Starting A College Project: How To Write A Research Paper Outline

When you start a college research project the first step is to write your research paper outline. The outline is a key component to ensuring that your project has direction and purpose and that you stay on track while you work. When you have an outline prepared before you start your research paper you are much more likely to have good flow between sections and to ensure that your sections are all covered.

So how do you start your college project and write a research paper outline?

The outline should be short and concise.

Your outline should only have a few sentences with mostly bullet points or short lists. It should be written so that you can easily flow from one paragraph to the next. As you research you should find the quotes or data you want to include and place it in shorthand in the outline where you feel it belongs. For example: if there is a quote by Dr. Alphabet regarding statistics from a hemoglobin test you don’t have to include the entire quote in your outline. You can just state the book or page it is from so that when you write out your paper you will know directly where to find it.

Your outline should start with your thesis statement. From there it should summarize your introduction. The body should be broken into sections and sub-sections based on your particular requirements. For example: if your research paper requires a literature review section this should be one point under your “body” in the outline. It is best to design and outline with the following format (give or take based on your particular requirements):

Thesis Statement: ______________________________

Here is where you list the thesis or what your research paper is all about in one quick sentence. You can of course come back to this section as you work on the body or begin your research and alter the precise wording.

Introduction: ______________________________

This is the part of your outline where you summarize your introduction and the points you will cover.

Body: ______________________________

This is where you break up your outline based on paragraph and what points or facts will be contained in each paragraph. You should utilize whatever format works best for you. Some people use bullet points while others prefer numbered lists.

Conclusion: ______________________________

Briefly write your conclusion here so that you remember where all of your body text is heading.

References: ______________________________

Keep a note of the references you are using so that you know what you want to format later.

Tips to consider

Start writing with brainstorming.Any essay or research paper start with creating an interesting and unique topic. Most students find it hard to make up a topic that would interest the professor. The easiest solution is check the available college paper examples available online for free use. Read the topics, write down the ones you like, conduct a research and give birth to a great topic of your own. The alternative way is to read a newspapers, watch a television program and write about any current issue going on in the world.

Proofread and edit your draft.Make sure to check your final draft before submitting it to your school. Most students are so happy they've finally finished writing their essay or research paper, they forget to spell-check and search for grammar and punctuation mistakes. Most professional writers even use the help of editors (and actually pay them for their services) to ensure the paper is coherent, well-structured and flows well.

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