Writing the Paper

A thesis is little more than a glorified research paper, and it even resembles the classic five-hundred word essay. It starts with an introduction, contains several sections, and then ends with a conclusion.

The key to not becoming overwhelmed is to treat every section, or chapter, as a research paper in its own right. So instead of writing, say, a single 75-page paper, you might think in terms of writing three 25-page papers. Since each section requires its own introduction and conclusion, the pages can mount up quickly. Soon length will no longer be an issue. You might even be struggling to keep it down.

There are many Web sites that can help you with the writing process. Here are just a few:

The Research Paper (Purdue University): The OWL will help you formulate your outline, drafts, etc. It also has tips for overcoming writer's block and procrastination, as well as ways to get your creativity flowing.
Writing Center (Researchpaper.com): This is a commercial site, but it has good tips on grammar, sentence construction, and avoiding sexist language. If you have trouble with identifying comma splices, you might want to take a look.
The Writer's Toolbox (Pellissippi State): More Grammar and Usage
The Elements of Style: The public domain version of the Strunk classic. Some of the examples seem archaic (e.g. the use of "would" vs. "should"), but this book is still the best introduction to good style. Strunk emphasizes efficient language and the avoidance of the passive voice. The Elements of Style is still in print and still incredibly useful.

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This page created by Christopher Ryland 25 August 2000. Last updated 25 August 2000.