An article contains information on a topic intended for a real publication in a newspaper, magazine, or journal. Authors of such compositions target a more extensive range of audiences, which makes it essential for them to attract the reader’s attention. They may include amusing stories or descriptions in their texts and give opinions, thoughts, and facts on a specific topic. This guideline on how to write an article outlines essential details and critical tips that students must grasp to produce a high-quality, intellectually stimulating text. The guideline begins by defining what an article is, its types, structure, and format, outlining possible topics students can choose from, and a sample outline and example of a written composition as a practical guide on how its content should appear. Moreover, the guideline highlights the technical details of starting and writing an article, following formatting styles students can adopt. In turn, potential writers should avoid making mistakes, including essential tips for producing a high-value document. Reading this guideline is valuable to college students and others who find writing an interesting exercise for social discourse and intellectual development. As a result, writing articles involves selecting an eye-catching title, an informative introduction, detailed body paragraphs, and an ending paragraph that gives the author’s reflection on the topic under discussion.
Reading guidelines on how to write different types of papers is recommendable for college students because it increases knowledge on what to do to produce a high-standard article. Writing is an academic and intellectual exercise because it allows students to apply what they have learned by carefully examining the literature and logically documenting evidence. In this sense, students should not view recommendations for writing various types of essays as an assessment protocol but as an opportunity to develop intellectually. The basis of this guideline is the understanding that academic texts have standards students should demonstrate, such as outline, thesis statement, evidence, citations, and formal language. Therefore, by reading this guideline, students should grasp critical details about how to write an eye-catching article that allows them to apply course content to produce persuasive information.
From a simple definition, an article is a piece of writing in a newspaper, journal, magazine, or website, and its main purpose is to inform, educate, entertain, or engage readers. In this respect, its content can be print or digital, with the digital format having the widest reach because of the ubiquitous Internet and smart devices. The format of article writing includes an engaging title, a compelling introduction with a clear thesis statement, background information, well-developed body paragraphs with evidence and examples, smooth transitions, counterarguments, a conclusion that summarizes key points, and a call to action or suggestions for further reading (Barringham, 2023). Moreover, articles differ from essays, research papers, and reports, which means they disseminate information about political, economic, social, cultural, technological, and legal issues to specific audiences. For example, media houses use their online platforms to publish different texts about contemporary issues of great public concern, including costly healthcare, homelessness, and uncontrolled immigration (Flanagan, 2018). However, college students may write such compositions as an exercise to demonstrate their understanding of key issues. The product must convince the audience why the matter deserves intellectual discourse, such as explaining its causes and implications. Since a good article possesses clarity, engagement, accuracy, coherence, and originality, students should approach their writing with intellectual vigor, assuming that its content is publishable (Saleh, 2014). In terms of pages and words, the length of an article varies by academic complexities and specific requirements from teachers, professors, or publication standards, while general guidelines for each level are:
High School
College
University (Undergraduate)
Master’s
Ph.D.
| Type of Article | Decsription | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| News | Provides factual information about recent events or developments. | To inform readers about current events and news. |
| Feature | Offers in-depth coverage of a specific topic, often with a human-interest angle. | To inform, entertain, and engage readers with detailed stories. |
| Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed) | Expresses the opinion of the writer or publication on a particular issue. | To persuade readers and provoke thought or discussion. |
| Review | Evaluates products, services, books, movies, or other works. | To inform readers about the quality and value of the subject. |
| How-To | Provides step-by-step instructions or recommendations on how to accomplish a task or activity. | To educate and guide readers in completing specific tasks. |
| Research | Presents original research findings and analysis. | To contribute to the academic or scientific community. |
| Profile | Offers an in-depth overview of an individual, organization, or event. | To inform and engage readers by highlighting notable subjects. |
| Criticism | Interprets works under analysis. | To offer critical insights and perspectives over specific works. |
| Blog Post | Informal articles typically published online, covering many topics. | To inform, entertain, or connect with readers in a casual format. |
| Memoir | A personal account focusing on significant life experiences or events. | To inform readers through a structured interview format. |
A typical structure of a good article consists of a captivating title, an engaging introduction, well-organized body paragraphs that explore the main points, and a concise conclusion that wraps up the discussion. Basically, the first structure feature is to select an attractive and informative essay title (Goh & Bourne, 2020). In this case, a good-written piece should have an eye-catching heading. Along these lines, the title of any composition should attract readers’ attention, covering the main theme of its content. In turn, readers should enjoy a particular content by starting to read through the title. Moreover, the title should summarize a key idea of its content or message to readers. Therefore, when writing articles, authors should select a specific title that catches the reader’s attention and summarizes its key message.
