outline templates for research papers

Research Paper Outline Template

The most daunting part of writing a research paper is staring at a blank page and wondering where to start. A research paper outline helps you structure all the contents of your paper so you can get started, remain organized, and not leave anything out. Typically, writers create an outline before they write their first draft and after they come up with a thesis and find a research source. This article reviews how to use and format a Research Paper Outline Template to help you write a comprehensive research paper.

A research paper outline is a writing tool that highlights all the topics of a research paper in the order in which they will appear in the final document. The topics are divided into paragraphs and accompanied by additional details, such as research sources and subtopics. Essentially, the outline helps the writer organize their paper so that it makes sense and answers the thesis question. It is a more efficient tool for making structural changes than the first draft because it allows you to cut out unnecessary parts before you even write about them and add those that work for your paper.

What Is a Research Paper Outline Template?

A research paper outline template is a precontrived guideline that helps you create an outline for your paper. It is divided into the necessary sections and paragraphs with enough space for you to fill in the contents of your outline. Simply put, it is a document containing the prerequisite outline format that prevents you from writing your outline from scratch.

Are there Different Types of Research Paper Outlines?

Yes. There are several types of research paper outlines, but the following three are the most popular. Your choice of an outline format will depend on the type of paper you are writing, your writing style, the team you are working with, and more. Here is a look at your options:

• Alphanumeric Outline. The alphanumeric outline format is the most popular research paper outline. It uses Roman numerals to list the topics of a paper, capital letters for the subtopics, Arabic numerals for the points in each subtopic, and lowercase letters for subsequent sections. In this format, the information is presented in short phrases, not complete sentences.
• Decimal Outline. The decimal format is the most comprehensive research paper outline and is more common for long papers with technical aspects. It lists items using numbers with increasing decimal points. Usually, the main topics are whole numbers (1, 2, 1.0, 2.0), while the subtopics contain one decimal point (1.1, 2.1). Subsequent sections have more decimal points (1.1.1 2.1.2). Like in the alphanumeric format, the information is written in phrases or blurbs.
• Full-Sentence Outline. As the name suggests, this format presents information in complete sentences instead of short phrases. It provides a clearer way of sharing information and is more common when a group is writing a paper. In every other way, it is similar to the alphanumeric format.

Why Is Research Paper Outline Necessary?

A research paper outline lays out all the aspects of a paper that you need to explore to prove your thesis. It tells you what ideas you need to brainstorm and develop to reach a conclusion. Consequently, an outline helps you organize your thoughts so you can create the proper research protocols and achieve the intended results of your paper. It connects all your ideas to create a flow of information. This then creates a smooth transition from one point to the next, ensuring you do not leave anything out. Moreover, it helps the reader navigate and understand your research.

Essential Elements of a Research Paper Outline Template

The assignment requirements for your research paper will usually determine its content. However, research paper outlines are organized in the IMRAD format, which means they begin with an introduction followed by Methods, Results, and Discussion. These sections should be preceded by a title page and an abstract, which is a summary of the entire paper. The other sections are:

• Introduction: This brief background statement sets up the paper’s hypothesis and the research’s approach and context. It should contain the problem statement.
• Methods: Also called Experiments or Materials and Methods, this section outlines all the research methods used to write the paper.
• Results: The results part of the outline usually contains statistics and tables that summarize the findings of the research.
• Discussion: Here, the writer puts the research into perspective and supports their hypothesis in one or two paragraphs elaborating how their findings fit in the grand scheme of things.
• Acknowledgments: This is where you mention all the people or sources that helped you write your research paper.

Things to Consider When Outlining a Research Paper

What you include in your research paper outline and how you write it will ultimately depend on several factors. The type of paper you are writing can influence which format you choose. For instance, an outline for every paragraph makes sense if you are writing a formal research paper but might be excessive for a college paper. Here are some factors to consider when outlining your paper:

• The Assignment. What is the assignment? How complex is it? How long should it be? Before you start outlining your paper, you should consider what it requires. A simple research paper will do with a simple outline, while a more advanced thesis may require something more complex, such as the decimal outline format.
• Thesis and Sources. Speaking of the thesis, you should always choose one and find evidential sources for it before creating an outline. The thesis of your paper is basically what the paper is about. You should collect enough data to determine what your paper should say.
• The Topics. Next, you should review your research material and create topics, subtopics, and supporting points that relate to your thesis. Make sure every section is directly related to the thesis and is not tangential.
• The Structure and Sequence. Finally, consider how you want the topics to follow each other. You need to find a sequence that allows you to present your argument and the reader to understand it. If a reader is unfamiliar with a topic, what do they need to know before they move on to the next section?

Final Thoughts

Writing a research paper outline can seem like extra and unnecessary work, but it can save you a lot of time in the long run. The document breaks down all your ideas in their intended order, allowing you to organize your paper properly. But if writing one from scratch seems like a hassle, and it can be, you can always use a Research Paper Outline Template as a guide.

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APA Research Paper Outline: Examples and Template

Table of contents

• 1 Why Is Research Paper Format Necessary?
• 2.1 Purpose of research paper outline
• 2.2 APA outline example
• 3.1 APA paper outline example
• 3.2 Introduction:
• 3.4 Conclusion:
• 4 The Basic APA Outline Format
• 5 APA Style Outline Template Breakdown
• 6.1 APA Research Paper Outline Example
• 6.2 APA Paper Outline Format Example
• 7.1 First Paragraph: Hook and Thesis
• 7.2 Main Body
• 7.3 Conclusion
• 7.4 Decimal APA outline format example
• 7.5 Decimal APA outline format layout
• 8.1 A definite goal
• 8.2 Division
• 8.3 Parallelism
• 8.4 Coordination
• 8.5 Subordination
• 8.6 Avoid Redundancy
• 8.7 Wrap it up in a good way
• 8.8 Conclusion

Formatting your paper in APA can be daunting if this is your first time. The American Psychological Association (APA) offers a guide or rules to follow when conducting projects in the social sciences or writing papers. The standard APA fromat a research paper outline includes a proper layout from the title page to the final reference pages. There are formatting samples to create outlines before writing a paper. Amongst other strategies, creating an outline is the easiest way to APA format outline template.

Why Is Research Paper Format Necessary?

Consistency in the sequence, structure, and format when writing a research paper encourages readers to concentrate on the substance of a paper rather than how it is presented. The requirements for paper format apply to student assignments and papers submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed publication. APA paper outline template style may be used to create a website, conference poster, or PowerPoint presentation . If you plan to use the style for other types of work like a website, conference poster, or even PowerPoint presentation, you must format your work accordingly to adjust to requirements. For example, you may need different line spacing and font sizes. Follow the formatting rules provided by your institution or publication to ensure its formatting standards are followed as closely as possible. However, to logically structure your document, you need a research paper outline in APA format. You may ask: why is it necessary to create an outline for an APA research paper? Crafting a well-organized APA outline is crucial for any research paper. If you’re struggling with this process, consider seeking help from a professional research paper writer , who can guide you through each step.

Concept & Purposes of Research Paper Outline

A path, direction, or action plan! Writing short essays without a layout may seem easy, but not for 10,000 or more words. Yet, confusing a table of contents with an outline is a major issue. The table of contents is an orderly list of all the chapters’ front matter, primary, and back matter. It includes sections and, often, figures in your work, labeled by page number. On the other hand, a research APA-style paper outline is a proper structure to follow.

Purpose of research paper outline

An outline is a formalized essay in which you give your own argument to support your point of view. And when you write your apa outline template, you expand on what you already know about the topic. Academic writing papers examine an area of expertise to get the latest and most accurate information to work on that topic. It serves various purposes, including:

• APA paper outline discusses the study’s core concepts.
• The research paper outlines to define the link between your ideas and the thesis.
• It provides you with manageable portions that you can handle.
• The research paper’s APA outline enables the detection of structural faults or gaps.
• As shown in the example, it must clearly comprehend the subject at hand.

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APA outline example

This research paper outline example will guide you in formatting the layout for a clear direction to work on. It eliminates the inconsistency along with lacking proper substance in the paper.

Understanding the APA Outline Format

It would not be wrong to say there is no standard outline format. The official publishing handbook does not give precise guidelines for preparing an outline. But, it requires certain basic guidelines to follow regarding typeface, font size, structure, margins, etc.

APA paper outline example

Moreover, the final shape of your work relies on your instructor’s specifications and your particular preferences for APA citation format. Though, it would be better to follow some standards for formatting your outline, for instance:

Times New Roman is a widely accessible standard typeface for an APA essay format in 12-point font. However, serif and sans serif fonts like Arial and Georgia are acceptable in font size 11pt.

The text of your paper format should be double-spaced.

The primary headlines use Roman and Arabic numerals to write an outline.

Headings & Subheadings

While writing an APA essay, there are particular standards for utilizing headings in your outline: I – Main headings are numbered by Roman numerals like I, II, III, IV A  – Subheadings are numbered with Capital letters (A, B, C, D) 1  – The APA outline uses Arabic numerals (1-9 type numbers) within those subheadings. a  – Below Arabic number subheadings, lower-case letters are used (a, b, a). [1] – Headings below those subheadings use Arabic numbers enclosed in parenthesis.

APA format offers a standard layout for each paper, such as

• 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, left, and right.
• The page number on the upper right corner.

The structure of writing an outline consists of three major sections:

• Introduction

Introduction:

This section highlights crucial background information.

Explain the primary points that support your ideas.

Conclusion:

• Summarize your key arguments.
• Explain how these concepts support your ultimate stance, as shown in APA outline example below.

An outline in APA has three common formats that vary in the numeric sequence of all. To make it easier for you, we have compiled all three templates. You can format your document using these examples for added coherence and structure.

The Basic APA Outline Format

APA Style Outline Template Breakdown

Numbering the APA style format follows five levels of headings that use different alphabets and numbers. For instance, I – Headings use Roman numerals like I, II, and III. A – CAPITAL ALPHABETS”, such as A, B, C, etc. 1 – Headings and subheadings use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3). a – If there are further headings (the fourth level), use lower-case alphabets. [1] – Headings below that (the fifth level) use Arabic numerals enclosed in parentheses, such as [1], [2], [3].

Full Sentence Outline Format

As the name specifies, the full-sentence style outline format requires every line to be a proper sentence. Full-sentence APA style outline is best recommended for essays and speeches. It gives your writing process an idea or a logical path to follow.

APA Research Paper Outline Example

If you are looking for how to write a research paper outline APA in Full Sentence Format, here is an example:

Full Sentence APA format heading utilizes Roman numerals I, II, and III. Every heading must be a full sentence. Here is an APA style paper outline template for the full-sentence format that will clear all your confusion on how to write an outline in full-sentence format.

APA Paper Outline Format Example

I. Introduction

III. Conclusion

Decimal Outline Format

The decimal outline format for APA research papers differs from other formats. The decimal APA style is simple and uses paragraphs for structure. It contains three main paragraphs, introduction, main body, and conclusion.

First Paragraph: Hook and Thesis

• The first paragraph is a sentence or two that introduces the central concept of your article.
• Introduce your topic or subject of study where your research is applicable as a context for further research.
• Explain why the mentioned issue is essential or relevant to the audience.
• A thesis statement is a claim that you make throughout your whole essay.
• The topic phrase is the first point in any writing to support a thesis statement.
• Give an explanation or provide evidence to support your point.
• Provide verifiable facts, figures, and/or citations from credible sources in your writing. It helps in the substantiating assertion.
• Include as many supporting statements and related evidence in your decimal outline.

Finally, when you write an outline, provide a concluding remark to support your claims.

Decimal APA outline format example

1.0 The main heading 1.1 Subheading under the main heading 1.2 Second digit is represented by subheadings under the main headings 1.2.1 Further division adds another digit in decimal format 1.2.2 You can number them as per the number of paragraphs or points, or lines An easy way to write in decimal APA outline format is to remember the structure, i.e.; 1.1.1 = Heading.Paragraph.Sentence/point under paragraph.”

Decimal APA outline format layout

1.0 Main heading 1.1 First paragraph for first heading. 1.2 Second paragraph for first heading. 1.2.1 First point or sentence for the second paragraph. 2.0 Second heading 2.1 Second heading, first paragraph. 2.2 Second heading, second paragraph. 2.2.1 Second, heading, second paragraph, first sentence, or point. 3.0 Decimal working 3.1 You must remember that each digit represents a segment. 3.2 It is easier to remember the placement of numbers. 3.2.1 First digit represents the heading 3.2.2 Second digit represents the paragraph under the main heading <3.2.3 The third digit represents any point or sentence under the paragraph.

Tips for Writing an Outline: Organize Your Ideas

You may feel it is easier to write without outlines, but once you start writing, organizing your ideas or thoughts becomes hard. Even if you have some fantastic ideas, producing an engaging story is practically hard. If you are not first creating an outline or conceptual guides while writing a research paper, you may lose track. A well-written outline is essential in completing your paper and maintaining quality. Establishing your point in paper writing is easy if you create an outline first. You can find an APA research paper outline template that best suits your requirement. Moreover, these tips can help you polish your writing. These tips and sample papers can help you write outstanding outlines without making any hassle.

A definite goal

For better expression, make a list of primary objectives on a title page in a single phrase or less. Your goal should be specific and measurable. If it is too broad or imprecise, you will not achieve anything. If you are working on a large paper format that covers a variety of themes or topics, you may have a more general purpose in mind. But, if you plan to write an essay, the aim should be as specific and clear as possible to be effective.

Breaking things up rather than allowing them to become verbose is known as the division rule. Make sure that each subsection in the document corresponds to its parent heading. If it doesn’t compare to the section, removing it or moving it to another location is better.

Parallelism

It is mainly related to the consistency and structure of the document. It keeps your paper’s layout tidy and also ensures relevancy. For instance, if you begin one heading with a verb, make sure all other headings and subheadings also start with a verb.

Coordination

Having headings aligned is critical to creating a well-organized outline. This rule also applies to subheadings, which is a good thing. If one title is less important than another, consider changing your layout by incorporating it into a subsection instead.

Subordination

Subordination deals with maintaining a connection between your paper’s headings and subheadings. It helps in the proper sequencing of headings and subheadings. Headings should be broad at the outset. At the same time, the subheadings become more particular as they go further into the document.

Avoid Redundancy

While writing a paper outline, look through it many times and cross out any items that aren’t necessary or have no significance. While outlining, make sure to be specific and concise. It will prevent you from adding information that does not supporting your final essay. Remove all the extra information and points while c that weighs you down while you write.

Wrap it up in a good way

Creating an outline does not only help in writing a coherent term paper, but it also helps in ending with precise understanding. Be considerate of your audience’s time and effort when you write an outline in APA, and ensure it serves its purpose. If you still have any doubts about formatting your paper outline, you can use this APA-style research paper outline template to write your document. We have provided Outline Format Example for every style.

People find it hard to write an outline in APA, but if you are aware of the requirements and structure, it’s no breeze. Sometimes, your instructor may alter your paper format by introducing or removing existing sections. As a result, if you come across any templates for an outline in APA, pay close attention to them. If you are looking for a quick answer to how to outline an APA paper, here’s a standard logical sequence of typical parts to include when writing an outline in APA:

• Thesis statement
• Techniques employed
• Body of paper
• Conclusions section
• List of references

A well-written outline is an excellent tool for presenting an outstanding paper. Including the key components while writing an outline for a research paper is necessary.

