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Published on: Dec 25, 2019
Last updated on: Jan 20, 2023
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Are you struggling to come up with a topic or an outline for your paper?
Quest for some guidance?
A research paper outline is a document that guides you through the process of developing your research paper. It will help you organize the structure and content of your work and provide an overview of what's expected.
With this guide, you'll be able to create an outline of a research proposal that will impress both teachers and anyone reading it!
Keep on reading this blog to get more information about the steps involved in making a strong research paper outline.
A research paper outline is a roadmap for your future research. The primary purpose of creating a detailed outline is to demonstrate your understanding of the research topic.
Moreover, cohesively organizing your thoughts further helps you to avoid any mistakes in the writing process.
Apart from this, a good outline is the basis of a good research paper that will guide you through the whole process. Furthermore, it also helps you to stay focused. Similarly, whether you are writing an essay or a dissertation, the process of structuring an outline is the same.
All types of writing tasks, such as essay writing or any other academic assignment, involve excellent writing and research skills. Researching assists in completing half of the work, while the other half is about presenting those facts and material.
It, though, gave rise to a critical question as to how to write a perfect research paper outline. Writing a successful research paper requires following a very specific and detailed outline.
Below mentioned are some essential sections to include in your research paper outline. Make sure not to miss any of these while working on your paper. Also, use roman numerals for the sub-sections.
Let's have a look at the detailed description of these points.
1. Title Page
The first page of your research paper is the title page. It contains all vital information about your work, including the author’s name, institution’s name, publisher, and the title of your paper.
There are different formatting styles used to structure the title page, i.e., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. Moreover, all the details should be centralized in 12 pt—Times New Roman format.
2. Abstract
An abstract is a brief executive summary of your research paper. It explains the main idea regarding the topic, methodology, participants, and the outcomes in the shortest possible way. A solid abstract connects the background information with the main research topic.
Furthermore, this section comes right after the title page and consists of one paragraph of about 150 to 200 words.
3. Introduction
It is the central part of your research paper that introduces the topic and problem statement in detail. It also includes the definition of the main terms used in work.
A strong introduction is a key to an impressive research paper. It uses an interesting, compelling hook to catch the reader’s attention. Moreover, it states the strong thesis statement that identifies the true essence of your research paper. The thesis statement is brief and specific to the research topic and clearly presents the hypothesis.
While you start writing the introduction, make sure you answer the following questions:
4. Literature Review
A literature review is the primary requirement of any thesis or research paper. It is a collection of academic sources relevant to your research work. Moreover, this part provides a comprehensive overview of the work done and by whom.
By keeping in mind, the following aspects can help you to write a strong literature review:
5. Significance of the Research
The significance of the research is an essential point while writing an outline. It discusses the major points regarding:
Overall it tells the reader about the importance of your research along with its potential benefits.
6. Research Methodology
The methodology will give an organized plan for the research. It is a process that identifies all the approaches you will use to collect your data. Moreover, it may include primary and secondary methods such as online publications, interviews, surveys, observation, etc. Select a methodology and explain why and how it helps to achieve the research goals.
7. Limitations of the Research
The limitations are the flaws and shortcomings that you faced during your research process. It could be the unavailability of relevant data, time constraints, limited sample size, or lack of financial resources.
Hence, mentioning your research study limitations represents honesty and transparency. It also demonstrates that you have a detailed understanding of the subject.
8. Findings and Analysis
This section presents the overall findings of your research. Try to be more precise and structured during the interpretation of your results. Tell the audience about the outcomes and your contribution to the subject area by using tables and graphs. Also, mention the drawbacks and advantages of the work, if any.
9. Conclusion
The conclusion is the final part of your research work. It summarizes the entire work by mentioning the main points and research findings. Furthermore, it should formulate the prospects for future research. However, do not add any new information that gives a place for an open discussion on new ideas.
Lastly, support your thesis statement and indicate how your research findings were based on your hypothesis. It will have a strong impact on the reader’s mind.
10. Referencing
It is the most important section to include, without which your research work is incomplete. In addition, it acknowledges all the sources that you have used.
Therefore, carefully cite every work that you have included in your paper. Personal communications, online sources, or observations also need to be referenced. Proper citation of the sources should be done to avoid any plagiarism.
We have also added some research paper outline format samples to help you understand better.
The process mentioned above made it quite clear to write an effective research paper outline. However, it may seem to be a challenging task for some people. In case you need any help with your research papers, we are here for you.
FreeEssayWriter.net is one of the top-ranked online academic writing services. Our essay writer can help you get better academic grades at affordable rates. Moreover, our experienced writers produce 100% original and plagiarism-free content.
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WRITTEN BY
Jared P. (Law, Education)
Jared P. is a renowned author and writing service provider with over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry. He has a Ph.D. degree in English Literature and has spent his entire career helping students achieve their academic goals by providing expert writing assistance.
Jared P. is a renowned author and writing service provider with over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry. He has a Ph.D. degree in English Literature and has spent his entire career helping students achieve their academic goals by providing expert writing assistance.
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