Research Paper Outline: Writing Tips

essay writing

In higher educational institutions, essays such as research papers put not just the writing skills of students to the test, but also their ability to look up information on a specific topic.

Unlike traditional essays, research papers are bulky and students spend months on this piece of writing. It often defines a student’s success in a tertiary institution and could be observed in any of the following.

The basics of a quality written research paper are set upon its outline. This section of a research paper gives a brief overview of the steps and information. Having an outline of a literary work helps the author better convey his thoughts in his writing. An outline serves to provide writers a guide to piecing together an amazing write-up.

Many students trip when trying to scale over the huddle of a research paper that is the outline. The results; scholars fall short of writing a quality academic paper. A poorly written outline mars the quality of the finished write-up as vital information is omitted or points are poorly structured.

What you Should do Before Writing your Research Paper Outline

Understand the Topic

Having a clear understanding of the topic you are about to enlighten readers on is vital to writing an essay, especially with research papers. A student needs to develop a genuine interest in his or her topic, as failure to do so mars their write-up. It’s next to impossible to come up with a quality piece of writing when one lacks enthusiasm for the topic, as readers can spot this without fail while reading the final literary piece.

In scenarios where deadlines are fast approaching, poor understanding of a topic, or students require professional help and desire to have a high-quality paper written, they go for the services of a reputable online essay service. Many ask how to get a write my essay for me uk service, or the cost of hiring one. Essay services are littered all over the internet, but the key is to find a reputable service through its customer reviews. On cost, these services provide you a free quote on their website.

Define your Argument

Upon picking a topic of your choice, the next step is to define its arguments and objectives. You need to define the purpose of your topic, why should a reader take notice of it? What elements do you have to explain and express in your paper? After this, you map out the arguments of your topic.

Understand the Readers

A good writer understands the characteristics, interests, and needs of their potential readers and tailors their essays to meet all these. Vital aspects of an essay, such as readability, tone, style, etc. are determined based on the reader and their taste.

Do Researches

The rise of the internet to an indispensable tool also goes with writing. A great writer will make ample use of the convenience online resources and search engines have to offer. Find out and look into literary works that have similar concepts to your topic or explains key aspects of your research topic. Students need to apply research techniques  to help obtain ample resources for their topic.

Take Note of References

The reference section provides you with a means to cite literary works you consulted during your research. They prove that you conducted research on your given topic and provide further reading or information to others. Students fail to take notes of references during research and end up having difficulties in the final stage of their research paper.

How to write a research paper outline

A student who possesses excellent knowledge of how to construct an essay outline will have no trouble with their paper. Here are the steps involved in an essay outline.

Introduction

The introduction is the part of an essay where you reel the readers in. It should contain information that has the reader pondering over their stand or beliefs on a subject matter. The idea for an introduction is to bait the reader into going further into your essay, so it’s best not to give too much away in this section.

Body

The body of an essay defines it. This is where your thoughts, ideas, and arguments come to life. Generally, there are no restrictions on volume or number of paragraphs a student can state in their essay. A large chunk of researched information comes up in the body of a paper.

State arguments that support your view on the subject matter and elaborate on them. After this, you switch things up by looking through the lenses of critics of your original viewpoint on a subject. State possible arguments such critics would make and give reasons why such arguments don’t hold water and should be debunked. Also, state shortcomings of your views and how one can avoid or manage them effectively. Each argument you raise in your essay needs to be supported with evidence, as this proves they are not fragments of your imagination or conjured by you to sell your views to readers.

When writing the body of your paper, knowledge of your potential comes into play. A tone that would be sure to prick the interests of potential readers should be maintained all through the paper. Make use of various writing techniques  that help to make your paper interesting to its readers. Avoid ambiguous statements and take out the time to explain potentially unfamiliar phrases, concepts, or ideas to readers.

Conclusion

This section of your essay contains the final parts of your research paper. Here, you provide a summary or recap of the arguments stated in the body of your essay. It should be brief and concise, as this section helps to etch key points into the reader’s memory.

After this, you proffer solutions to issues raised in the body of your paper. Write out your final message to your reader, which often comes in the form of a call to action. The reference section is the last part of the essay as well as that of the conclusions.