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How to Write a Research Paper Outline (with Examples)

Writing a research paper is an essential part of an academic career. However, the task can be quite challenging especially for early career researchers unfamiliar with the nuances of academic research and writing. Creating an impactful research paper demands meticulous attention to detail, an in depth understanding of the topic and research methodology, and the ability to communicate the findings in an accurate and easy to understand way. This is where a research paper outline becomes useful. Writing a research paper can be made simpler and more efficient with a well-organized plan. A well-structured research paper outline offers the fundamental foundation on which researchers can construct their narratives logically, ensuring that the study report is well-presented and interesting for readers.   

Table of Contents

This article takes a look now at the benefits of having a good research paper outline and also provides guidance on creating one.  

4 steps to create a well-structured research paper outline    

List the key components  .

To begin with, researchers must list down the key components that should be included in the research paper outline . Start with identifying your research question. Organize your key ideas and thoughts so that you are able to clearly convey the various aspects of your research question or thesis statement. Create separate points for the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, significance of your research along with its limitations. These sections will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that all relevant information is included in your research manuscript.  

Structure the outline logically  

As you create your outline, make sure that there is logical flow of ideas and arguments. Think through the sequence in which you will present your topic and ideas. Structure the research paper outline in a way that allows a clear and continuous narrative that is easy to understand. For example, the introduction must be concise and engaging and must clearly introduce the research topic. The main paragraphs must focus on the research problem and arguments with supporting evidence. Experts suggest using headings and sub-heads to help organize ideas and data into sub-groups. The concluding section should have a summary of your study’s main points and key takeaways with recommendations for future research.   

Provide supporting evidence  

It is important to provide adequate supporting evidence and examples that underpin your key idea or argument. This helps to fit your study into the larger context of your subject area. It may be a good idea to collect all your data and relevant sources right from the start. Experts suggest providing at last three supporting evidences for each of your main ideas and including appropriate and accurate citations in the research paper outline .  

Review and edit  

Finally, take time to review the outline and make necessary modifications as you come across new data and information. To do so, you must have sufficient knowledge of the existing and current literature on the topic. Make sure that your ideas are in a logical order, and you have not missed out anything from your research notes.  

3 tips to draft a great research paper outline   

• Be concise and clear: Avoid adding unnecessary details to your research paper outline . Try instead, to focus only on the key ideas, information and supporting evidence for your study. Experts suggest avoiding the use of lengthy sentences and recommend the use of short phrases, sub-heads, and bullet points to outline ideas.  
• Stay consistent with formatting: To ensure consistency in formatting, researchers can choose from different kinds of research paper outline templates. The most commonly used ones are:
• The alpha-numerical template where the points are written as short sentences,   
• The full sentence format where whole sentences are written with specific points   
• The decimal format where the main point is presented as a whole number (1, 2) and sub-points are given as decimal points (1.1, 1.2).   
• Seek feedback from supervisors: Once you have completed the outline, it is a good idea to share it with your supervisors and mentors and seek their insights. Their inputs will help ensure that your research paper outline is on track.   

Research paper outline example

Given below is a research paper outline example that you can use as a starting point.

I. Introduction

• Background and context of the research topic
• Problem statement and research question  
• Significance of the study

II. Literature Review

• Overview of relevant literature  
• Discussion of previous research and findings  
• Identification of gaps and areas for further exploration  

III. Methodology 

• Explanation of the research design  
• Description of data collection methods  
• Discussion of data analysis techniques

IV. Results

• Presentation of research findings  
• Data visualization (tables, graphs, charts, etc.)  
• Explanation of key results

V. Discussion

• Interpretation of the results  
• Comparison with existing literature  
• Addressing limitations and implications of the study

VI. Conclusion

• Summary of the research paper  
• Final remarks and suggestions for future research   

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Getting started with your research paper outline

Levels of organization for a research paper outline

First level of organization, second level of organization, third level of organization, fourth level of organization, tips for writing a research paper outline, research paper outline template, my research paper outline is complete: what are the next steps, frequently asked questions about a research paper outline, related articles.

The outline is the skeleton of your research paper. Simply start by writing down your thesis and the main ideas you wish to present. This will likely change as your research progresses; therefore, do not worry about being too specific in the early stages of writing your outline.

A research paper outline typically contains between two and four layers of organization. The first two layers are the most generalized. Each layer thereafter will contain the research you complete and presents more and more detailed information.

The levels are typically represented by a combination of Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, uppercase letters, lowercase letters but may include other symbols. Refer to the guidelines provided by your institution, as formatting is not universal and differs between universities, fields, and subjects. If you are writing the outline for yourself, you may choose any combination you prefer.

This is the most generalized level of information. Begin by numbering the introduction, each idea you will present, and the conclusion. The main ideas contain the bulk of your research paper 's information. Depending on your research, it may be chapters of a book for a literature review , a series of dates for a historical research paper, or the methods and results of a scientific paper.

I. Introduction

II. Main idea

III. Main idea

IV. Main idea

V. Conclusion

The second level consists of topics which support the introduction, main ideas, and the conclusion. Each main idea should have at least two supporting topics listed in the outline.

If your main idea does not have enough support, you should consider presenting another main idea in its place. This is where you should stop outlining if this is your first draft. Continue your research before adding to the next levels of organization.

• A. Background information
• B. Hypothesis or thesis
• A. Supporting topic
• B. Supporting topic

The third level of organization contains supporting information for the topics previously listed. By now, you should have completed enough research to add support for your ideas.

The Introduction and Main Ideas may contain information you discovered about the author, timeframe, or contents of a book for a literature review; the historical events leading up to the research topic for a historical research paper, or an explanation of the problem a scientific research paper intends to address.

• 1. Relevant history
• 2. Relevant history
• 1. The hypothesis or thesis clearly stated
• 1. A brief description of supporting information
• 2. A brief description of supporting information

The fourth level of organization contains the most detailed information such as quotes, references, observations, or specific data needed to support the main idea. It is not typical to have further levels of organization because the information contained here is the most specific.

• a) Quotes or references to another piece of literature
• b) Quotes or references to another piece of literature

Tip: The key to creating a useful outline is to be consistent in your headings, organization, and levels of specificity.

• Be Consistent : ensure every heading has a similar tone. State the topic or write short sentences for each heading but avoid doing both.
• Organize Information : Higher levels of organization are more generally stated and each supporting level becomes more specific. The introduction and conclusion will never be lower than the first level of organization.
• Build Support : Each main idea should have two or more supporting topics. If your research does not have enough information to support the main idea you are presenting, you should, in general, complete additional research or revise the outline.

By now, you should know the basic requirements to create an outline for your paper. With a content framework in place, you can now start writing your paper . To help you start right away, you can use one of our templates and adjust it to suit your needs.

After completing your outline, you should:

• Title your research paper . This is an iterative process and may change when you delve deeper into the topic.
• Begin writing your research paper draft . Continue researching to further build your outline and provide more information to support your hypothesis or thesis.
• Format your draft appropriately . MLA 8 and APA 7 formats have differences between their bibliography page, in-text citations, line spacing, and title.
• Finalize your citations and bibliography . Use a reference manager like Paperpile to organize and cite your research.
• Write the abstract, if required . An abstract will briefly state the information contained within the paper, results of the research, and the conclusion.

An outline is used to organize written ideas about a topic into a logical order. Outlines help us organize major topics, subtopics, and supporting details. Researchers benefit greatly from outlines while writing by addressing which topic to cover in what order.

The most basic outline format consists of: an introduction, a minimum of three topic paragraphs, and a conclusion.

You should make an outline before starting to write your research paper. This will help you organize the main ideas and arguments you want to present in your topic.

• Consistency: ensure every heading has a similar tone. State the topic or write short sentences for each heading but avoid doing both.
• Organization : Higher levels of organization are more generally stated and each supporting level becomes more specific. The introduction and conclusion will never be lower than the first level of organization.
• Support : Each main idea should have two or more supporting topics. If your research does not have enough information to support the main idea you are presenting, you should, in general, complete additional research or revise the outline.

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Research Paper Template

The fastest (and smartest) way to craft a research paper that showcases your project and earns you marks. 

Available in Google Doc, Word & PDF format 4.9 star rating, 5000 + downloads

Step-by-step instructions

Tried & tested academic format

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Pro tips, tricks and resources

What It Covers

This template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for academic research papers. Its structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your paper has a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter. Here’s what’s included:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Section 1: Introduction 
• Section 2: Literature review 
• Section 3: Methodology
• Section 4: Findings /results
• Section 5: Discussion
• Section 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. 

You can download a fully editable MS Word File (DOCX format), copy it to your Google Drive or paste the content to any other word processor.

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FAQs: Research Paper Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The research paper template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of research papers can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research papers, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level research paper?

This template can be used for a research paper at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my research paper be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. We include generic word count ranges for each section within the template, but these are purely indicative. 

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this research paper template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my research paper?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our private coaching services .

Additional Resources

If you’re working on a research paper or report, be sure to also check these resources out…

1-On-1 Private Coaching

The Grad Coach Resource Center

The Grad Coach YouTube Channel

The Grad Coach Podcast

How Can You Create a Well Planned Research Paper Outline

You are staring at the blank document, meaning to start writing your research paper . After months of experiments and procuring results, your PI asked you to write the paper to publish it in a reputed journal. You spoke to your peers and a few seniors and received a few tips on writing a research paper, but you still can’t plan on how to begin!

Writing a research paper is a very common issue among researchers and is often looked upon as a time consuming hurdle. Researchers usually look up to this task as an impending threat, avoiding and procrastinating until they cannot delay it anymore. Seeking advice from internet and seniors they manage to write a paper which goes in for quite a few revisions. Making researchers lose their sense of understanding with respect to their research work and findings. In this article, we would like to discuss how to create a structured research paper outline which will assist a researcher in writing their research paper effectively!

Publication is an important component of research studies in a university for academic promotion and in obtaining funding to support research. However, the primary reason is to provide the data and hypotheses to scientific community to advance the understanding in a specific domain. A scientific paper is a formal record of a research process. It documents research protocols, methods, results, conclusion, and discussion from a research hypothesis .

Table of Contents

What Is a Research Paper Outline?

A research paper outline is a basic format for writing an academic research paper. It follows the IMRAD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion). However, this format varies depending on the type of research manuscript. A research paper outline consists of following sections to simplify the paper for readers. These sections help researchers build an effective paper outline.

1. Title Page

The title page provides important information which helps the editors, reviewers, and readers identify the manuscript and the authors at a glance. It also provides an overview of the field of research the research paper belongs to. The title should strike a balance between precise and detailed. Other generic details include author’s given name, affiliation, keywords that will provide indexing, details of the corresponding author etc. are added to the title page.

2. Abstract

Abstract is the most important section of the manuscript and will help the researcher create a detailed research paper outline . To be more precise, an abstract is like an advertisement to the researcher’s work and it influences the editor in deciding whether to submit the manuscript to reviewers or not. Writing an abstract is a challenging task. Researchers can write an exemplary abstract by selecting the content carefully and being concise.

3. Introduction

An introduction is a background statement that provides the context and approach of the research. It describes the problem statement with the assistance of the literature study and elaborates the requirement to update the knowledge gap. It sets the research hypothesis and informs the readers about the big research question.

This section is usually named as “Materials and Methods”, “Experiments” or “Patients and Methods” depending upon the type of journal. This purpose provides complete information on methods used for the research. Researchers should mention clear description of materials and their use in the research work. If the methods used in research are already published, give a brief account and refer to the original publication. However, if the method used is modified from the original method, then researcher should mention the modifications done to the original protocol and validate its accuracy, precision, and repeatability.

It is best to report results as tables and figures wherever possible. Also, avoid duplication of text and ensure that the text summarizes the findings. Report the results with appropriate descriptive statistics. Furthermore, report any unexpected events that could affect the research results, and mention complete account of observations and explanations for missing data (if any).

6. Discussion

The discussion should set the research in context, strengthen its importance and support the research hypothesis. Summarize the main results of the study in one or two paragraphs and show how they logically fit in an overall scheme of studies. Compare the results with other investigations in the field of research and explain the differences.

7. Acknowledgments

Acknowledgements identify and thank the contributors to the study, who are not under the criteria of co-authors. It also includes the recognition of funding agency and universities that award scholarships or fellowships to researchers.

8. Declaration of Competing Interests

Finally, declaring the competing interests is essential to abide by ethical norms of unique research publishing. Competing interests arise when the author has more than one role that may lead to a situation where there is a conflict of interest.

Steps to Write a Research Paper Outline

• Write down all important ideas that occur to you concerning the research paper .
• Answer questions such as – what is the topic of my paper? Why is the topic important? How to formulate the hypothesis? What are the major findings?
• Add context and structure. Group all your ideas into sections – Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion.
• Add relevant questions to each section. It is important to note down the questions. This will help you align your thoughts.
• Expand the ideas based on the questions created in the paper outline.
• After creating a detailed outline, discuss it with your mentors and peers.
• Get enough feedback and decide on the journal you will submit to.
• The process of real writing begins.

Benefits of Creating a Research Paper Outline

As discussed, the research paper subheadings create an outline of what different aspects of research needs elaboration. This provides subtopics on which the researchers brainstorm and reach a conclusion to write. A research paper outline organizes the researcher’s thoughts and gives a clear picture of how to formulate the research protocols and results. It not only helps the researcher to understand the flow of information but also provides relation between the ideas.

A research paper outline helps researcher achieve a smooth transition between topics and ensures that no research point is forgotten. Furthermore, it allows the reader to easily navigate through the research paper and provides a better understanding of the research. The paper outline allows the readers to find relevant information and quotes from different part of the paper.

Research Paper Outline Template

A research paper outline template can help you understand the concept of creating a well planned research paper before beginning to write and walk through your journey of research publishing.

1. Research Title

A. Background i. Support with evidence ii. Support with existing literature studies

B. Thesis Statement i. Link literature with hypothesis ii. Support with evidence iii. Explain the knowledge gap and how this research will help build the gap 4. Body

A. Methods i. Mention materials and protocols used in research ii. Support with evidence

B. Results i. Support with tables and figures ii. Mention appropriate descriptive statistics

C. Discussion i. Support the research with context ii. Support the research hypothesis iii. Compare the results with other investigations in field of research

D. Conclusion i. Support the discussion and research investigation ii. Support with literature studies

E. Acknowledgements i. Identify and thank the contributors ii. Include the funding agency, if any

F. Declaration of Competing Interests

5. References

Download the Research Paper Outline Template!

Have you tried writing a research paper outline ? How did it work for you? Did it help you achieve your research paper writing goal? Do let us know about your experience in the comments below.

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How to Write a Research Paper Outline with Examples

You sometimes have to submit an essay outline or a research proposal checklist for a research project before you do most of the actual research to show that you have understood the assignment, defined a good research question or hypothesis, and contemplated the structure of your research paper. You can find various templates and examples for such outlines, which usually begin with “put your thesis statement/research question at the top” and then ask you to decide whether to add your supporting ideas/points in “alphanumeric,” “decimal,” or “full-sentence” style. 

That is certainly one useful (if not overly formalized) way of using outlining to prepare to draft an academic text. But here we want to talk about how to make an outline after you have done a research project or thesis work and are not quite sure how to put everything together into a written thesis to hand in or a research paper manuscript to submit to a journal.

What is a research paper outline?

