Gather your research into one place. You need easy access to browse through it as you create your outline. Decide the order in which you want to discuss your topics and arrange your research accordingly.
Label each section of your paper in your outline according to topic. Use a capital letter or Roman numeral to designate the order of the section. For example, your first section will be "A. Introduction" on your outline.
Indent the next line of your outline and list more specific information you want to include under the topic heading. This time, label the item with a number. For example: 1. Definition. Continue this pattern, including more and more specific information at each level of your outline.
Repeat steps two and three until you have included all of your subject material in your outline. Always start with general topics and add specific information below in each section.
Collect information about each of your sources as you do your research. You will need the author's name, the publication date and place, the title of the work, the publishing company, the page number and, for magazines, journals or encyclopedias, the volume number. Write down the web address, the title of the website, the date you saw the page, author and editor names and the name of the organization for online sources.
Choose APA format or MLA format when you cite the information for each source. Each of the formats asks you to arrange your information a bit differently, so stick with one or the other. You can find specific guidelines for each format and source type online. Note that your bibliography should be titled "Works Cited" if you choose MLA format and "Reference List" if you use APA.
Type or write out the information for each source in your chosen format. Organize your list alphabetically by author's last name. Don't number each citation. Leave a blank space between each source.