailed sentence-based approach. This resource also contains videos on how to develop paper paragraphs from the sentence-based outline.

"Types of Outlines and Samples" (Purdue OWL)

The Purdue Online Writing Lab's guide is a slightly less detailed discussion of different types of outlines. It contains several sample outlines.

"Writing An Outline" (Austin C.C.)

This resource from a community college contains sample outlines from an American history class that students can use as models.

"How to Structure an Outline for a College Paper" (YouTube)

This brief (sub-2 minute) video from the ExpertVillage YouTube channel provides a model of outline writing for students who are struggling with the idea.

"Outlining" (Harvard)

This is a good resource to consult after completing a draft outline. It offers suggestions for making sure your outline avoids things like unnecessary repetition.

As with outlines, rough drafts can take on many different forms. These resources introduce teachers and students to the various approaches to writing a rough draft. This section also includes resources that will help you cite your sources appropriately according to the MLA, Chicago, and APA style manuals.

"Creating a Rough Draft for a Research Paper" (Univ. of Minnesota)

This resource is useful for teachers in particular, as it provides some suggested exercises to help students with writing a basic rough draft. 

Rough Draft Assignment (Duke of Definition)

This sample assignment, with a brief list of tips, was developed by a high school teacher who runs a very successful and well-reviewed page of educational resources.

"Creating the First Draft of Your Research Paper" (Concordia Univ.)

This resource will be helpful for perfectionists or procrastinators, as it opens by discussing the problem of avoiding writing. It also provides a short list of suggestions meant to get students writing.

Using Proper Citations

There is no such thing as a rough draft of a scholarly citation. These links to the three major citation guides will ensure that your citations follow the correct format. Please consult the LitCharts How to Cite Your Sources guide for more resources.

Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide

Some call  The Chicago Manual of Style , which was first published in 1906, "the editors' Bible." The manual is now in its 17th edition, and is popular in the social sciences, historical journals, and some other fields in the humanities.

APA Citation Guide

According to the American Psychological Association, this guide was developed to aid reading comprehension, clarity of communication, and to reduce bias in language in the social and behavioral sciences. Its first full edition was published in 1952, and it is now in its sixth edition.

MLA Citation Guide

The Modern Language Association style is used most commonly within the liberal arts and humanities. The  MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing  was first published in 1985 and (as of 2008) is in its third edition.

Any professional scholar will tell you that the best research papers are made in the revision stage. No matter how strong your research question or working thesis, it is not possible to write a truly outstanding paper without devoting energy to revision. These resources provide examples of revision exercises for the classroom, as well as tips for students working independently.

"The Art of Revision" (Univ. of Arizona)

This resource provides a wealth of information and suggestions for both students and teachers. There is a list of suggested exercises that teachers might use in class, along with a revision checklist that is useful for teachers and students alike.

"Script for Workshop on Revision" (Vanderbilt University)

Vanderbilt's guide for leading a 50-minute revision workshop can serve as a model for teachers who wish to guide students through the revision process during classtime. 

"Revising Your Paper" (Univ. of Washington)

This detailed handout was designed for students who are beginning the revision process. It discusses different approaches and methods for revision, and also includes a detailed list of things students should look for while they revise.

"Revising Drafts" (UNC Writing Center)

This resource is designed for students and suggests things to look for during the revision process. It provides steps for the process and has a FAQ for students who have questions about why it is important to revise.

Conferencing with Writing Tutors and Instructors

No writer is so good that he or she can't benefit from meeting with instructors or peer tutors. These resources from university writing, learning, and communication centers provide suggestions for how to get the most out of these one-on-one meetings.

"Getting Feedback" (UNC Writing Center)

This very helpful resource talks about how to ask for feedback during the entire writing process. It contains possible questions that students might ask when developing an outline, during the revision process, and after the final draft has been graded.

"Prepare for Your Tutoring Session" (Otis College of Art and Design)

This guide from a university's student learning center contains a lot of helpful tips for getting the most out of working with a writing tutor.

"The Importance of Asking Your Professor" (Univ. of Waterloo)

This article from the university's Writing and Communication Centre's blog contains some suggestions for how and when to get help from professors and Teaching Assistants.

Once you've revised your first draft, you're well on your way to handing in a polished paper. These resources—each of them produced by writing professionals at colleges and universities—outline the steps required in order to produce a final draft. You'll find proofreading tips and checklists in text and video form.

"Developing a Final Draft of a Research Paper" (Univ. of Minnesota)

While this resource contains suggestions for revision, it also features a couple of helpful checklists for the last stages of completing a final draft.

Basic Final Draft Tips and Checklist (Univ. of Maryland-University College)

This short and accessible resource, part of UMUC's very thorough online guide to writing and research, contains a very basic checklist for students who are getting ready to turn in their final drafts.

Final Draft Checklist (Everett C.C.)

This is another accessible final draft checklist, appropriate for both high school and college students. It suggests reading your essay aloud at least once.

"How to Proofread Your Final Draft" (YouTube)

This video (approximately 5 minutes), produced by Eastern Washington University, gives students tips on proofreading final drafts.

"Proofreading Tips" (Georgia Southern-Armstrong)

This guide will help students learn how to spot common errors in their papers. It suggests focusing on content and editing for grammar and mechanics.

This final set of resources is intended specifically for high school and college instructors. It provides links to unit plans and classroom exercises that can help improve students' research and writing skills. You'll find resources that give an overview of the process, along with activities that focus on how to begin and how to carry out research. 

"Research Paper Complete Resources Pack" (Teachers Pay Teachers)

This packet of assignments, rubrics, and other resources is designed for high school students. The resources in this packet are aligned to Common Core standards.

"Research Paper—Complete Unit" (Teachers Pay Teachers)

This packet of assignments, notes, PowerPoints, and other resources has a 4/4 rating with over 700 ratings. It is designed for high school teachers, but might also be useful to college instructors who work with freshmen.

"Teaching Students to Write Good Papers" (Yale)

This resource from Yale's Center for Teaching and Learning is designed for college instructors, and it includes links to appropriate activities and exercises.

"Research Paper Writing: An Overview" (CUNY Brooklyn)

CUNY Brooklyn offers this complete lesson plan for introducing students to research papers. It includes an accompanying set of PowerPoint slides.

"Lesson Plan: How to Begin Writing a Research Paper" (San Jose State Univ.)

This lesson plan is designed for students in the health sciences, so teachers will have to modify it for their own needs. It includes a breakdown of the brainstorming, topic selection, and research question process. 

"Quantitative Techniques for Social Science Research" (Univ. of Pittsburgh)

This is a set of PowerPoint slides that can be used to introduce students to a variety of quantitative methods used in the social sciences.

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How to Write a Research Paper

If you already have a headache trying to understand what research paper is all about, we have created an ultimate guide for you on how to write a research paper. You will find all the answers to your questions regarding structure, planning, doing investigation, finding the topic that appeals to you. Plus, you will find out the secret to an excellent paper. Are you at the edge of your seat? Let us start with the basics then.

• What is a Research Paper
• Reasons for Writing a Research Paper
• Report Papers and Thesis Papers
• How to Start a Research Paper
• How to Choose a Topic for a Research Paper
• How to Write a Proposal for a Research Paper
• How to Write a Research Plan
• How to Do Research
• How to Write an Outline for a Research Paper
• How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Research Paper
• How to Write a Research Paper Rough Draft
• How to Write an Introduction for a Research Paper
• How to Write a Body of a Research Paper
• How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper
• How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper
• How to Revise and Edit a Research Paper
• How to Write a Bibliography for a Research Paper
• What Makes a Good Research Paper

Research Paper Writing Services

What is a research paper.

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You probably know the saying ‘the devil is not as black as he is painted’. This particular saying is absolutely true when it comes to writing a research paper. Your feet are cold even with the thought of this assignment. You have heard terrifying stories from older students. You have never done this before, so certainly you are scared. What is a research paper? How should I start? What are all these requirements about?

Luckily, you have a friend in need. That is our writing service. First and foremost, let us clarify the definition. A research paper is a piece of academic writing that provides information about a particular topic that you’ve researched . In other words, you choose a topic: about historical events, the work of some artist, some social issues etc. Then you collect data on the given topic and analyze it. Finally, you put your analysis on paper. See, it is not as scary as it seems. If you are still having doubts, whether you can handle it yourself, we are here to help you. Our team of writers can help you choose the topic, or give you advice on how to plan your work, or how to start, or craft a paper for you. Just contact us 24/7 and see everything yourself.

5 Reasons for Writing a Research Paper

Why should I spend my time writing some academic paper? What is the use of it? Is not some practical knowledge more important? The list of questions is endless when it comes to a research paper. That is why we have outlined 5 main reasons why writing a research paper is a good thing.

• You will learn how to organize your time

If you want to write a research paper, you will have to learn how to manage your time. This type of assignment cannot be done overnight. It requires careful planning and you will need to learn how to do it. Later, you will be able to use these time-managing skills in your personal life, so why not developing them?

• You will discover your writing skills

You cannot know something before you try it. This rule relates to writing as well. You cannot claim that you cannot write until you try it yourself. It will be really difficult at the beginning, but then the words will come to your head themselves.

• You will improve your analytical skills

Writing a research paper is all about investigation and analysis. You will need to collect data, examine and classify it. These skills are needed in modern life more than anything else is.

• You will gain confidence

Once you do your own research, it gives you the feeling of confidence in yourself. The reason is simple human brain likes solving puzzles and your assignment is just another puzzle to be solved.

• You will learn how to persuade the reader

When you write your paper, you should always remember that you are writing it for someone to read. Moreover, you want this someone to believe in your ideas. For this reason, you will have to learn different convincing methods and techniques. You will learn how to make your writing persuasive. In turns, you will be able to use these methods in real life.

What is the Difference between Report and Thesis Papers?

A common question is ‘what is the difference between a report paper and a thesis paper?’ The difference lies in the aim of these two assignments. While the former aims at presenting the information, the latter aims at providing your opinion on the matter. In other words, in a report paper you have to summarize your findings. In a thesis paper, you choose some issue and defend your point of view by persuading the reader. It is that simple.

A thesis paper is a more common assignment than a report paper. This task will help a professor to evaluate your analytical skills and skills to present your ideas logically. These skills are more important than just the ability to collect and summarize data.

How to Write a Research Paper Step by Step

Research comes from the French word  rechercher , meaning “to seek out.” Writing a research paper requires you to seek out information about a subject, take a stand on it, and back it up with the opinions, ideas, and views of others. What results is a printed paper variously known as a term paper or library paper, usually between five and fifteen pages long—most instructors specify a minimum length—in which you present your views and findings on the chosen subject.

It is not a secret that the majority of students hate writing a research paper. The reason is simple it steals your time and energy. Not to mention, constant anxiety that you will not be able to meet the deadline or that you will forget about some academic requirement.

We will not lie to you; a research paper is a difficult assignment. You will have to spend a lot of time. You will need to read, to analyze, and to search for the material. You will probably be stuck sometimes. However, if you organize your work smart, you will gain something that is worth all the effort – knowledge, experience, and high grades.

The reason why many students fail writing a research paper is that nobody explained them how to start and how to plan their work. Luckily, you have found our writing service and we are ready to shed the light on this dark matter.

We have created a step by step guide for you on how to write a research paper. We will dwell upon the structure, the writing tips, the writing strategies as well as academic requirements. Read this whole article and you will see that you can handle writing this assignment and our team of writers is here to assist you.

How to Start a Research Paper?

It all starts with the assignment. Your professor gives you the task. It may be either some general issue or specific topic to write about. Your assignment is your first guide to success. If you understand what you need to do according to the assignment, you are on the road to high results. Do not be scared to clarify your task if you need to. There is nothing wrong in asking a question if you want to do something right. You can ask your professor or you can ask our writers who know a thing or two in academic writing.

It is essential to understand the assignment. A good beginning makes a good ending, so start smart.

Learn how to start a research paper .

Choosing a Topic for a Research Paper

We have already mentioned that it is not enough to do great research. You need to persuade the reader that you have made some great research. What convinces better that an eye-catching topic? That is why it is important to understand how to choose a topic for a research paper.

First, you need to delimit the general idea to a more specific one. Secondly, you need to find what makes this topic interesting for you and for the academia. Finally, you need to refine you topic. Remember, it is not something you will do in one day. You can be reshaping your topic throughout your whole writing process. Still, reshaping not changing it completely. That is why keep in your head one main idea: your topic should be precise and compelling .

