Academic Writing Lessons: An Argument Research Paper Outline

One of the most commonly assigned academic writing lessons in school is the argument research paper. The argument research paper is a paper which requires you to present an argument, take a side in it, and research why your side is the best one and why others should side with you. You can follow these tips below to craft an excellent paper:

The best writing takes time and planning especially for an argument research paper. That is why you need to craft an outline before you start writing any of your drafts, and also why you need to make sure you research thoroughly before starting. Before you dive right in, make sure you do more research and write less. By doing more research and planning from the start, you can reduce the amount of writing and re-writing you have to do.

  • Follow your instructions. Many teachers will give you a list of what they expect. Unfortunately, many students end up writing papers that do not meet the task requirements because of a misunderstanding or just because they glossed over the information without really paying attention. Do not ever miss a chance to ask your teacher for clarification if you are struggling. If you have any doubts whatsoever, discuss these doubts with your professor. It is quite common for students to have questions, but if you are afraid of asking and seeming “dumb” then you will not get the answers in the first place. You will look much dumber if you submit the wrong type of assignment all because you didn’t ask.
  • Never wait until the last minute. While it might seem cool to postpone writing your assignment until the last minute, never do this. Last minute efforts will read just like last minute efforts. You want to start planning as soon as you are given the instructions. Write out the final due date and create a working schedule going backward from that date. A good paper takes a great deal of preparation, research, as well as time for critical thinking and writing. Take time to complete all of these steps. Give yourself time to redo some of the steps, or to allow for a broken printer, personal crisis, or a bad day where you just don’t feel like working. If you are able to plan ahead, then you won’t end up presenting a handful of empty excuses to your teacher when the paper is due.
 
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