Research is a process of discovery: your understanding of your topic will become structured in your mind as you learn more about it. But you should not wait until the end of the research process to start thinking about the structure of your paper. From the beginning, you should work with a hypothetical table of contents and you should organize your notecards accordingly.
Remember, your table of contents is a work in process: it will change form during the research process.
You need to form your first hypothetical table of contents for your research paper.
Using roman numerals, write down your best estimate of how your paper will be structured onto one of your notecards. Then organize the dividers in your notecard container accordingly.
Do not list lumps of years for your table of contents; you must title your sections with some sort of generalizing theme.
Example:
The Merchant Class of Brazil
I. Reign of King Pedro II
II. Abolition of Slavery
III. The Rubber Boom
IV. Republic of Brazil
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Posted by Justin Wells : 10/09/2007