How to Create a Research Outline

Preliminary Title of the Paper: Subject to Change

I. Introduction

A. Hook: Can be an interesting fact or a catchy statement. You can also use a rhetorical question, but be careful, questions typically need answers to function properly.

B. Start to present what you researched

1. Brief mention of previous areas of research

2. Present the interesting thing that you researched

C. History or brief summary of the primary text

D. Thesis Statement/Claim

II. Present the research "for" or in agreement with your idea

A. First piece of agreeable research

1. Argument of the research

2. Your analysis of their conclusions

B. Second piece of agreeable research

1. Argument of the research

2. Your analysis of their conclusions

III. Present the research "against" or in discord with your idea

A. Research contradicting your argument

1. Argument of the research

2. Your analysis of their conclusions

IV. Conclusion

A. Representing the conclusions of the paper based on the research

B. Ending statement: push the research you conducted a little more. Don’t be scared to indicate that more research is necessary, but don’t be vague or uncertain when laying out the unresolved nature of the argument presented within the paper.