Research the topic. Visit your local library or school library and consult encyclopedias and other credible references such as journals. Explore outside sources referenced in your research and consult the works of referenced authors mentioned within the text. Create bibliography cards based on the information you plan to use. Record the information by author name, title of book or publication, title of article, publisher, publisher location and published date.
Write a tentative thesis based on your research and outline the paper. Present the outline with main ideas and a series of main points and supporting points for each. For instance:
I. Main Point
A. Supporting Point
B. Supporting Point
C. Supporting Point
Write a rough draft according to the outline. Cite sources in text according to the permitted style of the paper. Research papers in the humanities are written in Modern Language Association (MLA) style, while papers in the social sciences are written according to American Psychological Association (APA) style.
Edit the paper for consistency and flow. Arrange ideas according to similarity to ensure that the paper flows smoothly. Edit vague language and awkward sentence structure. Ensure that the subjects and verbs agree in all sentences. If the subject is singular, then the verb must be singular as well.
Finalize the draft. Type the paper in a word processor formatted according to the particular style found in your paper's guidelines. Academic essays are typically written in 12-point font and are double-spaced.
Write the works-cited list in the appropriate style. Consult the bibliography cards you made earlier for the correct information to cite.