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540-828-8018 Stephanie Gardner
Now that you've conducted your research, developed your argument, and written your historiography, it is time to write the rest of your paper. This might seem like the scariest step but, don't worry - if you worked thoroughly through the last several steps, your paper will pretty much write itself!
The Writing Center is always a good resource if you need specific help with the writing process. You can either meet with a Writing Center tutor or click on the link below to access the resources they provide online.
Before you start writing paragraphs, it is important to make an outline to organize your thoughts and plan your paper. Depending on the subject of your research, you might want to organize your paper in different ways. For instance, if you're writing about continuity or change over time, then a chronological order might suit your paper best. But, if you're writing about something in just one specific period of time, a conceptual approach would make more sense.
In your outline, it is also important to figure out how you are going to integrate your resources. How are you going to introduce them and in what order? Figure out what makes the most sense and creates the best flow from idea to idea.
Now that you have your outline, it is time to start filling in the gaps by writing your paper in paragraph form. Depending on how detailed you made your outline, this step might be pretty easy.
Note: You don't have to write your paper in the order your audience will read it. Writing an introduction can be the hardest part of the writing process for some people, so if that's you, feel free to write your introduction after you've written everything else! You have absolute freedom in the process you want to take to write your paper and remembering that might relieve some of the stress.
If you find yourself struggling with the writing step, a trip to the Writing Center is always beneficial. The tutors can help you at any point of the process; they can help you find how to start, how to wrap everything up, and everything in between! They are here to help!
Congratulations! You've made it to the last step!
Once you've revised and edited your paper, it is important to finalize your bibliography. For the most part, historical research projects will require Chicago Style citations, but make sure to check what your assignment asks for just to be safe.
Navigate the "Citing with Chicago Style" page on this guide for tips on creating your bibliography.