The introduction paragraph of an article should provide a clear description of the content. For instance, writers should start by defining the topic clearly, including the choice of writing strategies and styles (Barringham, 2023). Besides, readers should understand the subject and the content of a written composition after reading the introductory paragraph, retaining the reader’s attention. As a result, a good cpomposition should have a clear and detailed opening paragraph. In turn, some examples of starting sentences for beginning an article are:
A well-organized article should have a body that expands the information about the topic. For instance, authors should write several body paragraphs that explain the main issue under analysis (Dhillon, 2022). In this case, body paragraphs should explain the main idea of such a composition in more detail, expounding on its introduction. In turn, people must start each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence since they need to explain a single idea in every section to make their texts clear and relevant. Thus, writing a good article should have clear body paragraphs that include more details on the title and opening paragraph.
The last part of article writing is a conclusion paragraph, which provides a summary of the information discussed in body paragraphs and provides the author’s final thoughts about a specific topic. For example, authors need to summarize the entire text in a single paragraph, restating the main points (Ecarnot et al., 2015). Besides, a good article should have the author’s understanding of the topic. In this case, people should provide their reflections or views on the subject in the closing paragraph. Some conclusion examples may provide recommendations or opinions toward the assigned topic. Therefore, when writing a closing paragraph of an article, it must contain a concise summary and author’s reflection.
| Section | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Engaging and descriptive title | To attract the reader’s attention and indicate the article’s topic |
| Byline | Author’s name and credentials or affiliation | To give credit to the author and provide context about their expertise |
| Introduction | Hook (interesting fact, quote, question, anecdote) | To grab the reader’s attention |
| Thesis statement | To present the main idea or purpose of a composition | |
| Overview of what will be covered | To briefly outline the content of a written piece | |
| Body | Subheadings (used to organize content and guide the reader) | To structure an article logically and make it easy to follow |
| Paragraphs (each focuses on a single point or idea) | To present and support main ideas logically and clearly | |
| Topic sentence (introduces the central idea of the paragraph) | To present a clear main point for each paragraph | |
| Supporting details (evidence, examples, statistics, quotes, explanations) | To provide evidence and details supporting the main idea | |
| Analysis (discusses the significance of evidence) | To explain how the evidence supports the main idea | |
| Transitions (transitional phrases between paragraphs and sections) | To ensure smooth flow and logical progression | |
| Conclusion | Summary of the main points | To recap main ideas provided in the body |
| Restatement of the thesis | To reaffirm the main idea or purpose | |
| Closing thought (call to action, provocative question, prediction) | To leave a lasting impression and provide a strong ending | |
| References/Bibliography | List of all sources used and cited in the appropriate referencing format (APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago/Turabian, etc.) | To acknowledge original sources and provide readers with resources for further reading |
Doing an article aims to inform or educate people about an issue of great concern or implication to a group or society. Such an issue can be political, economic, social, cultural, technological, legal, or environmental. Therefore, students in higher learning institutions must know that course instructions require one to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of issues across the above dimensions through historical, present, and future lenses (Barringham, 2023). The following are possible easy article topics because they require writers to use what they know to investigate the matter so that they can inform readers about its genesis, evolution, and potential:
Heading
Byline
Date
I. Introduction
II. Body
III. Conclusion
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Topic: Mental Health Effects of Internet Addiction
Andrew Thompson, a correspondent with New York Tribune on social issues.
