To write a good research paper, you need the right materials. In this lesson, you'll learn what to have at your fingertips so that you'll save valuable time throughout the research process. | LESSON 11 Writing a First Draft LESSON SUMMARY This lesson will discuss the different methods you can use for getting your ideas and thoughts down onto paper. It will also teach you some handy tricks for linking all the material and sentences you have already copied from your note cards and for using that information to form a first draft. Don t be worried about writing This process will help you break down your paper into easy manageable sections. It s important that when you begin to write anything whether it is a research paper poem or even a recipe that you allow yourself the ease and freedom to brainstorm ideas. In other words get all your thoughts down on paper even if they don t seem to make sense right away or don t sound like perfect sentences. At this stage when you first start to write it s best not to edit yourself or criticize your writing. You can always fine tune review and edit your work later. In the beginning just write. The more you give yourself permission to write the easier it will be to let your ideas flow. One of the easiest ways to get started writing your first draft is simply to link your note cards which you already have arranged in specific order. How do you string them together and combine diverse thoughts and pieces of information that might not be related It s easy. Work on one section at a time. Remember you already have your thesis statement and a sample introduction so you can already begin working on Section 1. 57 WRITING A FIRST DRAFT Remember that you will need to cite all the sources you have used therefore as you write it s important to note each piece of information that will need to be credited to an outside source. In Lesson 18 you will learn how to cite your sources using footnotes endnotes or parenthetical citations. Decide which method of citation you will be using before you begin to write your paper. If you are using footnotes or endnotes insert your footnote numbers as you write. You don t need to write out a .