Creating a research project outline entails more than just listing bullet points (although you can use bullet points and lists in your outline). It includes how to organize everything you have done and thought about and want to say about your work into a clear structure you can use as the basis for your research paper. 

There are two different methods of creating an outline: let’s call these “abstract style” and “paper style.” These names reflect how briefly you summarize your work at this initial point, or show how extensive and complicated the methods and designs you used and the data you collected are. The type of outline you use also depends on how clear the story you want to tell is and how much organizing and structuring of information you still need to do before you can draft your actual paper. 

Table of Contents:

• Abstract-Style Outline Format
• Paper-Style Outline Format

Additional Tips for Outlining a Research Paper in English

Abstract-style research paper outline format.

A research paper outline in abstract style consists, like the abstract of a research paper , of short answers to the essential questions that anyone trying to understand your work would ask.

• Why did you decide to do what you did?
• What exactly did you do?
• How did you do it?
• What did you find?
• What does it mean?
• What should you/we/someone else do now?

These questions form the structure of not only a typical research paper abstract but also a typical article manuscript. They will eventually be omitted and replaced by the usual headers, such as Introduction/Background, Aim, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, etc. Answering these key questions for yourself first (with keywords or short sentences) and then sticking to the same structure and information when drafting your article will ensure that your story is consistent and that there are no logical gaps or contradictions between the different sections of a research paper . 

If you draft this abstract outline carefully, you can use it as the basis for every other part of your paper. You reduce it even more, down to the absolute essential elements, to create your manuscript title ; you choose your keywords on the basis of the summary presented here; and you expand it into the introduction , methods , results , and discussion sections of your paper without contradicting yourself or losing the logical thread. 

Research Paper Outline Example (Abstract style)

Let’s say you did a research project on the effect of university online classes on attendance rates and create a simple outline example using these six questions:

1. Why did you decide to do what you did?

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many university courses around the world have been moved online, at least temporarily. Since students have been saving time on commuting, I wondered if attendance rates have increased overall.

2. What exactly did you do?

I compared attendance scores for courses that were taught both before (offline) and during (online) the COVID-19 pandemic at my university.

3. How did you do it?

I selected five popular subjects (business, law, medicine, psychology, art & design) and one general course per subject; then I contacted the professors in charge and asked them to provide me with anonymized attendance scores.

4. What did you find?

Attendance did not significantly change for medicine and law, but slightly dropped for the other three subjects. I found no difference between male and female students.  

5. What does it mean?

Even though students saved time on traveling between their homes and the campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, they did not attend classes more consistently; in some subjects, they missed more classes than before.

6. What should you/we/someone else do now?

Since I do not have any other information about the students, I can only speculate on potential explanations. Next, I will put together a questionnaire to assess how students have been coping with online classes and how the experiences from this time can benefit university teaching and learning in general.

Note that you could have made the same outline using just keywords instead of full sentences. You could also have added more methodological details or the results of your statistical analysis. However, when you can break everything down to the absolute essentials like this, you will have a good foundation upon which to develop a full paper. 

However, maybe your study just seems too complicated. So you look at these questions and then at your notes and data and have no idea how to come up with such simple answers. Or maybe things went in a completely different direction since you started writing your paper, so now you are no longer sure what the main point of your experiments was and what the main conclusion should be. If that is how you feel right now, then outlining your paper in “paper style” might be the right method for you.

Paper-Style Research Paper Outline Format 

The purpose of a paper-style outline is the same as that of an abstract-style outline: You want to organize your initial thoughts and plans, the methods and tools you used, all the experiments you conducted, the data you collected and analyzed, as well as your results, into a clear structure so that you can identify the main storyline for your paper and the main conclusions that you want the reader to take from it. 

First, take as much space as you need and simply jot down everything in your study you planned to do, everything you did, and everything you thought about based on your notes, lab book, and earlier literature you read or used. Such an outline can contain all your initial ideas, the timeline of all your pilots and all your experiments, the reasons why you changed direction or designed new experiments halfway through your study, all the analyses you ever did, all the feedback and criticism you already got from supervisors and seniors or during conference presentations, and all the ideas you have for future work. If this is your thesis or your first publication, then your first outline might look quite messy – and that is exactly why you need to structure your paper before trying to write everything up. 

So you have finally remembered all you have done in your study and have written everything down. The next step is to realize that you cannot throw all of this at the reader and expect them to put it together. You will have to create a story that is clear and consistent, contains all the essential information (and leaves out any that is not), and leads the reader the same way the abstract outline does, from why over what and how to what you found and what it all means . 

This does not mean you should suppress results that did not come out as intended or try to make your study look smoother. But the reader does not really need to know all the details about why you changed your research question after your initial literature search or some failed pilots. Instead of writing down the simple questions we used for the abstract outline, to organize your still messy notes, write down the main sections of the manuscript you are trying to put together. Additionally, include what kinds of information needs to go where in your paper’s structure.

1. Introduction Section:  

What field is your research part of?

What other papers did you read before deciding on your topic?

Who is your target audience and how much information do your readers need to understand where you are coming from? 

Can you summarize what you did in two sentences?

Did you have a clear hypothesis? If not, what were the potential outcomes of your work?

2. Methods Section: 

List all the methods, questionnaires, and tests you used.

Are your methods all standard in the field or do you need to explain them?

List everything chronologically or according to topics, whatever makes more sense. Read more about writing the Methods section if you need help with this important decision.

3. Results Section: 

Use the same timeline or topics you introduced in the method section.

Make sure you answer all the questions you raised in the introduction.

Use tables, graphs, and other visualizations to guide the reader.

Don’t present results of tests/analyses that you did not mention in the methods.

4. Discussion/Conclusion Section: 

Summarize quickly what you did and found but don’t repeat your results.

Explain whether your findings were to be expected, are new and surprising, are in line with the existing literature, or are contradicting some earlier work. 

Do you think your findings can be generalized? Can they be useful for people in certain professions or other fields?  

Does your study have limitations? What would you do differently next time? 

What future research do you think should be done based on your findings?

5. Conclusion Statement/Paragraph: 

This is your take-home message for the reader. Make sure that your conclusion is directly related to your initial research question.

Now you can simply reorganize your notes (if you use computer software) or fill in the different sections and cross out information on your original list. When you have used all your jotted notes, go through your new outline and check what is still missing. Now check once more that your conclusion is related to your initial research question. If that is the case, you are good to go. You can now either break your outline down further and shorten it into an abstract, or you can expand the different outline sections into a full article.

If you are a non-native speaker of English, then you might take notes in your mother language or maybe in different languages, read literature in your mother language, and generally not think in English while doing your research. If your goal is to write your thesis or paper in English, however, then our advice is to only use your mother language when listing keywords at the very beginning of the outlining process (if at all). As soon as you write down full sentences that you want to go into your paper eventually, you can save yourself a lot of work, avoid mistakes later in the process, and train your brain (which will help you immensely the next time you write an academic text), if you stick to English.

Another thing to keep in mind is that starting to write in full sentences too early in the process means that you might need to omit some passages (maybe even entire paragraphs) when you later decide to change the structure or storyline of your paper. Depending on how much you enjoy (or hate) writing in English and how much effort it costs you, having to throw away a perfectly fine paragraph that you invested a lot of time in can be incredibly frustrating. Our advice is therefore to not spend too much time on writing and to not get too attached to exact wording before you have a solid outline that you then only need to fill in and expand into a full paper.

Once you have finished drafting your paper, consider using professional proofreading and English editing service to revise your paper and prepare it for submission to journals. Wordvice offers a paper editing service , manuscript editing service , dissertation editing service , and thesis editing service to polish and edit your research work and correct any errors in style or formatting.

And while you draft your article, make use of Wordvice AI, a free AI Proofreader that identifies and fixes errors in punctuation, spelling, and grammar in any academic document. 

Have a language expert improve your writing

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• Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Published on June 7, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding the specifics of your dissertation topic and showcasing its relevance to your field.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

In the final product, you can also provide a chapter outline for your readers. This is a short paragraph at the end of your introduction to inform readers about the organizational structure of your thesis or dissertation. This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.

Table of contents

How to outline your thesis or dissertation, dissertation and thesis outline templates, chapter outline example, sample sentences for your chapter outline, sample verbs for variation in your chapter outline, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis and dissertation outlines.

While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.

• Working Title
• “Elevator pitch” of your work (often written last).
• Introduce your area of study, sharing details about your research question, problem statement , and hypotheses . Situate your research within an existing paradigm or conceptual or theoretical framework .
• Subdivide as you see fit into main topics and sub-topics.
• Describe your research methods (e.g., your scope , population , and data collection ).
• Present your research findings and share about your data analysis methods.
• Answer the research question in a concise way.
• Interpret your findings, discuss potential limitations of your own research and speculate about future implications or related opportunities.

For a more detailed overview of chapters and other elements, be sure to check out our article on the structure of a dissertation or download our template .

To help you get started, we’ve created a full thesis or dissertation template in Word or Google Docs format. It’s easy adapt it to your own requirements.

 Download Word template    Download Google Docs template

It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overusing the same words or sentence constructions, which can make your work monotonous and repetitive for your readers. Consider utilizing some of the alternative constructions presented below.

Example 1: Passive construction

The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise.

Example 2: IS-AV construction

You can also present your information using the “IS-AV” (inanimate subject with an active verb ) construction.

A chapter is an inanimate object, so it is not capable of taking an action itself (e.g., presenting or discussing). However, the meaning of the sentence is still easily understandable, so the IS-AV construction can be a good way to add variety to your text.

Example 3: The “I” construction

Another option is to use the “I” construction, which is often recommended by style manuals (e.g., APA Style and Chicago style ). However, depending on your field of study, this construction is not always considered professional or academic. Ask your supervisor if you’re not sure.

Example 4: Mix-and-match

To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice , IS-AV construction , and “I” construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text.

As you draft the chapter outline, you may also find yourself frequently repeating the same words, such as “discuss,” “present,” “prove,” or “show.” Consider branching out to add richness and nuance to your writing. Here are some examples of synonyms you can use.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

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When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, November 21). Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/dissertation-thesis-outline/

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Research Paper Outline Examples

An outline is an ordered list of the topics covered in a research paper. It is useful to both writer and reader. The writer who writes from an outline is less likely to stray from the point or to commit a structural error—overdeveloping one topic while skimping on another, for example. The reader, in turn, benefits from the outline in the form of a complete and detailed table of contents.

Conventional Research Paper Outline Format

The conventions of formal outlining require that main ideas be designated by Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, and so on). Sub-ideas branching off from the main ideas are designated by capital letters (A, B, C, D, and so on). Subdivisions of these sub-ideas are designated by Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, and so on). And minor ideas are designated by lowercase letters (a, b, c, d, and so on). Here is an example of the proper form of an outline:

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I. Main idea

A. Sub-idea

B. Sub-idea

1. Division of a sub-idea

2. Division of a sub-idea

a. Minor idea

b. Minor idea

II. Main idea

The presumption behind this arrangement is obvious: You do not merely generalize; you support your contentions and propositions with examples and details. Indeed, that is exactly what you are expected to do—to make assertions that are supported by concrete examples and specific details. If you have not been diligent in gathering specific facts about your topic, this deficiency will now be painfully obvious. Notice that every subdivided category must have at least two sections because it is impossible to divide anything into fewer than two parts. An outline that divides the subject into three or four levels—that is, down to examples or details—generally is adequate for most college research papers. If further subdivisions are necessary, the format is as follows:

The basic principle remains the same: Larger ideas or elements are stacked to the left, with smaller ideas or elements to the right.

Equal Ranking in the Outline

The logic of an outline requires that each entry be based on the same organizing principle as another entry of equal rank. All capital-letter entries consequently must be equivalent in importance and derived from the same organizing principle. Notice the absence of equal ranking in the following example:

I. Rousseau gave the people a new government to work toward.

A. It would be a government based on the general will.

B. The new government would serve the people instead of the people serving the government.

C. The people tore down the Bastille.

Entry C is out of place because it is not of equal rank with entries A and B. A and B are sub-ideas that characterize the new government proposed by Rousseau; C is a statement that describes the revolt of the French people against the old government.

Parallel Ranking in the Outline

The clarity and readability of an outline are improved if its entries are worded in similar grammatical form. Notice the lack of parallelism in the following outline:

I. The uses of the laser in the military

A. For range finding

B. For surveillance

C. To illuminate the enemy’s position

Entries A and B consist of the preposition “for” followed by a noun, whereas entry C is worded as an infinitive phrase. C should be reworded to make it grammatically like entries A and B:

C. For illuminating the enemy’s position

The outline now is easier to read because its entries are parallel.

Types of Research Paper Outlines

The three main types of outlines are the topic outline, the sentence outline, and the paragraph outline. Never mix or combine the different formats in a research paper: use one type of outline exclusively.

The Topic Outline Template

The topic outline words each entry as a phrase, breaking down the subject into major subheadings. Topic outlines are particularly useful for outlining relatively simple subjects. Here is a topic outline of the paper on Grigori Rasputin:

Grigori Rasputin’s Other Side

Thesis : After six decades of being judged a demoniacal libertine, Rasputin now deserves to be viewed from another point of view–as a man who was intensely religious, who passionately desired peace, and who was deeply devoted to his family and friends.

I. The ambiguity of the real Rasputin

A. His birth

B. Popular historical view

1. His supporters

2. His detractors

II. Rasputin’s religious feelings

A. His vitality and exuberance

B. His simple peasant faith

III. Rasputin’s desire for peace in Russia

A. His concern for the Russian underdog

1. His loyalty to the peasantry

2. His opposition to anti-Semitism

B. His opposition to all wars

IV. Rasputin’s gentle, compassionate side

A. His kindness to the Romanovs

B. His love for family

Notice that the thesis of the research paper is a separate entry immediately after the title. It is also customary to omit introduction and conclusion entries.

The Sentence Outline Template

The sentence outline uses a complete sentence for each entry. Some instructors allow the entries to be worded as questions, but most prefer declarative sentences. Sentence outlines are especially well suited for complex subjects. Here is a sentence outline of the research paper on Grigori Rasputin:

I. The real Rasputin is difficult to discover.

A. The birth of Rasputin coincided with a shooting star.

B. The popular historical view of Rasputin portrays him as primarily evil.

1. Supporters called him a spiritual leader.

2. Detractors called him a satyr and charged that his depraved faithful were merely in awe of his sexual endowments.

II. Rasputin had intense religious feelings.

A. He was both vital and exuberant.

B. He had a simple peasant faith in God.

III. Rasputin’s passionate desire for peace in Russia revealed itself in several ways.

A. He was concerned for the Russian underdog.

1. He wanted a tsar who would stand up for the peasantry.

2. He spoke out boldly against anti-Semitism.

B. Because of his humanitarian spirit, he was opposed to all wars.

IV. Rasputin had a gentle, compassionate side.

A. He showed great kindness to the Romanovs.

B. Maria Rasputin tells of her father’s love for his family.

The Paragraph Outline Template

The paragraph outline records each entry as a complete paragraph, in effect producing a condensed version of the research paper. This form is useful mainly for long papers whose individual sections can be summarized in whole paragraphs; it is seldom recommended by instructors for ordinary college papers. Here is the Rasputin paper in the form of a paragraph outline:

I. Rasputin himself always attached great significance to the fact that at the time of his birth, a shooting star was seen streaking across the horizon. He considered the phenomenon to be an omen that he was fated to have influence and special powers. The popular historical view of Rasputin paints him primarily as evil. In his day, however, he attracted numerous supporters, who thought of him as their spiritual leader. But he also had many detractors who called him a satyr and accused his followers of sexual depravity.

