Almost all writers, even those who normally discover what they want to say as they go along, find it necessary to create some sort of outline or plan for a paper of more than 5 pages. Here are some guidelines.

Because research projects begin as an effort to answer a question, it makes sense to structure the paper in a question-answer format, or a problem-solution format. The paper can open with a brief discussion of the section of the text or the experience of reading that confronted you with a question about the text. The introduction can end with a tentative answer—a thesis statement—to that question.

The main body of the research paper is often structured this way: a first section gives an account of the most important answers other scholars have provided to your research question, and an indication of why their answers are not sufficient for you. Then you begin a step-by-step argument that lays out your own answer to the question, comparing and contrasting your own views to those of critics along the way. This section of the paper often has three, four, or five main parts, and since the paper is long, many writers find it useful to include subheadings for each section to clue the reader to the organization of the paper.

The conclusion of the paper returns to your thesis, to discuss why it is the most satisfying solution to the question you posed in your introduction.