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Writing a Research Paper

Create an Outline of Your Paper

After you have collected your research, create an outline of your paper to organize your thoughts. This is when you will put your research together, find ideas and information that fit together, and look for any weak spots in your research. 

An example of how you might format your paper: 

I. Introduction (Thesis Statement)

II. Main heading/idea of section #1

  • a. Supporting detail 1
  • b. Supporting detail 2
  • c. Supporting detail 3

III. Main heading/idea of section #2

  • Supporting detail 1
  • Supporting detail 2
  • Supporting detail 3

IV. Main heading/idea of section #3

  • Supporting detail 1
  • Supporting detail 2
  • Supporting detail 3

V. Conclusion