Anatomy of a College Paper

Blinn College – Bryan Writing Center

Spring 2023

In the same way that one human body has pretty much the same parts as another, depending on the

gender, every well-written college paper predictably has the same components. These are the

introduction, the thesis statement, the body paragraphs, the conclusion, and the citations and works

cited. Students might consider these parts the “skeleton” of a college paper. There might be other

components in a paper, depending upon the requirements of the assignment, but these are the basics.

The structure for college papers outlined below is the one typically used for argument papers of various

kinds. Different types of arguments can include persuasive, rhetorical, pro/con, compare/contrast,

evidential, proposal, and definitional, among others. Students can expect to write these types of papers

throughout their college careers.

1. The introduction of a paper typically includes three parts: hook, background, and the thesis

statement. An effective introduction “sets up” the paper and lets readers know what to expect. It

also states the claim the student writer is making and describes the evidence he or she plans to use

to prove the claim. It can be helpful for a student to write a rough draft of the introduction before

writing the rest of the paper. Then, once he or she has completed the entire paper, he or she can go

back and rewrite the intro to make sure it actually reflects the contents of the paper.

2. A thesis is the answer to a research question. It helps familiarize the reader with the paper’s outline

and main ideas. A thesis statement basically includes the following components (in any order):

[topic + claim + evidence]. It typically appears at the end of the introduction and can be one or two

sentences long. A well-constructed thesis statement can actually make it easier to research and

write a college paper.

3. A college research paper will have a minimum of two body paragraphs, usually more. A body

paragraph makes a point that supports the thesis of the paper. It then provides an illustration—also

known as evidence—to support the point. Finally, the body paragraph must explain the evidence for

the reader, reinforcing the conclusion the student writer wants the audience to make. Some

instructors and professors refer to this formula as P.I.E.: [point + illustration + explanation].

4. A conclusion completes an essay and assures that readers have understood the writer’s purpose

and ideas. A strong conclusion commonly restates the thesis in different words or from a fresh

viewpoint. It also reminds readers of what the student writer wants them to think about, believe, or

act upon. An effective conclusion can summarize the main points of the paper, urge awareness or

action, ask a thought-provoking question, or make a recommendation, among other strategies.

5. Every college paper that uses outside sources must cite where the sources came from through in-

text citations and Works Cited listings. The in-text citations give the specific location of the

information the student is quoting or paraphrasing, while the Works Cited listings reveal the print

publications, online databases, or websites in which the information appears. As an analogy,

imagine that the in-text citation is the street address of a house, while the reference listed in the

Works Cited section is the town in which the house is located.