Choose a topic of interest to you and one that you can analyze in depth.
Research the topic thoroughly. Use your local or college library to your advantage. Search the library's periodical index to find general books on the subject. Review the bibliographies in each book; search for sources used repeatedly within a particular text and sources found in more than one book. Consult encyclopedias, reference books, newspapers, microfilm and the Internet. Make a list of potential sources. Create bibliography cards for potential references. List the author's name, title of the book, publication date, publisher location, publisher and date of access if the source is online.
Outline the essay with the main points you plan to use in support of your argument. Include a list of examples or subpoints to support each paragraph's point.
Write a rough draft according to the outline. Do not worry about sentence structure or vocabulary as much as content and purpose at this stage.
Edit the rough draft. Be sure the introduction states the argument clearly and presents the thesis accurately. Paragraphs two and three should give a brief history of the argument; paragraphs four through six should delve more deeply into the argument; paragraphs seven and eight should illustrate the consequences of the argument; and the final paragraphs should build toward the conclusion to restate the thesis and main idea of the essay.
Check the essay for accuracy. Read quoted material for proper wording, and ensure that borrowed ideas are cited properly in text as needed.
List all references in a works cited page at the end of the essay. Consult your professor's guidelines for which style is appropriate for citation. The bibliography cards you made earlier will have all the information you need to cite the material.