II. Rasputin had intense religious feelings. He was so filled with vitality and exuberance that he could stay awake until the early hours of the morning, dancing and drinking in frenzied religious fervor. He did not have the theology of a sophisticated church cleric; instead he expressed his religion in the simple terms of a Russian peasant.

III. Rasputin’s passionate desire for peace in Russia revealed itself in several ways. For instance, he was concerned for the Russian underdogs, for the peasants and the Jews, always encouraging the tsar to protect these unfortunate groups. And, his humanitarian and pacifist nature made him a determined opponent of all wars.

IV. Rasputin had a gentle, compassionate side. He was completely devoted to the tsar’s family and was known to have had a calming influence on the hemophiliac son of the tsar. Maria Rasputin gives a glowing report of her father’s kindness and love.

The Decimal Outline Template

Other outline forms use various methods of indenting, labeling, and spacing. One form that has been gaining favor in business and science is the decimal outline. Based on the decimal accounting system, this outline form permits an unlimited number of subdivisions through the simple addition of another decimal place. Here is the body of the Rasputin research paper notated in the decimal outline form:

Thesis: After six decades of being judged a demoniacal libertine, Rasputin now deserves to be viewed from another point of view–as a man who was intensely religious, who passionately desired peace, and who was deeply devoted to his family and friends.

1. The ambiguity of the real Rasputin

1.1. His birth

1.2. Popular historical view

1.2.1. His supporters

1.2.2. His detractors

2. Rasputin’s religious feelings

2.1. His vitality and exuberance

2.2. His simple peasant faith

3. Rasputin’s desire for peace in Russia

3.1. His concern for the Russian underdog

3.1.1. His loyalty to the peasantry

3.1.2. His opposition to anti-Semitism

3.2. His opposition to all wars

4. Rasputin’s gentle, compassionate side

4.1. His kindness to the Romanovs

4.2. His love for family

Notice that the decimal outline form uses the same indentation pattern as other outlines, with larger ideas stacked to the left and smaller ideas to the right.

How to Choose a Research Paper Outline Format

Which kind of outline should you use? If you are a beginning writer, and if your research has uncovered much detail on your subject, don’t hesitate: Use a detailed sentence outline. Develop it at least down to the third level—the level of Arabic numerals. In doing so, you actually erect a kind of scaffolding for the paper. To write the rough draft, you simply transcribe from the outline, fill in the blanks, insert transitions and connectives—and you have a research paper. The main entries of a sentence outline should be the topic sentences of various paragraphs. Its details should be exactly the kind you intend to use to support the topic sentence.

Not all instructors require a formal outline for a research paper. Indeed, not all writers would benefit from making one. Some writers compose organically and do not like to be hemmed in by a predefined plan. Others like to have a visible scaffolding for their papers. The point is, if your instructor does not require an outline and you do not feel you would benefit from making one, then simply sit down and begin writing the paper. On the other hand, if an outline would help you write a paper but is not required, go ahead and outline to your heart’s content. If given a choice between outlining and not outlining, do what suits you. The idea is to write the best paper you can, not the best outline.

Finally, we don’t want to leave you with the impression that the movement from thesis to outline to final paper is always neat, predictable, and certain. It is anything but. Writing, as we’ve said before, is a messy business. It leaves behind a litter of scrawled-over papers and almost never proceeds in a straight, unbroken line. For example, you could begin by drafting an outline and find to your dismay that the actual paper you write turns out to be considerably different from what you outlined. If that should happen to you, simply change the outline while being comforted by the thought that it has happened at one time or another to every writer. In fact, it is a healthy sign: It shows that once inspired, you were smart enough to write freely, that you weren’t hog-tied by misplaced loyalty to an outline. When it comes to writing, almost nothing occurs in an ideal way, and every paper is accompanied by a good deal of fumbling, false starts, dead ends, and unexpected departures from plans. Expect complications, and your outlook as you tackle your paper will be healthily realistic.

Learn how to write an outline for a research paper .

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Illustrate a point with our research paper outline template

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What is a research paper outline?

Containing all of your sources, quotes, claims, and ideas, research project outlines guide your writing process from the first brainstorm to your final edit. Think of your research paper outline as your paper’s roadmap or planning document—where you’ll organize your thoughts, compile your evidence, and plot the trajectory of your argument.

Research outline examples can be helpful tools throughout the entire drafting and editing process, ensuring a logical flow from section to section.

How should I begin to organize a research paper outline?

While research paper outlines can follow different organizational structures, most outlines begin by mapping out a paper’s introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. You can start your outline organization process by fleshing out these sections, including topic sentences, supporting evidence, and citations wherever possible.

The easiest way to get outlining? Check out our customizable outline example for research papers and fill in the blanks with your brilliant findings.

What are the 5 parts of a research paper?

Research papers can cover anything under the sun. But most research outline templates will contain the following five parts:

- Introduction – The introduction highlights the questions you will answer and the argument, or thesis, that you will develop.

- Methodology – Your methodology refers to the how of your research—the steps you’ve taken to approach your research problem.

- Results and analysis – In this section, you’ll include your findings—data, interviews, quotes, and more.

- Conclusion – In your conclusion, you’ll discuss what your findings mean. Here’s where you will restate your original perspective and finish by noting further implications and uses for your research.

- References – To complete your research paper, you’ll need to include a references section, which includes a list of the literature, articles, or interviews you’ve cited.

Add these sections to your outline for the research paper template, or if you’re writing an extensive report, create a separate outline for each section—the possibilities for personalization are endless!

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Research Paper Guide

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How to Write a Research Methodology for a Research Paper

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by research, not knowing how to start or structure your thoughts effectively?

You're not alone in facing this problem. The challenge of disorganized research is something many students deal with. But don't worry! 

In this blog, we'll not only tell you how to create your research paper outline, but we’ve included some downloadable templates as well.

We'll provide a practical step-by-step solution for organizing your research material so you end with a well-structured research paper. By the end of the blog, you'll understand why outlines matter and how to create compelling research papers.

So, keep reading to learn more!

• 1. What is a Research Paper Outline?
• 2. Different Research Paper Outline Formats
• 3. Steps to Create a Research Paper Outline
• 4. Research Paper Outline Example

What is a Research Paper Outline?

An outline serves as a systematic framework for your research paper . It's a structured strategy that assists in the organization of your thoughts and ideas before the writing process begins. 

The outline structures out the main sections, subtopics, and supporting details in your research paper. In essence, it offers a well-structured and coherent roadmap for the entirety of your paper, maintaining academic rigor and clarity.

Different Research Paper Outline Formats

When it comes to creating a research paper outline, you've got options. Let's explore a few different formats that you can choose from:

Numeric Outline

A numeric outline is a structured organizational format for planning a research paper. 

It uses a numerical system to represent the hierarchy of ideas, with each main section or point numbered and subpoints or details indicated by decimal numbers. Numeric outlines are useful for presenting information in a clear and logical sequence.

Here’s a sample research paper outline template for this format:

Alphanumeric Outline

An alphanumeric outline is a hierarchical structure used to outline a research paper, combining numbers and letters to signify the different levels of information. 

Main sections are designated with capital letters (A, B, C), which include major points, while subpoints are indicated by numbers and lowercase letters (1, 2, a, b). Alphanumeric outlines help writers organize complex topics and subtopics effectively.

Here’s a sample sample research paper outline for this format:

Full Sentence Outline

A full-sentence outline is a method of planning a research paper in which each point in the outline is presented as a complete sentence or phrase. 

It provides a detailed overview of the content and structure of the paper. Full-sentence outlines are particularly helpful for writers who prefer thorough planning and want to capture the essence of each section or point.

Here’s a research paper outline format for full sentences:

Steps to Create a Research Paper Outline

Creating a research paper outline doesn't have to be complicated. Follow these simple steps to get started:

Step 1: Choose Your Research Topic

Begin by selecting a research topic that is both interesting to you and relevant to your assignment or academic objectives. Your chosen topic will serve as the foundation for your entire research paper.

Step 2: Identify Your Main Sections

Determine the main sections or chapters your research paper will include. These are the broad thematic areas that will structure your paper, and they provide a high-level overview of the topics you plan to cover. Here are the main sections a typical research paper involves:

• Title Page: This is the first page and includes the paper's title , author's name, institutional affiliation, and often the running head.
• Abstract: It is a concise summary of the paper. An abstract is usually around 150-250 words, providing an overview of the research, its key findings, and implications.
• Introduction: Sets the stage for your research, offering background information and a research thesis , which is a central argument or hypothesis .
• Literature Review: A comprehensive analysis of existing research and literature on your topic. Litertaure review demonstrate your understanding of the subject.
• Methodology: Explain the research methods, data collection techniques, and analytical tools used in your study.
• Findings: Presents the research results in a structured manner, often including data, tables, or charts.
• Discussion: The discussion section includes Interpretation of the findings and their implications, offering insights into the research's significance.
• Conclusion: Summarizes the main points, reiterates the thesis, and discusses potential future research directions.
• References: A list of all sources cited in your paper, following a specific citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

Step 3: Break It Down into Subtopics

Under each main section, further divide your content into smaller subtopics. Subtopics are like the building blocks of your paper; they represent the key points or ideas you intend to explore within each main section.

Step 4: Add Supporting Details

For each subtopic, include supporting details, facts, examples, or arguments that bolster your point. These supporting details form the substance of your paper and provide evidence for your claims or arguments.

Step 5: Organize Your Points

Organize your main sections, subtopics, and supporting details in a logical order that flows smoothly from one point to the next. This step ensures that your research paper maintains coherence and readability.

Step 6: Use Numbers or Letters

To enhance clarity within your outline, use numbering, a lettering system, or Roman numerals. Use numerical sequencing for main sections (e.g., "1.," "2.," "3.") and a combination of numbers and letters for subtopics (e.g., "1.1," "1.2," "2.1").

Step 7: Stay Flexible

Recognize that your outline is not set in stone. As you conduct research and begin writing, your ideas may evolve, and you may discover the need to adjust your outline accordingly. Embrace this flexibility to adapt to new insights and information.

By following these steps, you'll create a well-structured research paper outline that serves as a roadmap for your writing journey. It keeps your research organized and makes writing easier, resulting in a more effective paper.

Research Paper Outline Example

A research paper outline could be created in several different ways. Here is a sample research paper outline for a quick review:

Here are some more examples for different formats and subjects:

APA Research Paper Outline PDF

College Research Paper Outline

Argumentative Research Paper Outline

Sample Research Paper Outline

History Research Paper Outline

Research Paper Outline MLA

Research Paper Outline with Annotated Bibliography

Need to consult more examples? Have a look at these top-quality research paper examples and get inspiration!

In conclusion, with the help of these example templates and our step-by-step guide on creating an outline, you're now well-prepared to create an effective one. 

If you're in a hurry and want to skip the outlining process, our essay writing service is here to help!

You can get our team of expert essay writers to assist you at any stage of your research or to deliver a well-formatted, accurate research paper. 

So, just say, write my research paper or ' write an essay for me ' and we’ll deliver an original, top-quality paper to you!

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You are going to love this! Save this template somewhere safe or e-mail it to yourself. Then resave it immediately with the name of your new document. This will keep your template safe and ready to reuse again for future assignments.

This template will be sufficient for most student MLA papers. For more information on formatting your paper, consult the official MLA Style website:  https://mlahandbookplus.org/books/book/5/chapter/56247/Introduction-to-Formatting-Your-Research-Project  or pages 1-14 in the MLA Manual. 

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Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student  and  professional  papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.

However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in  student style and one in  professional  style.

Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7. 

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30 Editable Research Paper Templates (MLA Formats)

A research paper template is a document that contains research questions, variable interpolation, thesis, methodology, and results evaluation. To create an effective research paper, make sure that everything you present comes from reliable sources.

• 1 Research Paper Templates
• 2 What is a research paper?
• 3 Career Research Papers
• 4 What are the 5 parts of research paper?
• 5 College Research Papers
• 6 How do you write a research paper?

Research Paper Templates

What is a research paper.

In most cases, a research paper template is a piece of academic writing that contains analysis, argument, and interpretation based on independent comprehensive research. A research MLA format template is a lot like academic essays except that these are typically longer and have more details.

These assess your academic writing skills along with your scholarly research skills. To write this document, you need:

• To show a strong knowledge of the topic.
• The ability to use various resources.
• To make an original contribution through your writing.

Career Research Papers

What are the 5 parts of research paper.

One thing worth remembering about a student or career research paper is that you should base it on an hourglass structure. To do this, you need to include the important parts of this document:

• Introduction This is the first part where you set the direction of your paper by making an exact outline of what you want to achieve. Although for many, this is the initial step, others save writing the introduction for last because it serves as a quick summary of their document. Either approach is fine and is usually a matter of preference. As long as you plan a logical structure for the parts of the research paper, you can use either method.
• Method Many consider this as the easiest part of the document to write because it is simply a rundown of the methodology and design used to conduct your research. The exact methodology may vary depending on the exact kind of experiment or field of research.
• Results Depending on the results and objectives of your experiment, this is the most variable section of your paper. For quantitative research, you would present numerical data and results. For qualitative research, it involves a broader discussion without giving too many unnecessary details.
• Discussion All information in your discussions should be directly related to your thesis statement. Otherwise, you will risk creating cluttered findings. Just stick with the hourglass principle where you expand on your topic in the next section.
• Conclusion In this section, you build your discussion by trying to relate your findings to other studies and research or to the real world. In a shorter research paper, you may only have a conclusion of just 1 to 2 paragraphs or even just a couple of lines.

In addition, a complete research paper template should always have a reference list where you document all of the sources you used. Format this according to MLA, APA or some other academic format .

College Research Papers

How do you write a research paper.

You can use these steps as a guide when writing a college research paper or a scientific research paper template:

• Familiarize yourself with the assignment Allot ample time to go over your assignment. Consider every bit of information that your instructor has given. Carefully go through the assignment, grading rubric, prompts, and other related materials. To keep track of all the important notes in each of the sources, highlight them or take notes .
• Choose a topic After understanding what you have to write about in your research paper template, the next step is to decide the topic. This could be a challenging undertaking but it shouldn’t discourage you. Choose a topic you’re passionate about or interested in without having to worry about finding the “perfect topic.”
• Research You should always base your research on reliable resources. That way, you won’t run into any issues after you have submitted your completed research paper template for review.
• Organize your research What comes next once you have gathered all the information needed to write your paper? The next step is about getting things organized. Like any other research, various people have various preferences. It may also depend on your assignment. For instance, having some sort of bibliography can be very helpful when it comes to organizing your research.
• Form your thesis This is simply a short statement that you, as the researcher, would put forward for the readers of your paper as to what you’re trying to prove or explain.
• Come up with an outline As in a bibliography, how you will create an outline depending on your assignment. Even if an outline isn’t required, it can still be a very useful tool.
• Write the content After completing all of the previous steps, you are now ready to write your research paper. Some think that they should have begun to write the paper sooner and that all the preliminaries are not that necessary. This is a wrong assumption. Everything you have accomplished up to this point is essential as the preparations will help you come up with a clear, interesting, and strong research paper.
• Edit the content This means examining your paper’s organization, structure, length, and wording. If your paper is either too short or too long, you need to revise it by either building it up or cutting it down to a more acceptable length. Just be very careful when making these edits. If there is a need to add more content, don’t just add words randomly or repeat the information you have stated already. Identify areas where you can expand or what you can include that still fits in with the rest of the content. You can also choose to further the ideas you have presented or add valuable information to concepts you have explained.
• Check the grammar Another important part of the process is to check your grammar. This may seem difficult but there are resources and tools that you can use to perform this task. These tools offer editing for substance, editing for grammar, and so on. If you think you need to take a break before checking, take a break. This could refresh your mind and you might even come back feeling more focused. This is important so that you can catch and fix errors in your document.
• Proofread before submitting After checking your research paper, you can re-read it again just to make sure that your paper delivers everything your assignment asks for. When you have polished and improved it enough, it’s for you to submit.