I. Example of an Introduction
The ubiquitous Internet, coupled with a high penetration of smart devices in personal spaces, including homes, has increased young people’s interaction with platforms that trigger Internet addiction. Common platforms include social media and video games. While many people see this interaction as educational, there are growing concerns among psychologists that it is a potential ground for developing mental health problems.
II. Sample of 1st Body Paragraph
One of the effects of prolonged use of social media and video games is addiction, where a person develops a penchant for checking their status every passing minute. In this sense, people affected by Internet addiction always check their smartphones or sleep on their computers most of their idle time and write many messages daily. Psychologists are concerned that Internet addiction is no longer evident when people are idle. Furthermore, there are concerns among educators and parents that young individuals with symptoms of the problem can barely concentrate in class or family events like sharing dinner.
III. Sample of 2nd Body Paragraph
From a psychological perspective, Internet addiction leads to mental health disorders, including low self-esteem, depression, impulsiveness, mood disorders, suicide, and poor writing habits. According to Dr. Margaret Spencer, a psychologist working at the Hemper Medical Group, prolonged Internet use denies people an opportunity to develop critical relations that enhance psychological wellness. Low self-esteem develops in young individuals who are constantly playing video games or hooked on social media platforms because such activities expose them to abusive encounters that leave them vulnerable. Since they lack relationships that can help to deal with such aggression, most victims blame themselves for their awful experiences. Evidence of low self-esteem includes a lack of confidence in communication and a constant feeling of inadequacy.
IV. Sample of 3rd Body Paragraph
According to Dr. Spencer, Internet addiction is a powerful instinct that makes many vulnerable to severe psychological effects. Unlike moderate use of social media sites, addiction to them is dangerous because it becomes where people find solutions to their problems. For example, someone who does not like a bodily feature like the color of their eyes may seek the opinion of others in the same social media space. However, most users of these sites are not friendly and see others’ problems as an opportunity for sadism. Therefore, rather than getting help, a person may experience humiliation on social media, and psychologists identify humiliation as a powerful inducer of suicidal thoughts.
V. Sample of 4th Body Paragraph
Indeed, there is overwhelming evidence of how Internet addiction has affected many young people across the United States. Official data indicate that four out of every ten adolescents with a mental disorder present with Internet addiction symptoms. In other words, 40 percent of young individuals with a mental health disorder diagnosis, such as mood disorders, are addicted to the Internet. This statistic is a reason for worry for parents, educators, and mental health professionals because emerging trends indicate youth will continue consuming the Internet at increased rates.
VI. Example of Article’s Conclusion
Internet addiction is a potential and proven mental health disorders risk factor for young individuals. While the penetration of the Internet and the availability of smart devices are good for an enlightened community, they are dangerous without regulation. Parents, educators, and various stakeholders must realize that the young population’s future is at risk if they do not work together to institute measures regulating the youth’s time on the Internet. Arguably, adolescents’ Internet use and online writing are the only space where censorship makes sense.
While academic writing may sound simple, it is a complex process that demands intense intellectual focus and involvement. Moreover, every academic text requires students to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the rules guiding such work (Dhillon, 2022). These rules include choosing a specific topic, developing an outline, finding credible sources, and avoiding grammatical, formatting, and logical flaws. Therefore, to write a good article, writers start with an engaging title and introduction, present a clear thesis statement, provide background information, develop the main points with evidence and examples in the body paragraphs, address counterarguments, use smooth transitions, conclude by summarizing the key points, and include a call to action or suggestions for further reading (Saleh, 2014). These details include preparation, developing the necessary attitude and mindset; stage set-up, making necessary arrangements to write an article; actual writing, producing an initial draft; and wrapping-up, perfecting a final draft. In practice, every technical step involves several tasks that students must accomplish to make their compositions meet standard expectations.
