APA Style may be used to create a website, conference poster, or PowerPoint presentation. The requirements for paper format apply to both student assignments and papers that are submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed publication. III.Consistency in the sequence, structure, and format when writing a research paper encourages readers to concentrate on the substance of a paper rather than the manner in which it is presented. For example, historical quotes, references, and the most specific data and information. The fourth level is only used when further details are needed to describe the research or topic. This is where your research “fills in the blanks.” For example, you might add to your introduction, or revise your main ideas, based on the research you’ve conducted. With the third and fourth levels, you’ll add supporting data and information that’s related to your previously outlined topics. Conclusion (don’t worry about this, at this stage of your outline) Third and Fourth Level Keep in mind, that depending on where your research leads you, your main ideas may even change, which is yet another reason why you won’t want to dig too deeply into your outline until your actual research is completed. Once you have the second level of your outline done, typically you’ll want to stop working on your outline, especially if this is just your first draft.Ĭontinue with your research so that you can add details to the next layers and levels of your outline. If you can’t put that much detail into any of your main ideas, you might want to consider merging it with another main idea. For each main idea, you’ll want at least two to three details. Your main ideas may also read like specific dates for a historical literature review, or even specific methods and results for a scientific-based research paper.Īt this level, we dig into the topics that support each of the ideas in the first level. If you think of your research paper like a book, your main ideas would be like chapters. The main ideas are where, of course, the majority of your information is going to be presented. This is the most basic core of your research paper your introduction, each of your main ideas and your conclusion. Of course, if you’re just using an outline for your own purposes, you can use whatever format that works best for you. Some institutions actually look for a specific outline format, and formatting can also depend on your specific field and topic. Additionally, each layer is usually shown via Roman numerals, along with Arabic numbers, upper and lowercase letters. You’ll likely notice that each layer grows from general to more specific topics.
For additional information, talk with colleagues in your field to review their outlines and how they may have built a research paper that you find useful. In this section, we’ll cover the most basic construction principles. Most research papers have several layers to their construction. Let’s take a look at those layers and stages. So, you build carefully and deliberately, step-by-step, in a way that makes it easy for your ideas to take shape. For example, you wouldn’t put your kitchen counters in a house, without first completing the interior walls and base cabinetry of the home.
Research paper outline how to#
The key to understanding how to write an effective research paper is by comprehending what these different layers are, and in what order you should address them.
We start with general ideas and building a framework, and then we add information and detail as the outline comes into shape. The same is true with your research paper. And, just like a house, there are multiple layers to complete the project. The foundation of this framework is the thesis and main ideas of your research project. It is the framework on which everything else is built upon. When it comes down to it, your research outline is like the frame of a house for your research paper. In this article, we’ll go over the fundamentals of a research paper outline, explaining exactly what it is, and how you can write it, step-by-step. Even so, an outline can be difficult to wrap your head around as well. But, if you start with an outline, the rest of the paper almost completes itself. Getting started with your research paper can sometimes feel a little overwhelming.
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