Read your course assignment carefully. Determine precisely what the professor wants you to present in the assignment. Ask for clarification if you are uncertain, as college course assignments can often be open to individual interpretation and creative thinking.
Brainstorm ideas for the assignment, including a potential argument or thesis to make and how to defend your position. List potential criticisms and supporting statements until you have a clear idea of how you will approach your chosen topic.
Research and take notes, seeking sources that support your argument. Ensure you are using primary academic sources whenever possible and avoid relying only on Internet references.
Outline your planned paper, focusing on presenting your research and interpretation in a logical fashion. Use your brainstorming and research notes as a guide to organizing the data in support of your argument.
Write the first draft using your outline as a guide. Begin with an introduction to the topic and your argument. Build your thesis through presenting your research, but avoid merely summarizing what you have read. Finish with strong concluding statements.
Revise your draft to strengthen your argument and confirm you have covered all critical information. Ask yourself if the point of your writing is clear to a reader. Remove any extraneous material that does not add to your argument.
Format the bibliography and ensure all sources used in your writing are properly cited in the text. Know what citation standard your professor wants used and follow that format precisely.
Proofread your writing a final time before submission. Check for proper grammar and spelling and confirm all citation notes are correct. Read your writing aloud to evaluate the flow of your wording and to listen for errors.