You might have heard the same advice you’ve been told time and time again: start with the body of your paper or essay. And while this is a good piece of advice, it can sometimes be hard to come up with an idea that’s worth exploring. To help you get started, we put together this guide on how to write a successful research paper outline.
What is a Research Paper
A research paper is a piece of academic writing that presents a writer’s original research on a topic and analyzes the findings. A good research paper will include a literature review, which is a survey of previous research on the topic, as well as the writer’s own analysis of the data. A successful research paper outline will help you organize your thoughts and focus your research so that you can produce a well-written and cohesive paper.
How to Write a Research Paper
Before you start writing a research paper, it is important to understand what a research paper is and how it should be structured. A research paper is a piece of academic writing that presents an argument or findings from your own research. The structure of a research paper varies depending on the type of paper, but typically includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.
The first step to writing a successful research paper outline is to understand the structure of a research paper. As mentioned above, a research paper typically includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction introduces the topic of the paper and provides background information on the topic. The body of the paper presents the argument or findings from your own research. The conclusion summarizes the main points of the paper and may include recommendations for further research.
Once you understand the basic structure of a research paper, you can begin to create your own outline. When creating your outline, you will need to consider the following:
- The purpose of your paper (e.g., to inform, to persuade)
- The audience for your paper (e.g., academics, laypeople)
- The length of your paper
- The due date for your assignment
- The format for your assignment (e.g., MLA, APA)
After considering these factors, you can begin to develop an outline for your own research paper by following these steps:
1) Choose a working title for your paper that reflects the purpose and audience of your paper.
2) Develop a thesis statement that expresses the main argument or finding of your paper.
3) Write a brief outline of your paper using your working title and thesis statement as a guide.
4) Revise your outline as you conduct additional research and begin to write your paper.
Steps for Writing an Outline for a Research Paper
Assuming you have a research paper assigned to you, or are otherwise motivated to write one, you’ll need to start with an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and structure your paper in a way that makes sense. Here are the steps for writing an outline for a research paper:
1. Choose a topic
2. Do some preliminary research
3. Develop a thesis statement
4. Make a list of main points to be covered in the paper
5. Organize the main points into an outline
6. Write a draft of the paper
7. Edit and revise the paper
How to Start the Research Paper Body?
The body of a research paper is where you present your findings and arguments. To start, each body paragraph should have a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. The rest of the paragraph should provide evidence to support the topic sentence. This evidence can be in the form of quotes from sources, statistics, or other data. Be sure to cite your sources using in-text citations and include a reference list at the end of your paper.
Conclusion
Writing a research paper outline is an important part of the writing process. By creating a good outline, you can ensure that your paper will be well-organized and flow smoothly. A successful research paper outline will help you organize your thoughts, keep track of your progress, and make sure that all of your sources are properly cited. If you’re having trouble getting started on your research paper, or if you’re not sure how to structure it, consider using a template to get started. There are many different templates available online, so you should be able to find one that fits your needs. With a little bit of effort and planning, you’ll be well on your way to writing a successful research paper!