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Review Paper Format: How To Write A Review Article Fast

This guide aims to demystify the review paper format, presenting practical tips to help you accelerate the writing process. 

From understanding the structure to synthesising literature effectively, we’ll explore how to create a compelling review article swiftly, ensuring your work is both impactful and timely.

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or a budding scholar, these info on review paper format and style will streamline your writing journey.

Research Paper, Review Paper Format

What Is A Review Paper?

Diving into the realm of scholarly communication, you might have stumbled upon a research review article.

This unique genre serves to synthesise existing data, offering a panoramic view of the current state of knowledge on a particular topic. 

Unlike a standard research article that presents original experiments, a review paper delves into published literature, aiming to: 

• clarify, and
• evaluate previous findings.

Imagine you’re tasked to write a review article. The starting point is often a burning research question. Your mission? To scour various journals, piecing together a well-structured narrative that not only summarises key findings but also identifies gaps in existing literature.

This is where the magic of review writing shines – it’s about creating a roadmap for future research, highlighting areas ripe for exploration.

Review articles come in different flavours, with systematic reviews and meta-analyses being the gold standards. The methodology here is meticulous, with a clear protocol for selecting and evaluating studies.

This rigorous approach ensures that your review is more than just an overview; it’s a critical analysis that adds depth to the understanding of the subject.

Crafting a good review requires mastering the art of citation. Every claim or observation you make needs to be backed by relevant literature. This not only lends credibility to your work but also provides a treasure trove of information for readers eager to delve deeper.

Types Of Review Paper

Not all review articles are created equal. Each type has its methodology, purpose, and format, catering to different research needs and questions. Here’s a couple of types of review paper for you to look at:

Systematic Review Paper

First up is the systematic review, the crème de la crème of review types. It’s known for its rigorous methodology, involving a detailed plan for:

• identifying,
• selecting, and
• critically appraising relevant research. 

The aim? To answer a specific research question. Systematic reviews often include meta-analyses , where data from multiple studies are statistically combined to provide more robust conclusions.

This review type is a cornerstone in evidence-based fields like healthcare.

Literature Review Paper

Then there’s the literature review, a broader type you might encounter.

Here, the goal is to give an overview of the main points and debates on a topic, without the stringent methodological framework of a systematic review.

Literature reviews are great for getting a grasp of the field and identifying where future research might head. Often reading literature review papers can help you to learn about a topic rather quickly.

Narrative Reviews

Narrative reviews allow for a more flexible approach. Authors of narrative reviews draw on existing literature to provide insights or critique a certain area of research.

This is generally done with a less formal structure than systematic reviews. This type is particularly useful for areas where it’s difficult to quantify findings across studies.

Scoping Reviews

Scoping reviews are gaining traction for their ability to map out the existing literature on a broad topic, identifying:

• key concepts,
• theories, and

Unlike systematic reviews, scoping reviews have a more exploratory approach, which can be particularly useful in emerging fields or for topics that haven’t been comprehensively reviewed before.

Each type of review serves a unique purpose and requires a specific skill set. Whether you’re looking to summarise existing findings, synthesise data for evidence-based practice, or explore new research territories, there’s a review type that fits the bill. 

Knowing how to write, read, and interpret these reviews can significantly enhance your understanding of any research area.

What Are The Parts In A Review Paper

A review paper format has a pretty set structure, with minor changes here and there to suit the topic covered. The review paper format not only organises your thoughts but also guides your readers through the complexities of your topic.

Title & Abstract

Starting with the title and abstract, you set the stage. The title should be a concise indicator of the content, making it easier for others to quickly tell what your article content is about.

As for the abstract, it should act as a descriptive summary, offering a snapshot of your review’s scope and findings. 

Introduction

The introduction lays the groundwork, presenting the research question that drives your review. It’s here you:

• justify the importance of your review,
• delineating the current state of knowledge and
• highlighting gaps.

This section aims to articulate the significance of the topic and your objective in exploring it.

Methodology

The methodology section is the backbone of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, detailing the research methods employed to select, assess, and synthesise studies. 

This transparency allows readers to gauge the rigour and reproducibility of your review. It’s a testament to the integrity of your work, showing how you’ve minimised bias.

The heart of your review lies in the body, where you:

• analyse, and
• critique existing literature .

This is where you synthesise evidence, draw connections, and present both sides of any argument. Well-structured paragraphs and clear subheadings guide readers through your analysis, offering insights and fostering a deeper understanding of the subject.

Discussion & Conclusion

The discussion or conclusion section is where you weave together the main points, reflecting on what your findings mean for the field.

It’s about connecting the dots, offering a synthesis of evidence that answers your initial research question. This part often hints at future research directions, suggesting areas that need further exploration due to gaps in existing knowledge.

Review paper format usually includes the citation list – it is your nod to the scholarly community, acknowledging the contributions of others.

Each citation is a thread in the larger tapestry of academic discourse, enabling readers to delve deeper into the research that has shaped your review.

Tips To Write An Review Article Fast

Writing a review article quickly without sacrificing quality might seem like a tall order, but with the right approach, it’s entirely achievable. 

Clearly Define Your Research Question

Clearly define your research question. A focused question not only narrows down the scope of your literature search but also keeps your review concise and on track.

By honing in on a specific aspect of a broader topic, you can avoid the common pitfall of becoming overwhelmed by the vast expanse of available literature. This specificity allows you to zero in on the most relevant studies, making your review more impactful.

Efficient Literature Searching

Utilise databases specific to your field and employ advanced search techniques like Boolean operators. This can drastically reduce the time you spend sifting through irrelevant articles.

Additionally, leveraging citation chains—looking at who has cited a pivotal paper in your area and who it cites—can uncover valuable sources you might otherwise miss.

Organise Your Findings Systematically

Developing a robust organisation strategy is key. As you gather sources, categorize them based on themes or methodologies.

This not only aids in structuring your review but also in identifying areas where research is lacking or abundant. Organize your findings based on the review paper format.

Tools like citation management software can be invaluable here, helping you keep track of your sources and their key points. We list out some of the best AI tools for academic research here. 

Build An Outline Before Writing

Don’t underestimate the power of a well-structured outline. A clear blueprint of your article can guide your writing process, ensuring that each section flows logically into the next.

This roadmap not only speeds up the writing process by providing a clear direction but also helps maintain coherence, ensuring your review article delivers a compelling narrative that advances understanding in your field.

Start Writing With The Easiest Sections

When it’s time to write, start with sections you find easiest. This might be the methodology or a particular thematic section where you feel most confident.

Getting words on the page can build momentum, making it easier to tackle more challenging sections later.

Remember, your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect; the goal is to start articulating your synthesis of the literature.

Learn How To Write An Article Review

Mastering the review paper format is a crucial step towards efficient academic writing. By adhering to the structured components outlined, you can streamline the creation of a compelling review article.

Embracing these guidelines not only speeds up the writing process but also enhances the clarity and impact of your work, ensuring your contributions to scholarly discourse are both valuable and timely.

A review paper serves to synthesise existing data, offering a panoramic view of the current state of knowledge on a particular topic

A Review Paper Format Usually Contains What Sections?

You usually will see sections like introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis and findings, discussions, citation and conclusion.

How To Write A Review Paper Fast?

The key is to organize, pre-plan things out before writing it.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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How to Write a Research Paper in APA and MLA Format

Updated 02 Sep 2024

Properly formatting a research paper in APA or MLA style is essential for several reasons. First, it ensures that your work adheres to the academic standards required by your institution, making your paper look professional and credible. For instance, an APA style paper outlines essential components and formatting guidelines, such as the title page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references, which are crucial for a professional and academically compliant presentation. Consistency in formatting helps readers easily navigate through your paper, understand the structure, and locate references.

Additionally, proper formatting demonstrates your attention to detail and respect for scholarly practices, which is crucial in academic writing. Whether using APA’s emphasis on author-date citation or MLA’s focus on page numbers for literary analysis, following the correct format enhances the clarity and authority of your research. Finally, it helps avoid plagiarism by ensuring that all sources are correctly cited, giving proper credit to the original authors and contributing to the integrity of your work. Additionally, it is crucial to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

What is APA Formatting?

The APA style is a special format used in academic, business, and research writing for documentation of sources and publishing purposes. A research paper in APA format that you create must be presented in the latest 7th edition unless specified otherwise. Created by the American Psychological Association, hence the abbreviation, the latest manual is what we are going to reference in our APA guidelines to avoid confusion. It means that if your college professor asks for APA 7th edition, you are in the right place!

Published in October 2019, the latest edition of the writing style manual follows most rules that have been published before with a focus on simplification and readiness for publishing purposes. Speaking of research paper writing, the majority of students that use APA style format are majoring in subjects like Psychology, Sociology, Journalism, Education, Anthropology, Law, and Healthcare. Since it's relatively simple compared to Chicago, Harvard, or Turabian, it’s not hard to learn the basic rules as long as you remember the following:

There are in-text citations that you must use to provide a reference to a source mentioned in your text. The information that is required includes the author's name and the date of publication. You should also provide the page number or a section in the newspaper if such data is available.

There is a page called " References " that is placed at the end of your paper after your final conclusion part. This is exactly where you provide information (references) that list all of your sources that have been implemented in your research paper.

When to Cite a Source in APA Format?

This question often comes up. The answer is quite simple: when you need to summarize some data, paraphrase information you discover, or quote something from another source. These citations may include it all from books in print, scientific journals, online books, articles in a newspaper, reports, surveys, statistical data, and so on. When you use a reference, the APA 7th style format requires mentioning the name of the author and the year of publication that will look this way for a single author:

(Jones, 2005)

It means that you are dealing with an author with the last name Jones and something that has been published in 2005. Alternatively, your in-text citation can look this way:

Another important notion has been explained by the concept of mutual co-existence. According to Jones (2005), who believed that authoritarian leaders can exist in peace and mutual respect, we can conclude that...

What is the APA References Page?

We are certain that you have seen at least one references page before as you were looking through the final part of a research article online. The References page must list all of your sources alphabetically and may include up to 20 entries for a middle-sized research assignment. A typical APA example coming from a research journal looks this way:

Berry, B., Stipe, J. M., Wahlberg, R., and Zeldman, A. S. (2021). Social Interactions in Georgia State: A an overview of American South. Journal of Social Psychology , 34, 123-136.

As you can see, we have listed the authors alphabetically and mentioned the year of publication that is followed by the name of the scientific article. The name of the journal is given in italics to specify the importance of the source. It is followed by the journal’s volume and the number of pages that have been referenced.

Note: Remember that far not all sources and references that you may encounter are suitable for a research paper. EduBirdie experts recommend talking to your course instructor first and checking things twice regarding additional requirements and formatting. Our guide will provide you with the basic instructions on how to set things up to help your research paper meet the formatting standards.

APA Page Layout Disclaimer

Before you learn how to write a research paper in APA format by turning to various sections of our guide, it must be mentioned that using a Word processor or Google Docs as your writing source, it is essential to create a special page layout and the relevant headers that will be mentioned in our APA guide. While you can find online templates in APA format, these are not always accurate, which is why you must check things twice by focusing on fonts, headers, margins, indents, and other important aspects!

Writing a Research Paper in APA Style Format: General Requirements

1. Page Layout Rules

We'll start with the page layout that must be there all the time as this part of the APA 7th edition remains the same for all papers that you may encounter as a college student. Here is what you must do as you learn how to format a research paper:

Creating a document in MS Word or any other word processor of your choice, set your page margins to 1 inch on all sides of the page.

Your text must be double-spaced, including APA headings.

The APA 7th edition uses indents of the first line in every paragraph by 0.5 inches. Just press your TAB key once.

The recommended fonts for APA style format include Times New Roman (12 pt.), Arial (11 pt.), or Georgia (11 pt.). In certain cases, other fonts may be used, yet do so only after consulting your academic advisor.

Page numbers are included on every page of your document in the top right corner unless specified otherwise.

2 . Page Headers in APA 7th Edition

According to the manual, you must set your page header correctly. Every APA format research paper must provide headings that are written in upper case. Setting up your header, you must:

Click on the "Insert" tab in the MS Word toolbar.

Choose Header & Footer tab, click on Header and Blank.

The first (title) page of your APA research paper must include the left margin positioning where you type: MY RESEARCH PAPER TITLE. Of course, it's only an example and must be replaced by your actual title.

Tab once or twice to the right margin now.

Close your Header & Footer tab.

3. Page Numbering

Speaking of page numbering, use the default feature in MS Word or any other software to do so automatically. The page numbers must be placed in the top right corner and be present on all pages, including your references page. The title page in APA 7th edition should start from page number 1.

4. APA Title Page

Your title page in APA must start with the title of your paper, the name of the student or authors of the research project, and the institutional affiliation. All the lines must be centered and start in the middle of the title page. In addition to that, you must include your course number, instructor's name, and the due date of your research paper. It will look this way: 

The General Electrics Sample Title Page: 

Following the Engineering Principles of Electrical Circuit 

Department of Engineering, Georgia State University

ENGN 222: Electrical Engineering

Dr. Michael John Stipe

October 11, 2008

5. Table of Contents

A table of contents is only necessary if you are writing a thesis paper or working on a dissertation. This section must be placed between your abstract part and the introduction. Use the same font and size as the rest of your content. The text starts at the top of your page with the word "Contents". Every entry must be centered and in bold font. 

The outline in APA format follows the same rules and can be delivered as a separate document in most cases. The page margins remain the same with the page numbering starting from page one. The structure of a page (usually one page only) should include an introduction that mentions the main background points and your thesis, the main body with the elements that support your research thesis statement, and a short conclusion that makes your final take on things or your position clear.

Note : There are no headers or anything specific for an outline. You may copy the main paper's header by adding the word "OUTLINE". 

7. Abstract

Your abstract must appear on a separate page after your research paper's title page. It means that it should be numbered as page 2. Write "Abstract" in bold title case and center it at the top of your page. The abstract itself comes as the next paragraph with the 0.5 inches indent. The length of your abstract should be no longer than 250 words. You may write it down in a single paragraph or use a different kind of structure.

As you write, focus on the requirements that you want to achieve scientifically, consider your target audience as you explain your methodology and the problem that you are planning to explore. Describe your results and provide a brief conclusion to your work exactly as it would be done in a book’s review.

8. Body Parts

It does not matter if you are working on an essay or a complex research paper, APA style format does not mention any specific rules that must be used. Therefore, you should refer to your paper type. The majority of research papers should include an introduction with the list of research objectives (see research paper introduction example ), three to five body paragraphs that explain and support your arguments, and the conclusion part where you sum things up.

