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Step 1
Be sure to ask your instructor which type of research paper outline you are supposed to use. There are different types of outlines, but the most common are topic outlines (which only use short phrases) and sentence outlines (which require complete sentences). If you use the wrong outline form you may lose credit, so be sure to ask the instructor beforehand.
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Step 2
In right side of the header, type your last name followed by the page number. This should appear in the margin on every page of your research paper outline.
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Step 3
Never use the word "outline" as the title for your outline. Instead, use the title of your paper. This should be centered one inch down from the top of your page. This outline title should not be in all caps, underlined, bolded, or in a font larger than the rest of your research paper outline.
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Step 4
You must include an introduction, a conclusion, and at least two "body" subdivisions in your research paper outline.
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Step 5
For main topics, use Roman numerals. Use capital letters for minor topics, numbers for subtopics, and lower case letters for details.
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Step 6
Note that in research paper outlines, there must always be a II to complement a I, a B to complement an A, and a 2 to complement a 1. In other words, if you are going to make another level of divisions, make sure that there are at least two points to make.
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Step 7
Begin each entry with a capital letter, and do not use other capital letters unless there are proper nouns.
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Step 8
Indent subtopics in your outline so that all letters or numbers of the same kind line up with each other. This helps the make the research paper outline easier to follow.
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Step 9
Lastly, check to make sure that you have double spaced between sections of your research paper outline.
Comments
Viol said
on 5/28/2009 Wonderful tips. This would help.