Learn how to choose a topic for a research paper .

How to Write a Proposal for a Research Paper?

If you do not know what a proposal is, let us explain it to you. A proposal should answer three main questions:

• What is the main aim of your investigation?
• Why is your investigation important?
• How are you going to achieve the results?

In other words, proposal should show why your topic is interesting and how you are going to prove it. As to writing requirements, they may differ. That is why make sure you find out all the details at your department. You can ask your departmental administrator or find information online at department’s site. It is crucial to follow all the administrative requirements, as it will influence your grade.

Learn how to write a proposal for a research paper .

How to Write a Research Plan?

The next step is writing a plan. You have already decided on the main issues, you have chosen the bibliography, and you have clarified the methods. Here comes the planning. If you want to avoid writer’s block, you have to structure you work. Discuss your strategies and ideas with your instructor. Think thoroughly why you need to present some data and ideas first and others second. Remember that there are basic structure elements that your research paper should include:

• Thesis Statement
• Introduction
• Bibliography

You should keep in mind this skeleton when planning your work. This will keep your mind sharp and your ideas will flow logically.

Learn how to write a research plan .

How to Do Research?

Your research will include three stages: collecting data, reading and analyzing it, and writing itself.

First, you need to collect all the material that you will need for you investigation: films, documents, surveys, interviews, and others. Secondly, you will have to read and analyze. This step is tricky, as you need to do this part smart. It is not enough just to read, as you cannot keep in mind all the information. It is essential that you make notes and write down your ideas while analyzing some data. When you get down to the stage number three, writing itself, you will already have the main ideas written on your notes. Plus, remember to jot down the reference details. You will then appreciate this trick when you will have to write the bibliography.

If you do your research this way, it will be much easier for you to write the paper. You will already have blocks of your ideas written down and you will just need to add some material and refine your paper.

Learn how to do research .

How to Write an Outline for a Research Paper?

To make your paper well organized you need to write an outline. Your outline will serve as your guiding star through the writing process. With a great outline you will not get sidetracked, because you will have a structured plan to follow. Both you and the reader will benefit from your outline. You present your ideas logically and you make your writing coherent according to your plan. As a result, this outline guides the reader through your paper and the reader enjoys the way you demonstrate your ideas.

Learn how to write an outline for a research paper . See research paper outline examples .

How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Research Paper?

Briefly, the thesis is the main argument of your research paper. It should be precise, convincing and logical. Your thesis statement should include your point of view supported by evidence or logic. Still, remember it should be precise. You should not beat around the bush, or provide all the possible evidence you have found. It is usually a single sentence that shows your argument. In on sentence you should make a claim, explain why it significant and convince the reader that your point of view is important.

Learn how to write a thesis statement for a research paper . See research paper thesis statement examples .

Should I Write a Rough Draft for a Research Paper?

Do you know any writer who put their ideas on paper, then never edited them and just published? Probably, no writer did so. Writing a research paper is no exception. It is impossible to cope with this assignment without writing a rough draft.

Your draft will help you understand what you need to polish to make your paper perfect. All the requirements, academic standards make it difficult to do everything flawlessly at the first attempt. Make sure you know all the formatting requirements: margins, words quantity, reference requirements, formatting styles etc.

Learn how to write a rough draft for a research paper .

How to Write an Introduction for a Research Paper?

Let us make it more vivid for you. We have narrowed down the tips on writing an introduction to the three main ones:

• Include your thesis in your introduction

Remember to include the thesis statement in your introduction. Usually, it goes at the end of the first paragraph.

• Present the main ideas of the body

You should tell the main topics you are going to discuss in the main body. For this reason, before writing this part of introduction, make sure you know what is your main body is going to be about. It should include your main ideas.

• Polish your thesis and introduction

When you finish the main body of your paper, come back to the thesis statement and introduction. Restate something if needed. Just make it perfect; because introduction is like the trailer to your paper, it should make the reader want to read the whole piece.

Learn how to write an introduction for a research paper . See research paper introduction examples .

How to Write a Body of a Research Paper?

A body is the main part of your research paper. In this part, you will include all the needed evidence; you will provide the examples and support your argument.

It is important to structure your paragraphs thoroughly. That is to say, topic sentence and the evidence supporting the topic. Stay focused and do not be sidetracked. You have your outline, so follow it.

Here are the main tips to keep in head when writing a body of a research paper:

• Let the ideas flow logically
• Include only relevant information
• Provide the evidence
• Structure the paragraphs
• Make the coherent transition from one paragraph to another

See? When it is all structured, it is not as scary as it seemed at the beginning. Still, if you have doubts, you can always ask our writers for help.

Learn how to write a body of a research paper . See research paper transition examples .

How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper?

Writing a good conclusion is important as writing any other part of the paper. Remember that conclusion is not a summary of what you have mentioned before. A good conclusion should include your last strong statement.

If you have written everything according to the plan, the reader already knows why your investigation is important. The reader has already seen the evidence. The only thing left is a strong concluding thought that will organize all your findings.

Never include any new information in conclusion. You need to conclude, not to start a new discussion.

Learn how to write a conclusion for a research paper .

How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper?

An abstract is a brief summary of your paper, usually 100-200 words. You should provide the main gist of your paper in this short summary. An abstract can be informative, descriptive or proposal. Depending on the type of abstract, you need to write, the requirements will differ.

To write an informative abstract you have to provide the summary of the whole paper. Informative summary. In other words, you need to tell about the main points of your work, the methods used, the results and the conclusion of your research.

To write a descriptive abstract you will not have to provide any summery. You should write a short teaser of your paper. That is to say, you need to write an overview of your paper. The aim of a descriptive abstract is to interest the reader.

Finally, to write a proposal abstract you will need to write the basic summary as for the informative abstract. However, the difference is the following: you aim at persuading someone to let you write on the topic. That is why, a proposal abstract should present your topic as the one worth investigating.

Learn how to write an abstract for a research paper .

Should I Revise and Edit a Research Paper?

Revising and editing your paper is essential if you want to get high grades. Let us help you revise your paper smart:

• Check your paper for spelling and grammar mistakes
• Sharpen the vocabulary
• Make sure there are no slang words in your paper
• Examine your paper in terms of structure
• Compare your topic, thesis statement to the whole piece
• Check your paper for plagiarism

If you need assistance with proofreading and editing your paper, you can turn to the professional editors at our service. They will help you polish your paper to perfection.

Learn how to revise and edit a research paper .

How to Write a Bibliography for a Research Paper?

First, let us make it clear that bibliography and works cited are two different things. Works cited are those that you cited in your paper. Bibliography should include all the materials you used to do your research. Still, remember that bibliography requirements differ depending on the formatting style of your paper. For this reason, make sure you ask you professor all the requirements you need to meet to avoid any misunderstanding.

Learn how to write a bibliography for a research paper .

The Key Secret to a Good Research Paper

Now when you know all the stages of writing a research paper, you are ready to find the key to a good research paper:

• Choose the topic that really interests you
• Make the topic interesting for you even if it is not at the beginning
• Follow the step by step guide and do not get sidetracked
• Be persistent and believe in yourself
• Really do research and write your paper from scratch
• Learn the convincing writing techniques and use them
• Follow the requirements of your assignment
• Ask for help if needed from real professionals

Feeling more confident about your paper now? We are sure you do. Still, if you need help, you can always rely on us 24/7.

We hope we have made writing a research paper much easier for you. We realize that it requires lots of time and energy. We believe when you say that you cannot handle it anymore. For this reason, we have been helping students like you for years. Our professional team of writers is ready to tackle any challenge.

All our authors are experienced writers crafting excellent academic papers. We help students meet the deadline and get the top grades they want. You can see everything yourself. All you need to do is to place your order online and we will contact you. Writing a research paper with us is truly easy, so why do not you check it yourself?

Additional Resources for Research Paper Writing:

• Anthropology Research
• Career Research
• Communication Research
• Criminal Justice Research
• Health Research
• Political Science Research
• Psychology Research
• Sociology Research

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How to Write a Play Review

Last Updated: December 4, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 882,908 times.

The performance of a play is a live experience, so it can be an exciting but difficult task to review. You have to be both the spectator, taking in and enjoying the performance, and a critic, analyzing the production. But with the right preparation and structure, you can create a well-written play review.

Sample Play Reviews

Preparing to Write the Review

• The review should also give potential audience members a sense of the play. It should let readers know if spending their hard-earned money on a ticket to the production will be money well spent.
• Noting that you thought the play was “good” or “bad” will not create a strong play review. Instead, you should be specific in your critique and have a thoughtful analysis of the production. Your opinion on the play should be supported by a discussion of the production elements and how they worked together as a whole.
• The review should also describe the situation or plot of the play without giving too information to the reader. Avoid spoiling any plot twists or turns for potential audience members in your review.

• Paragraph 1: Your introductory paragraph should describe what you saw on stage. You should also give context for the play, such as the playwright or composer of the play and where the play is being staged.
• Paragraph 2: Briefly summarize the plot of the play.
• Paragraph 3: Discuss the acting and directing. React to the performers playing the characters in the play.
• Paragraph 4: Describe the design elements of the production, such as the lighting, sound, costumes, make up, and set and props.
• Paragraph 5: React to the play as a whole. Would you recommend the play to potential audience members? You can also include a recommendation, like a star rating or a thumbs up/thumbs down.

• How does the reviewer structure her review? Does the review follow the traditional structure, with an introduction in paragraph 1, a plot summary in paragraph 2, a discussion of acting and directing in paragraph 3, a discussion of the production elements in paragraph 4, and an overall critique in paragraph 5?
• Compare two reviews of the same play. How do the reviews compare and contrast? Are they structured differently or have different critiques of the play?
• Is the reviewer overly critical of the play? Does their analysis seem well supported by scenes in the play, or a discussion of design elements of the play?
• How does the reviewer wrap up the review? Is there a recommendation at the end of the article, such as a star rating or a thumbs up/thumbs down?

• Note the stage directions, the setting notes, and the line breaks or pauses in the dialogue.
• Pick out any problematic points in the play that you might want to watch for during the production. For example, if you’re going to see Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, you may make a note of ways the director might stage the pivotal Ophelia drowning scene. Or if you are going to a musical like “The Little Shop of Horrors”, you might note how the director will transition from the song numbers to the dialogue in the production.
• Your instructor may also ask you to pay particular attention to certain elements, like the lighting or the costumes, so make sure you are prepared to recognize them.

• For example, you may be seeing a version of “Hamlet” that is set in contemporary times and integrates technology in the production. Or you may be seeing a production of “The Little Shop of Horrors” that is set in a record store, rather than a theater. This setting change will change the context of the play, and you should then note how the setting choice is used in the production in your review.

Writing the Review

• Note if there are any write ups in the program about a directorial choice, like setting “Hamlet” in contemporary times. There may also be notes on the lighting or the sound design. Don't: judge the premise of the play based on your personal tastes. Your readers can decide for themselves whether it appeals to them. Do: consider the goals behind production decisions and be prepared to evaluate whether the play achieves them.

• The set design. Look at design elements like lighting, sound, costumes, makeup, and props.
• The acting and directing of the production. If a certain casting choice seems important, write it down. If a line of dialogue strikes you, make a note of it. Look at the way the actors say their dialogue and move around the stage. Are they serious, comedic, formal? Do they use modern slang or speech, even though the play was originally set in an older time period?
• Any “special effects” used, such as special lighting, sound or technology. Note if the production also uses audience participation to keep the audience engaged.
• Right after the performance, you should jot down any concluding notes, including your initial impressions of the production and how successful or unsuccessful you think the production was.

• Describe what you saw in detail and make the reader see what you see. Be specific and thorough in your descriptions.
• Analyze what you think the director or designer was trying to achieve. Why do you think they designed the movements, lights, sounds effects, and costumes a certain way? What do you think they were trying to make the audience feel or think?
• Judge how effective the play was as a whole. Don’t be afraid to give an honest opinion of the production but be sure you can back up your critique in the body of your review (paragraphs 2-4). Don't: make your personal opinion the main feature. Do: state your opinion honestly, grounded in specific points.

