I made my own research paper template for chaotic brains. Want it?

[Gregory]

After years of struggling with standard templates, I made my own. It's weird. It's messy. It works for brains like mine.

Here's the basic structure:

Section 1: The Point (what I'm trying to prove, in one messy paragraph)

Section 2: Why It Matters (who cares and why should they care)

Section 3: What Others Say (literature, but organized by themes, not authors)

Section 4: What I Found (my evidence, woven together with my interpretation)

Section 5: So What? (conclusion, implications, what's next)

Section 6: Stuff I'm Still Confused About (limitations, questions, future directions)

The last section is my favorite. It acknowledges that I don't have all the answers. That research is conversation, not conclusion. Professors actually love this.

I also leave space for random ideas that don't fit yet. A section called "???" at the bottom. Things go there until I figure out where they belong.

If you struggle with standard templates, steal mine. Adapt it. Make it yours. Templates should serve you, not the other way around.

DM me if you want the Google Doc template. Happy to share.

 

[Bedor]

"The Point" in one messy paragraph is such a good starting place. Not a polished thesis. Just... what am I even trying to say? Get it down. Move on.

So many people freeze trying to perfect the thesis before they've written anything. But the thesis isn't the starting line. It's the finish line. You have to write your way to it.

Starting with a messy paragraph lets you move forward. Then you come back later and clean it up. That's not cheating. That's process.

Your template builds that in. Smart.