Topic – Your topic is the central part of your work. It is the part that the rest of the paper will be compared to and judged by, so you should ensure that you take the time to select a very appropriate topic. Often, you will be asked to write in response to a literary work or news piece that you have read. In that situation, ensure that you list the most important points in the work and then write a topic that highlights the ones you intend to focus on. It should not be too broad, but it should still allow room for in-depth discussion.

Thesis – Flowing from the topic, the thesis of your paper is the central argument that you will be making. Ensure that the thesis is one that you can provide analytical arguments and evidence in support of. You should be able to make a persuasive case to show why you came to the conclusions you did at the end of your paper.

Outline – Having a proper outline is key to producing high-quality writing. Not only will it allow you to develop and present your points in a logical and progressive manner, it will make it easy for readers to follow and understand your thesis and the arguments in its support. Stay on topic and avoid going on tangents that add little or nothing to your case.

Draft – At this stage, you should give an overview of the arguments you will be making in the first few paragraphs of the paper. Each subsequent paragraph should then be devoted to putting forward a new argument. Show the evidence and logic of your position in a very clear way, while anticipating any objections and criticisms, and showing why they do not apply.

Conclusion – Your conclusion is a very important part of your critical thinking paper because it is the part that will stick in most people’s minds. Summarize your arguments and the evidence for them very briefly, and make any recommendation for future research and scholarly work. Overall, make sure that the summary as a whole serves as an emphatic restatement of the central argument of your thesis.