• For example, in this review of “The Little Shop of Horrors”, the reviewer begins with the line: “This Fringe classic pops up most years, with songs such as ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ and ‘Don’t Feed The Plants’ bringing the house down.” [9] X Research source
• This opening line works because it allows the reader to dive right in. In one line, the reviewer has introduced the play, noted the play is a “classic” and told the reader it is a popular musical.
• You can also start with a hook that challenges the audience’s expectations of a familiar production. For example, in this review of “The Little Shop of Horrors”, the reviewer begins with the line: “Not many musicals will issue you with a sing-a-long book with the lyrics to chorus numbers so you can join in, but this interactive production of The Little Shop of Horrors has a few surprises in store.” [10] X Research source
• This hook works because it tells you that the play is a unique take on a classic production and is interactive. Don't: write an exciting hook that has nothing to do with the rest of your review. Do: take risks with bold statements or an unusual opening.

• The full title of the play.
• Where did you see the show? Name the theater or setting where you saw the play.
• When did you see the show? Maybe it was opening night, or the last week of the show’s run. Be specific about the exact date you saw the show.
• Who wrote the show? Who directed the show? Name the playwright, the director, and the name of the production company.
• If the show is a restaging of an existing play, such as “The Little Shop of Horrors” or “Hamlet”, you should note this in your introduction. If the show is a new or original production, you should also note this.

• For example, you may summarize the plot of “The Little Shop of Horrors” with: “The Little Shop of Horrors is such an entertaining musical because of its hilarious plot involving a plant which grows to an incredible size and the romantic love story of Seymour and Audrey.” [12] X Research source

• Were the performers believable? Did their relationships or chemistry with the other characters seem natural and appropriate? Did the performers stay in character throughout the play?
• Did the performers have a vocal quality (volume and articulation) that fit the context of the play? Did their body movements and gestures stay true to the character they were playing?
• Were the performers engaging and interesting to watch? If so, why did you find them engaging?
• For example, in your review of “The Little Shop of Horrors” you may note: “The main credits of this production go to the lead roles Cath Snowball (as Audrey) and Chris Rushmere York as Seymour who created a really tangible but very shy and coy chemistry.” [14] X Research source Don't: discuss an actor's personal appearance or insult to the point of cruelty. Do: describe misguided or failed performances honestly.

• The set and the props: Did they establish the correct mood for the play? Did they add to the development of the characters, the plot, and the setting? Were they convincing and well-made?
• Did the blocking on stage make sense? Blocking means how the actors are positioned on stage within the set. Were there any awkward movements by the actors on stage? Did the set help or hinder the performances?
• The lighting: Did the lights convey a mood that fit with the tone of the play? Did they draw attention to characters or props that seemed important in the play?
• The costumes and the make up: Did the costumes and the make up of the performers suit the time period of the show? Was there a unique approach to the costumes or the make up that affected the context of the play?
• The sound: How did the music, if any, contribute to the show’s mood? Were there sound effects used in the show, and if so, how did they add to the production? If you are reviewing a musical, you should note if there was a live orchestra or if the music was pre recorded, and how that affected the tone of the play overall.
• Try to be as detailed as possible in your discussion of the design elements. For example, in a review of “The Little Shop of Horrors”, you may note: “A quirky directorial decision was to have the props and cast in grey scale. These performers were caked in grey and black make up to contrast the monstrous green plant as it ate people alive, growing bigger and bigger as the play went on.” [17] X Research source

• Note if the audience seemed attentive and interested throughout the performance. Also point to any possible adjustments or changes that could have been made to the production to make it stronger or more engaging.
• For example, you may note: “Though the production was clearly taking some creative risks by having all the performers in greyscale, not bringing in bright green plants for the show-stopping “Something Green” number felt like a missed opportunity to capitalize on this contrast.”
• Leave your reader with a clear sense of your opinion on the play and with more questions than answers about the play. For example, you may wrap up your review of “The Little Shop of Horrors” with: “This new production takes some creative risks and emphasizes the singing skills of the performers, who manage to pull off this tale of love and a monster plant with passion and conviction.”

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You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/theater-critic-job-description-duties-and-career-outlook.html
• ↑ www.mvhsdrama.com/.../ HOW%20TO%20WRITE%20A%20PLAY%20REVIEW.doc
• ↑ https://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/write-play-review/
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/PlayReview.html
• ↑ https://www.broadwaybaby.com/shows/little-shop-of-horrors/20228
• ↑ https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-fringe/theatre/little-shop-of-horrors-thespaces-on-niddry-street

About This Article

To write a play review, start by taking notes during the show and writing a rough draft right afterward to capture your strongest thoughts and impressions. Then, when you're ready to write your polished essay, start with an opening sentence that makes a bold statement about the play. In the Introduction, you should also include the play's basic details, like when and where it showed, who acted and directed, and what it was about. Then, in the body paragraphs, choose elements of the play that you thought were particularly important, like the lighting, set design, or acting, and discuss whether you thought the director made a good or a bad choice. Finish with your overall impression. For more information on how to write a play review, including what to do before you go see the play, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• How to write a research paper

Last updated

11 January 2024

Reviewed by

With proper planning, knowledge, and framework, completing a research paper can be a fulfilling and exciting experience. 

Though it might initially sound slightly intimidating, this guide will help you embrace the challenge. 

By documenting your findings, you can inspire others and make a difference in your field. Here's how you can make your research paper unique and comprehensive.

• What is a research paper?

Research papers allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of a particular topic. These papers are usually lengthier and more detailed than typical essays, requiring deeper insight into the chosen topic.

To write a research paper, you must first choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to the field of study. Once you’ve selected your topic, gathering as many relevant resources as possible, including books, scholarly articles, credible websites, and other academic materials, is essential. You must then read and analyze these sources, summarizing their key points and identifying gaps in the current research.

You can formulate your ideas and opinions once you thoroughly understand the existing research. To get there might involve conducting original research, gathering data, or analyzing existing data sets. It could also involve presenting an original argument or interpretation of the existing research.

Writing a successful research paper involves presenting your findings clearly and engagingly, which might involve using charts, graphs, or other visual aids to present your data and using concise language to explain your findings. You must also ensure your paper adheres to relevant academic formatting guidelines, including proper citations and references.

Overall, writing a research paper requires a significant amount of time, effort, and attention to detail. However, it is also an enriching experience that allows you to delve deeply into a subject that interests you and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your chosen field.

• How long should a research paper be?

Research papers are deep dives into a topic. Therefore, they tend to be longer pieces of work than essays or opinion pieces. 

However, a suitable length depends on the complexity of the topic and your level of expertise. For instance, are you a first-year college student or an experienced professional? 

Also, remember that the best research papers provide valuable information for the benefit of others. Therefore, the quality of information matters most, not necessarily the length. Being concise is valuable.

Following these best practice steps will help keep your process simple and productive:

1. Gaining a deep understanding of any expectations

Before diving into your intended topic or beginning the research phase, take some time to orient yourself. Suppose there’s a specific topic assigned to you. In that case, it’s essential to deeply understand the question and organize your planning and approach in response. Pay attention to the key requirements and ensure you align your writing accordingly. 

This preparation step entails

Deeply understanding the task or assignment

Being clear about the expected format and length

Familiarizing yourself with the citation and referencing requirements 

Understanding any defined limits for your research contribution

Where applicable, speaking to your professor or research supervisor for further clarification

2. Choose your research topic

Select a research topic that aligns with both your interests and available resources. Ideally, focus on a field where you possess significant experience and analytical skills. In crafting your research paper, it's crucial to go beyond summarizing existing data and contribute fresh insights to the chosen area.

Consider narrowing your focus to a specific aspect of the topic. For example, if exploring the link between technology and mental health, delve into how social media use during the pandemic impacts the well-being of college students. Conducting interviews and surveys with students could provide firsthand data and unique perspectives, adding substantial value to the existing knowledge.

When finalizing your topic, adhere to legal and ethical norms in the relevant area (this ensures the integrity of your research, protects participants' rights, upholds intellectual property standards, and ensures transparency and accountability). Following these principles not only maintains the credibility of your work but also builds trust within your academic or professional community.

For instance, in writing about medical research, consider legal and ethical norms , including patient confidentiality laws and informed consent requirements. Similarly, if analyzing user data on social media platforms, be mindful of data privacy regulations, ensuring compliance with laws governing personal information collection and use. Aligning with legal and ethical standards not only avoids potential issues but also underscores the responsible conduct of your research.

3. Gather preliminary research

Once you’ve landed on your topic, it’s time to explore it further. You’ll want to discover more about available resources and existing research relevant to your assignment at this stage. 

This exploratory phase is vital as you may discover issues with your original idea or realize you have insufficient resources to explore the topic effectively. This key bit of groundwork allows you to redirect your research topic in a different, more feasible, or more relevant direction if necessary. 

Spending ample time at this stage ensures you gather everything you need, learn as much as you can about the topic, and discover gaps where the topic has yet to be sufficiently covered, offering an opportunity to research it further. 

4. Define your research question

To produce a well-structured and focused paper, it is imperative to formulate a clear and precise research question that will guide your work. Your research question must be informed by the existing literature and tailored to the scope and objectives of your project. By refining your focus, you can produce a thoughtful and engaging paper that effectively communicates your ideas to your readers.

5. Write a thesis statement

A thesis statement is a one-to-two-sentence summary of your research paper's main argument or direction. It serves as an overall guide to summarize the overall intent of the research paper for you and anyone wanting to know more about the research.

A strong thesis statement is:

Concise and clear: Explain your case in simple sentences (avoid covering multiple ideas). It might help to think of this section as an elevator pitch.

Specific: Ensure that there is no ambiguity in your statement and that your summary covers the points argued in the paper.

Debatable: A thesis statement puts forward a specific argument––it is not merely a statement but a debatable point that can be analyzed and discussed.

Here are three thesis statement examples from different disciplines:

Psychology thesis example: "We're studying adults aged 25-40 to see if taking short breaks for mindfulness can help with stress. Our goal is to find practical ways to manage anxiety better."

Environmental science thesis example: "This research paper looks into how having more city parks might make the air cleaner and keep people healthier. I want to find out if more green spaces means breathing fewer carcinogens in big cities."

UX research thesis example: "This study focuses on improving mobile banking for older adults using ethnographic research, eye-tracking analysis, and interactive prototyping. We investigate the usefulness of eye-tracking analysis with older individuals, aiming to spark debate and offer fresh perspectives on UX design and digital inclusivity for the aging population."

6. Conduct in-depth research

A research paper doesn’t just include research that you’ve uncovered from other papers and studies but your fresh insights, too. You will seek to become an expert on your topic––understanding the nuances in the current leading theories. You will analyze existing research and add your thinking and discoveries.  It's crucial to conduct well-designed research that is rigorous, robust, and based on reliable sources. Suppose a research paper lacks evidence or is biased. In that case, it won't benefit the academic community or the general public. Therefore, examining the topic thoroughly and furthering its understanding through high-quality research is essential. That usually means conducting new research. Depending on the area under investigation, you may conduct surveys, interviews, diary studies , or observational research to uncover new insights or bolster current claims.

7. Determine supporting evidence

Not every piece of research you’ve discovered will be relevant to your research paper. It’s important to categorize the most meaningful evidence to include alongside your discoveries. It's important to include evidence that doesn't support your claims to avoid exclusion bias and ensure a fair research paper.

8. Write a research paper outline

Before diving in and writing the whole paper, start with an outline. It will help you to see if more research is needed, and it will provide a framework by which to write a more compelling paper. Your supervisor may even request an outline to approve before beginning to write the first draft of the full paper. An outline will include your topic, thesis statement, key headings, short summaries of the research, and your arguments.

9. Write your first draft

Once you feel confident about your outline and sources, it’s time to write your first draft. While penning a long piece of content can be intimidating, if you’ve laid the groundwork, you will have a structure to help you move steadily through each section. To keep up motivation and inspiration, it’s often best to keep the pace quick. Stopping for long periods can interrupt your flow and make jumping back in harder than writing when things are fresh in your mind.

10. Cite your sources correctly

It's always a good practice to give credit where it's due, and the same goes for citing any works that have influenced your paper. Building your arguments on credible references adds value and authenticity to your research. In the formatting guidelines section, you’ll find an overview of different citation styles (MLA, CMOS, or APA), which will help you meet any publishing or academic requirements and strengthen your paper's credibility. It is essential to follow the guidelines provided by your school or the publication you are submitting to ensure the accuracy and relevance of your citations.

