Read all required source material. If the essay is about a book, read it in advance. If it is about a subject or topic, such as the literary influence of the Enlightenment on modern writers, then research in that area is the first step.
Begin research on a topic or do further research on a novel, poem or author with a simple Internet search. Use information only from sources ending in .org, .gov or .edu. Make note of all sources so they can be cited later.
Write each note on a separate index card. Give each note an organizing topic, such as "background" or "critical theory," and keep like cards together.
Visit the library. University libraries have, in addition to books, online journal databases that are excellent sources for scholarly research material.
Formulate a thesis. A thesis is the guiding principle of the essay. It can be an argument that the paper serves to prove or it can be a statement that the paper elaborates on. Select all remaining notes and ideas to support the thesis.
Make a skeletal outline from the collected index cards. Group all note cards with like subjects and organize them in an order that would make sense if talking about them in conversation. For example, if the topic is an author, start with cards that refer to the author's early life, then cards that deal with her works, then cards that refer to critical theory about her work. The thesis sentence should be at the top.
Transfer the note cards to a word processing document and create a formal outline. Each subject, such as "author's early life," will be a roman numeral in the outline. The notes will become the body of each paragraph. Remember that each note should serve to discuss and argue the point of the thesis statement.
Write an introductory and concluding paragraph. State the thesis in the beginning and restate it at the conclusion.
Using the outline as the skeleton and structure, flesh out the paper with topic sentences for every paragraph and transitions, converting notes to complete sentences.
Proofread the paper. Check for grammar, coherency and the extent that the paper supports the thesis and doesn't stray off topic.
Create a works cited page for all sources used in researching and writing the paper.
Print for submission. Be sure the paper fits all the professor's guidelines. Some require a title page, for example, and some do not.