1. The Research Paper outline
Peter J. Marcotullio

2. Outline of lecture Outline definition and purpose Outline structure
Examples
Assignment

3. Definition and purpose of the outline

4. Definition and purpose
What is an outline?
An outline is the organizational plan for your paper. After you determine your thesis/research question for a start, and know that your destination is a thoughtful conclusion, your outline is the plan to get from one to the other.

5. Definition and purpose
What is the purpose of an outline?
Articulate what you plan to say, presents how you're going to get where you want to go;
Helps you organize your ideas, presents your material in a logical form
Demonstrates how you're going to move from supporting paragraph to supporting paragraph; and,
Shows the relationships among ideas
Defines boundaries and terms

6. Definition and purpose
Outlines change during the process of research, this doesn’t make creating them useless, but rather makes them more important
Re-writing an outline can be an important tool/process that helps you to think through your project

7. Template for the structure of the outline

8. Template for the structure of the outline
Roman Numeral Version
1st Section
1st part of the section
2nd part of the section
1st sub-section of 2nd part
2nd sub-section of 2nd part
1st sub-sub-section of 2nd sub-section of 2nd part
2nd sub-sub-section of 2nd sub-section of 2nd part

9. Template for the structure of the outline
Distinctions between headings by font details (used for titles, although titles are not always necessary)
CAPITAL LETTERS BOLD
Bold
Italicized
Underlined

10. Template for the structure of the outline
Section titles
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW
RESEARCH DESIGN (DATA AND METHODS)
RESULTS, FINDINGS or CASE STUDY
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION

11. Template for the structure of the outline
INTRODUCTION (written after the research is finished - no section or sub-section titles) in three parts
“The grab”
State the problem
Laying out the common understanding of the problem of interest
“Flipping” the common understanding
Introducing the Intellectual Merit of the project; rationale
Outlining the structure of the paper (providing the roadmap for the reader)

12. State the problem
State the common understanding
Flip the common understanding

13. Intellectual Merit
How important is the paper’s information to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields?
To what extent is the research creative, original, or potentially transformative?

14. “The Roadmap”
A paragraph describing the title of each section in the paper
This description can be accompanied by a brief overview of what the reader can expect in each section
This paragraph is the last one in the introduction

15. Template for the structure of the outline
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Sections are based upon the components of the question asked
Each section might introduce a different field of literature or specific area of interest
Sub-section might introduce different debates within the field of interest
Sub-sub sections are for refined points
Create a space to provide your “conceptual model” or your “perspective

16. Template for the structure of the outline
III. RESEARCH DESIGN
Sections in your research design present the major tasks you undertook to complete the research (i.e., how you answered the question you posed);
They may describe the data and where you obtain it
You can also have a section on the specific methods you used to analyze data (statistical, GIS, surveys, etc.)

17. Template for the structure of the outline
IV. RESULTS OR FINDINGS
Sub-sections in your results section present ONLY the research findings or the findings and results of the case study. Results can be presented in tables, pictures, maps and charts, but each table and chart must be explained in the text. Sub-sections can be based upon the different “sets” of findings. Case studies outline the major issues and findings in specific instances;
(note: there is NO discussion of the results in this section)

18. Template for the structure of the outline
V. DISCUSSION
Sub-sections in your discussion are based upon your interpretation of the findings;
You may want to have a sub-section on implications for theory;
You may want to have a sub-section on “policy implications” and/or “recommendations”
You may also want to provide a section on qualifications to your study

19. Template for the structure of the outline
VI. CONCLUSION
Sub-sections in your conclusions are based upon the final points you would like to emphasize for the reader
This section may alternatively be a summary of the paper