How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example
A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process, providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized.
A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to:
- Organize your thoughts
- Understand the flow of information and how ideas are related
- Ensure nothing is forgotten
A research paper outline can also give your teacher an early idea of the final product.
Research paper outline example
Research paper outlines can consist only of notes or be extremely detailed. Your teacher might provide guidance as to the kind of outline they wish to see; if not, choose what works best for you.
How to write a research paper outline
Follow these steps to start your research paper outline:
- Decide on the subject of the paper
- Write down all the ideas you want to include or discuss
- Organize related ideas into sub-groups
- Arrange your ideas into a hierarchy: What should the reader learn first? What is most important? Which idea will help end your paper most effectively?
- Create effective headings and subheadings
- Format the outline in either alphanumeric, full-sentence or decimal format
Formatting your research paper outline
There are three different kinds of research paper outline: alphanumeric, full-sentence and decimal outlines. The differences relate to formatting and style of writing.
An alphanumeric outline is most commonly used. It uses Roman numerals, capitalized letters, arabic numerals, lowercase letters to organize the flow of information. Text is written with short notes rather than full sentences.
Example:
- BODY PARAGRAPH 1
- First point
- Sub-point
- Sub-point of sub-point 1
- Sub-point
- First point
Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points.
Example:
- First body paragraph of the research paper
- First point of evidence to support the main argument
- Sub-point discussing evidence outlined in point A
- Additional sub-point to conclude discussion of point of evidence introduced in point A
- Sub-point discussing evidence outlined in point A
- First point of evidence to support the main argument
A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences.
Example:
- 1 Body paragraph one
- 1.1 First point
- 1.1.1 Sub-point of first point
- 1.1.2 Sub-point of first point
- 1.2 Second point
- 1.1 First point
Language in research paper outlines
To write an effective research paper outline, it is important to pay attention to language. This is especially important if it is one you will show to your teacher or be assessed on.
There are four main considerations: parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.
Parallelism: Be consistent with grammatical form
Parallel structure or parallelism is the repetition of a particular grammatical form within a sentence, or in this case, between points and sub-points. This simply means that if the first point is a verb, the sub-point should also be a verb.
Example of parallelism:
- Introduce the immunization debate, addressing two sides: why immunization is recommended and why there are groups questioning it
- Include different regions, focusing on the different arguments from those against immunization
Coordination: Be aware of each point’s weight
Your chosen subheadings should hold the same significance as each other, as should all first sub-points, secondary sub-points, and so on.
Example of coordination:
- Introduce outbreaks in USA, Australia, Thailand
- Include immunization figures in affected regions
- Outline dangers presented by measles as linked to other diseases
- Illnesses that can result from the measles virus
Subordination: Work from general to specific
Subordination refers to the separation of general points from specific. Your main headings should be quite general, and each level of sub-point should become more specific.
Example of subordination:
- V. MEASLES AND OTHER DISEASES
- Outline dangers presented by measles as linked to other diseases
- Illnesses that can result from the measles virus
- Fatal cases of other illnesses after patient contracted measles
- Outline dangers presented by measles as linked to other diseases
Division: Break information into sub-points
Your headings should be divided into two or more subsections. There is no limit to how many subsections you can include under each heading, but keep in mind that the information will be structured into a paragraph during the writing stage, so you should not go overboard with the number of sub-points.
Ready to start writing or looking for guidance on a different step in the process? Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper.
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleGahan, C. (September 1, 2022). How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example. Scribbr. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/outline/