The body parts should start with the most important argument that speaks of your thesis and provides analytical information.

The second paragraph of the body in the APA research paper should implement statistical data, which is also considered as a reference. This is where you can use citations and refer to certain publications. Such an approach will help you to avoid plagiarism risks.

The last paragraph should provide alternative opinions and provide counter-arguments where additional citations, graphics, and multimedia sources can be added.

9. Conclusion

The APA manual mentions that your conclusion part should not use any citation elements in the final section and avoid introducing any new ideas. Keep this fact in mind and make sure that you leave suggestions and an overall review of your research paper.

Note: If you have any additional information that you refer to in your previous paragraphs, certain recommendations can be added as a research paper appendix section after your references page, yet always ask your academic advisor to ensure that it is applicable.

10. References Page

Start your References page by placing the word "References" at the top of the document’s layout. It must be centered and placed one inch down. Do not use capitalization, bold fonts, or italics.

All of your citations (references) must be double spaced and should have no additional lines in between.

If your reference goes past the first line, create a hanging indent by using tabulation.

Your references in APA 7th edition style are placed in alphabetical order.

If your reference does not start with the author, these are placed at the start of your paper, according to ABC.

The Writing Guides to Follow in APA 7th Citation Style

Basic citation rules in apa.

Let us imagine a situation when you need to cite a book in print for your research paper in APA style format. It will require the following information:

Author or authors of the book. The surname is always followed by the person’s initials.

The Year of publication of the book comes next in round brackets.

The book title is always placed in italics. Only the first letter of the first word in titles should be capitalized.

Edition (if available) also comes in round brackets. If the book represents the first edition, this part is not necessary.

DOI. It is necessary to include it (if available) for both online and print versions.

The second line of your citation in a References page must be indented per about 5 spaces.

For example:

Fisher, J.V. (2006). Teenage Violence: How do video games affect the modern youth? . Penguin Books.

For a journal article citation, provide the following information:

Author or authors of the article. The surname is always followed by the person’s initials.

The year of publication of the journal comes next in round brackets.

Journal title must be in italics.

Provide volume of journal (in italics).

Add an issue number of a journal in round brackets (no italics are necessary here).

Page range of article (if available).

Provide DOI or URL

Braxton, T. (2005). Asian Cuisine: A study of health benefits. Modern Health Care, 11(4), 34-36. https://doi.org/

Abbreviations

The rule of abbreviations in a research paper states that there should be at least three times when a certain abbreviation is used. If your abbreviation is only met once, it’s necessary to provide a complete spelling of your phrase each time you implement it for your assignment. When using APA style for research purposes, the use of abbreviation within headings is not necessary. Remember to provide a full term the first time you use an abbreviation by adding the abbreviated form in parentheses. APA 7th edition manual states that these must be used only when they help to provide a better kind of communication with your target audience.

The Use of Numbers & Punctuation

Turning to the latest APA style format manual, we can learn that one must use numerals to express numbers going from ten and above as numbers (12, 34, 721, and so on). When you have to use numbers up to ten, these are written in words such as "three positions", "two authors", "seven Chinese brothers", etc.

The rules also state that one must use commas between certain groups of three digits as you work with the figures. For example:

As over 2,000 people have participated in a meeting... 

Speaking of punctuation rules, the use of commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation cases must be put inside your quote marks. As for the rest of the punctuation marks, they go beyond your quotation.

Note: When you are planning to use a direct quote that is more than forty words, the block quotations are used with the indent.

Graphics & Multimedia in APA

Looking through the modern research paper APA format example, you will notice that there are frequent multimedia examples with the use of graphics. The use of graphics is permissible. Further research could explore the impact of multimedia on the readability of research papers.

If you are planning to use artwork from a museum in an online form, it looks this way:

Artist Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Title of the artwork [Format]. Location. URL

If there is a stock image:

Author. (Year). Title of image [format]. Website. URL

An image with no author or date would be resolved to this:

[Subject and type of work]. (n.d.). Your image’s URL.

Tips On How to Write a Research Paper in APA Format

Composing APA style research paper correctly, you must understand that such type of writing is not the same thing as the term paper or a simple essay that you do for college. It's not the same as a reflection paper either. You must provide research findings. It means that you should provide your writer's voice but do so in a limited way by focusing on methodology and an explanation of what you discover. Depending on your requirements and the grading rubric, you may have to provide 2-3 citations per page of your research as a way to support your arguments and reference at least one important publication that is dealing with your subject.

As you compose your research paper in the APA style format, make sure that you follow these simple academic writing tips:

Research tone must be present. It means that your research paper should not use the first person unless asked to. The general APA writing style manual recommends using "This study has been conducted by" phrases instead.

It’s recommended to avoid any personal information where you describe your experience. Don’t make the paper sound like a personal statement piece of writing. Your research assignment must synthesize various publications by comparing, contrasting, and finding similarities as you write.

APA 7th style manual asks to use the past tense, which means that you should say that your research paper has shown instead of using " shows ". There may be certain exceptions if you are turning to a certain timeline.

The use of contractions must be limited. It means that you should say " It does not result in " instead of " it doesn't result in ".

Your writing should stay honest and clear without specific bias. Your purpose is to research things without racial, sexual, religious, or gender discrimination.

The use of sources must be implemented correctly without turning your paper into a collection of sources.

Following these simple rules, you will be able to stay within the basic guidelines and follow the rules of APA-style writing. As always, there may be exceptions to every rule, which is why you must talk to your instructor in case of any doubts. Your college or university will always have a final say.

APA Style Format Bias-Free Language Matters

Writing a paper in APA format, one must remember the rules of bias-free language that are also mentioned in the APA 7th manual for research writing. The purpose is to use gender-neutral pronouns and strive for the avoidance of prejudicial beliefs or specific demeaning aspects that may appear as a negative attitude in your research writing. Therefore, when dealing with a sensitive subject, proofread your text twice and talk to your academic advisor before submitting your work. It will help us all create sincere and bias-free research works that follow the rules of mutual respect, multiculturalism, and democracy.

What is MLA Formatting? 

MLA stands for Modern Language Association and is currently in its 9th edition , which has been published in 2021. In simple terms, MLA style formatting is a special system of referencing and structuring research papers. The main purpose is to cite sources correctly and keep your research writing always accurate. By learning how to write a research paper in MLA format, you will be able to submit your college homework according to specified rules and will avoid confusion. You will also learn how to format and structure the list of bibliography references for a research or essay paper by using the Works Cited page. It is another essential aspect of MLA style format. It is also essential to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

MLA style format aims to help your college professor and the target audience to navigate through your paper by turning to various in-text citations with an opportunity to see where information has been taken. Since MLA has specific standards, your academic advisor will check whether you have followed the rules and used the same format, font sizes, headers, and other aspects that make research writing universal.

What is MLA format then? The MLA style is mostly used by college students majoring in English, Literature, social sciences, arts, and humanities. One can assume that MLA style format is one of the most accessible writing standards, which is why it is often required during an introductory course where students learn how to structure their papers and keep information properly referenced.

When you are looking for reliable sources online, it will be easy to recognize the use of MLA format because of the famous MLA header that is always included on the first page where you must mention your full name, instructor’s name, your course, and the date. It is also necessary to use page formatting with your last name on each page, which also helps to determine that an MLA format has been used. We shall discuss this aspect further on as you proceed with our guide.

MLA Research Paper Format: General Guidelines 

If you are already familiar with at least one other academic writing format, you will already know the basics and it will be easier for you to process the information in MLA style. The majority of formats of research paper writing stand for the general rules on how to structure your page layout and a list of rules regarding correct citation. The most important is to start with the MLA header, which will look this way:

Adam Greeley

Professor Smith

Humanities 7311

14 May 2022

This header is always placed at the top left corner of the first page (no title page is required in most cases!) with the page number and your name aligned to the top right of the page. It will look this way:

The other rules on how to write a MLA research paper include:

The recommended fonts include Times New Roman, Arial, or Verdana in 12 pt size.

All the margins of the page in MS Word or a similar processor should be set at 1 inch.

The main content is double-spaced unless specified otherwise.

The MLA header is included only on the first page of your research paper.

The title of your work must be centered.

Every new research paper paragraph should have a hanging indent.

The MLA style uses the author-page citation pattern where you should list the author’s last name with the page number.

The Bibliography page has the “Works Cited” title at the top and center of the first page with your citations.

The sources are listed alphabetically.

Do not place a period after the title or headers.

Do not underline words unless it’s necessary.

Additionally, it is crucial to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

It is recommended to use the rules of inclusive language, according to the latest manual edition of the MLA style. It means that you must avoid certain terms that focus on ethnic peculiarities, religion, gender, disability, age, or social challenges unless it is absolutely necessary. You can also use words like “human-made” to specify gender-neutral aspects.

MLA Research Paper Structure: Essential Parts

One of the most important parts of writing a research paper successfully is following the correct structure that is specified by the chosen writing style. Here are the MLA research paper format parts that you should consider:

Furthermore, it is essential to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

It should have your university's name on top of the page, then the title of your research paper at the center of the page, and at the bottom of the page: your name, course name, professor's name, and the paper's due date (all centered).

Section Headings

The main heading should include your name, instructor's name, relevant class information, and the paper's delivery date.

The other MLA page headings:

First Level Heading.

Your text 

Second Level Heading.

Third Level Heading 

Fourth Level Heading

Fifth Level Heading 

Research Paper Outline

Title of the page (centered)

1. Introduction

Talk about the importance of your subject. 

An interesting topic sentence.

2. Thesis Statement

3. Body Paragraphs

Methodology. 

Research Justification. 

Research Findings.

4. Research Discussion

5. Conclusion

Thesis explanation. 

Introduction & Thesis

Talk about the importance of your research and use a strong thesis statement. Research paper MLA style guidebook recommends allocating about 10% of your final word count to this part.

This is where you must use in-text citations to support your arguments. Always introduce the subject that you want to explore, make a claim, and use citing only then to make it suitable.

In-text Citations

The classic in-text citation will look this way:

According to Darren Smith, “certain peculiarities have been noticed in Shakespeare’s perception of time and death” (9).

The majority of references to youth and the fragility help to understand how age has been limited by social circumstances (Smith 11).

Works Cited Page.

If you already know how to format your Bibliography, it is essential to look for complete information and provide as much as you can. If you are citing from a poetry book or an analysis paper that has been published:

Last Name, First Name of the author. “Title of your research paper.” Title of Collection , edited by Editor’s Name(s), Publisher, Year, page range of the data you have used.

Research paper MLA style Works Cited page example:

Stanley, Lace. “Shakespeare’s Psychology.” The Collected Classic English Poems, edited by John Langsley, Penguin Books, 2006, p.26. Only the first letter of the first word of both the chapter title and the book title should be capitalized.

Citing something from Jstor scientific database:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title.” Title of Scientific Journal , vol. Volume, no. Issue, Month Year of publication, pp. Pages, https://doi.org/DOI , or any relevant identifier.

Enciso, Patricia, et al. “Children’s Literature: Standing in the Shadow of Adults.” Reading Research Quarterly , vol. 45, no. 2, 2010, pp. 252–63. JSTOR , http://www.jstor.org/stable/20697185 . Accessed 20 Jun. 2022.

Regardless of whether you are using MLA format or would like to learn how to use different styles, your research paper should have an introduction, a review of the literature that you have used, the methodology that has been chosen, the results of your research, and a discussion of the findings, or you can simply pay someone to write my paper. You may also be limited by an introduction with a thesis statement, body parts with the arguments, and the conclusion part where you talk about the findings. It will always depend on your subject and research paper type.

Research Paper in MLA Format Writing Tips

Contrary to the popular belief, research paper writing in MLA format is not too difficult if you know the basic rules. If you plan to learn how to write a research paper in APA format, you will feel even more confident because you will be able to differentiate the styles. As a way to help you with your research writing, we have collected these simple MLA formatting for research paper tips:

Always start with the sources and check for Bibliography pages that may be included.

Use only verified sources and look for databases like Google Scholar, Jstor, PubMed, etc.

Always introduce your subject and talk about its importance.

Do not overuse citations in your research paper.

Correct Research Paper Formatting Helps to Avoid Plagiarism

Numerous college students often ask about the purpose of correct research formatting, be it MLA, APA, Chicago, or any other format. Formatting a research paper in MLA and APA formats can be time-consuming and intricate, leading many students to seek professionals who write essays for money to ensure their papers meet all formatting guidelines and academic standards. In addition to structuring things according to academic standards, the most important aspect of staying accurate as you research is to provide correct structure and citations if you use any external sources. It will help you to prepare your writing for publishing purposes and let you avoid plagiarism issues. It is the main purpose of correct research paper formatting. Moreover, it is essential to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers. This guide contains the main rules that provide a checklist that will help you stay safe and follow all the essential rules.

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Written by Steven Robinson

Steven Robinson is an academic writing expert with a degree in English literature. His expertise, patient approach, and support empower students to express ideas clearly. On EduBirdie's blog, he provides valuable writing guides on essays, research papers, and other intriguing topics. Enjoys chess in free time.

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Literature Review

6 Best Research Project Graphic Organizer Templates

Discover 6 top research project graphic organizer templates to streamline project planning and boost productivity.

Sep 9, 2024

Researching a topic can feel overwhelming, especially when you need to make sense of what seems like endless information before you can start your paper. A research project graphic organizer can help you confidently tackle the literature search so you can write an efficient research paper that earns a top grade. In this guide, we'll explore the many benefits of graphic organizers for research projects and show you how to make one for your next project. Otio's AI research and writing partner helps you organize your thoughts, create a graphic organizer, and write a stellar research paper. With this tool, you can make excellent study material that breaks down information for a quick overview of what you need to know.

Table Of Contents

What is a research graphic organizer, purpose of a research project graphic organizer, what are the 7 types of graphic organizers, how to create a research project graphic organizer, supercharge your researching ability with otio — try otio for free today.

A graphic organizer (also referred to as a research matrix) is a valuable tool for compiling detailed notes during the research process. These note-taking systems can take a long time to assemble, so they’re geared toward long-term papers, such as graduate research or capstone projects. That being said, they are well worth the effort as they save time and effort when navigating themes, content, and theories across articles. Furthermore, these organization systems make it easy to quickly compile a bibliography as all the information is stored in one place.  

Also known as research project graphic organizers, graphic organizers help students visually sort and outline information before, during, and after reading. Their visual nature helps students reduce cognitive load by creating a simple framework for organizing information. This allows students to focus on understanding the material instead of becoming overwhelmed with the details. 

Kickstart, Your Research with Graphic Organizers

During the pre-reading stage, graphic organizers can be a brainstorming tool to activate prior knowledge and connect what students know with new information.  For example, if a student is about to read a biography on Rosa Parks, a graphic organizer can help them sort out what they know about the civil rights movement before reading. 

Dig In While You Read 

During the reading stage, graphic organizers can help students arrange pertinent information, facilitating learning by highlighting links among concepts. Continuing with Rosa Parks' biography example, as the students read, they can use a graphic organizer to help them sort details about her life, her role in the civil rights movement, and the broader historical context. 

Reflect and Consolidate What You've Learned 

In the post-reading stage, graphic organizers can assess comprehension, recall pertinent information, summarize main ideas, and maintain the content learned. After finishing the biography, the students could use a graphic organizer to help them reflect on what they learned about Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement. 

