How to Write the First Draft of your Research paper

Name: ____________________________ Date: ____________________________

Step #1:

1. On the blank white paper, number the top write side of the page, 1, 2, 3, and 4 (do not write p.1, p. 2.

2. Follow the format below. Make sure you use ‘Times New Roman when you type it AND remember to
keep it 12 font!!

Running head: LEBANON AND ITS TURMOIL 1

Lebanon and Its Turmoil

This is centered Ghazi Kenaan

on the page
ENL 110 A

Notre Dame University

May 23, 2011

Step #2:

1. Now go to page 2 and write your outline. Follow the format below. Notice that the words ‘Running
head:’ do NOT appear on this page or any other pages!!!

LEBANON AND ITS TURMOIL 2

Outline

Thesis: ________________________________________________________________________________

I. ___________________________________________________________

A. ____________________________________

B. ____________________________________

II. ___________________________________________________________

A. ____________________________________

B. ____________________________________
 Step #3

1. On the 3rd page, in the middle of the top of the page, write the title of your paper. It should be below
the 3 on the upper right hand corner. Then, indent and start writing the introduction of your paper.
Make sure to end your introduction with a thesis. Your thesis will Not include the 3 parts of your
outline. It is not an essay we write in class with only 3 body parts. It is a research paper, so the thesis is a
general statement. In general, you will NOT use note cards in your introduction.

LEBANON AND ITS TURMOIL 3

page #
Lebanon and Its Turmoil
Title
From the beginning of time, the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea has been

Introduction
riddled with chaos and wars. Lebanon, as small as its borders are, has been one of the many

battlegrounds of these wars. ………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………… Lebanon, because of its

Thesis
location, will continue to suffer the politics of its neighbors and its own internal struggles
statement

between the different parties.

2. Put all your notes together for example, IA, IB, IIA, IIB. Once you have put them together, take a
good look at your outline and make sure you want to include all the parts of your outline.

3. Now, look at the IA note cards and decide which one you want to mention first, then second and then
third. Put them in order.

4. Now take the first point on your outline and write a topic sentence which develops the idea.

I. Causes of wars in Lebanon

A. Water
First body
paragraph
B. Fierce neighbors
First of all, throughout history, there have been many reasons which have contributed to the fact

that Lebanon has suffered so many wars. Water is one of the main reasons for wars in Lebanon.

5. Once you are done writing the topic sentence and introducing your A idea, start using your note cards.
Copy the first note card you have and at the end, if the note card has the number 3 in the upper right
hand corner, then write the in-text document for your 3rd source. Then explain the note card in your own
words in 2-3 sentences.

Note card
IA

Lebanon is plentiful in rainwater from the wet winter

 First body
paragraph
continued
First of all, throughout history, there have been many reasons which have contributed to the fact

that Lebanon has suffered so many wars. Water is one of the main reasons for wars in Lebanon. Most

importantly, Lebanon is plentiful in rainwater from the wet winter months (“Lebanon”, 2001). From

December until May, it rains and snows filling the internal mountain streams with pools of water.

Throughout the year, the water accumulates into streams which then flow down the mountain into
My 1st My 2nd sentence
sentence to explain
to explain rivers and lakes feeding the orchards of fruits and vegetables it passes by. That is how it can feed its
the note card
citizens and trade with other countries in the sale of those fruits and vegetables. When surrounding

countries which do not get that same water supply have suffered from food shortage, they have tried to
My 3rd sentence to
steal Lebanon’s water from underwater pipes built under the earth. show how it has lead
to wars

6. Now, take the notes for your second idea and repeat what you did in #5. At the end of your notes,
whether it is a paraphrase or direct quote, you write your in-text documentation and explain the note
card.

7. When you are done, write a conclusion of your own. You should paraphrase the thesis statement and
then elaborate for 4-5 sentences on how you would end this idea. What are your final thoughts? What do
you see for the future of this issue? Do you have any advice to give us?
Step #4:

Last Page:

LEBANON AND ITS TURMOIL 7

References

Ebert, R. (2009, May 6). Wartime in Lebanon. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on September 23, 2018 from

JSTOR.

International Monetary Fund. (2003). The promised land: Lebanon and its resources. p.175-182.

Retrieved on September 12, 2018 from http:// www.imf.com.

“Lebanon.” (2001) . Los Angeles Times, pp. 3-5. Retrieved on October 4, 2018 from www.latimes.com

Final Note: If you have a direct quote from your note cards, this is how you cite it:

1. If the author is the same person who said what you quoted:

George Alam (2010) claims that, “Lebanon has been the center of conflict since 1634”.

2. If the author is different from the person you quoted, this is how you cite it:

Kim Kardahan claims that “Lebanon will continue to attract international attention for years to come
because of its strategic location” (Alam, 2010).