The Final Stages
The fifth step consists of writing a rough draft. Once you have an outline, you can begin writing your rough draft, which is the first version of your paper. Follow the ideas in your outline, but don't be afraid if your ideas change. Adjust your plan and adapt your research to fit into your final views about the research question.
The sixth step involves revising and editing your rough draft. Once you have a complete rough draft, move onto this step, which may need to be completed along with step five more than once to get everything into focus. To revise means to rework, or alter, the draft, such as rephrasing a sentence or changing an idea. To edit means to correct grammar, spelling, and other mechanical errors, such as using spell check and inserting punctuation, though don't rely exclusively on spellcheck, which may not catch all grammar errors.
The seventh and final step of the research paper is to publish the paper. Publishing simply means to print for or otherwise issue the writing to the public, which in this case, will likely be your teacher and/or fellow classmates. Basically, if you are in school, the published copy is the one you turn in for your final grade. If you're writing for an academic organization, your paper might be published online or in a journal. The final touches and small adjustments to your format are all done in the publishing stage. This is the time to add title pages, visuals, or subtitles. Do a final check on your format, source page, and the presentation notes at this time too.
If you've made it this far, you have one final thing to do: Be proud of what you've accomplished! You've completed a research paper!
