全书共由8个部分组成，外加5个附录和4个学生论文范例。具体介绍如下：
（1）**部分介绍“论文”的概念、内涵及如何做论文。在开始介绍前，作者还提供了本书使用的指南，提示读者如何使用本书。
（2）第二部分具体介绍开始论文写作的方法与步骤：论文写作该从哪里具体入手？作者具体介绍了论文写作的“五步法”：**步做好笔记；第二步确定选题；第三步形成论文写作的初步问题和框架；第四步进一步确定**论题；第五步选择研究战略（研究的具体问题）。在此基础上，*后形成论文的雏形。作者还进一步建议论文写作应事先确定一份时间表以利于论文的完成。
（3）第三部分在第二部分介绍论文确定论点的基础上，具体介绍如何找到论据来为之前确定的论点服务。作者具体介绍了研究者的立场、论据的来源及如何下载和保存使用网络资源等方法。
（4）第四部分在第三部分寻找论据和资源的基础上进一步指导读者如何合理和正确使用找到的各类资源：即要求读者要学会批判性阅读并及时记笔记。
（5）第五部分介绍论文写作的具体过程：包括论文的受众、论文写作由整体到局部写作，以及反复审视你所使用的论据。该部分还具体介绍了几种论文的写作格式，比如学习或实

SECTION 1 What Is a Research Paper?
A.HowtoUseThisGuide
B.Overvicw：What Is a Research Paper？
C.Leaming,Thinking,and Research Papers
1.hc evidence
a.Fads
b.0nkfences
c.Judgments
2.Evaluating the evidence
3.Sources of evidence and types of research projects
D．Summary
SECTION 2 Where Do I Begin?
A．Step 1：The Researcher's Notebook
B.Step2：Deciding on the Research Question／Assumption
That You Are Cioing to Tesf
C．Step 3：Formula．ng Your Research Question／Assumption
D．Step 4：Formulating Your Working Hypothesis／7hesis
1.Strategy 1：Discovering your assumpfions about your area of investigation
2.Strategy2：durning judgmental statements into inferences
3.Strategy3：Deftning your terms
E.Step 5：Choosing Your Research$Wategy-Research Questions
F. A Few More Words about Research Projects and Testing
1． Studies and experiments
2. A review or a review of the literature paper
5. Critica．papers
G．A Research Proposal
H．AFinalNote
L Planning Ahead：Devdoping a Work Schedule
SECTION 3 Finding the Evidence
A. The Researcher's Stanee
B.Sources and Resources
1.soures：Where do I find what I need to know!
2. Authoritative sources
3.Resources
C.The Research Process
1.What to expect and how to manage
2.Bibliographic．filing"systems
3.Searching for potential soUrces
a.Know your database
b.Searches by subject and keyword
C.What．your search will produce
4.Locating print soUrceS
D.Evaluating Online Sources
E.Information to Record about Electronic Sources
F.Sunnary
SECTION 4 Reading Critically and Talking Notes
A. Reading Actively and Critically：An Overview
B. Previewing Your Sources
1.Determining the quality of your sources
2.Deciding what to read first
3．Coping with Read first
C.Reading to Understand what an Author is Doing and Saying
1.Questions to ask about what an author is Doing
2.Questions to ask about what an author is Saying
3.Wrinting to comprehend what you are reading
4.Critiquing your sources
D. Keeping Track of the Evidence:An Overview
E.Creating Files and a Cataloging System
F.Creating a Working Bibiliography
G.Writing Summaries(with a Few Words about Annotated Bibliographies)
H.Recording Specific Pieces of Information
1.Facts or data
2.Specifics about the author's views
3.Dealing with material an author has taken from other sources
I.Summary
SECTION 5 Writing Your Paper
SECTION 6 How to and How Not to Incorporate Your Evidence into Your Papter
SECTION 7 Polishing Your Final Draft
SECTION 8 Documenting Your Sources:The Basics
APPENDIX A The MLA Style
APPENDIX B The CMS Notes & Bibliography Style
APPENDIX C The APA Style
APPENDIX D Scientific Style:The CMS Author-Date Style and Two Systems in the CSE Style
APPENDIX E Interviews
Sample Student Papers