The process of writing a research paper must be broken into manageable units while at the same time retaining the recursive characteristic of the writing process. One approach does this by means of a series of assignments that also allow students to accumulate and practice the skills needed to write the final paper. These assignments are (1) directed brainstorming, to choose a topic; (2) the thesis question, to direct research; (3) a retrospective essay, to assimilate information and evaluate progress; (4) a reading report, to summarize, evaluate, and acknowledge source materials; and (5) a research essay, to try out organizational skills on a smaller body of information. The final step for the students is to write the research paper. The results of using this method for approximately three years are that better papers are produced and more positive feedback from students is received. The series of assignments is meant to give a forward direction to such meandering and mistakes, and to recognize their legitimacy in arriving at a well-organized, well-written research paper. (DF)