11. Ensure your work is original

It is crucial to ensure the originality of your paper, as plagiarism can lead to serious consequences. To avoid plagiarism, you should use proper paraphrasing and quoting techniques. Paraphrasing is rewriting a text in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Quoting involves directly citing the source. Giving credit to the original author or source is essential whenever you borrow their ideas or words. You can also use plagiarism detection tools such as Scribbr or Grammarly to check the originality of your paper. These tools compare your draft writing to a vast database of online sources. If you find any accidental plagiarism, you should correct it immediately by rephrasing or citing the source.

12. Revise, edit, and proofread

One of the essential qualities of excellent writers is their ability to understand the importance of editing and proofreading. Even though it's tempting to call it a day once you've finished your writing, editing your work can significantly improve its quality. It's natural to overlook the weaker areas when you've just finished writing a paper. Therefore, it's best to take a break of a day or two, or even up to a week, to refresh your mind. This way, you can return to your work with a new perspective. After some breathing room, you can spot any inconsistencies, spelling and grammar errors, typos, or missing citations and correct them. 

• The best research paper format 

The format of your research paper should align with the requirements set forth by your college, school, or target publication. 

There is no one “best” format, per se. Depending on the stated requirements, you may need to include the following elements:

Title page: The title page of a research paper typically includes the title, author's name, and institutional affiliation and may include additional information such as a course name or instructor's name. 

Table of contents: Include a table of contents to make it easy for readers to find specific sections of your paper.

Abstract: The abstract is a summary of the purpose of the paper.

Methods : In this section, describe the research methods used. This may include collecting data , conducting interviews, or doing field research .

Results: Summarize the conclusions you drew from your research in this section.

Discussion: In this section, discuss the implications of your research . Be sure to mention any significant limitations to your approach and suggest areas for further research.

Tables, charts, and illustrations: Use tables, charts, and illustrations to help convey your research findings and make them easier to understand.

Works cited or reference page: Include a works cited or reference page to give credit to the sources that you used to conduct your research.

Bibliography: Provide a list of all the sources you consulted while conducting your research.

Dedication and acknowledgments : Optionally, you may include a dedication and acknowledgments section to thank individuals who helped you with your research.

• General style and formatting guidelines

Formatting your research paper means you can submit it to your college, journal, or other publications in compliance with their criteria.

Research papers tend to follow the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), or Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) guidelines.

Here’s how each style guide is typically used:

Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS):

CMOS is a versatile style guide used for various types of writing. It's known for its flexibility and use in the humanities. CMOS provides guidelines for citations, formatting, and overall writing style. It allows for both footnotes and in-text citations, giving writers options based on their preferences or publication requirements.

American Psychological Association (APA):

APA is common in the social sciences. It’s hailed for its clarity and emphasis on precision. It has specific rules for citing sources, creating references, and formatting papers. APA style uses in-text citations with an accompanying reference list. It's designed to convey information efficiently and is widely used in academic and scientific writing.

Modern Language Association (MLA):

MLA is widely used in the humanities, especially literature and language studies. It emphasizes the author-page format for in-text citations and provides guidelines for creating a "Works Cited" page. MLA is known for its focus on the author's name and the literary works cited. It’s frequently used in disciplines that prioritize literary analysis and critical thinking.

To confirm you're using the latest style guide, check the official website or publisher's site for updates, consult academic resources, and verify the guide's publication date. Online platforms and educational resources may also provide summaries and alerts about any revisions or additions to the style guide.

Citing sources

When working on your research paper, it's important to cite the sources you used properly. Your citation style will guide you through this process. Generally, there are three parts to citing sources in your research paper: 

First, provide a brief citation in the body of your essay. This is also known as a parenthetical or in-text citation. 

Second, include a full citation in the Reference list at the end of your paper. Different types of citations include in-text citations, footnotes, and reference lists. 

In-text citations include the author's surname and the date of the citation. 

Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page of your research paper. They may also be summarized within a reference list at the end of the paper. 

A reference list includes all of the research used within the paper at the end of the document. It should include the author, date, paper title, and publisher listed in the order that aligns with your citation style.

10 research paper writing tips:

Following some best practices is essential to writing a research paper that contributes to your field of study and creates a positive impact.

These tactics will help you structure your argument effectively and ensure your work benefits others:

Clear and precise language:  Ensure your language is unambiguous. Use academic language appropriately, but keep it simple. Also, provide clear takeaways for your audience.

Effective idea separation:  Organize the vast amount of information and sources in your paper with paragraphs and titles. Create easily digestible sections for your readers to navigate through.

Compelling intro:  Craft an engaging introduction that captures your reader's interest. Hook your audience and motivate them to continue reading.

Thorough revision and editing:  Take the time to review and edit your paper comprehensively. Use tools like Grammarly to detect and correct small, overlooked errors.

Thesis precision:  Develop a clear and concise thesis statement that guides your paper. Ensure that your thesis aligns with your research's overall purpose and contribution.

Logical flow of ideas:  Maintain a logical progression throughout the paper. Use transitions effectively to connect different sections and maintain coherence.

Critical evaluation of sources:  Evaluate and critically assess the relevance and reliability of your sources. Ensure that your research is based on credible and up-to-date information.

Thematic consistency:  Maintain a consistent theme throughout the paper. Ensure that all sections contribute cohesively to the overall argument.

Relevant supporting evidence:  Provide concise and relevant evidence to support your arguments. Avoid unnecessary details that may distract from the main points.

Embrace counterarguments:  Acknowledge and address opposing views to strengthen your position. Show that you have considered alternative arguments in your field.

7 research tips 

If you want your paper to not only be well-written but also contribute to the progress of human knowledge, consider these tips to take your paper to the next level:

Selecting the appropriate topic: The topic you select should align with your area of expertise, comply with the requirements of your project, and have sufficient resources for a comprehensive investigation.

Use academic databases: Academic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and JSTOR offer a wealth of research papers that can help you discover everything you need to know about your chosen topic.

Critically evaluate sources: It is important not to accept research findings at face value. Instead, it is crucial to critically analyze the information to avoid jumping to conclusions or overlooking important details. A well-written research paper requires a critical analysis with thorough reasoning to support claims.

Diversify your sources: Expand your research horizons by exploring a variety of sources beyond the standard databases. Utilize books, conference proceedings, and interviews to gather diverse perspectives and enrich your understanding of the topic.

Take detailed notes: Detailed note-taking is crucial during research and can help you form the outline and body of your paper.

Stay up on trends: Keep abreast of the latest developments in your field by regularly checking for recent publications. Subscribe to newsletters, follow relevant journals, and attend conferences to stay informed about emerging trends and advancements. 

Engage in peer review: Seek feedback from peers or mentors to ensure the rigor and validity of your research . Peer review helps identify potential weaknesses in your methodology and strengthens the overall credibility of your findings.

• The real-world impact of research papers

Writing a research paper is more than an academic or business exercise. The experience provides an opportunity to explore a subject in-depth, broaden one's understanding, and arrive at meaningful conclusions. With careful planning, dedication, and hard work, writing a research paper can be a fulfilling and enriching experience contributing to advancing knowledge.

How do I publish my research paper? 

Many academics wish to publish their research papers. While challenging, your paper might get traction if it covers new and well-written information. To publish your research paper, find a target publication, thoroughly read their guidelines, format your paper accordingly, and send it to them per their instructions. You may need to include a cover letter, too. After submission, your paper may be peer-reviewed by experts to assess its legitimacy, quality, originality, and methodology. Following review, you will be informed by the publication whether they have accepted or rejected your paper. 

What is a good opening sentence for a research paper? 

Beginning your research paper with a compelling introduction can ensure readers are interested in going further. A relevant quote, a compelling statistic, or a bold argument can start the paper and hook your reader. Remember, though, that the most important aspect of a research paper is the quality of the information––not necessarily your ability to storytell, so ensure anything you write aligns with your goals.

Research paper vs. a research proposal—what’s the difference?

While some may confuse research papers and proposals, they are different documents. 

A research proposal comes before a research paper. It is a detailed document that outlines an intended area of exploration. It includes the research topic, methodology, timeline, sources, and potential conclusions. Research proposals are often required when seeking approval to conduct research. 

A research paper is a summary of research findings. A research paper follows a structured format to present those findings and construct an argument or conclusion.

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How to start your research paper [step-by-step guide]

1. Choose your topic

2. find information on your topic, 3. create a thesis statement, 4. create a research paper outline, 5. organize your notes, 6. write your introduction, 7. write your first draft of the body, 9. write your conclusion, 10. revise again, edit, and proofread, frequently asked questions about starting your research paper, related articles.

Research papers can be short or in-depth, but no matter what type of research paper, they all follow pretty much the same pattern and have the same structure .

A research paper is a paper that makes an argument about a topic based on research and analysis.

There will be some basic differences, but if you can write one type of research paper, you can write another. Below is a step-by-step guide to starting and completing your research paper.

Choose a topic that interests you. Writing your research paper will be so much more pleasant with a topic that you actually want to know more about. Your interest will show in the way you write and effort you put into the paper. Consider these issues when coming up with a topic:

• make sure your topic is not too broad
• narrow it down if you're using terms that are too general

Academic search engines are a great source to find background information on your topic. Your institution's library will most likely provide access to plenty of online research databases. Take a look at our guide on how to efficiently search online databases for academic research to learn how to gather all the information needed on your topic.

Tip: If you’re struggling with finding research, consider meeting with an academic librarian to help you come up with more balanced keywords.

If you’re struggling to find a topic for your thesis, take a look at our guide on how to come up with a thesis topic .

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing. It can be defined as a very brief statement of what the main point or central message of your paper is. Our thesis statement guide will help you write an excellent thesis statement.

In the next step, you need to create your research paper outline . The outline is the skeleton of your research paper. Simply start by writing down your thesis and the main ideas you wish to present. This will likely change as your research progresses; therefore, do not worry about being too specific in the early stages of writing your outline.

Then, fill out your outline with the following components:

• the main ideas that you want to cover in the paper
• the types of evidence that you will use to support your argument
• quotes from secondary sources that you may want to use

Organizing all the information you have gathered according to your outline will help you later on in the writing process. Analyze your notes, check for accuracy, verify the information, and make sure you understand all the information you have gathered in a way that you can communicate your findings effectively.

Start with the introduction. It will set the direction of your paper and help you a lot as you write. Waiting to write it at the end can leave you with a poorly written setup to an otherwise well-written paper.

The body of your paper argues, explains or describes your topic. Start with the first topic from your outline. Ideally, you have organized your notes in a way that you can work through your research paper outline and have all the notes ready.

After your first draft, take some time to check the paper for content errors. Rearrange ideas, make changes and check if the order of your paragraphs makes sense. At this point, it is helpful to re-read the research paper guidelines and make sure you have followed the format requirements. You can also use free grammar and proof reading checkers such as Grammarly .

Tip: Consider reading your paper from back to front when you undertake your initial revision. This will help you ensure that your argument and organization are sound.

Write your conclusion last and avoid including any new information that has not already been presented in the body of the paper. Your conclusion should wrap up your paper and show that your research question has been answered.

Allow a few days to pass after you finished writing the final draft of your research paper, and then start making your final corrections. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives some great advice here on how to revise, edit, and proofread your paper.

Tip: Take a break from your paper before you start your final revisions. Then, you’ll be able to approach your paper with fresh eyes.

As part of your final revision, be sure to check that you’ve cited everything correctly and that you have a full bibliography. Use a reference manager like Paperpile to organize your research and to create accurate citations.

The first step to start writing a research paper is to choose a topic. Make sure your topic is not too broad; narrow it down if you're using terms that are too general.

The format of your research paper will vary depending on the journal you submit to. Make sure to check first which citation style does the journal follow, in order to format your paper accordingly. Check Getting started with your research paper outline to have an idea of what a research paper looks like.

The last step of your research paper should be proofreading. Allow a few days to pass after you finished writing the final draft of your research paper, and then start making your final corrections. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives some great advice here on how to revise, edit and proofread your paper.

There are plenty of software you can use to write a research paper. We recommend our own citation software, Paperpile , as well as grammar and proof reading checkers such as Grammarly .

How To Write A Research Paper

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples + FREE Template

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | March 2024

For many students, crafting a strong research paper from scratch can feel like a daunting task – and rightly so! In this post, we’ll unpack what a research paper is, what it needs to do , and how to write one – in three easy steps. 🙂 

Overview: Writing A Research Paper

What (exactly) is a research paper.

