english

This outline is designed to help you write your research paper. Issue-->Solution

How to proceed:

1. On separate paper jot down your ideas of everything you can think of regarding your research topic to date.

2. Use the form below to outline your rough draft to isolate what is important to your essay.

Thesis Statement

Remember that your thesis statement must tell the reader what your topic is, what your focus will be, and why it is important. Your thesis statement is the most important sentence of your paper because it is your paper’s roadmap.

Thesis= ID (topic introduction) + claim (what you believe about the topic) + direction (the main reasons/ examples that support your claim) + implications (so what?)

ID:

Claim:

Direction:

________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Opening Statement-- How will you first bring the reader into your essay? What will you say to introduce what your essay is about? Think of this as a handshake with the reader.

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

What details would benefit your introduction?

Who?:

What?:

When?

Where?:

How?:

Why?:

The best way to uncover these answers is to both investigate and incorporate sources. This is a compulsory requirement, as this is a research paper. Think of your sources as the background against which your essay is set.

Your Body Paragraphs

Use your thesis statement and introduction to draft your body paragraphs:

Your how and why of your essay often dictate what your topic sentences will be. What are the arguments you wish to use to prove your own viewpoint? What examples, descriptions, quotations, or statistics can you use to prove your point?

What is the topic sentence of your first body paragraph?

What specific facts or ideas are you bringing into play here? This should be evidence that proves your topic sentence. Lastly, write a concluding sentence which explains how the evidence above proves your thesis statement.

What is the topic sentence of your second body paragraph?

What specific facts or ideas are you bringing into play here? This should be evidence that proves your topic sentence. Lastly, write a concluding sentence which explains how the evidence above proves your thesis statement.

What is the topic sentence of your third body paragraph?

What is the topic sentence of your fourth body paragraph?

What specific facts or ideas are you bringing into play here? This should be evidence that proves your topic sentence. Lastly, write a concluding sentence which explains how the evidence above proves your thesis statement.

*You most likely will have more than four paragraphs. Use the back of the paper to work out what you want them to be.

Your Conclusion-- This is the reader’s final takeaway from your paper.

Reaffirm the gist of your thesis statement:

What are its implications (so what?).

What observations and conclusions do you have? How have you proven your thesis?

Is there anything else that needs to be said? What should the reader do in response to reading your paper?