Research Paper Outline

Writing a research paper successfully requires prior planning. A research paper outline is a useful tool that you can exploit to help you in organizing your research paper assignment. A research paper outline should bear the structure of format demonstrated below:

a)     The title

b)     The statement of purpose

c)      The introduction

The introduction should describe the research problem, the importance of researching on the problem and analysis, the scope of study and research questions, and how the results obtained from the research will be applied.

d)     The methodology–

This section of the outline should state the most suitable method for data collection and data analysis. It should also give the rationale behind the data collection and data analysis made. The researcher need also to explain how this method will be applied and the criteria for testing them.

e)      Findings

This chapter requires the researcher to record what he/she observed in the field when collecting data.

f)       The discussion and analysis

This section of the research paper outline helps the researcher to organize evidence from different sources, organize concepts in sub-topics, group the sources, and test the validity of sources used in the research assignment.

g)     Recommendations and conclusion

Based on the observations made and discussion advanced, the researcher is expected to give a recommendation for further research in the future. In this section, the researcher is also expected to help the reader internalize the new perceptions and introduced in the field of study.

The conclusion on the other hand gives the researcher an opportunity to restate the problem, solution, and point of view. In addition, it helps the researcher to demonstrate the link in all sections of the research paper.

h)     The references

It is the final section of a research paper outline and consequently the research paper. the function is to state the sources used for the research assignment.