How to Do an Outline for a Research Paper Including an Abstract

Rough outlines are effective for initial organization of a research paper, but once you've written a rough draft, a formal outline is the next step. Whether you're writing a research paper for school or an article you hope to publish, a clearly constructed formal outline and abstract provide you with clarity and guidance as you compose your final draft.

Instructions

  1. Outline

    • 1

      Put your thesis statement at the top of your paper. You might find yourself changing it as your drafts evolve, but it should always be a complete sentence or two that describes the central idea of your paper.

    • 2

      Use sentences or concise phrases to describe the major sections of your paper, making sure they have the same level of significance.

    • 3

      Use Roman numerals to designate these major sections of your paper, subdividing the topics with capital letters, providing numbers for topic subdivisions and indicating further subdivisions with lowercase letters.

    • 4

      Review your outline and make any needed adjustments. If you have a laundry list of major topics, cluster them into fewer topics. Be sure each major section and subdivision has at least two sections.

    Abstract

    • 5

      Write your abstract on a separate sheet of paper after composing your final draft; it provides a concise summary of your paper's main points.

    • 6

      Use roughly 200 words to describe your thesis, results or evidence and your conclusion. You could also include possible implications associated with your findings.

    • 7

      Consider including keywords on a separate line below your abstract to help other researchers find your information. Center and italicize "Keywords," followed by your keywords in standard upper and lowercase.

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