Writing a rough draft is an essential part of the research paper writing process. While it may not be a polished, finished product, taking the time to create a rough draft allows you to organize your main points and get your initial thoughts and findings on paper before refining and revising. The following tips can help you write an effective rough draft for your research paper.
Develop an Outline and Thesis Statement
Before beginning to draft the body paragraphs for your research paper, take time to create an outline that lists the main points you want to explore in support of your thesis statement. Your thesis statement, usually included at the end of an introductory paragraph, clearly conveys the central argument or perspective you will take in your paper. Creating an outline helps ensure your paper is logically organized and stays focused on proving your thesis. Leave space in your outline to insert sources and brief summaries of how they will support each point.
Conduct Thorough Background Research
Before starting your rough draft, make sure to conduct thorough background research to familiarize yourself with perspectives and research already published on your topic. This helps verify you are not duplicating work that has already been done and helps identify key sources to synthesize in your paper. Make notes as you research on important perspectives, facts, quotes or paraphrases from sources that relate to and can support the points in your outline. Having this research completed makes writing your draft go much smoother.
Start Writing Body Paragraphs
Begin putting together full paragraphs that explore each major point in your outline. For each paragraph, introduce the topic or perspective being discussed, provide analysis of how it relates to your thesis, and incorporate relevant details and quotes from your research sources to support your analysis. Be sure to properly cite sources using your chosen style guide, whether MLA, APA, Chicago or other format.
Keep fluidity and flow in mind when drafting paragraphs – ideally you want a logical transition from one topic to the next without abrupt changes in direction or supporting information. Leave space between each paragraph to allow for potentially adding or removing information later in the revision stage.
Rough In an Introduction and Conclusion
After completing your body paragraphs, return to the beginning and end of your draft. Pen a rough introduction paragraph that hooks the reader in and previews your thesis and the topics to be discussed. Also add a brief concluding paragraph that restates your thesis and summarizes the main arguments and findings without introducing new information. You can rework these sections further during revisions.
Perform Light Editing as You Draft
While the focus at the rough draft stage is on getting your overall content and structure down, do perform light editing as you draft. Correct obvious spelling, grammar and punctuation errors to keep your paper coherent. Maintaining a consistent verb tense and point of view is also important. Don’t get bogged down perfecting details at this stage – further polishing comes later during revisions.
Leave Space and Notes for Future Expansion or Changes
Space out your paragraphs and leave room to potentially insert additional information or sources later on. Make notes in the margins or at the end of draft where more details or analysis could be added, sources might need strengthening, or transitions could be smoother. Outlining potential revisions provides direction when it comes time to refine your paper based on instructor feedback or your own second look.
Ask Others to Review Your Draft
Once you have a full rough draft completed, it can help to ask fellow students or your instructor to look it over. A fresh set of eyes may catch issues with organization, areas needing more depth or clarity, or potential sources to consult. Incorporate the feedback into your revisions leading up to a polished final draft submission. Reviewers at this stage are not evaluating for grammatical perfection but rather the effectiveness of your overall ideas and structure.
The rough draft stage is extremely important but should not cause writer’s block. Its purpose is to get your initial synthesis of research down on paper so you then have a solid framework to systematically polish and refine. With diligent researching, outlining and staying true to your thesis, the first draft process moves you closer to completing a high-quality final product. Taking the time to write a well-organized rough draft sets you up for success revising into a paper worthy of an excellent grade.