From a Rough Draft to the Final Piece - Steps to Write a Good Academic Paper

While the advent of SMS messaging and social media means that many of us are "writing" more than ever before, academic papers continue to pose their own challenges, especially when the assignment is complex or unfamiliar. A student faced with writing an academic paper must first fully understand what the assignment or instructor requires. Next, the student should develop a detailed and specific plan for completing the assignment that allows enough time for multiple drafts and revision.

A paper that does not meet the requirements that an instructor provides will likely not earn a passing score, no matter how excellent the writing is. Before beginning any writing project, students should first thoroughly review the assignment guidelines, underlining potential areas of confusion and any specific requirements like word length, documentation style, etc. When assignment guidelines are not provided, students may wish to consider visiting the instructor in office hours or requesting an example essay to review. After this initial information-gathering period is complete, it may be helpful to draw up a "checklist" of the essay's requirements to use in going forward with the essay. If the essay requires a specific feature like a thesis statement or bibliography, students should consult a writers' handbook or online reference like the Purdue OWL site to make sure they understand how to effectively include them in the essay.

All good academic writing requires planning, and challenging academic papers are no exception. Once students fully understand the writing task put to them, they can then create a writing plan that allows for at least 2-3 drafts and the possibility of having a tutor or the instructor review a draft prior to submission. This detailed writing plan should allow for enough time for each step of the writing process and should also account for any research students may have to perform. It is helpful to envision the writing process in at least three parts: a "scratch draft," a rough draft, and a final draft. Sitting down at the computer or with a pen and paper and simply writing without editing one's self or worrying about grammar or punctuation is an essential first step; this "scratch draft" should be approximately the same length as the final draft, but will of course be much rougher. After a student has written this "scratch draft," he or she should allow at least a day or two before reviewing it and beginning writing again. The writing that comes after this draft will become the rough draft. At this point in the process of writing an academic paper, a student may wish to visit a writing tutor or have an instructor or peer review the paper. Preparing a list of specific questions about the draft beforehand can help the student make the most of this review period.

After a peer, tutor, or instructor has reviewed the rough draft, the writer can begin writing the final draft, taking into account the advice the reviewer provided and consulting any reference materials or checklists the writer may have created or found useful. Good revision takes time, so it is essential that this final part of the writing process is not rushed. Once a student is satisfied that the essay's content fully meets the assignment's requirements, he or she should print the draft and then take a break; returning to the final hard copy version with fresh and rested eyes will ensure that small typographical or citation errors are visible and easy to catch. These tips can make writing an academic paper a more straightforward and even rewarding experience.

For more research and writing resources, visit essayads.com/papers/.