You began gathering material from library, Internet, and field sources with a question in mind. By now, if your research has been thorough and fruitful, you know your answer. This answer, once it is refined into a clear and direct statement, will most likely serve as your paper’s thesis. Working with that thesis in mind, you can organize your ideas and evidence into an outline.

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Refine Your Thesis. Your thesis clearly, precisely states the point you want to make. It helps you decide what to say and how to say it. When it is clear to your readers, it prepares them for your scope and general message.

If you’ve used a working thesis to guide your research, sharpen and refine it before drafting, even if you change it later. Explicitly stating it in your opening is only one option. Sometimes you can craft your opening so that readers know exactly what your thesis is even though you only imply it. (Check this option with your instructor if you’re unsure about it.) Make your thesis precise and concrete; don’t claim more than you can show. If your paper is argumentative—you take a stand, propose a solution, or evaluate something—make your stand, solution, or appraisal clear.

Organize Your Ideas. It isn’t enough for your paper to describe your research steps or to string data together in chronological order. Instead, you need to report the significance of what you found out. If you began with a clear research question, select and organize your evidence to answer it. But don’t be afraid to reorganize around a new question.

If your material resists taking shape, arrange your source notes or archive in an order that makes sense. This new order then becomes a plan to follow as you write. Or write out an informal or a formal outline, perhaps using your software’s outline tool. If you lack source notes for a certain section, reconsider your plan or seek other sources to fill the gap.

Interpret Your Sources. On their own, your source notes are only pieces of information. They need your interpretation to transform them into effective evidence. What does each mean in the context of your thesis? Is it strong enough to bear the weight of your claim? Do you need more evidence to shore up an interesting but ambiguous fact? Keep your sources in their supporting role and your voice in the lead. Alternate statements and support to sustain this balance.

Leave Out Unnecessary Information. Once you’ve recorded a source note, you may be tempted to include it in your paper at all costs. Resist. Include only material that answers your research question and supports your thesis. When material does fit, consider how to incorporate it effectively and ethically.