Choose a topic for your paper, unless your instructor has given you a specific one. The more choices you have regarding your topic, the more difficult your paper will be to write. For instance, if you are taking an intro to Sociology course, you might get to choose a wide variety of human activities to write your paper on, because Sociology is the study of human social action. For example, say that you choose "Media and Crime in American Society." That phrase will then become your topic and "working title." It will guide your research and keep you focused. You will decide your final title after you finish the paper.
Decide on a "working thesis." To refer to the previous example, ask yourself what exactly is your claim regarding the relationship between media and crime in America? You have heard people say that violent media makes people more violent, but if your own experience does not agree with that premise, your working thesis might be something like, "Violence and crime in media do not make people who watch them more violent or criminal." Now that you have a topic and a working thesis, it is time to get to work.
Write your introduction to tell the reader what is important about the topic, state your thesis and provide a brief description of your conclusions in one to two paragraphs. Here you are establishing your claim about your topic. The introduction is not the place to put evidence. Instead, briefly describe why you believe the topic is important, your personal experience of the topic and your thesis or claim.
Compose the body of your paper. The bulk of your argument goes here: a review of articles on your topic that will include evidence to support your thesis, opposing views and a refutation of that opposition. The body can be as short as a few paragraphs or as long as hundreds of pages.
Use reliable sources to make your argument. Use only sources from .edu, .gov and .org websites, major newspaper sites and magazine sites, or sources from an academic database when compiling your research. Google scholar is the easiest academic search engine to use, but your school or public library will offer access to others; ask your librarian how to use them. You may find that some sources are only available in printed form. Ask the reference librarian for help finding them. Consider using movies and personal interviews as evidence in your paper to add zest and make your paper stand out. Remember that if your instructor requires a minimum of three sources, it is a good idea to use four or five.
Write your conclusion to include a brief overview of the evidence both defending your position, restating your thesis having been proven by the research, and concluding remarks suggesting consequences of what you have learned. In writing your conclusion, you may find that your evidence has changed how you think about your topic. If so, go back to the introduction and modify your thesis statement to reflect this change. Also, this is the time to look back at your title. Remember, your title is the first thing the reader sees. It should "hook" the reader and make her want to read the paper.