• How to write a research paper
• Stage 1 : Topic & literature search
• Stage 2 : Structure & outline
• Stage 3 : Iterative writing
• Key takeaways

Let’s start by asking the most important question, “ What is a research paper? ”.

Simply put, a research paper is a scholarly written work where the writer (that’s you!) answers a specific question (this is called a research question ) through evidence-based arguments . Evidence-based is the keyword here. In other words, a research paper is different from an essay or other writing assignments that draw from the writer’s personal opinions or experiences. With a research paper, it’s all about building your arguments based on evidence (we’ll talk more about that evidence a little later).

Now, it’s worth noting that there are many different types of research papers , including analytical papers (the type I just described), argumentative papers, and interpretative papers. Here, we’ll focus on analytical papers , as these are some of the most common – but if you’re keen to learn about other types of research papers, be sure to check out the rest of the blog .

With that basic foundation laid, let’s get down to business and look at how to write a research paper .

Overview: The 3-Stage Process

While there are, of course, many potential approaches you can take to write a research paper, there are typically three stages to the writing process. So, in this tutorial, we’ll present a straightforward three-step process that we use when working with students at Grad Coach.

These three steps are:

• Finding a research topic and reviewing the existing literature
• Developing a provisional structure and outline for your paper, and
• Writing up your initial draft and then refining it iteratively

Let’s dig into each of these.

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Step 1: Find a topic and review the literature

As we mentioned earlier, in a research paper, you, as the researcher, will try to answer a question . More specifically, that’s called a research question , and it sets the direction of your entire paper. What’s important to understand though is that you’ll need to answer that research question with the help of high-quality sources – for example, journal articles, government reports, case studies, and so on. We’ll circle back to this in a minute.

The first stage of the research process is deciding on what your research question will be and then reviewing the existing literature (in other words, past studies and papers) to see what they say about that specific research question. In some cases, your professor may provide you with a predetermined research question (or set of questions). However, in many cases, you’ll need to find your own research question within a certain topic area.

Finding a strong research question hinges on identifying a meaningful research gap – in other words, an area that’s lacking in existing research. There’s a lot to unpack here, so if you wanna learn more, check out the plain-language explainer video below.

Once you’ve figured out which question (or questions) you’ll attempt to answer in your research paper, you’ll need to do a deep dive into the existing literature – this is called a “ literature search ”. Again, there are many ways to go about this, but your most likely starting point will be Google Scholar .

If you’re new to Google Scholar, think of it as Google for the academic world. You can start by simply entering a few different keywords that are relevant to your research question and it will then present a host of articles for you to review. What you want to pay close attention to here is the number of citations for each paper – the more citations a paper has, the more credible it is (generally speaking – there are some exceptions, of course).

Ideally, what you’re looking for are well-cited papers that are highly relevant to your topic. That said, keep in mind that citations are a cumulative metric , so older papers will often have more citations than newer papers – just because they’ve been around for longer. So, don’t fixate on this metric in isolation – relevance and recency are also very important.

Beyond Google Scholar, you’ll also definitely want to check out academic databases and aggregators such as Science Direct, PubMed, JStor and so on. These will often overlap with the results that you find in Google Scholar, but they can also reveal some hidden gems – so, be sure to check them out.

Once you’ve worked your way through all the literature, you’ll want to catalogue all this information in some sort of spreadsheet so that you can easily recall who said what, when and within what context. If you’d like, we’ve got a free literature spreadsheet that helps you do exactly that.

Step 2: Develop a structure and outline

With your research question pinned down and your literature digested and catalogued, it’s time to move on to planning your actual research paper .

It might sound obvious, but it’s really important to have some sort of rough outline in place before you start writing your paper. So often, we see students eagerly rushing into the writing phase, only to land up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on in multiple

Now, the secret here is to not get caught up in the fine details . Realistically, all you need at this stage is a bullet-point list that describes (in broad strokes) what you’ll discuss and in what order. It’s also useful to remember that you’re not glued to this outline – in all likelihood, you’ll chop and change some sections once you start writing, and that’s perfectly okay. What’s important is that you have some sort of roadmap in place from the start.

At this stage you might be wondering, “ But how should I structure my research paper? ”. Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, but in general, a research paper will consist of a few relatively standardised components:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology

Let’s take a look at each of these.

First up is the introduction section . As the name suggests, the purpose of the introduction is to set the scene for your research paper. There are usually (at least) four ingredients that go into this section – these are the background to the topic, the research problem and resultant research question , and the justification or rationale. If you’re interested, the video below unpacks the introduction section in more detail. 

The next section of your research paper will typically be your literature review . Remember all that literature you worked through earlier? Well, this is where you’ll present your interpretation of all that content . You’ll do this by writing about recent trends, developments, and arguments within the literature – but more specifically, those that are relevant to your research question . The literature review can oftentimes seem a little daunting, even to seasoned researchers, so be sure to check out our extensive collection of literature review content here .

With the introduction and lit review out of the way, the next section of your paper is the research methodology . In a nutshell, the methodology section should describe to your reader what you did (beyond just reviewing the existing literature) to answer your research question. For example, what data did you collect, how did you collect that data, how did you analyse that data and so on? For each choice, you’ll also need to justify why you chose to do it that way, and what the strengths and weaknesses of your approach were.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that for some research papers, this aspect of the project may be a lot simpler . For example, you may only need to draw on secondary sources (in other words, existing data sets). In some cases, you may just be asked to draw your conclusions from the literature search itself (in other words, there may be no data analysis at all). But, if you are required to collect and analyse data, you’ll need to pay a lot of attention to the methodology section. The video below provides an example of what the methodology section might look like.

By this stage of your paper, you will have explained what your research question is, what the existing literature has to say about that question, and how you analysed additional data to try to answer your question. So, the natural next step is to present your analysis of that data . This section is usually called the “results” or “analysis” section and this is where you’ll showcase your findings.

Depending on your school’s requirements, you may need to present and interpret the data in one section – or you might split the presentation and the interpretation into two sections. In the latter case, your “results” section will just describe the data, and the “discussion” is where you’ll interpret that data and explicitly link your analysis back to your research question. If you’re not sure which approach to take, check in with your professor or take a look at past papers to see what the norms are for your programme.

Alright – once you’ve presented and discussed your results, it’s time to wrap it up . This usually takes the form of the “ conclusion ” section. In the conclusion, you’ll need to highlight the key takeaways from your study and close the loop by explicitly answering your research question. Again, the exact requirements here will vary depending on your programme (and you may not even need a conclusion section at all) – so be sure to check with your professor if you’re unsure.

Step 3: Write and refine

Finally, it’s time to get writing. All too often though, students hit a brick wall right about here… So, how do you avoid this happening to you?

Well, there’s a lot to be said when it comes to writing a research paper (or any sort of academic piece), but we’ll share three practical tips to help you get started.

First and foremost , it’s essential to approach your writing as an iterative process. In other words, you need to start with a really messy first draft and then polish it over multiple rounds of editing. Don’t waste your time trying to write a perfect research paper in one go. Instead, take the pressure off yourself by adopting an iterative approach.

Secondly , it’s important to always lean towards critical writing , rather than descriptive writing. What does this mean? Well, at the simplest level, descriptive writing focuses on the “ what ”, while critical writing digs into the “ so what ” – in other words, the implications . If you’re not familiar with these two types of writing, don’t worry! You can find a plain-language explanation here.

Last but not least, you’ll need to get your referencing right. Specifically, you’ll need to provide credible, correctly formatted citations for the statements you make. We see students making referencing mistakes all the time and it costs them dearly. The good news is that you can easily avoid this by using a simple reference manager . If you don’t have one, check out our video about Mendeley, an easy (and free) reference management tool that you can start using today.

Recap: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. To recap, the three steps to writing a high-quality research paper are:

• To choose a research question and review the literature
• To plan your paper structure and draft an outline
• To take an iterative approach to writing, focusing on critical writing and strong referencing

Remember, this is just a b ig-picture overview of the research paper development process and there’s a lot more nuance to unpack. So, be sure to grab a copy of our free research paper template to learn more about how to write a research paper.

Can you help me with a full paper template for this Abstract:

Background: Energy and sports drinks have gained popularity among diverse demographic groups, including adolescents, athletes, workers, and college students. While often used interchangeably, these beverages serve distinct purposes, with energy drinks aiming to boost energy and cognitive performance, and sports drinks designed to prevent dehydration and replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during physical exertion.

Objective: To assess the nutritional quality of energy and sports drinks in Egypt.

Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed the nutrient contents, including energy, sugar, electrolytes, vitamins, and caffeine, of sports and energy drinks available in major supermarkets in Cairo, Alexandria, and Giza, Egypt. Data collection involved photographing all relevant product labels and recording nutritional information. Descriptive statistics and appropriate statistical tests were employed to analyze and compare the nutritional values of energy and sports drinks.

Results: The study analyzed 38 sports drinks and 42 energy drinks. Sports drinks were significantly more expensive than energy drinks, with higher net content and elevated magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C. Energy drinks contained higher concentrations of caffeine, sugars, and vitamins B2, B3, and B6.

Conclusion: Significant nutritional differences exist between sports and energy drinks, reflecting their intended uses. However, these beverages’ high sugar content and calorie loads raise health concerns. Proper labeling, public awareness, and responsible marketing are essential to guide safe consumption practices in Egypt.

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11.1 The Purpose of Research Writing

Learning objectives.

• Identify reasons to research writing projects.
• Outline the steps of the research writing process.

Why was the Great Wall of China built? What have scientists learned about the possibility of life on Mars? What roles did women play in the American Revolution? How does the human brain create, store, and retrieve memories? Who invented the game of football, and how has it changed over the years?

You may know the answers to these questions off the top of your head. If you are like most people, however, you find answers to tough questions like these by searching the Internet, visiting the library, or asking others for information. To put it simply, you perform research.

Whether you are a scientist, an artist, a paralegal, or a parent, you probably perform research in your everyday life. When your boss, your instructor, or a family member asks you a question that you do not know the answer to, you locate relevant information, analyze your findings, and share your results. Locating, analyzing, and sharing information are key steps in the research process, and in this chapter, you will learn more about each step. By developing your research writing skills, you will prepare yourself to answer any question no matter how challenging.

Reasons for Research

When you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened. In other words, you want to answer a question that you (and other people) have about the world. This is one of the most basic reasons for performing research.

But the research process does not end when you have solved your mystery. Imagine what would happen if a detective collected enough evidence to solve a criminal case, but she never shared her solution with the authorities. Presenting what you have learned from research can be just as important as performing the research. Research results can be presented in a variety of ways, but one of the most popular—and effective—presentation forms is the research paper . A research paper presents an original thesis, or purpose statement, about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources.

If you are curious about the possibility of life on Mars, for example, you might choose to research the topic. What will you do, though, when your research is complete? You will need a way to put your thoughts together in a logical, coherent manner. You may want to use the facts you have learned to create a narrative or to support an argument. And you may want to show the results of your research to your friends, your teachers, or even the editors of magazines and journals. Writing a research paper is an ideal way to organize thoughts, craft narratives or make arguments based on research, and share your newfound knowledge with the world.

Write a paragraph about a time when you used research in your everyday life. Did you look for the cheapest way to travel from Houston to Denver? Did you search for a way to remove gum from the bottom of your shoe? In your paragraph, explain what you wanted to research, how you performed the research, and what you learned as a result.

Research Writing and the Academic Paper

No matter what field of study you are interested in, you will most likely be asked to write a research paper during your academic career. For example, a student in an art history course might write a research paper about an artist’s work. Similarly, a student in a psychology course might write a research paper about current findings in childhood development.

Having to write a research paper may feel intimidating at first. After all, researching and writing a long paper requires a lot of time, effort, and organization. However, writing a research paper can also be a great opportunity to explore a topic that is particularly interesting to you. The research process allows you to gain expertise on a topic of your choice, and the writing process helps you remember what you have learned and understand it on a deeper level.

Research Writing at Work

Knowing how to write a good research paper is a valuable skill that will serve you well throughout your career. Whether you are developing a new product, studying the best way to perform a procedure, or learning about challenges and opportunities in your field of employment, you will use research techniques to guide your exploration. You may even need to create a written report of your findings. And because effective communication is essential to any company, employers seek to hire people who can write clearly and professionally.

