Planning the paper
Once you have brainstormed your topic and have a list of concepts, issues and keywords, you need to start asking yourself some questions.
Content
- What information needs to be included?
- What are my main arguments going to be?
Context
- Why am I writing this paper? This will help to determine the scope of the paper, the level to pitch it (this is not a dissertation or a book you are writing) at and its length-quite apart from the word count.
Purpose
- What is the point in me writing this paper? Why is it interesting? Why does this topic deserve to be re-examined or looked at in such detail? The answer to these questions can help you in writing your introduction.
- From what angle am I going to examine the topic? This should also be made explicit in your introduction. You might give a brief overview of your topic and then assert the approach that you will take.
Audience
- Who will read the paper?
- What do they want to learn?
- Why do they need the information?
Answering these questions will give you a sound framework in which to develop a useful search strategy
