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Chapter 9: BASIC PAPER LAYOUTS
What are basic section layouts of different
types of papers? ---
Is Structure a First-Draft or Second-Draft
Concern?
Six Examples
of Basic Types of Papers:
Typical College Paper
Paper with Summary, Precis, or Abstract at
Beginning
Science Paper Using IMRaD
Inverted Pyramid of News Writing
History, Literature, or Humanities Flow of Ideas
Professional Proposal
Conclusion: Why So Many
Types & How to Deal with Them?
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Introduction
This chapter discusses whether you should pay
attention before or after your first draft to how the structure or pattern of a
paper must be organized. The chapter then shows you some of the most
common patterns of simple college and professional papers.
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Is Structure a First-Draft or Second-Draft Concern?
Most college papers have a specific structure, form,
plan, or map. For example, most of them have
-
a short introduction--usually of just one paragraph
-
a body of several sections, and
-
a conclusion--usually of just one paragraph.
In addition, the body sections have specific
patterns, too. Usually they have several paragraphs each. And each
body section performs a special function. For example, in a thesis paper,
each body section--usually there are just three or four--gives another major
reason why the thesis argument is true. Other types of papers have other
patterns.
Some types of papers have an even more specific type
of structure. For example, a college lab report uses what is called the
"IMRaD" structure, with four very specific types of body sections called
"Introduction," Methods, Result, and "Discussion." Other types of papers
exist, as well.
Do you start writing with a structure in mind?
The answer usually is "yes"--at least a little. For example, if
the purpose of a paper assigned to you is to write an academic argument using
three reasons why it is true, you do not start with the phrase "Once upon
a time," and then begin writing a fictional (made up) story. You already
know some structures from high school and/or from your reading experiences.
Just how much should you start with a specific
structure in mind? It is wise to know, at least in general, what kind of
paper your instructor or professional supervisor has in mind. Each type of
paper can be very different. Then you can at least start with the right
kinds of questions and have a sense of the direction in which you are headed.
What often works best is to start by identifying the major body sections you
will need, and then filling these in with your rough, first-draft writing.
Then, when it is time to start revising, you can
polish your rough-draft organizational scheme by asking yourself, "Am I in fact
using the organizational body sections exactly in the way the instructor or the
discipline expects? What examples can I see to better emulate the
organizational scheme or map expected in this paper? What style of writing
should be used in these organizational sections?
The following diagrams and their descriptions show
the most typical patterns in beginning and intermediate college writing.
There are all kinds of exceptions, slight variations, and sometimes very
different patterns you will encounter. The most important guidelines of
all are (1) ASK THE INSTRUCTOR and (2) ASK FOR SAMPLES/EXAMPLES. However,
the patterns below will give you good preparation for the great majority of
beginning college-writing courses.
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Six Examples of Basic
Types of Papers
TYPICAL COLLEGE PAPER
|
Title
by
Your Name
Introduction
|
|
Introduction: A paragraph with a sent. |
|
summarizing the main point. A quotation, background, or a
brief summary of the main sub-points or sections may also be
required. |
Underlined Subtitle
|
First of 3-5
body sections,
each with several paragraphs. |
Underlined Subtitle
|
Second
of 3-5 body sections,
each with several paragraphs. |
Underlined Subtitle
|
Third
of 3-5 body sections,
each with several paragraphs, et al. |
Conclusion
|
|
Conclusion:
A paragraph with a sent. |
|
summarizing the main point or result. A final quotation,
brief summary of the main sub-points or sects., or future results
may also be required. |
|
|
College Paper
The typical general college paper has a 1-
parag. intro, 3-5 body sections (each with several parags.), and a
1-parag. conclusion. Often, this type of paper is an analysis or a thesis
argument. If an analysis, each body section is one more
interpretative point. If a thesis, each section is a main reason why
your argument is true.
Re subtitles, consult each instructor about
what to do. Use differs among disciplines and even among individual
instructors. Note that some disciplines--like sociology do not allow a
introduction subtitle.