Writing at Work

Take a few minutes to think about each of the following careers. How might each of these professionals use researching and research writing skills on the job?

• Medical laboratory technician
• Small business owner
• Information technology professional
• Freelance magazine writer

A medical laboratory technician or information technology professional might do research to learn about the latest technological developments in either of these fields. A small business owner might conduct research to learn about the latest trends in his or her industry. A freelance magazine writer may need to research a given topic to write an informed, up-to-date article.

Think about the job of your dreams. How might you use research writing skills to perform that job? Create a list of ways in which strong researching, organizing, writing, and critical thinking skills could help you succeed at your dream job. How might these skills help you obtain that job?

Steps of the Research Writing Process

How does a research paper grow from a folder of brainstormed notes to a polished final draft? No two projects are identical, but most projects follow a series of six basic steps.

These are the steps in the research writing process:

• Choose a topic.
• Plan and schedule time to research and write.
• Conduct research.
• Organize research and ideas.
• Draft your paper.
• Revise and edit your paper.

Each of these steps will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter. For now, though, we will take a brief look at what each step involves.

Step 1: Choosing a Topic

As you may recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , to narrow the focus of your topic, you may try freewriting exercises, such as brainstorming. You may also need to ask a specific research question —a broad, open-ended question that will guide your research—as well as propose a possible answer, or a working thesis . You may use your research question and your working thesis to create a research proposal . In a research proposal, you present your main research question, any related subquestions you plan to explore, and your working thesis.

Step 2: Planning and Scheduling

Before you start researching your topic, take time to plan your researching and writing schedule. Research projects can take days, weeks, or even months to complete. Creating a schedule is a good way to ensure that you do not end up being overwhelmed by all the work you have to do as the deadline approaches.

During this step of the process, it is also a good idea to plan the resources and organizational tools you will use to keep yourself on track throughout the project. Flowcharts, calendars, and checklists can all help you stick to your schedule. See Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , Section 11.2 “Steps in Developing a Research Proposal” for an example of a research schedule.

Step 3: Conducting Research

When going about your research, you will likely use a variety of sources—anything from books and periodicals to video presentations and in-person interviews.

Your sources will include both primary sources and secondary sources . Primary sources provide firsthand information or raw data. For example, surveys, in-person interviews, and historical documents are primary sources. Secondary sources, such as biographies, literary reviews, or magazine articles, include some analysis or interpretation of the information presented. As you conduct research, you will take detailed, careful notes about your discoveries. You will also evaluate the reliability of each source you find.

Step 4: Organizing Research and the Writer’s Ideas

When your research is complete, you will organize your findings and decide which sources to cite in your paper. You will also have an opportunity to evaluate the evidence you have collected and determine whether it supports your thesis, or the focus of your paper. You may decide to adjust your thesis or conduct additional research to ensure that your thesis is well supported.

Remember, your working thesis is not set in stone. You can and should change your working thesis throughout the research writing process if the evidence you find does not support your original thesis. Never try to force evidence to fit your argument. For example, your working thesis is “Mars cannot support life-forms.” Yet, a week into researching your topic, you find an article in the New York Times detailing new findings of bacteria under the Martian surface. Instead of trying to argue that bacteria are not life forms, you might instead alter your thesis to “Mars cannot support complex life-forms.”

Step 5: Drafting Your Paper

Now you are ready to combine your research findings with your critical analysis of the results in a rough draft. You will incorporate source materials into your paper and discuss each source thoughtfully in relation to your thesis or purpose statement.

When you cite your reference sources, it is important to pay close attention to standard conventions for citing sources in order to avoid plagiarism , or the practice of using someone else’s words without acknowledging the source. Later in this chapter, you will learn how to incorporate sources in your paper and avoid some of the most common pitfalls of attributing information.

Step 6: Revising and Editing Your Paper

In the final step of the research writing process, you will revise and polish your paper. You might reorganize your paper’s structure or revise for unity and cohesion, ensuring that each element in your paper flows into the next logically and naturally. You will also make sure that your paper uses an appropriate and consistent tone.

Once you feel confident in the strength of your writing, you will edit your paper for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and formatting. When you complete this final step, you will have transformed a simple idea or question into a thoroughly researched and well-written paper you can be proud of!

Review the steps of the research writing process. Then answer the questions on your own sheet of paper.

• In which steps of the research writing process are you allowed to change your thesis?
• In step 2, which types of information should you include in your project schedule?
• What might happen if you eliminated step 4 from the research writing process?

Key Takeaways

• People undertake research projects throughout their academic and professional careers in order to answer specific questions, share their findings with others, increase their understanding of challenging topics, and strengthen their researching, writing, and analytical skills.
• The research writing process generally comprises six steps: choosing a topic, scheduling and planning time for research and writing, conducting research, organizing research and ideas, drafting a paper, and revising and editing the paper.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Knowledge Base

Methodology

• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

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Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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• Screenplay Basics

How To Write A Stage Play

A stage play involves a few elements at it's very core; dialogue, drama, and action. Whether you choose to write a full-length play, or a short and concise one-act piece, playwriting or dramatic writing gives you a great degree of creative freedom that is unlike novel writing or screenplay writing. There are different elements involved in crafting a stage play, compared to the afore-mentioned.

The thrill of seeing your play unfolding on stage is also unlike reading your book, or watching a movie you may have written or directed. But to be able to do so, you must first be able to visualize how your play will appear on stage from the perspective of audience members. If done well, watching a play can provoke many emotions for your audience, and leave a lasting impression.

What is a Stage Play?

Writing for a stage play, playwriting, is developing a narrative and plot specifically for a theater production. Like writing screenplays for television or film, playwrights write playscripts for actors and characters to performs in real-time or live on stage, in front of an audience.

How To Write Your Very Own Stage Play

1. develop your story/plot.

Take as much time as you need to determine a plot or story that your play will revolve around. More than a well-fleshed out story from the beginning, a strong plot is what leads your play, taking your audience and your characters from the beginning to the end.

Brainstorm a few play ideas, so that you have options to choose from. Pick a strong, central message that you want to put across to your audience, and craft a central conflict that can bring that message out the best way possible. If see your play being slightly longer than usual, brainstorm about subplots that can carry your overall message as well.

While picking your central message and crafting a conflict to have play out on stage, keep in mind that everything in your story will unfold live on stage. This makes it imperative that you keep stage production elements like space, props , and backdrops in mind while brainstorming.

If you have a multi-layered or more complex story idea or concept, think about how you can bring this out on stage with the physical nature of a stage play. If you have a complex or surreal concept, think of a creative way to represent it physically. You have the creative freedom of space, props, lights, special effects, backdrops and other elements to play around with!

2. Decide on the Structure of Your Play

Once you've decided on the larger idea; your central message and conflict, start developing an outline by separating your play into acts. Stage plays are divided into acts, and each act is then divided into scenes. Common play structures include :

• 1-act play (relatively short)

To develop an outline, write out the beginning, middle and end of your play first. After which, write out the important story beats and plot points that you want your narrative to hit between the beginning, middle and end.

Decide which acts you want your plot points and major story beats to unfold in. Go ahead and separate your plot points into the appropriate, respective acts. Keep in mind that the flow of your story and these plot points need to lead up to both the climax and the resolution in a well-paced manner. This would be understood as following a pattern of "rising action" and "falling action"; leading up to the climax and leading up to the resolution respectively. Don't forget to plot points for subplots, if you have any, as well.

3. Keep in Mind your Limitations

Stage plays differ greatly from novel story writing, or screenplay writing. Unlile novels and screenplays, you have to work with a limited physical space while playwriting. Compared to a novel, you can only include a limited number of locations into your plot; an amount that your stage space can accommodate. Unfortunately, the more locations you write into your narrative, the tougher it becomes for you to translate all of them effectively on stage.

The extent and type of design of your set can drastically affect how your actors perform on stage.If you're having trouble visualizing your set, take time to draw it out. This will give you a reference guide that you can use to consult your set designers and team.

When planning the settings and scene locations for your stage play, use locations or places that are easy to set up, translate to the audience, and for them visualize while watching your play as well. Make sure that the stage layout is easy to follow in your stage play; for your actors and your production team. While there is opportunity for elaborate set design for some shows, consider what you're working with with each stage play and plan your set accordingly.

4. Develop Your Characters

While most novels, screenplays, and other forms of story-telling are character-drive, stage plays are especially dependent on your characterizations. Your audience would be essentially watching multiple conversations unfold between your characters on stage in real-time. This makes it imperative that your characters are as believable as possible. Believable fictional characters are a mix of unique traits, relatability, and a multi-dimensional personality.

Creating strong characters start with giving them compelling motivations. These motivations would drive their characterization, plot their arc, and also hold the attention of the audience throughout the play. This motivation would translate into the actions they take and the decisions they make throughout your narrative as well, and this in turn creates the narrative arc in your story.

Amongst the characters you have crafted, identify the main protagonist, and detail their motivation, goals, traits, and backstory or history. Likewise, identity your antagonist as well; the source of conflict for your main character or supporting characters.

While building your characters, avoid using overused tropes or character clichés. Making sure of this while developing a stage play can make or break the way audience perceive and experience your work because of the real-time and live nature of it. However, feel free and inspired to draw upon your favorite, classic archetypes to create your characters!

In order to craft their motivations and the relationships they have with one another, consider the questions like the following :

• What does your character want badly?
• What, or who, is keeping your character from getting what they want?
• What, or who, stands in their way?
• Who do they rely on?
• What kind of family did they grow up in?
• What is their biggest fear?
• What is their pet peeve?

After detailing your characters as such, you can think about giving them a befitting name, and deciding upon the physical description of your character. This helps during casting for your stage play. Of course, having physical character descriptions that could make it almost impossible for you to cast someone, as an exact mold, would not be advisable. Consider sticking to one notable and telling physical trait. Maybe he or she has a scar above the eyebrow from an altering accident, or always wears hats that cover most of their face because of their introverted personality. This reveals something about them and gives them depth, and gives you options for casting.

5. Write your First Draft!

Now that you are armed with your outline and well-thought out character profiles, you would have a rough idea of how you want your story to flow.

Start writing your first draft. Your first draft will be a exploratory one. It is during this draft that you will truly understand what works and would not work with your play. During this stage, avoid worrying about formatting, or doing things "right" or "correctly,". Treat this is a dumping exercise of sorts; with reference to your outline.

6. Include Stage Directions

Unlike novels, and somewhat similar to screenplays, each scene in a stage play should come with clear stage directions. Stage directions should briefly, but clearly, briefly the physical components of the stage. Depending on the scale of story, this could be elaborate straightforward. This would also include character directions, such as entering and exiting the stage, and any physical actions necessary to the storyline or character development. The actor will then be able to easily translate this on to the stage. While some actors prefer to decide their own movement, after reading the script and understanding the intention of the scene, and is often finalized after conversations and decisions that both the actors and director deem fit for the scene, it would help to have the important physical motions included in the directions.

Apart from actor instructions, note important elements about set design, lighting, or props. Leave time between scenes for technical elements such as scene changes or costume changes. If your play is longer than one act, consider including an intermission so that your audience members have a break to stretch their legs and refresh their minds.

7. Revise and Proofread

After completing your first draft, take a break, and come back to read through the entire play from beginning to end with a clear headspace. Take down notes; possible amendments, elements you want to remove, characters you need to tweak, anything for yourself in the margins. Re-read your script with these noted in mind. Check for inconsistencies, such as continuity or timeline issues, plot holes, or weak dialogues. Ensure that the characters’ actions and behaviors align with their motivation, and can sustain the attention of the audience and is moving the plot forward.

Do not hesitate to be a harsh critic of your early drafts. The harsher you are, the most driven you are to reach the best quality possible for your satisfaction. Do not be afraid to delete scenes or dialogues that meander, characters that do not serve your story's intentions, and stage elements that do not serve your story.

8. Arrange for a Table Read

A table read is an organized script reading session in which actors or producers read the dialogue, stage directions, transitions, and scene headings of your play out loud. You need not get the actual actors that you would cast for a table read, but volunteers or friends for a preliminary table read would do. A table read would highlight elements of your play that you might need to tweak, change, or delete. Hearing your play being read out loud can highlight things you may have glossed over during your writing and proof-reading stages. Pay attention to each line of dialogue and how the action flows. Apply the learnings from the table read to the final draft of your script.

9. Read and Watch!

While delving into the art of writing your own stage play, don't forget to continue watching plays and reading other scripts along the way.

