Planning your draft can save you time during the writing process. The resources below provide strategies for planning your paper in both linear and holistic ways, depending on your learning style.
This template illustrates how you can outline the argument, supporting evidence, and analysis for your paper.
When developing your argument, it’s important to think about how your thesis statement is supported by claims and evidence. A thesis statement is a short statement that introduces the argument of your paper as a whole. A claim is a debatable assertion or position that requires support. Claims build off one another in order to develop an argument over the course of an essay. Generally, every paragraph in your paper should begin with a claim, and each claim should be supported by evidence, the proof that validates your claim. Since each paragraph should have a claim supported by evidence, you can use claims and evidence to outline your paper, paragraph by paragraph. For a visual portrayal of how evidence and claims work together to support a thesis statement, see the image below:
Planning Your Assignment Infographic Transcript
See our sample outline for more information about outlining your paper.
This template helps you develop connections and relationships between different aspects of your research topic.