The first task in starting any article is preparation. Ideally, students should define a specific topic under their interest in this stage because it helps to shape their attitude and mindset for the rest of the article’s content. People should select a topic they are familiar with if the instructor has not specified one. The second task is to generate ideas by analyzing documents and brainstorming sessions with colleagues and peers. Students must understand that different topics they choose must align with the course content, meaning they must recognize what they have learned when deciding what to write about (Dhillon, 2022). Moreover, authors should consider the audience because it determines the language used when begining an article. Essentially, those who read such compositions are instructors for assessment purposes and fellow students and others seeking to be knowledgeable in the topical area.
The second step of developing an article is to set the stage. In this case, students should find reliable sources that help to generate ideas about the topic. As stated, reviewing course content and other literature is critical in developing knowledge about the topic. Typically, researching documents online, particularly journal article databases, helps writers to find verifiable information usable in defending arguments or making observations (Goh & Bourne, 2020). When conducting research, people should make notes to sustain a scholarly tone because they must cite the source of the information they use, such as professionals, leaders, and credible organizations. The next task is to create a clear outline for their article comprising four main sections: a heading followed by a byline and date, introduction, body, and conclusion.
The third step of making an article is actual writing, which focuses on producing an initial draft. The writer aims to combine all ideas to create a logical paper without worrying about quality (Saleh, 2014). When organizing any paper, students should assess if the ideas are sufficient. If they are, they should focus on making them logically coherent. However, if they are not, they add more academic sources to generate new ideas, and if they exceed the paper’s length requirement, one should delete some sources. Students may need to alter a simple outline to accommodate the final draft when adding or deleting sources. The most important task for the writer is to create a thesis because it guides the rest of the work. In short, a thesis statement summarizes the author’s aim in writing an article.
Introduction
This part of an article follows the byline and is where authors mention the purpose for crafting this document. Ideally, students begin actual writing by telling readers background information that enables them to understand the composition’s context. In most instances, authors begin by pointing at the evidence and then creating a narrative highlighting the need to address the issue (Ecarnot et al., 2015). While topics are often several words, they focus on one issue, such as homelessness, drug abuse, internet addiction, and its causes or effects. The last part of the paragraph outlines an article’s thesis, where this sentence tells the audience why they should read it.
Body Paragraphs
This section is the most comprehensive part of an article because it is where writers concentrate their energy on telling readers about the issue in the topic. Because it is only possible to exhaust some information in a single paragraph, people use several paragraphs in the body section. Each paragraph addresses a single aspect of the topic without breaking a logical flow of ideas and thoughts (Dhillon, 2022). In this case, addressing the thesis when writing every paragraph is essential in making a local and intellectually solid document. The most important detail that students must demonstrate in organizing article’s body paragraphs is the evidence, mentioning what scholars, credible organizations, and governmental entities say about the issue. Evidence allows authors to demonstrate evidence-based writing, meaning one can use the work as a scholarly text.
Conclusion
This section is the last part of an article, where students need to make final remarks about the topic. Essentially, writers aim to make the audience appreciate the importance of the topic (Saleh, 2014). As such, when writing this part, students should focus on making recommendations, suggesting anticipations, constructing popular views, making appeals, or emphasizing truths to alert the audience about the topic and the relevance of the issue it addresses.
The final step of writing an article is to wrap up the work by perfecting the final document. At this stage, students should read texts themselves and even request their colleagues to do the same to identify mistakes. As such, the first task is to revise a first draft of an entire article to correct grammatical mistakes, missing punctuation, formatting errors, and wrong citations. The next task is to edit a composition to correct logical inconsistencies. Typically, this task involves adding or deleting words and sentences to create a clearer sense for readers. In turn, writers should confirm that the body of an article has topic sentences, evidence used, some explanations, and concluding sentences with transitions to abide by academic writing conventions (Flanagan, 2018). Finally, to format articles properly, authors should incorporate citations to give credit to scholars who provide incredible information to strengthen the intellectual and logical focus of the text.