Supercharge Your Researching Ability With Otio

Knowledge workers, researchers, and students today suffer from content overload. Too many settle for stitching together complicated bookmarking, read-it-later, and note-taking apps to get through their workflows. Now that anyone can create content with a button, this problem will only worsen. Otio solves this problem by providing researchers with one AI-native workspace. 

Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today !

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1. Venn Diagrams: Understanding Relationships and Differences   

Venn diagrams help readers grasp the relationships between various concepts. Venn diagrams use two or more overlapping circles to show the similarities and differences between each idea. The areas where the circles overlap display the traits that the ideas have in common, while the individual sections of each circle illustrate the unique characteristics of each concept.

2. Series of Events Chains: Sequencing Events  

A series of events graphic organizer helps students visualize the order of events in a story or passage. This type of organizer has a simple format that can be adapted for any length. Events are written chronologically to show how they relate to one another. This helps illustrate the continuous movement of the narrative.

3. Concept Maps: Branching Out from a Central Idea   

A concept map, or spider map, helps students visually display what they know about a topic before, during, and after a reading or research project. This graphic organizer has a central idea in the middle, with other relevant information supporting the topic branching out. The more detailed a concept map gets, the better students understand the relationship between the ideas and how they connect to the main topic.

4. Story Maps: Breaking Down Fiction

A story map helps students visually display crucial information related to components of a story before, during, and after reading. This type of graphic organizer helps students break down the character(s), setting, and problem. This enables readers to comprehend the narrative better and summarize the plot.

5. Network Tree Maps: Organizing Information  

A network treemap has a main idea at the top with subtopics underneath. As students learn about the different concepts, they can fill in the tree map to show their understanding of how the information is organized. This type of graphic organizer works well for helping students prepare for writing assignments and research projects.

6. Fishbone Maps: Analyzing Causes and Effects  

A fishbone graphic organizer helps students visualize the interaction and relationship of a complex event and its effects. The “bones” of the fish represent the different causes of a specific problem, while the “head” of the fish illustrates the main issue. This type of organizer enables students to break down complex information to analyze it and better understand the content.

7. Problem Solution Maps: Summarizing Text  

Problem solution maps help students summarize text, identify the problems within the text, recognize solutions used to solve the problem, and interpret the results. This type of graphic organizer is helpful for expository and narrative texts.

1. Otio: Your AI Research Assistant  

Today’s knowledge workers, researchers, and students are overwhelmed by content overload. There are too many stitch-together complicated bookmarking, read-it-later, and note-taking apps to get through their workflows. With the ability for anyone to create content with the click of a button, this problem will only get worse. Otio solves this problem by providing researchers with one AI-native workspace. It helps them: 

Collect many data sources, from bookmarks, tweets, and extensive books to YouTube videos. 

Extract key takeaways with detailed AI-generated notes and source-grounded Q&A chat. 

Create draft outputs using the sources you’ve collected. Otio helps you to go from the reading list to the first draft faster. 

Along with this, Otio also helps you write research papers/essays faster. Here are our top features that researchers love: AI-generated notes on all bookmarks (Youtube videos, PDFs, articles, etc.), Otio enabling you to chat with individual links or entire knowledge bases, just like you chat with ChatGPT and AI-assisted writing. 

Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner —try Otio for free today!  

2. Teachers Pay Teachers Graphic Organizer Templates  

Their graphic organizer templates have a simple design to guide students' research when discovering a career of their choice. Students will look up the basics of a possible career, including salary, education requirements, employment outlook, skills, tasks, etc.  

3. EdrawMax Research Graphic Organizer  

EdrawMax offers free editable graphic organizers . EdrawMax Online is a cloud-based software that allows users to create various diagrams, charts, drawings, and graphic organizers. By signing up, you can access a canvas to draw any organizer of your choice by dragging and dropping various shapes and symbols from the included library. You can also use EdrawMax Online to create graphic organizers for research papers. You can choose to create one from scratch or just use a template, albeit the latter option relies on the presence of a template in the template gallery. 

4. HMH Free Graphic Organizer Templates  

Help your students classify ideas and communicate more effectively with these free graphic organizer templates available for download. They can be used to structure writing projects and help in problem-solving, decision-making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming.  

5. Twinkl Research Notes Graphic Organizer  

Use this research notes graphic organizer to help students as they research for a project or essay. This resource allows students to track where their information is coming from to help avoid plagiarism.  

6. Teach Starter Graphic Organizers  

Teach Starter has various templates for research graphic organizers. You can download them as a PDF and print them out as well. Some are paid, and some are free.

Graphic organizers help students systematically arrange and visually display information while researching to help them identify, study, and understand the relationships between the parts and the whole. A research project graphic organizer can help students visualize the components of a research project and what they’ll need to do before, during, and after the research process.  

For example, a T-chart can help students break down the differences between two topics before selecting one for a research project. Venn diagrams can also help students identify similarities and differences between two topics.  Research project graphic organizers can also be utilized as a planning tool to help students organize their thoughts before they begin writing their research papers. 

For instance, a research project graphic organizer can help students identify their research questions, organize their findings, and visually display how their research will address the paper's topics and subtopics.   

Using AI Tools to Create Graphic Organizers for Research Projects

Artificial intelligence tools can help students create research project graphic organizers. First, students can select the graphic organizer they want to make, such as a T-chart or Venn diagram. Next, they can use prompts to help the AI generate content for their organizers. The results can be used to help fill in the graphic organizers and provide structure to their research.

Knowledge workers, researchers, and students today suffer from content overload. Otio solves this problem by providing researchers with one AI-native workspace . 

Collecting Research with Otio 

When conducting a research project, you’ll want to gather various sources. Otio helps you to do this quickly and efficiently. You can import bookmarks, tweets, PDFs, articles, YouTube videos, and even entire books. Importing all this data into Otio creates a centralized repository for your research project, a great way to stay organized and improve your workflow. 

Extracting Key Takeaways with Otio 

Once you have collected your research materials, you can analyze them for relevant information. Otio makes this process easier by generating detailed AI notes for all your research materials. You can even chat with these AI notes just like you would with ChatGPT. This improves information retrieval and helps you to understand your research better. 

Creating Outputs with Otio

After you have collected and analyzed your research, you can start creating written outputs. Otio helps you to go from a reading list to a first draft faster. Use the notes generated by Otio to inform your writing, and take advantage of AI-assisted writing features to improve your overall efficiency. 

Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today ! 

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How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Research Paper: Prompts & Ideas 

If you’re a student, you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT. This advanced AI model can handle the task of writing an entire research paper from scratch. Many scholars use the chatbot to create texts with minimum effort. However, most of the time, the results are far from impressive. Plus, students risk getting punished for unethical AI use.

But what if we told you there are ways of using ChatGPT to create excellent papers and save time on the steps that would take ages to do manually?

In this article, our experts will discuss how to use the chatbot to make research writing easier. We will also explain what to avoid and suggest what custom GPTs you may use to make the writing process more efficient.

🔍 Is ChatGPT Good for Research?

• ✍️ Limitations of ChatGPT
• 🎯 How to Use AI to Write a Research Paper
• 🤔 Aspects AI Can’t Help You With
• 🚀 Best Custom GPTs for Research
• 💡 Key Takeaways

🔗 References

In general, it’s possible to use ChatGPT as a research assistant. But the question is, for what end can you use it?

Well, if your aim is not to generate an entire paper but rather to make some of the routine writing steps easier, then using an AI tool can be ethical and permissible.

For instance, you can use ChatGPT to:

• Search for information,
• Rewrite complex ideas,
• Summarize longer texts,
• Develop research questions ,
• Create research paper abstracts,
• Generate sample outlines.

ChatGPT is very effective when it comes to handling such tasks. It’s also absolutely legal to use it for these purposes.

All you need to do is write a very clear prompt . Otherwise, the chatbot might give you an irrelevant answer. We’re going to share the most effective prompts for various research purposes in the following sections.

But first, an important disclaimer:

We’re firmly against AI cheating , and we don’t encourage it in any shape or form. That’s why this guide will talk about legal and honest ways to use AI for research assistance.

✍️ Limitations of Using ChatGPT for Research

If you decide to use the chatbot for your academic work, it’s essential to consider its limitations . This will help you focus on what AI does best and avoid trusting it with things that can ruin your research.

Here are the main limitations you want to consider:

• It’s limited by the datasets . Because ChatGPT is not trained on recent data, it has no knowledge of the most up-to-date information or findings in specific fields.
• It lacks depth . While the chatbot can effectively summarize information, it may fail to fully grasp complex theories and arguments of a research topic.
• It tends to plagiarize . When ChatGPT generates its texts, it rehashes the information from its database. So, even if a text seems original, it contains other people’s ideas.
• It struggles with contextualizing and interpreting data . The chatbot lacks the human ability to analyze and contextualize information critically. It needs guidance through concrete, well-written prompts.
• It can present incorrect answers . Sometimes, the chatbot simply lacks information in a specific research field. This leads to inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the generated content.
• It’s prone to bias . Since ChatGPT is trained on online data that often includes biased and offensive information, it can generate statements expressing bias towards specific ideas or people.
• It’s associated with cheating . Some unethical researches generate entire papers without making any real effort. If students do the same, they will be caught with the help of AI essay checkers and punished for cheating.

Even though it may be tempting, it’s best not to rely on AI too much if you want to conduct good research. You can use some of the chatbot’s functions to make the process easier, but you still have to do most of the work yourself.

🎯 How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Research Paper: Top 11 Ideas

So, do you want to know how to use ChatGPT to write a paper? If you do, look no further!

The following list of tips will explain to you how to:

• Brainstorm topics,
• Create a roadmap,
• Refine your research topic,
• Find gaps in your outline,
• Locate sources,
• Find cases to explore,
• Summarize texts,
• Analyze statistical data,
• Edit as you write,
• Create an abstract,
• Format the references.

We’ve also included examples of the most effective prompts for each research aspect. Feel free to try them out!

1. Brainstorm Topics with ChatGPT

For many students, the most challenging part of research is the beginning. Sometimes, you just don’t know what to focus on. In situations like this, ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas and collect information.

Let’s assume you need to write an essay about pop culture and modern art, but you need help figuring out where to start.

The first step would be to create a good prompt for the chatbot. For instance, you can phrase your request like this:

The second step will be to choose one topic from the generated list and ask ChatGPT to tell you more about it.

For instance:

You’ll get a detailed answer on the subject.

Lastly, you can use the most interesting points from the last reply to narrow down your topic even further or to get more ideas for the direction of your paper.

For example:

And now you have fresh, focused topics that you can research.

2. Use AI to Create a Roadmap

Once you’ve chosen a topic, you can use ChatGPT to create a detailed roadmap that will guide your research and help you stay on track.

As we’ve mentioned before, when you work with ChatGPT, a good prompt is the key to getting a relevant answer. This is especially true for generating outlines and roadmaps. The more detailed and clear your prompt is, the better outcome you will get.

Here’s an example of what your request might look like:

The roadmap also included suggestions for a literature review, methodology, case studies, discussion, and other essential research components. You can use all this information to create an outline. To streamline this task, try using our free research paper outline generator .

We also suggest you research the topic before using AI. That way, you’ll have a general understanding of the subject and will be able to judge the quality of the generated roadmap.

3. Refine Your Research Question with AI

Any research needs a central question. Sometimes, it may be hard to collect your thoughts and come up with an interesting issue to focus on. In this case, you can use ChatGPT to assist you.

Here’s how:

• Describe the topic of your paper clearly and concisely.
• Ask the chatbot to suggest several research questions based on your requirements.
• Choose the best one.

Your prompt can look like this:

Tip : We also recommend using our free question generator from text . It will easily turn your research idea into a question without you having to come up with elaborate prompts.

4. Ask ChatGPT to Identify Gaps in Your Outline

Suppose you’re done with the outline and have the research question, but you feel something needs to be added to it. In that case, you can use ChatGPT to identify the gaps in your research plan.

Here’s what the prompt may look like:

5. Use the Chatbot to Find Sources

Once you have completed the preparation stage, it’s time to find suitable sources and start researching.

How can ChatGPT help you with it?

Well, one way is to ask ChatGPT to create a list of references on the subject. However, this is a bad idea since you’ll only get a list of nonexistent sources vaguely related to the central theme of your research.

Instead, we suggest you ask ChatGPT to locate relevant works on separate points from your outline. This will allow you to get a comprehensive overview of diverse aspects related to your topic and not just the central theme itself.

For instance, if the topic of your paper is the semiotics of memes used in modern art, one of the points in your outline can be dedicated to the visual language in memetic social commentary. Suppose this part of your research will be about 3 pages long.

So, you can ask the chatbot the following:

One thing to note is that ChatGPT can’t provide you with internet links, so you’ll have to look for sources on your own. And while you do that, you may also come across interesting articles or get new ideas that you can use to perfect your outline.

Tip : To ensure that your text doesn’t contain any plagiarized fragments from the sources, you may run it through our free plagiarism checker . And if you need additional clarifications regarding the meaning of complicated passages, feel free to use a quote explainer .

6. Find Specific Cases to Explore

Think your research lacks depth? Try adding to it real-life cases or specific historical incidents. They will help you support your statement, better convey your ideas, and add credibility to your paper.

If you want to include an example in your paper but struggle to think of one, you can use ChatGPT to look for a specific event or real-life instance related to your topic.

Here’s what the prompt can look like:

The results also included Brazilian, South Korean, and French memes with explanations. We’d say that’s enough to create a comprehensive overview. Just make sure to fact-check the generated examples and see if they actually exist.

7. Use AI to Summarize Lengthy Sources

If you need to learn the main idea of a lengthy passage quickly, you can use ChatGPT as a summarizer. This can be especially helpful when you’re working on a literature review and need brief descriptions of your sources.

Let’s try it with an article on the semiotics of memes :

When you need a summary, it’s best to provide the chatbot with the whole text by copy-pasting it. It’s important because if you use vague prompts with only the work’s title, the tool will either refer to a nonexistent work or refuse to answer the request:

Tip : In addition to ChatGPT, try using our key points maker . It will present all the necessary information from the text in a convenient list format. And if you need to create an overview of previous research for your paper’s introduction, use our background of the study generator .

8. Analyze Statistical Data with ChatGPT

Now, what should you do if your research includes statistical data? Sometimes, it can be hard to interpret numbers and connections between them. Luckily, ChatGPT can help you analyze and organize it, isolate the most critical pieces of data, and create a comprehensive summary.

To make it work, ensure that your prompt is as detailed as possible. You will also need to include the entire dataset in it.

Here’s an example:

The chatbot can also use inferential statistics methods such as chi-square tests or ANOVA , but that would require large, concrete numbers.

Otherwise, the chatbot will get stuck repeating the same formula:

Another important thing is not to rely on AI entirely when it comes to statistical analysis. The reason is that the chatbot can overlook certain things or give biased results. In some cases, ChatGPT usage for data analysis can lead to p- hacking , which is highly unethical.

What does this mean, exactly?

Well, p-hacking is a way of misusing data to create a statistically significant result when, in fact, it doesn’t exist. This leads to false conclusions and undermines the reliability of the study. For that reason, it’s crucial to analyze the data yourself and carefully double-check the results if you decide to delegate the task to AI.

Still, ChatGPT works effectively when it is necessary to summarize data or conduct a preliminary analysis of the statistical data and make conclusions depending on the study findings.