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COLLEGE PAPER WITH A
SUMMARY, PRÉCIS, OR ABSTRACT
NEAR THE BEGINNING
|
Title
by
Your Name
Introduction
|
|
Introduction: A paragraph with a sent. |
|
summarizing the main point. A quotation, background, or a
brief summary of the main sub-points or sections may also be
required. |
Summary, Précis, or Abstract
|
A summary: This
summary may be of what you read, of your paper, or of your
findings/results, depending on the discipline and instructor. Ask
your instructor!
|
Underlined Subtitle
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First
of 3-5 body sections,
each with several paragraphs.
|
Underlined Subtitle
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Second
of 3-5 body sections,
each with several paragraphs, et al.
|
Underlined Subtitle
|
Third
of 3-5 body sections,
each with several paragraphs, et al.
|
Conclusion
|
|
Conclusion:
A paragraph with a sent. |
|
summarizing the main point or result. A final quotation,
brief summary of the main sub-points or sects., or future results
may also be required. |
|
|
College Paper
with a Summary Section
In many discipline-oriented courses (i.e.,
those that are introductions to a specific discipline or profession, such
as biology or nursing), you may need a specialized section immediately
after your intro paragraph. This may be called a "Summary," "Précis,"
"Abstract," or something else, depending on the discipline.
Ask your
instructor how to write it, but it is always some type of highly logical,
specifically-ordered summary. In some disciplines, it may be, instead,
part of the introductory paragraph.
|
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BEGINNING SCIENCE PAPER (USING IMRaD)
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Title
by Your Name
|
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Introduction: A brief paragraph with a |
|
sentence
summarizing each of the four IMRaD sections. Sometimes this
introduction is not separate, but rather is at the very beginning
of the "Introduction" section below. |
Introduction
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The issue, needs,
specific problem, and way of addressing it in this experiment or study in
several paragraphs |
Methods/Materials
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Description of the
specific materials and/or methods used to carry out the research in
several paragraphs |
Results
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Description of the
results or finds in several paragraphs |
Discussion
|
Extended discussion
of the results--what they mean, what will or can happen next, what other
experiments might be fruitful, etc. |
Conclusion
|
|
Conclusion:
A brief paragraph summar- |
|
izing
the "Discussion" section, sometimes with a sentence
suggesting future directions. This conclusion may not be
separate but rather a final paragraph in "Discussion"
above. |
|
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Science Paper
The typical beginning science/laboratory paper often uses
the "IMRaD" format:
Introduction,
Methods and/or
Materials,
Results,
and
Discussion.
Its purpose is to show whether data supports
or does not support an idea or
opinion formed into a "hypothesis."
The first section, the "Introduction," is very
different from the brief, one-paragraph intro to the entire paper.
The "Introduction" body section instead provides several paragraphs
of related research or problems, and sometimes many quotations or
paraphrases.
|
For more on IMRaD papers, see the chapter in this
textbook called "IMRaD."
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INVERTED PYRAMID OF NEWS WRITING
|
Title
_________________________________________________
\
/
\
5 W's introductory sentence.
/
\-------------------------------------------/
\
/
\
WHO? /
\
/
\------------------------------------/
\ /
\
WHAT?
/
\
/
\----------------------------/
\
/
\
WHERE? /
\
/
\------------------/
\ /
\
WHEN? /
\
/
\------------/
\ /
\ WHY/
/
\ HOW? /
\ /
\ /
\/
|
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News Article
The most basic form of news writing is the "inverted pyramid" and "5 W's" of journalism. Start with an
introductory sentence briefly summarizing all 5 W's. Then give
information answering the 5 W's questions. Order this information
from most important to least important (hence the "inverted pyramid").
You may use one or more paragraphs to answer each "W" question, or
even as little as a sentence or two. However, you'll likely have
more sentences or paragraphs for the more important W's.
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For more on this type of paper, see the chapter in
this textbook called "News Article."
