Analyze the topic that you are going to write about. Think carefully about what your essay will be about, and come up with specific points that will support the argument you are making. Sociology essays are normally based on the theories of a specific sociologist or about a specific sociological perspective. If you are writing about a particular sociologist, spend time researching the history of the writer to help you narrow down your topic. If you need to write about a larger sociological perspective, determine what the most important parts of that work are. Ensure that your topic is not too broad or too narrow so that you will be able to find enough information to support your thesis.
Write a thesis for your essay. The thesis should be a simple statement that summarizes what your paper will be about. The thesis should contain the answer to your question and at least three reasons that support that answer. The thesis for a sociology paper should address the ideas you will be writing about, for example "The theory of structural functionalism, popularized by the early works of Rousseau, has been expanded through the works of Niklas Luhmann, Talcott Parsons, and Herbert Spencer." You will use the thesis statement to develop the rest of your essay plan. Using the thesis statement above, you have three clear topics to write on -- the works of Luhmann, Parsons, and Spencer.
Create your essay plan using five note cards. Write "introduction" on the first, "conclusion" on the last, and one part of your thesis on the remaining three cards. Make notes on each card about what you want to say in the corresponding section. On the back of the note card, write down what research you find that will support this point. Using the sample thesis statement above, you would create note cards titled Luhmann, Parsons, and Spencer. Preferably, write a full citation for each item of research that you will cite in your essay.
Write your essay, using your note cards as a guide to develop and support your argument. As you begin writing, you may find that you need to revise your plan to support your subjects. You may also find that a part of your essay will change, for example, you may decide that you want to highlight the works of Robert Merton instead of Niklas Luhmann. You would then remove the note card with research on Luhmann and replace it with one on the works of Robert Merton, and change your thesis. If you change one part of your essay plan, be sure that all related sections are changed also.