Making a Research Paper Outline

Amassing the various sources of information is just one mammoth task. When you begin to think the problematic part of research is over, you are presented with a new problem, of organising your findings and study in a well-defined sequence.

Employing a method to keep track of your literature from day one will certainly help reduce the burden later on. This point was pondered on in this article. Even with the record of all the sources, the challenge arises while reproducing your findings in a manner that is understandable. Your final paper writing shouldn’t look like a hastily done jigsaw puzzle. This blog addresses the problem ‘How to maintain a flow in your paper?’

After all the research and findings, putting it together may seem like a daunting task. This can be made easy by outlining the paper in the early stages of your study. As time passes, keep updating your findings.

A research paper basically has the following structure:

  • Title Page
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion and Conclusion etc.
  • Reference
  • Tables, Figures, and Appendix

An informal outline helps in organising your ideas. It is subject to reordering as you make progress in your research. This will also help you to arrange and to make the critical points clear for yourself. While you are at this, don’t pay much attention to details. Remember this is just the groundwork and you’re going to build from here.

The purpose of an outline is to help you think through your topic carefully and organise it logically before you start writing the final paper. A good outline lays the necessary foundation for a good paper. Check your outline to make sure that the points covered flow logically from one to the other.

Organize all the information you have gathered according to your outline. Be critical and analyse the research data. Opposing findings should also be considered if they help to support your study. This is the most crucial stage in writing a research paper. Here you will analyse, synthesise, sort, and understand the information you have collected and learn about your topic.

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