9. Use the Chatbot to Edit as You Write

While working on your paper, you may want to improve or edit its parts. That’s another aspect where ChatGPT will come in handy.

Here’s what it can do for you:

• Simplify the language . Some people use the tool to make their text more complex and formal, but more often than not, it only makes it unreadable. Simplifying it is a much better option.
• Shorten long or complex sentences . Using short sentences will help you create a more cohesive and reader-friendly paper.
• Substitute certain words with synonyms . This is especially useful when you want to say something complicated in a few words.
• Check your grammar . It’s always a good idea to proofread your paper to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Take a look at this text:

Within the contemporary art landscape, memes are used as agents of cultural discourse, where their inherent capacity for humor and cultural resonance help address the challenges of modern society. Memes fuse visual and textual elements, which allows them transcend traditional artistic mediums, thus offering artists a dynamic platform for critiquing current socio-political events. This combination of digital vernacular and artistic expression not only blurs the boundaries between high and low culture but also reflects the evolving nature of expression in the digital age.

It sounds overcomplicated, but we can improve it with the help of Chat GPT:

Want to know more? Check out our comprehensive guide on using ChatGPT to edit essays .

Tip : We recommend listening to the text of your research paper with our essay reader tool. This will help you effectively notice any inconsistencies, difficult wording, or confusing grammar patterns.

10. Create an Abstract with AI

When you’re done with the bulk of your research and have little time to work on your abstract, ChatGPT can be a real lifesaver.

Copying and pasting the whole paper into the chatbot may not be the best idea since the AI can miss important information and not include it in the abstract. Instead, it’s best to ask the tool to create short summaries for each section of your work.

What you need to do is start a new chat and use the following prompt with each portion of your text:

After that, you simply combine the summaries to create an abstract. You use ChatGPT to help you structure it with this prompt:

Note that the generated abstract contains phrases typical for ChatGPT, like “delves into.” If your professor decides to check such a text for AI, it will most probably be marked as suspicious. That’s why it is not a good idea to submit it as it is. Consider rewriting such an abstract manually or using an AI humanizer to quickly add a human touch.

Tip : Another easy way to create an abstract is to use our free online abstract generator .

11. Use ChatGPT to Format Your References

Creating a list of references is an essential part of any research. It’s also one of its most challenging and time-consuming aspects. After all, each formatting style has numerous specific characteristics that can easily get confused.

ChatGPT can save your time and help avoid unnecessary mistakes while citing the sources. The most important thing is not to ask the AI tool to generate references from scratch.

Instead, we recommend you find all the necessary data for the references yourself. Then, manually input these data into ChatGPT and ask it to create a reference for you. That way, you’ll ensure everything is formatted correctly and avoid citing nonexistent works in your paper.

🤔 Research Aspects AI Can’t Help You With

The list of research aspects ChatGPT can help you with may look very impressive, but don’t let it fool you! There are still plenty of things that shouldn’t be entrusted to AI tools . It’s essential to know about them since ChatGPT can easily make its users overestimate its abilities regarding research, writing, and editing.

Let’s see why you shouldn’t trust AI with the following:

• Experimental design and methodology,
• Moral reasoning,
• In-depth data analysis,
• Comprehensive literature review,
• Peer review and personalized guidance.

Experimental Design & Methodology

ChatGPT can do many things, but it still lacks the nuanced understanding and the expertise to design experiments and choose the correct methodology. The chatbot can suggest some general ideas or set the direction for your research, but you’ll have to work on your own to achieve the most accurate results.

Moral Reasoning

AI tools like ChatGPT lack moral reasoning and ethical judgment. They can write about ethical principles if you ask them to, but they don’t know how to apply these principles in their writing.

When you work on your research, considering small nuances and adhering to guidelines is very important, especially if your paper involves human subjects. For that reason, you have to rely on yourself to navigate ethical issues in your research.

In-Depth Data Analysis

To analyze or interpret the research data, you need to be well-versed in the subject of your study. While AI models work with a vast amount of data, they still lack in-depth information in certain study fields.

ChatGPT can be helpful if you want to analyze a small amount of data, but for more detailed and nuanced conclusions, it’s best to rely on yourself.

Comprehensive Literature Review

You can use ChatGPT to generate small summaries and lay the basis for your literature review. However, to make your research work, you’ll need an in-depth analysis that discusses the source’s relevance, credibility, and importance in the context of your research. This task is something ChatGPT can’t handle.

Peer Review & Personalized Guidance

Collaboration with other researchers in the same field is a chance to improve your knowledge, learn more about different perspectives, and receive valuable feedback. Surely, ChatGPT can check your paper for mistakes and evaluate it, but it can never replace a real peer review.

Remember to refrain from delegating these aspects to AI. This will help you avoid problems and make the most out of your research experience.

🚀 Use ChatGPT for Research Effectively with Custom GPTs

For a more effective AI-assisted writing process, we suggest you use custom models designed for specific research areas. Check out the best GPTs that can serve as your personal assistants.

Note : To use these custom models, you need a subscription to ChatGPT Plus. For $20 a month, you will access the most advanced LLM to date and enjoy many additional functions.

• SciSpace GPT . With this handy tool, you’ll have access to over 200 million academic articles right at your fingertips. SciSpace will give an accurate response to any scientific question and provide digestible summaries of research papers for a deeper study.
• Consensus . You can use this custom GPT to get an evidence-based answer to your question and conduct an in-depth literature search. Besides, Consensus can give you a proper bibliography list in the APA format.
• Scholar GPT . With this AI model, you can research millions of academic sources quickly and efficiently. Feel free to ask it for graphics, charts, and even real-time updates. It will also help you with problem-solving and NLP tasks.
• Research-Paper Analyzer . Want to have access to simplified summaries of complicated research papers? Try this GPT. It instantly extracts the main points of a study to facilitate easy comprehension. It can also analyze the credibility and relevance of a chosen paper.
• Academic Research Reviewer . Working with this GPT is like having a seasoned professor to help you refine your research paper. It will examine the depth of your literature review, underline the strengths and weaknesses of your paper, highlight gaps, and suggest areas for further research.
• PubMed Buddy . This GPT allows you to search for information in PubMed and UnPaywall databases. With PubMed Buddy, you’ll avoid going through countless irrelevant studies and have more time to spend on the more exciting research aspects.
• Chemistry Lab Partner . Get specific help on difficult chemistry questions with this tool. Analyzing data and explaining concepts are not the only functions of Chemistry Lab Partner. It can also assist with your lab work and even enable virtual experiments.
• Graduate Level Physics GPT . Try this custom GPT to make the advanced physics more understandable. It’s a practical tool that breaks complicated topics into brief and digestible explanations. Besides, it assists with physics problems and research.
• Physics Tutor . Do physics concepts seem too complex and intimidating to you? This GPT is here to sort things out. It will give simple and clear explanations understandable to physics students and laypeople who are just curious about how this world works.
• Math Expert . Working with this GPT is like having a helpful math tutor available anytime. It not only gives you a correct solution to any problem or equation but also provides a step-by-step explanation of how to get there.

💡 How to Use ChatGPT for Research: Key Takeaways

ChatGPT is a smart and helpful tool that can help you simplify some of the steps of your research process. You can use it to:

• Look for fresh and exciting topics,
• Create roadmaps,
• Find sources,
• Find real-life examples,
• Create research questions,
• Identify gaps in your outline,
• Analyze statistics,
• Edit your writing,
• Create abstracts,

One thing to remember is that relying on yourself is always a better option. Even though AI can save you lots of time, it still lacks ethical judgment, critical thinking, and expert knowledge in your field. If you decide to use ChatGPT in your research, make sure to double-check everything it produces and never use generated replies in your texts.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful and learned something new. Now, you know how to use ChatgGPT ethically, so you don’t have to worry about being caught. We suggest you check out your school’s guidelines before using the chatbot. Feel free to share your experiences working with AI tools in the comments below!

Want to know more about using ChatGPT in your studies? Check out our in-depth articles with tips on how to generate longer essays and make AI texts undetectable .

• How to Use ChatGPT to Do Research for Papers, Presentations, Studies, and More: ZDNet
• Three Ways to Leverage ChatGPT and Other Generative AI in Research: Times Higher Education
• The Top 10 Limitations of ChatGPT – Forbes
• Top 10 Drawbacks of Using ChatGPT in Academics: Analytics Insight
• The Best Custom GPTs to Make ChatGPT Even More Powerful: Digital Trends
• How to Use ChatGPT for Research and Essays: MakeUseOf
• Increase Your Creativity with ChatGPT – Psychology Today
• How Can I Use ChatGPT in My Research Work?: GitHub
• How to Use ChatGPT as a Research Tool: LinkedIn
• The Best AI Tools to Power Your Academic Research: Euronews
• ChatGPT and Fake Citations: Duke University
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In-Text Citations

In scholarly writing, it is essential to acknowledge how others contributed to your work. By following the principles of proper citation, writers ensure that readers understand their contribution in the context of the existing literature—how they are building on, critically examining, or otherwise engaging the work that has come before.

APA Style provides guidelines to help writers determine the appropriate level of citation and how to avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism.

We also provide specific guidance for in-text citation, including formats for interviews, classroom and intranet sources, and personal communications; in-text citations in general; and paraphrases and direct quotations.

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AVIA 491 Aeronautics Capstone: Advanced Research Concepts

• Course Description

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the  Academic Course Catalog .

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.

The purpose of this course is to document significant evidences that program outcomes have been met and provide student evidence of experiences available to current and prospective employers.

Course Assignment

No details available.

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete the Video Discussion: Class Introductions in a visual presentation format. The visual presentation must include recorded presentation and will have a maximum time limit of 5 minutes. The student will be creative with the presentations. The student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

The purpose of the Proposal Paper Assignment is for the student to select an area of focus, service, or argument. The student must choose one option to focus on. Once the student has chosen his/her focus, he/she may select a topic within that focus. The student may not switch focus nor topic after the assigned Module: Week. The student should select the focus and topic he/she is most interested in so that he/she can be fully engaged with the topic. The student will use the template provided to complete the Proposal Assignment. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Once the student has chosen a topic and a focus, he/she will begin researching that topic more thoroughly. All research must be from primary sources that are scholarly and peer-reviewed. The student is to find a minimum of 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly biblical sources (not including the Bible) about the chosen topic. Sources must prompt or align (support) with the student’s opinion as well as oppose the opinion. The sources the student chooses must broaden the depth of knowledge and challenge personal opinion or stance on the need or the argument. The student will use the template provided in Canvas to complete the Annotated Bibliography Assignment. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

By this point, the student should have completed an in-depth reading of his/her sources and extracted data, quotes, and paraphrases that will be used in the outline. The 3-tier outline provides an organized method for keeping track of the source information that matches the details/notes being collected. The purpose of this 3-tier outline is for the student to plan out the Aviation Capstone Paper, think through the layout, and formulate the thesis statement incorporating a minimum of 2 lenses with two subheadings of support and oppose the need or the issue. Finally, the student will begin to weave a Biblical worldview into the topic of the paper. A 3-tier outline has 3 levels of information. The student must utilize the 3-Tier Outline Template provided in Canvas. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The purpose of the Implementation Site Information Assignment is for the student to identify a final implementation site and to confirm a mentor. Utilizing the Implementation Site Information Template , the student will select an implementation site and mentor. The student must be sure to review the implementation information on the template to ensure he/she can fulfill the required expectations at the implementation site. The questions within the Implementation Site Information Template are designed to help the student think through the implementation in terms of integrating the thesis. The questions are also designed to help the student think through the specific details of the implementation itself. Signatures are acknowledging the validity of the substance of the student’s answers to questions. This means that all persons signing the document need to be able to read the questions and answers before signing. (CLO: G)

The Aviation Capstone Peer Review involves researching and writing a 10–12-page paper about the topic chosen: developing a service that addresses a need or developing an argument that addresses an issue. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. See Aviation Capstone Paper in Canvas for assignment description. A template is provided called Aviation Capstone Template and should be used to ensure proper APA formatting. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The purpose of this assignment is for the student to document the 24-hour implementation experience. The student must use the Implementation Site Daily Log Form provided in Canvas. It will be important for the student’s presentation that he/she records these events daily. This way the student will obtain the most accurate record of his/her tasks and reflections. The student may use one log sheet each day while at the implementation site or the student may combine the entire experience into one log. Log sheet(s) must be filled out completely and thoroughly. They must demonstrate thoughtfulness and reflection in content. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The mentor interview is an important component of the student’s implementation. This is an opportunity for the student to talk about his/her thesis topic and conclusions with an expert in the aviation field. The goal of this interview should be for the student to use his/her mentor’s expertise to speak to the conclusions of his/her thesis and to integrate the conclusion with the implementation itself. The student should utilize the Mentor Interview and Reflection Paper Template in Canvas. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Utilizing the peer-review feedback from the Proposal Paper, 3-Tier Outline, Initial Draft of Aviation Capstone Paper, and the many other elements of the Aviation Capstone Project, the student will complete the final draft of the Aviation Capstone Paper. The student must utilize the Aviation Capstone Template in Canvas to ensure proper APA formatting.

The Aviation Capstone involves researching and writing a 10–12-page paper about the topic chosen: developing a service that addresses a need or developing an argument that addresses an issue. Once a topic has been established, it will take research to establish the service or position being addressed.

An Aviation Capstone Paper, also known as a thesis paper, starts with a question addressing a topic, gives informative details regarding that topic, integrates a biblical worldview into the topic, weaves an implementation correlating to the thesis, and draws a conclusion summarizing a solution or stance. Throughout the research, the student will clearly identify, understand, evaluate, and construct a conclusion either addressing a need or formulating a stance (argument) on an issue. The student is required to look through a minimum of 2 different lenses that address the topic of study. These lenses can be from an array of viewpoints; moral, ethical, economical, scientific, historical, etc., but the final lens must be from the biblical perspective, integrating biblical worldviews into the capstone. A template is provided in Canvas called Aviation Capstone Template and should be used to ensure proper APA formatting. References quoted in the body of the paper should be listed on a Reference page.

A minimum of 24 in-text citations must be used to support the contents of your paper. Cite works according to the APA format. The student must have at minimum 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly Biblical sources. The student may not include the Bible as part of the 12 minimum sources. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

While at the Implementation Site, the student must have a mentor who is supervising and guiding the experience. To gain insight into how the implementation is progressing, the student must be sure to provide the Mentor Evaluation Form to his/her mentor at the end of the implementation period. The purpose of this form is to provide the student and the professor feedback regarding student performance during the implementation week. Once the form is complete, including signatures, the student must to upload the completed Mentor Evaluation Form to the assignment page. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The student presentation should incorporate all aspects of thinking on the topic chosen: an examination of Scripture, research, discussions, and conclusions based on knowledge, experience, and reflection of efforts. A Biblical worldview should be intrinsically and purposefully woven throughout the entire presentation. The presentation should demonstrate mastery of thesis, content, implementation, and reflection of the Aviation Capstone Project. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

Using the many course outcomes discussed within each Module: Week, as well as the required reading How to Win Friends and Influence People , in 500–750 words (excluding Title and Reference pages), the student will reflect on what he/she has learned in this course and how this course has fostered his/her academic, professional, and personal growth. The Reflective Essay Assignment must include at least 3 citations of the Bible and at least 3 citations of How to Win Friends and Influence People , for a total of at least 6 in-text citations in current APA format. (CLO: C, D, E, G, H)

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