Writing A Good Research Argument Using Outlines

Writing a good research argument requires lots of dedicated time and organization.  An outline is a good way to begin collecting and organizing your thoughts and data on paper such as including subheads to make your transitions between arguments stronger and much more effective.  As you turn your attention toward the written portion of the body, you must consider for whom which side you want to argue.  Once you decide on where you stand on the issue, you must integrate your sources correctly avoiding plagiarism.  There are three ways to this process.  They include summarizing, paraphrasing, and direct quotation.  A summary involves condensing your sources into a brief summary, such as a plot, into your own words which usually occurs in the introduction.  Paraphrasing reiterates a portion of a particular idea from one of your sources in a different way than previously written and may vary in length.  Using direct quotations involves taking a specific saying or writing from one of your sources and integrating them within the body of your argument.  These are three basic methods that you can alternate among each other to develop a strong and effective argument in your research paper.

Drafting your research argument is an ongoing process and each writer can draft his paper using different strategies that fit his style of writing.  The key to writing a good paper is to literally write something down on the paper itself.  That does not necessarily mean to start with the introduction.  You can begin writing your paper almost anywhere in the body and build your argument based on what you have written down on paper, whether it be in the middle or even at the end.  The key is to actually have something written down on paper to get your ideas flowing and momentum going.  Writing a good paper requires sacrificing a huge amount of time and energy.  Even the greatest writers experience the occasional writer's block and become fatigued.  Writing is an exercise of the brain; occasionally, it will become very strenuous and exhausting.  To avoid numerous writer's blocks, the best thing is to take intermediate breaks during the process to allow the brain to recuperate and regather your ideas and opinions.  Taking a break every now and then will help rekindle some of that fire of enthusiasm that may be lacking from this long, ongoing process.