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While considering technical and structural details above, students should learn how to write an article as quickly as possible. The benefit of finishing a whole text faster is having sufficient time for other activities. More importantly, it helps students to meet deadlines without worrying about quality. Therefore, people should learn 10 tips for writing a great article faster, not losing quality.
Students should create a list of possible topics and continuously populate it throughout the course. When the lecturer issues instructions about writing an article, one would easily choose the topic from the list. However, people should ensure the list aligns with the course to avoid irrelevancy.
Incubating ideas makes generating them easier when beginning to write an article. Students should continuously read course content and research what scholars say about different issues or topics in the course material. Idea incubation allows learners to develop an intellectual perspective necessary to produce a logical discourse. Therefore, when the time to write any text arrives, one can easily know what to tell readers.
When learners receive instructions to write an article, they should begin by choosing a specific topic and editing ideas they have incubated over time. Ideally, one should review each idea and drop those misaligning the main theme. Doing so saves time in completing an article because there would be fewer revisions.
Students need to organize ideas in paragraphs because they may have several ideas that cannot fit in one paragraph. A single idea should inform the content when writing one paragraph. Typically, topic sentences are ideal for introducing ideas in each paragraph. When authors have a clear idea as the basis of what they say in one paragraph, it is easier to find evidence to back up their claims.
Unless the professor instructs otherwise, students should always keep their articles short. However, learners must ensure the body has at least one to two paragraphs to make their work scholarly and intellectually valid. At a minimum, a short article must allow writers to point out two ideas and defend them through scholarly material by other authors. The important thing students should note is that a college essay length is different from its quality.
Distractions are the biggest and most common events that undermine one’s ability to accomplish a task, and they make students lose focus. Therefore, when writing an article, learners should set time to concentrate on their work with minimal distractions. These distractions come in various forms, including unnecessary brainstorming sessions, constant reference to sources, and multitasking.
Because any assignment accompanies other academic tasks and critical personal activities, students must organize their article writing. Basically, writing in time intervals is the most effective approach that helps to avoid distractions. In this case, one can write a college essay introduction in the evening, the body early in the morning of the next day, and the conclusion in the afternoon. While this technique does not translate into finishing an article in one sitting, it ultimately helps students to complete the text in under one hour when taking all the time spent. An advantage of this approach is it helps students to think over their ideas and drop those that do not make logical sense.
Students tend to overthink when the task requires an in-depth demonstration of knowledge. While doing so is ideal for writing an analytical essay, it does not work for articles. The focus of such compositions is to address an issue without complicating details for the audience. As such, writers should only spend a little time thinking about ideas and their implications. The earlier task of idea incubation is vital at this stage because one can identify ideas that align with an article faster. More importantly, it prevents one from second-guessing ideas because they have already validated them.
Sometimes, one does not want to write for various reasons, including mental fatigue. In such instances, students should not force themselves to type words that do not make sense. Instead, they should save what they have already written as a Word document on their computer and return to writing once refreshed and alert. In short, sobriety is critical because it determines if one is vulnerable to distractions.
Because of the list of possible topics and incubated ideas, students may look over good themes, trying to get better ones. While this feature is essential for enthusiasm in writing, it wastes time. Since writers have verified and validated these details over time, they should choose the topic and ideas they come across first to save time. The writer’s focus should not be to write an exciting article but an informative text.
All academic texts must reflect a formatting style out of the five common: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago/Turabian, and IEEE. Therefore, when writing a professional article, students should identify the applicable format the professor often specifies in assignment instructions. Each style is unique because it requires writers to incorporate certain features, even though some aspects have a certain similarity in the format or essay outline of these features.