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HISTORY, LITERATURE, or HUMANITIES PAPER
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Title
by Your Name
|
|
Introduction: A paragraph with a sent. |
|
summarizing the main point. A quotation and/or background
summary may also be required. |
[No extra line space, 1 extra line space,
or subtitle]
|
1st
main point in one or several paragraphs
|
[No extra line space, 1 extra line space,
or subtitle]
|
2nd
main point in one or several paragraphs
|
[No extra line space, 1 extra line space,
or subtitle]
|
3rd
main point in one or several paragraphs
|
[No extra line space, 1 extra line space,
or subtitle]
|
4th
main point in one or several paragraphs
|
[No extra line space, 1 extra line space,
or subtitle]
|
|
Conclusion:
A paragraph with a sent. |
|
summarizing the main point or result. A final quotation,
brief summary of the main sub-points or sects., or future results
may also be required. |
|
|
History/Liberal
Arts
Papers
The typical college history paper--and
sometimes those in other liberal arts--is sometimes a series of points
with little or no division into separate body sections. Often, an extra
line space between major sections (if any) is allowable, even helpful. But some
liberal arts instructors frown on subtitles, so always ask each
instructor.
In college, some instructors think their own
way of organizing is the same for others (even if it is not), and so they
just assume you know how to write that way. For this reason, you
might want to show them a sample and ask if its organization is
acceptable.
|
For more on literature papers in particular, see the
section in this textbook called "Writing to Literature."
See also the sections on "Responding to Reading"
and
"Arguing."
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PROFESSIONAL
PROPOSAL
|
Title
by
Your Name
Introduction
|
|
Introduction: Several sentences |
|
providing a
statement of the type of paper, the need or problem, the solution,
and the results |
Problem, Need, or Background
|
Several
paragraphs discussing the need, problem, conflict, or other background |
Solution or Proposal
|
One or several
paragraphs briefly describing the proposed solution or resolution to the
problem |
Plan
|
Several
paragraphs laying out the plan for implementing or reaching the proposed
solution: often includes subsections like Schedule, Budget,
Personnel, et al. |
Results
|
Several
paragraphs laying out the plan for implementing or reaching the proposed
solution: often includes subsections like Schedule, Budget,
Personnel, et al. |
Conclusion
|
|
Conclusion:
A paragraph (or separate |
|
section) with
your credentials for this work, and a summary of the above |
|
|
Proposal
In many business or professional situations,
you must propose something--an idea, action, or project. Though
several types of proposals exist, the most common is to have these four or
five main body sections:
Problem
Solution
Plan
Results
(Credentials)
This format is very efficient and clear in
proposing a change. It is so adaptable that it can exist in as little as a
one-page letter or formal email on the one hand or, on the other hand, a
government document running for several hundred pages in length.
|
For more on this type of paper, see the chapter in
this textbook called "Professional
Proposal."
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Conclusion: Why So Many Types & How to Deal with Them?
Many other types of college and professional papers
exist. Why are there so many? They are created to deal with specific
types of learning, thinking, and acting in specific disciplines, majors, and
professional jobs.
The best way to deal with them is simply to
recognize the following elements in common:
(a) They all have the traditional pattern of
a beginning intro, a middle of body sections, and an ending conclusion.
(b) They all need clear writing that is
organized and styled for a particular audience of readers--those in the
discipline, profession, or public who need to read the documents.
(c) They all need clear paragraphs with clear
transitions.
(d) They all need details to support what
they are saying, whether these details are quotations and paraphrases, facts and
numbers, graphs and charts, anecdotal story examples, or a mix of these.
(e) And they all are either an examination of
a situation (an analysis) or an opinion or decision about it (an argument), or
often both.
The best way to learn them is to start by learning
the main patterns of college writing--analysis and argument--and to write the
types of papers in your required introductory college courses. Above all,
when you are in doubt, ask your instructors for guidelines. And it is
helpful to look at books like this and to Google questions on the Internet about
the structures and styles of papers in specific deadlines (e.g., "How to write a
history paper?"). Once you know how to write for introductory college
courses, then the next step will be to learn to write even better in your chosen
major or discipline. In some majors or disciplines, you will then know how
to write for your profession. In other instances, your first writing
assignments in your future profession may seem very different. But even if
they do, remember that basic patterns do transfer across disciplines and
professions, and you already have learned a lot of basics in college writing.
The only other really important element to remember
is that you must write clearly for your audiences. So, figure out just who
your audiences will be, what they expect, and how you can make your own writings
easy for them to read.
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