Research Paper Outline
Many students find writing an outline challenging. However, once you have mastered writing an outline, you can easily flesh it out to write a quality paper. In this article, we provide a template for a standard five-paragraph academic research paper outline, followed by an example of what the outline would look like for a research paper with a specific topic. Using these tools together, you can easily visualize how a research paper outline should appear.
I. Introduction
A. Subtopic 1
B. Subtopic 2
C. Subtopic 3
D. Thesis
II. Subtopic 1
A. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
B. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
C. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
III. Subtopic 2
A. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
B. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
C. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
IV. Subtopic 3
A. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
B. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
C. Evidence
1. Support
2. Support
V. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis statement.
B. Restate subtopic 1
C. Restate subtopic 2
D. Restate subtopic 3
E. Closing statement
Example Research Paper Outline
We recently published an article on Ted Bundy, which is in article format, not research paper format. Here, we are including an outline for what a research paper using much of that same information could look like.
I. Theodore Robert “Ted” Bundy may be one of the most recognizable serial killers in the world.
A. Bundy had a seemingly normal appearance, which belied his criminal nature.
B. Bundy made a series of notorious escape attempts, which culminated in a killing spree.
C. After capture, Bundy continued to interact with the media, even confessing to additional crimes after he was convicted.
D. Taken together, these factors personalized Bundy in a manner that fascinated the public, and made him the first “celebrity” serial killer.
II. On the surface, Ted Bundy appeared to be a normal guy, though closer inspection revealed he was not.
A. Bundy had a seemingly normal childhood.
1. Bundy’s family appeared normal, but, upon closer inspection, was not.
2. Bundy was described as a high achieving student.
B. Bundy appeared as a normal young adult.
1. He volunteered with the Republican party.
2. He was a law student.
3. He had a long-term romantic relationship with a live-in girlfriend.
4. He was a member of the Mormon church.
C. Some people saw glimpses of the real Bundy.
1. Childhood friends said he was shy and did not get along with peers.
2. His live-in girlfriend reported him multiple times as a suspect in the “Ted” murders.
III. Bundy made multiple escape attempts.
A. He escaped in Colorado and was recaptured in 8 days.
1. He was acting as his own lawyer and was unsupervised in a law library.
2. He jumped out of a second story window.
B. He escaped in Colorado and got all the way to Florida.
1. This escape required a tremendous weight loss.
2. A manhunt could not locate him.
IV. Bundy interacted with the media.
A. He held numerous press conferences.
B. Continued to give media interviews maintaining his innocence after conviction.
C. Began to confess to crimes when his execution was approaching.
1. Claimed to be trying to give victims peace.
2. He may have confessed to crimes he did not commit in order to attempt to get a stay
of his execution.
V. Conclusion: When combined, Bundy’s various characteristics helped create the image of the modern serial killer, which is what helped create the concept of the celebrity serial killer.
A. Rather than looking like a monster, Bundy appeared to be the guy next door.
B. His escapes from jail gave him some folk-hero aspects, despite the gravity of his crimes.
C. Bundy played the media, representing that he was innocent up until just before he was executed.
D. As a result, Bundy not only became one of the most recognizable serial killers in the world, but also helped shape the image of what people would imagine when they think of serial killers.
Research Paper: Challenges with Younger Youth Aging Out of Foster CareIntroductionAlthough well intentioned, the foster care system often places youth in a precarious position once they age out of the program. Evidence suggest that foster care youth often experience trouble securing stable housing, difficulty in juggling work and school responsibilities, and overall healthy development. These elements also harm foster care youth in their ability to properly matriculate into society. Other
Selection of Research Paper Topic An analysis of the link between hopefulness, quality of life (QOL) and internalized stigma among autistic kids' parents is the objective of the current research. Autism impacts the patient as well as their parents, who require wide-ranging support services. The entire family of autism patients gets distressed during its attempts at raising the patient/child, potentially leading to diverse psychological and social problems among family members. Therefore,
persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. In a discussion with a colleague about the merits of a certain political leader, I repeated the colleague's concerns back to him to show that I had been listening and that I understood what his issues were. Then I used my knowledge of the subject to answer the objections and to correct some inaccuracies in what he said. I did
Social Policy Websites Using the CRAAP Method: Implications for Human Services Professionals Human services professionals increasingly obtain information from the internet. Given the critical nature of the human services field, ensuring that information is correct, up-to-date, credible, and verifiable is crucial. The CRAAP tool (Currency, Reliability, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) is a useful tool human services professionals may use to achieve this. In this paper, three policy-oriented websites were evaluated
Protecting Customer Rights Compliance research paper Compliance Research Paper: protecting customer rights The most significant aspect of any business organization or venture is the data constituting its intelligence. Consequently, the procedure of planning the business venture and accessing required data and maintaining that data is a priority to any business or industry. A business cannot operate without customers, as the core aim of any business is to make remarkable profits. Customer satisfaction dictates
DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENTResource 1: Cerebral Palsy Research PaperIn the first resource, the focus was on the definition, types, and treatment of cerebral palsy disease using home-based intervention programs. As highlighted in the document, cerebral palsy is a condition that affects muscle tone, movement and body coordination. According to Mayo Clinic (2021), these are brought about by brain damage that occurs to the developing and immature brain before birth. This happens
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now