Searching for a Blank Outline Template for Research Paper

No matter the length of the paper you are writing, simple research paper outline template needs to have a basic format. It needs to have a format of having the introduction, body, and conclusion. Read on to find out some of the things the blank template for your paper needs to have. Use this information the next time you are looking for an outline template.

Introduction

The introduction part of the outline must have certain elements, although this may depend on the kind of paper. It should:

• Begin with an attention-grabber such as an example, short story, statistic or historical context that will introduce the topic of the paper
• Offer an overview of the things involved with the subject
• Define the key terminologies for everyone to understand the topic
• Paraphrase or quote any sources that reveal the subjects’ controversial nature (for argumentative paper)
• Highlight the background information so that you can understand the paper’s direction
• Have an antithesis paragraph that presents the main opposing views (for argumentative papers only)
• An introduction should end with a one or two sentence thesis statement. This informs you of what the paper will focus on and outlines its main points.

Body

The body of an outline will:

• Present the main points of a research paper clearly as shown in the thesis
• Offer strong examples, explanations, and details for supporting the main points
• Address counterarguments and refute them
• Use strong evidence to support the key points – summaries, paraphrases, and quotations

Conclusion

At this part of the thesis, you will get to:

• Restate the thesis in the introduction using different words
• Summarize all the main points in the paper’s body
• Give statements of any consequences to be realized if the stated position isn’t embraced (for argumentative paper)
• End with a strong statement that ties the entire paper together

Additional Tips

No matter the template you choose, some other tips must be considered:

• Decide on the main points and thesis first
• It’s not a must to start writing with the introduction
• You can start drafting the thesis and body, and then think of the best way to create the introduction as well as conclude the paper
• Keep the thesis in mind always while writing; everything on the paper should point back to the thesis

You will find many research paper outline template word online so be sure to download one if you don’t know how to create your own.