Just as you wouldn't try to write a novel if you'd never read one, it's a good idea to get as familiar as possible with the world of stage plays and theater. Reading other plays will help you to draw inspiration, set pacing, or even help determine the scope of your own world and what you want to write.

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How To Write A Screenplay: Best 30-Step Guide

Writing a screenplay is a big dream for many people. What writer doesn’t want to see their story and characters on a movie screen? But if it were that easy, everyone would do it, and it wouldn’t be special. No, writing a screenplay is a task, and if you’re inexperienced, it can be a monumental task. Plus, you don’t want to just finish it; you want it to be good!

The guide will help you start your screenplay, see it through to the end, and make sure you have a quality finished product. To do this, I’ll break down the process into 30 manageable steps, covering everything from idea generation and outlining to writing and story structure.

30-Steps may seem like a lot, but screenwriting is a process . Many guides cover how to write a basic three-act structure and tips for better characters, and I will, too. However, I’ll also give you all the little things in between to actually set you up for success. So, without further ado, let’s learn how to write a screenplay.

Table of Contents

Part 1: planning your screenplay.

“The best screenplays start with a clear vision. Make sure your idea is strong and that you’ve thought deeply about the story you want to tell before you begin writing.” Robert McKee

The beginning steps of writing a screenplay aren’t glamorous, but they are important. As much as we’d like to get an idea, sit down, and start typing, that’s not quite how it works. To avoid issues later on down the road, we’ve got to do some planning upfront. These first five steps will help you lay the groundwork for your story.

1. Come Up With Ideas

Ideas are usually the easy part. If you’re interested in writing, you’ve probably already got some ideas that you think are cool. And if not, you can probably come up with some pretty easily. Don’t worry if they’re not 100% thought out yet; that’s what these next steps are for.

If you don’t have any ideas you’re interested in, start thinking, and you will soon. When you’re conscious about it, anything can be a source of inspiration (personal experiences, books, movies, people watching, etc.).

I recommend keeping a notebook or idea journal to capture thoughts as they come to you, especially because the best ideas come right at bedtime! If you need some brainstorming tips, check out my article here – How To Get Ideas For Writing – 6 Must-Know Tips

2. Get Feedback On Your Ideas

Assuming you’ve got a couple of ideas you like, pitch them to other people and see what they think. You may be surprised and find that one stands out to others as most intriguing. Share ideas with friends, family, or, best of all, strangers .

The main thing you want to do is pay attention to reactions. More importantly than saying, “Yes, I like it,” or “No, I don’t,” are their more genuine reactions. Does the idea make them start asking questions? Laugh? Stop and think things over? These are all great signs that you’ve got a winner.

3. Study Your Genre

Once you know what your story will be about, you’ll probably have an idea of the genre. This is important because movie genres are somewhat set in stone, and you’ll need to meet viewer expectations to a certain degree. Of course, you can be unique, but if you want your screenplay picked up, you’ll do well to understand your genre.

Study the conventions, tropes, and expectations of your chosen genre. Watching relevant films to understand audience expectations is a great place to start. Imagine trying to write a romantic comedy, having only ever watched one. No, you’ll want to know your genre inside and out.

This familiarity will allow you to know what to do and how to stand out. You want your screenplay to be familiar to the audience but fresh, too—”the same thing, but differently,” as the saying goes. Here are some ideas of the most common tropes in various genres:

• Most Overused Science Fiction Tropes – Top 10 List
• Most Overused Horror Cliches – Top 10
• Most Overused Fantasy Tropes – Top 10

4. Make Character Outlines

Now for the fun part: Create some basic outlines for your important characters. The ultimate goal is to make unique personalities, motivations, and backstories. But remember, we’re still in the outline stage. Start with a quick bio of the main characters, like the protagonist, antagonist, and any affiliates who affect the story.

Basically, the key characters and basic info. You don’t have to have every character upfront. Here is an example of a protagonist:

• Name: Kassi Woodall
• Gender:  Female
• Age:  Mid 20s
• Occupation:  A botanist studying rare plants in a remote jungle
• Personality Traits:  Curious, determined, slightly reckless
• Backstory:  Lost her parents in an accident as a child
• Goal:  To discover a legendary plant rumored to have healing properties
• Love Interest:  Rowan (kind, understanding)

With these basic outlines done, I suggest you do some exercises like character diary entries to delve deeper into their psyches. For example, you could write a journal entry from Kassi’s point of view, recalling the loss of her parents and how it sometimes affects her life.

Exercises like this help to flesh out the character’s fears, motivations, stressors, and certain strengths and weaknesses based off of your initial ideas. Even if they aren’t core story points (or in the screenplay), having these backstory scenes will make your characters much better as you write them.

5. Start With Freewriting

If you’ve ever gotten an idea and started a screenplay or story, you’ll know the initial idea is far from an entire story . This step is where we’ll start to explore how the idea and characters outlined above could become a story. Let your imagination flow and explore potential plotlines.

Focus on the main conflict and character arcs. What obstacles would your characters face? How would their goal evolve over time, and how would they progress as people? Consider how the story might end, too. These considerations will help you start to turn your idea into a plot with conflict, progression, and a direction toward a resolution.

Part 2: Structuring Your Screenplay

“Structure is the skeleton of your screenplay. It’s the framework that holds the story together, so get it right and everything else will follow.” Aaron Sorkin

Now that we have some solid ideas that we’re confident could be a story, we can start to actually structure the story out. These next six steps will give you an idea of what structures to use and how to map your story out in detail and break it into digestible steps.

6. U nderstand Story Structure

Would-be screenwriters get really hung up on story structure, and with good reason. It’s really important, and almost everything you watch on Netflix or in the theatre is structured to a T. So, you need an understanding of basic structure. The Three-Act structure is the classic Hollywood go-to, and it’s a good starting point.

It breaks down into:

• Act 1 (Setup):  Introduce your characters, world, and the inciting incident that sets everything in motion.
• Act 2 (Confrontation):  Your protagonist faces obstacles, grows, and makes mistakes.
• Act 3 (Resolution):  The climax, the final showdown, and the resolution.

There are alternative structures, but for now, I recommend starting with the three-act structure. Its straightforward “beginning, middle, and end” style is pretty intuitive and user-friendly. There are some more complex elements that we’ll discuss in later steps.

I find real-world examples to be helpful, so you could say:

• A young, ambitious scientist discovers a groundbreaking new energy source with the potential to revolutionize the world.
• Someone becomes jealous and sabotages the research, framing them.
• The protagonist is fired and becomes a fugitive.
• The protagonist proves innocence. Their discovery is revealed to the world, leading to sustainable energy.

You can go here for a deep dive into Screenplay Structure .

7. Write a Logline and Treatment

A logline is a super concise, one or two sentence summary of your story. If our idea was Toy Story, our logline might say, “After a new toy named Buzz Lightyear arrives and threatens Woody’s status as Andy’s favorite toy, the two rivals must learn to work together to save themselves from a dangerous adventure.”

What Is A Screenplay “Treatment?”

A treatment is an expanded version of the logline and is usually between 10 to 20 pages. It outlines the story’s plot, characters, and key themes in a prose format. So, be sure to write it from the third-person perspective.

For example:

“Sandy walks into the offices of the partners, and tells them that unfortunately, he is unable to clear his name. He hopes that they will be willing to look past that and still provide him and his family with a better life. If not, he understands. They tell him… they are NOT willing to do that. Sandy slumps. They tell him they don’t have to do that, because it’s already been done. He’s in the clear. Sandy doesn’t understand. They open the door to the conference room, and there’s DIANA… giving her full confession to the Boston PD.” A treatment for a revised screenplay by Craig Mazin

Writing your logline and treatment can be harder than you may think. However, it’s important because it gives you a clear idea of your story and helps bridge the gap between concept and reality. A well-written treatment can also be used to pitch the project to producers, studios, or investors.

You can find a full example (which is extremely helpful) here . It’s worth mentioning, just for your sanity, that the example is a bit on the long side, at 30 pages. While there’s no strict rule for the length of a treatment, shorter is often better, and as mentioned, the standard length for a treatment is usually between 10 and 20 pages.

8. Again, Get Feedback

Just like your initial idea, share your logline and treatment with others for input. Get their reactions and be open to constructive criticism. Of course, one person’s opinion shouldn’t warrant an overhaul of the entire story; We’re more interested in issues that keep coming up and plot holes that you may have missed.

9. Make a Step-Outline

Step 9 is a really fun one where you break down your story into individual scenes. You use a step outline to visualize the flow and structure of the screenplay, and this is where you really feel like you’re starting to build all these blocks into a screenplay.

Unlike the logline and treatment, which are general, this outline is a detailed roadmap showing key scenes and their summaries. Focus on including only the most significant moments that drive the plot forward. Avoid including scenes like the protagonist getting dressed or driving to work unless they are essential to the plot or character development.

I don’t want to overwhelm you with info, but I did step outlines poorly for years. So, I’m going to give you a fairly lengthy example in hopes that it helps you avoid the mistakes I used to make.

• Jenny wakes up to the sound of her alarm clock. She’s exhausted and worn down by the night shifts. A quick montage shows her going through a tired morning routine: brushing teeth, chugging coffee, and pulling on her uniform.
• Jenny arrives at the ambulance bay, where she meets her partner, Sam, a seasoned paramedic in his early 40s. They exchange jokes about the night ahead. Jenny’s nervous energy contrasts with Sam’s calm demeanor.
• A chaotic night unfolds as Jenny and Sam respond to several calls. A montage of flashing lights, hurried medical treatments, and tense radio chatter reveals the intensity of their job. They save lives, but the toll it takes on Jenny becomes evident as she stifles a yawn and looks distant.
• After a particularly rough call, Jenny and Sam sit in the ambulance, taking a breather. Sam notices Jenny’s fatigue and offers her advice on managing the stress. Jenny brushes it off, trying to appear tougher than she feels. Sam’s concern lingers as they get another call.
• Jenny and Sam arrive at an old, abandoned building. They’re responding to a call about a homeless man who’s collapsed. Inside, the place is eerie and dark, with flickering lights and shadows. They find the man, but Jenny senses something isn’t right. She hesitates before treating him, feeling a strange presence around her. Sam reassures her, and they manage to stabilize the patient.
• On the way to the hospital, the patient wakes up in a panic, muttering incoherently about “the shadow.” Jenny struggles to calm him down while Sam drives. The man grabs Jenny’s arm, his eyes wild with fear, but she eventually soothes him with calm words. Once they drop him off at the hospital, Jenny remains shaken.
• After leaving the hospital, Jenny confides in Sam about the strange feeling she had back at the building. Sam brushes it off as exhaustion, but Jenny can’t shake the unease. They’re interrupted by another call, this time to a high-rise apartment.
• Jenny and Sam arrive at the scene to find a woman hysterical over her unresponsive husband. As they work to revive him, Jenny notices eerie similarities between this case and the one at the abandoned building. She sees a shadowy figure in the corner of her eye, but when she turns, it’s gone. The husband regains consciousness, but Jenny’s fear is growing.
• The night is winding down. They respond to a final call at a quiet suburban home. An elderly woman has passed away in her sleep. As they prepare to move her, Jenny notices something unsettling—another shadow, this time more defined. She freezes, and the lights in the house flicker. Sam doesn’t see anything, but Jenny is now certain something is following her.

10. Use Index Cards

This step is optional, but I find it helpful to transfer your step outline to index cards for easier organization and visualization. On the simplest level, this means writing one scene per card and laying them out to visualize.

However, you can also color code the cards by act for a more focused view of the scenes within each one. For example, Act 1: Green, Act 2: Yellow, Act 3: Red. Or label the top of each card with the leading characters’ names so you can look at scenes on a character-to-character basis.

Breaking up large chunks of story can be a useful tool, but again, this step is somewhat optional.

11. Create a Writing Schedule

We’re just about ready to actually sit down and start writing the screenplay we’ve worked so hard getting ready. This is, of course, very exciting. But it also presents us with perhaps our most formidable challenge yet: sitting down and writing the screenplay.

Making time to write consistently is not easy, but it’s a must if you want to finish your script in a timely manner. To help stay on track, it’s essential to create and stick to a writing schedule. In general, this usually means setting a realistic goal, finding a specific time and place that works for you, and holding yourself accountable for showing up and writing.

