Write down topics that come to mind. You may have a choice of topics or a topic that an instructor has given you.
Highlight the topic that interests you and that you know the most about. A topic for a documentary paper could be "Gypsy Life in Early 20th Century Europe."
Make an outline. Use phrases for subtopics and supporting details.
Write a thesis statement, one sentence that describes what the paper is about, for example, "The treatment of 20th century European Gypsies created extreme hardships in their lives." Because you have written your outline, you know what the documentary paper is going to contain.
Type in the words of a subtopic into a search engine to find information about it.
Read the information, then fill in the outline. Repeat for each subtopic until the outline is complete.
Write the paper, using the outline as a guide. Use the format specified by your instructor, APA or MLA, for example.
Edit the paper, including punctuation and grammar corrections. Move sections of the paper to make it flow smoothly. Add transition sentences as needed.
Submit the paper in your online course drop box or print it out and give to instructor in class.