Style is a series of choices-words, sentence length and structure, figures of speech, punctuation, and so on. As you begin to draft your paper, it’s time to consider your writing style.Ī writer’s style is his or her distinctive way of writing. Drafting at this stage allows you to see what additional information you need so you can fill it in. If you are using a computer, choose and set up your margin widths, type size and style, and spacing before writing.Įven if you haven’t finished all your research, when you have completed most of your note cards and your outline, it’s time to start writing. Where should your page numbers appear? The standard position for page numbering is the upper right corner of each page.Should your bibliography list your sources in alphabetical order by last name of author? That is standard.Should your bibliography (a list of your sources) appear on a separate page at the end of your report? That is standard.Should you include a separate title page?.How should you position your heading (and should it include information other than name, class, and date)?.Should you include illustrations? Are illustrations optional?.How long should your report be-how many pages or words?.What size should the margins be? Margins of 1″ or 1.25″ on each side are standard.If you are using a computer, what type style (font) and size should you use? (Twelve-point Times or Times New Roman is standard.).If you are typing, should you use single space or double space? For typing, double spacing is standard.If you are handwriting, should you use both sides or only one side of the paper?.If you are handwriting, should you write on every line or every other line?.Should your report be written by hand or typed in a word processing program?.Here are the main formatting issues to consider: If your teacher has specified a format, be sure you have a list of the rules she or he has established-and follow them! If not, you need to decide on questions of format for yourself. Instead, incorporate the information you’ve identified into your own argument making sure to be cognizant of syntax.Many instructors tell their students exactly how their research papers should be formatted-for example, how wide the margins should be, where and how the sources should be listed, and so on. However, do not copy/paste the annotations into your rough draft. Which one of the sources provides the strongest support for your position? Which one offers a counterargument? Which one(s) provide evidence which gives the argument logos credibility? As you hear the conversation in your head, arrange your annotations to begin to visualize the outline for your rough draft. Next, in selecting how to arrange the sources to create a rough draft, imagine the conversation again. It’s still your position – after all, you chose the sources.
Even if you had a working thesis beforehand, it’s okay to revise it at this point to more clearly match the debate being presented by your sources. That response sums up the gist of the argument being discussed and makes clear your position on the topic. Now imagine that your best friend just walked up behind you and asked, “Hey, what are you all discussing?” Your one or two sentence answer is your thesis. The topic about which they are speaking is the information contained in your annotation. Once you have done this, arrange the annotations on a table in front of you and imagine that each source is a person standing before you speaking. If your annotated bibliography is printed on continuous pages, cut the annotations apart making certain to leave the bibliographical information with each annotation. Now that you have located sources that either agree or disagree with your position, it’s time to see how those sources inform your thesis. In this exercise, you are becoming part of the academic discussion, or discourse community, on your chosen topic. Now is the time to break out the scissors. While it may be easy for you to state your position and reasons for your argument, you may find it difficult to incorporate your secondary sources into your own draft and still maintain your own voice. A researched position paper is simply an argumentative essay in which you take a position on a chosen topic and defend it with secondary sources.
Now that you’ve completed your annotated bibliography, you may find yourself struggling with how to begin the rough draft of the researched position paper assignment. 7.7 From Annotated Bibliography to Rough Draft: How to Develop your Position