How To Write A Research Paper Outline/Essay Outline

How do I Organize my Research Paper?

An outline is the "blueprint" or skeleton of your research paper. It allows you to organize your arguments and thoughts before expounding on them to build a complete paper. Most academic research outlines begin with writing a thesis statement before presenting the main ideas you'd like to discuss in the paper. The points in the outline are likely to change and broaden as you advance with writing your research paper outline. Don’t worry about the outline being too specific in the early stages of your research paper.

What Are The Different Levels of Research Paper Outline?

There are four standard research paper outline levels. The first two levels are broad and more general, while the remaining two are more detailed and specific. The outline presentation in each level combines Roman or Arab numerals, uppercase, and lower case letters, among other numerical.

The formatting method you choose depends on the guidelines provided by your college or professor since there is no universal format. Several factors, including the college, professor recommendation, discipline, and subject, determine students' format when writing an outline.

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• First Level

This level presents information in the most generalized manner. The student or researcher begins by numbering the introduction, the papers' ideas, and finally, the conclusion. The bulky of your research is embedded in the main ideas. The ideas may also be chapters of a text or research paper you're writing, series of dates, methodologies, results, and discussions of a scientific paper. Here is how formatting in this level appear;

1. Introduction
2. Idea 1
3. Idea 2
4. Idea 3
5. Idea 4
6. Conclusion

• Second Level

This outline level contains topics supporting the introduction, main ideas, and conclusion. The main idea is accompanied by at least two sub-topics supporting it in the outline. Formatting in this outline level is slightly specific but more general. It's advisable to end your outline here if you're writing your first draft.

1. Introduction
2. Introduction’s background information
3. Thesis statement
4. Main idea
5. Subpoint supporting the main idea
6. Subpoint supporting the main idea

• Third Level

This level is more sophisticated and detailed because it contains more details. It allows you to split the details further, outlining more details. Use this format after carrying more research about the topic. Most outlines end at this level, unless where the professor has specified. Check the outline format at this level.

1. Introduction
2. Background details
3. Useful history 1
4. More information
5. Thesis statement
6. Clearly stating the thesis statement maintaining subject matter relevance
7. Main Idea
8.  Topic information
9. Brief explanation supporting the information
10. Brief description supporting the data.
11. Topic information
12. Brief explanation supporting the information
13. Brief description supporting the data.

• Fourth Level

This level is the most detailed outline format, containing more information, including quotes, observations and statistical data, and references. The outline contains the most specific information, and it's the highest level outline format.

1. Introduction
2. Background details
3. Useful history 1
4. More information
5. Quote or reference to an external literature source.
6. Thesis statement
7. Clearly stating the thesis statement maintaining subject matter relevance
8. Quote or reference to an external literature source.
9. Main idea
10. Topic information
11. A brief explanation on the topic information

Sample of Student Paper Outline

Kalisha Drye

Outline for Essay One

ENG111-09D7

Outline for Essay One

• Introduction

1. Climate change seems to be getting out by day as its effects continue to cause havoc across the globe.
2. In Frank's article "Reframing climate change as a story of human evolutionary success," and Wickersham et al.'s "The impact of place and legacy framing on climate action: A lifespan approach," the authors use different approaches to explore the process of reframing climate change to enhance survival of human beings.
3. Thesis: It is essential to investigate the problem and effects of climate change and how human beings can reframe it to reverse the situation and positively transform the earth to benefit the present and future generations.

• Main Idea 1

1. The world continues to awake to the realities of climate change as the problem gets worse every year.
2. Frank notes that scientists started raising alarms about climate change about fifty years ago.
3. The increase in global warming, rising sea levels, and flooding proves the impact of climate change.
4. Climate change is a problematic issue.

• Main Idea 2

1. More studies are vital to get insights into the impacts of climate change before advancing reserve strategies.
2. Human beings have limited knowledge of how to engage in the issue of climate change.
3. Legacy motivation can be used when conducting research.
4. The results from the studies will be crucial in reframing climate action.

• Main Idea 3

1. Human activities and population increase are among the factors responsible for climate change.
2. Taking control of climate change calls for consciousness across all ages (Wickersham et al.).
3. An educated population has better insights into their contributions to climate change and how to improve the situation.
4. The collaboration of people in handling the problem will benefit the present and future generations.

• Conclusion

1. Frank shows that humans will live in the glory of taking steps to change the story of climate change, while Wickersham et al. observe that human beings can enact life-long strategies to deal with the effects of climate change.
2. The authors of the articles successfully communicate their perceptions about the role of human beings in handling climate change.
3. Human beings can positively address the issue of climate change if they enact correct reframing strategies.

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