When using APA style, article writers should pay attention to the essential features and how they should appear. Essentially, citations are in two forms: in-text and references. Writers incorporate the former in the body paragraphs by indicating the author’s surname, the source’s year of publication, and the page or paragraph number. In the References page, students should capture the following details for a book: the author’s surname, first and second names, the source’s publication year, the italicized title in the sentence case, and the publisher.
When writing an article in MLA, one should consider in-text citations and the Works Cited page. All in-text citations should indicate the author’s surname and the page number from where they got the information they are citing. In the Works Cited page, students should indicate the following details for a book: author’s surname, first and second names, the italicized title in the title case, the publisher, and the year of publication.
The Harvard style is similar to APA in some aspects. When using this style, article writers should focus on in-text citations and the Reference List page. In-text citations should capture the author’s surname, the year of publication, and the page or paragraph number. In the References List page, the following information should appear for a book: author’s surname, first and second names, the year of publication, the italicized title in the sentence case, the publisher, and the publisher’s location.
The Chicago/Turabian format has some similarities with MLA. Article writers should consider in-text citations and the Bibliography page when following this format. In-text citations appear as footnotes and capture full details as the Bibliography, the only difference being that the author’s name begins with the first name and ends with the surname in the footnotes. The footnote entry should capture the author’s first, second, and last name, the italicized title in the title case, the publisher’s location, name, date of publication in brackets, and the page from where writers have lifted the information they are citing. The information on the Bibliography page should read as follows for a book: the author’s surname, first and second names, the italicized title in the title case, the publisher’s location, the publisher, and the publication year.
Besides the above common formatting styles, students should familiarize themselves with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) format most applicable to scientific and engineering documents. While the outline of an article does not differ between an IEEE and a paper after the four styles above, citations are not similar. When writing an article as a scientific paper, students should follow the IEEE format, where they number in-text citations in square brackets, capturing all the details as on the References List page. In the end, writers should adopt a numerical and not an alphabetical organization as is in the four formats above.
Blogs are now common platforms, like newspapers and magazines, for discussing political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental issues. Therefore, it is essential for students to know how to write and format blog articles. The major difference between blogs and other platforms is that the language need not be formal (Barringham, 2023). As such, students can be informal and use visuals when writing blog posts but ensure clear and precise communication. While they can use passive voice, they cannot use slang to communicate ideas. Some unique aspects of blog articles include headings and subheadings, extra lines between paragraphs, an abstract to capture attention, and a byline with the author’s credentials (Barringham, 2023). Other features are citations and headings. Instead of in-text citations, as in the other platforms, blogs only need writers to use hyperlinks to indicate the source of information.
Writing an article has four significant parts that include a title, introduction, body, and conclusion. Students start the work by developing the title as an attention-getter, which helps to catch the attention of readers. The first paragraph should give a clear description of the central topic under discussion. In this case, people should understand the content of any composition after reading through the first paragraph. Moreover, the body should provide more details about the theme under discussion, while the last section must include a summary of the content and the author’s opinion on the subject. Based on the preceding sections, article writing is intellectually demanding, and writers should grasp important tips:
Barringham, R. (2023). How to write an article in 15 minutes or less including research, proofreading and editing. Cheriton House Publishing.
Dhillon, P. (2022). How to write a good scientific review article. The FEBS Journal, 289(13), 3592–3602. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16565
Ecarnot, F., Seronde, M.-F., Chopard, R., Schiele, F., & Meneveau, N. (2015). Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners. European Geriatric Medicine, 6(6), 573–579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurger.2015.08.005
Flanagan, K. (2018). Writer’s digest guide to magazine article writing. Writer’s Digest Books.
Goh, H.-H., & Bourne, P. (2020). Ten simple rules for writing scientific op-ed articles. PLOS Computational Biology, 16(9), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008187
Saleh, N. (2014). The complete guide to article writing: How to write successful articles for online and print markets. Writer’s Digest.
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