I have an entire article that breaks down this process in greater detail here: Beginner Writing Routine – 5 Effective Tips

Part 3: Writing Your Screenplay (Act 1)

“The first act is about setting up the story and engaging the audience. Make sure your opening scenes are compelling and set the stage for what’s to come.” Quentin Tarantino

In the first 11 steps, we created our initial ideas and characters, got feedback on them, refined the plot, began to structure it, and mapped out an outline of major individual scenes for the screenplay. In short, we have all the blueprints and foundations ready, and we’re ready to start building. It’s almost time to write!

In these next six steps, we’ll learn how to format a screenplay, some software to help in the writing process, and how to start writing a script step-by-step, starting with, of course, the beginning. Steps 13-17 are dedicated to Act 1 and are marked as such. So, let us get to it.

12. How To Format A Screenplay

Formatting a screenplay is quite a bit of a learning curve for beginners. This is not to say you can’t learn to do it manually, but it takes a lot of thought that is better-used writing. I’ll go so far as to say the least amount of time and energy you spend worrying about formatting is best.

So, I highly recommend you use screenplay software to help you with formatting. LivingWriter offers a dedicated screenplay mode that simplifies the formatting process. We have a breakdown of how this works here:

13. Start With a Strong First Image (Act 1)

Now, let’s do something exciting and imagine the story on the screen instead of a page. How will the film open up? What will the audience see, and how will it set the tone for the next 90 minutes?

Your opening scene is the first thing the viewer sees—it should grab their attention and give them a taste of what’s to come. There is no wrong or right here. You can choose a moment that’s visually striking, emotionally resonant, or full of intrigue. It could be a dramatic event, a quiet reflection, or a humorous situation.

Just make sure it sets the tone for your story and makes the audience want to know more.

14. Introduce the World And Main Character (Act 1)

Once you’ve hooked your audience, it’s time to introduce them to the world and the main character who is in it. This doesn’t mean dumping a bunch of exposition on them. Instead, show them the world through the character’s eyes.

What do they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel? What are their hopes, dreams, fears, and desires? In the spirit of “showing, not telling,” let’s look at the opening scene of “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

In this scene, we’re introduced to Max and the harsh, post-apocalyptic world he inhabits without any direct explanation. The world is shown as desolate, dry, and violent, and you can immediately feel the danger. You can watch the scene here , but what I want you to understand is the following:

• What Max sees and hears : We see Max standing on a barren desert landscape with nothing but his car and the ruins of the old world around him. As he listens, he hears distant voices—his hallucinations—giving insight into his trauma and mental state.
• What Max feels : The scene quickly shifts to action as Max is captured by the War Boys, who chase him down, showing his world’s brutal and chaotic nature. His isolation and constant fight for survival are palpable from the very beginning.
• Worldbuilding : Without a single line of explanation, the barren desert, the scavenged clothing and weapons, and the desperate chase establish a world where resources are scarce, and survival is everything, and chaos reigns. We know this because we see Max in it, not because they told us.

“We know this because we see Max in it, not because they told us,” being the main point. This is usually your character in their regular state of being. So, allow your world to speak for itself with your opening scene.

15. Introduce the Inciting Incident (Act 1)

The inciting incident is the event that kicks off your story and sets the conflict in motion. It fundamentally changes the protagonist’s life and often forces them to make a choice. This could be a tragic event, a sudden opportunity, or a revelation about themselves or the world around them.

Whatever it is, it should be a turning point that propels the story forward. It should change things from the “ordinary world” we see at the beginning to the start of the conflict.

16. Show Resistance to Calling (Act 1)

Once the inciting incident occurs, the protagonist may not immediately embrace their new situation. They may resist the call to adventure or feel overwhelmed by the challenges ahead. This resistance can create tension and conflict, making the character’s eventual decision to embark on their journey even more meaningful.

In  Spider-Man: Homecoming , Peter Parker initially struggles with the responsibilities of being Spider-Man. He wants to be a hero but longs for an everyday teenage life. This internal conflict is a significant film theme as Peter learns to balance both worlds.

Remember, the inciting incident would not be an “incident” if it were 100% pleasant and aligned with exactly what the character wants. So, some internal conflict or pushback would be natural.

17. Create a Point of No Return (Act 1)

So, we’ve set the stage, and something has happened to our lead character—something they’re fighting against. This step is when they lose that fight. A point of no return is when the protagonist is forced to commit to their journey and can’t go back.

This could be a physical obstacle, a moral dilemma, or a personal sacrifice. Whatever it is, it should clarify that the character’s life has changed forever and that there’s no turning back. For example, in “The Hunger Games,” Katniss reaches her point of no return when she volunteers in place of her sister, committing to the deadly games and permanently altering the course of her life.

This point of no return for the character marks the end of Act 1.

Part 4: Developing the Story (Act 2)

“Act 2 is where the real drama unfolds. It’s the part of the screenplay where characters face challenges, grow, and the stakes are raised. Keep it dynamic and focused on character development.” David Mamet

As we move into part four of our how to write a screenplay guide, we’re transitioning from the end of Act 1 to the start of Act 2. In these next six steps, we’ll be writing out the scenes that introduce obstacles, friends, subplots, twists, and escalating stakes.

18. Introduce Obstacle (Act 2)

Our character has realized they have to do the thing they don’t want to. And, of course, it can’t be easy; otherwise, it would be a short visit to the theatre. Stories need conflict, and for that, protagonists need obstacles.

Thanks to our initial plotting, we already know what they are. Now it’s time to introduce them. To get the most out of an obstacle, make it personal by connecting it to your protagonist’s internal struggles. Even if the challenge is external , it should reflect your character’s fears or weaknesses.

This creates a more emotionally charged moment, forcing the characters to confront something about themselves as they face the obstacle. Additionally, escalate the stakes. The obstacle should raise the tension and create a sense of urgency.

19. Introduce Allies (Act 2)

No hero can go it alone, which is why introducing allies is crucial to your story. These supporting characters can provide help, guidance, or even comic relief, making the protagonist’s journey more dynamic. Think about what your protagonist lacks and how an ally could fill that gap.

For example, if your protagonist is strong but impulsive, a calm and strategic friend can balance them out. Allies should have their own goals and motivations, making them fully realized characters rather than just sidekicks.

Their relationships with the protagonist can add depth to the story, creating emotional connections that resonate with the audience. Think Samwise to Frodo or Hermione to Harry.

20. Introduce Subplots (Act 2)

Having just crossed over into the second act, with the narrative rolling along, and having introduced our secondary characters, now is the time to start developing your subplots, which should be somewhat easy to identify.

Subplots are like the spice in your screenplay—they add flavor and richness to the main story. And they’re actually essential to a quality story. Almost no “a plot,” no matter how interesting, is enough to drive a film alone. Plus, a well-crafted subplot can provide contrast, deepen character development, or highlight themes in your narrative.

For instance, if your main plot is an intense thriller, a romantic subplot can provide a breather and show a different side of your characters. Just remember that subplots should complement , not overshadow, the main story. But at the same time, they should be tied to the “a plot” in some way.

21. The Midpoint Twist (Act 2)

The midpoint twist is the game-changer in your story, shaking up the narrative and pushing it in a new direction. This twist is the significant event that forces your protagonist to reassess their situation and take action.

Without this, films would feel predictable and “inevitable” as they progress. The midpoint twist introduces new stakes or revelations that deepen the plot and challenge the protagonist in unforeseen ways. This also keeps the audience engaged and propels the story into more complex and compelling territory.

Fight Club is a great example. Jack realizes that the charismatic and rebellious figure he has been following is actually a projection of himself. This changes the entire understanding of the story, reshapes the narrative, and intensifies the psychological conflict at the heart of the film.

22. Raise the Stakes (Act 2)

At this point, the tension should naturally be ramping up. As things escalate, the consequences of failure should be more severe. Raising the stakes means putting more on the line for your protagonist—whether it’s their life, relationships, soul, etc. The exact stakes will depend on your story, of course.

If you need work here, consider how the obstacles become more challenging, the antagonist more formidable, or the protagonist’s dilemmas more intense following the mid-plot twist. The closer they get to their goal, the more they stand to lose, making every decision feel crucial.

23. Create a Lowest Point (Act 2)

With the mid-plot twist done and the stakes growing, it’s time for your beloved character to face their lowest point so far. This moment is critical because it tests the character’s resolve and sets the stage for their eventual triumph.

At this point, the protagonist should feel overwhelmed and question whether they can continue. This moment of vulnerability makes the audience root for them even more. To make this scene impactful, dig into the emotional stakes—what does the protagonist stand to lose if they fail? How do they feel in this moment of despair?

The lowest point should be a turning point, where your character can rise above and continue fighting. In The Lion King, Simba hits his lowest point when he learns that he indirectly caused his father’s death. This leads him to question his worthiness and abandon his responsibilities, but it also makes his eventual return and redemption even more powerful.

Part 5: Resolving the Story (Act 3)

“The climax and resolution should provide a satisfying payoff for the audience. Everything should come together in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable.” Martin Scorsese

Part 5 of how to write a screenplay moves us from Act 2 to Act 3. In the three steps for this section, you’ll be writing the ending portions of the story. Including bringing the tension you’ve been building to a head, writing the climax, tying up any loose ends and resolving the plot in some way.

24. Build to the Climax (Act 3)

The climax is the moment where all the stakes come to a head, and the protagonist faces their biggest challenge. Everything in the story has been leading to this point. Whether it’s a physical battle, an emotional revelation, or a final decision, this moment should deliver maximum impact, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.

25. Address Final Obstacles (Act 3)

After the climax, resolve any remaining conflicts or loose ends that haven’t been addressed yet. These final obstacles can be smaller challenges or lingering issues that need closure. Whether it’s a secondary antagonist, a moral dilemma, or a key relationship, take the time to address these remaining elements to ensure that the story feels complete.

This is the time to wrap up subplots and bring everything into alignment, showing how the protagonist has grown and changed. In The Return of the King, after destroying the One Ring, Frodo returns home but realizes he can no longer find peace in the Shire. His decision to leave with the Elves shows this and provides a bittersweet resolution.

26. Provide a Satisfying Resolution (Act 3)

We’re now on the final step of Act 3. Congrats, you’ve nearly finished your screenplay! With all obstacles addressed, tie up the plot and character arcs in a way that feels earned and fulfilling. Whether your story ends happily or tragically, it should provide closure that resonates with the themes of the narrative.

Reflect on how the protagonist has evolved and how the world has changed as a result of their journey. A satisfying resolution ensures that the audience feels a sense of completion, understanding the significance of the story and the character’s transformation.

Part 6: Revising and Finalizing

“Revision is where the screenplay truly takes shape. Be relentless in your pursuit of clarity, coherence, and emotional impact.” William Goldman

Thanks to the outlining in the initial steps, we should have a fairly solid first draft of the screenplay at this point. But it’ll be far from perfect. These next couple of steps will help you put the screenplay into perspective and fix any issues before getting it in front of interested eyes.

27. Take a Break

After completing your screenplay, step away from it for a while to gain fresh perspective. This distance allows you to return with clearer insight, helping you spot areas that need improvement or refinement.

28. Get Feedback

Once you’ve had some time away, share your draft with others for constructive input. Friends, fellow writers, or writing groups can provide valuable feedback on pacing, character development, and plot clarity, offering perspectives you might have missed.

You May Also Like: How To Get A Book Published: Guide to Agents, Editors & More

29. Rewrite and Refine

With feedback in hand, dive into rewrites. Use both the external critiques and your own analysis to improve your screenplay. This stage is crucial for tightening the story, refining dialogue, and resolving any inconsistencies.

30. Finalize Your Screenplay

Continue revising until you are completely satisfied with the final product. Be patient with yourself during this process, and make sure every scene, line, and character arc feels essential to the story. When you’re confident it’s polished, your screenplay is ready to be shared with the world.

Further Reading

You now have a step-by-step guide on how to write a screenplay that will help you throughout the entire process. However, there is still a lot of technical things that go into writing in a compelling way. That said, here are some other articles you’ll find helpful as you write your script.

• Mastering Pacing In Novels And Screenplays
• How To Write Dialogue In A Story
• First-Person Vs. Third-Person POV In Fiction
• Writing Compelling Screenplays – 6 Advanced Tips
• 12 Common Beginner Writing Mistakes You Must Avoid
• How To Get Your Screenplay Accepted – Tips & Tricks

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