Trent University
MyTrent
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Graduate Programs
    • Trent Online
    • Summer Courses
    • Continuing Education
    • Study Abroad
    • Academic Calendar
    • Academic Timetable
    • Academic Skills Centre
    • Academic Advising
    • Library
    • Centre for Teaching and Learning
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate
    • Thinking of Applying
    • Already Applied
    • Received an Offer
    • Accepted My Offer
    • Graduate
    • International
    • Indigenous
    • Returning to Trent
    • Transfer
  • Services & Support
    • Academic Advising
    • Academic Skills Centre
    • Administrative Departments
    • Alumni Services
    • Athletics
    • Campus Security
    • Careerspace
    • Colleges
    • Communications
    • Conferences
    • Financial Aid
    • Financial Services
    • Health & Wellness
    • Indigenous Services
    • Information Technology
    • International Students
    • Learning Support
    • Parking
    • Printshop
    • Recruitment
    • Registrar's Office
    • Residence & Housing
    • Student Clubs
    • TrentU Card
  • Research
    • Research at Trent
    • Research Centres
    • Find an Expert
    • Resources
  • Give to Trent
  • About Trent
    • About Trent
    • Careers
    • Giving to Trent
    • Governance
    • How to Find Us
    • Media
    • News & Events
    • President's Office
    • Staff Directory
    • Trent Facts
    • Contact Us
  • Campus Locations
    • Peterborough
    • Durham GTA
    • Online
  • Future Students
    • Undergraduate
    • Thinking of Applying
    • Already Applied
    • Received an Offer
    • Accepted My Offer
    • Graduate
    • International
    • Indigenous
    • Returning to Trent
    • Transfer
  • Current Students
  • The Colleges of Trent
  • Alumni
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Give
  • Peterborough
  • Durham GTA
  • Map
  • Careers
  • Directions
  • Library
  • Site Map
  • Bookstore
Skip to main content Home
  • Peterborough
  • Durham GTA
  • Online
  • MyTrent
MENU
Lady Eaton College building with green trees in the background
Trent University
History
  • Welcome
  • The Experience
  • Community
  • Programs
  • Faculty & Research
  • Contact
  1. Trentu.ca
  2. History
  3. Programs
  4. Undergraduate
  5. History Online Workbook
  6. Research Essay Organization
  7. Organizational Strategies

Organizational Strategies

Organizational Strategies

The approaches described above - description, narration, classification, and evaluation - provide a means of identifying the different sections of your paper, and showing how these sections are related to one another. Using a particular approach to establish the connections between the sections of your essay will make it easier for both you and your reader to predict what comes next and to fit the sections together.

Once you have decided on an approach, you will have sections, but you may need to make a further decision about the effective arrangement of those sections. The way you arrange your ideas will show the reader how the sections you have identified fit together; used effectively, it will allow you to demonstrate your sense of what the reader should see as most important, secondary, or incidental. Common methods for the arrangement of sections include:

  • General to specific
  • Specific to general
  • Climax
  • Increasing Complexity

Research Essay Organization

  • Undergraduate
    • Admissions
    • Program Requirements
    • Undergraduate Course Listing
    • History Online Workbook
      • Acknowledgements
      • Note Taking Strategies
      • Research Strategies: Taking Notes and Organizing Them
      • Creating an effective outline
      • Research Essay Organization
        • Description
        • Narration
        • Classification
        • Evaluation
        • Organizational Strategies
          • General to specific
          • Specific to General
          • Climax
          • Increasing Complexity
      • Writing Strong Paragraphs, Introductions and Conclusions
      • Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting
      • The Importance of Revising Your Paper
      • Footnotes and Bibliographies
      • Grammar Module One: Building Sentences
  • Graduate
Trent University Logo

Trent University respectfully acknowledges it is located on the treaty and traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishnaabeg. We offer our gratitude to First Peoples for their care for, and teachings about, our earth and our relations. May we honour those teachings.

The Campaign For
Momentous
Action Research Leadership Debate Performance Connection Discovery Ideas Places Stewardship Support Possiblity

Peterborough

1600 West Bank Drive
Peterborough, ON Canada, K9L 0G2

Toll Free: 1-855-MY-TRENT

Campus Map

Durham Greater Toronto Area

55 Thornton Road South
Oshawa, ON Canada, L1J 5Y1

Phone: 905-435-5100

Campus Map

Social Media Directory
  • Contact
  • Directions
  • Site Map
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • @ Copyright 2025 Trent University