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or help show why your thesis is the best answer to the research question. This research will take on a more narrow focus though, to find material to fill gaps, to answer questions you still have about the topic or supporting evidence, to find ways to answer those who have written on the topic but taken a different position than yours.

Continue this process of revising, refining your thesis, researching to fill gaps while answering your lists of questions until you feel that the paper really says something that you have learned in this process, and that it communicates it well enough so that someone who has not done the research (or even thought of the question) would understand and be interested. At the same time, keep the interest of those who have thought of the question or done the research (such as your college professor).

Only now, write the introduction and conclusion. Often the last paragraph of your draft will, surprising as it may seem, provide a good introductory paragraph. We tend to sum up nicely what we've just said, and this summary, with a little revision, often makes an even better introduction. Invite the reader into the topic and show why it is interesting or important with the introduction. With the conclusion, leave the reader satisfied that reading this paper provided useful and thoughtful ideas and that the paper is complete. Many speak of "releasing" the reader.

Carefully re-read your draft. Revise as you re-read, making it as clear as possible. Now, if your roommate is also writing a one-night paper, you might exchange papers and give each other's draft a good reading. Having outside eyes look at your paper helps, but it helps just as much or more to take a break from your own and read something else with critical eyes. When you come back to your paper, you will see it differently. That's what the word "re-vision" means, to see it again, meaning differently.

Use the grammar checker and spell checker on your computer, but make sure that you choose the right correction for your situation. Both grammar and spell checkers suggest solutions, but the first one is often not what you meant. Check your paragraphs to make sure they have a topic, don't go on too long, and make sense.

Finally, make sure that all information from other sources is properly cited using the appropriate citation style. Remember that citation styles are an arbitrary system, so check the rules carefully in an appropriate handbook. Luckily for you, most citation systems are online, so you can check at 4 am!

If you have time, try to get some sleep and read through the paper one last time after you've rested and before printing. You might find a few mistakes that escaped your sleep-deprived mind. If you have even more time, check to see if your school has a writing tutor available (allow at least half a day before the paper is due, although one day is better).

Well, that will get you a one-night paper. Next time, consider starting earlier. However, you will still find the same process and organizational tools, especially TRIAC, very useful.

Learn more about this author, Michael Deqel.
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