English Research Paper

Sample Preliminary Outline for the Research Paper

The sample outline below illustrates how you might organize a research paper on the randomly chosen topic of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization’s approaches to influencing public opinion and policy. Your first attempt at an outline does not need to be quite this detailed. You may just have a thesis and then topic sentences at the I, II, III, etc. levels of the outline to indicate what your major subtopics will be and a note or two at the A, B, C level identifying information you will present in that section. Also, you may have only four or five main subheadings rather than six as in my example.

Note that it begins with a “working thesis” statement that may evolve to include different specifics later as the research material leads me to focus more heavily on some subtopics than others. Just remember that your research findings determine your thesis, not vice versa.

This outline is built on the supposition that I have specific examples in my sources that I will provide to support every A, B, C, etc. point. For example, point D in Section VI regarding changes of leadership would be supported in the essay by a citation reporting that the original founder of the organization (Candace Lightner) resigned because she thought its mission had moved too far from her original goals, with some mention of what kind of persons have taken over the leadership since then. The essay will include quotes and/or paraphrased material from my sources and appropriate MLA citations to indicate which entries in Works Cited I am referencing.

I am using Section V of the outline (and essay) to make the connection to Doctor Zhivago and the Russian Revolution. Your focus on this part may be less detailed than my example here. However, in this part of the essay I would include examples from historical research (just a brief look, perhaps at web sites) of visual materials, mainly posters, that the Bolsheviks used to promote their cause and the Marxist philosophy behind it. I would perhaps include an image of one of these and describe how it works in terms of getting attention (color, bold lettering, slogan, portraits of leaders or workers, etc.). Then, since I have already discussed features of the MADD web site in Section III of my essay, I could make a brief reference back to that to draw a bit of a comparison. There are specific examples of items C, D and E in this section in Doctor Zhivago, particularly in the second half of the book, so I can point those out with quotes or paraphrases and cite pages of the novel as I would for any other print source. Again, this part doesn’t have to involve an elaborate analysis – just draw a connection to an example or two.

Important final note: The contents of the essay I have outlined here are focused on how this organization communicates and gains support. I am not making any argument regarding the need for the movement, the value of its goals, or the truth of its claims.

Outline

Thesis: Mothers Against Drunk Driving has evolved from a local response to the traffic death of a California teenager to a multinational organization that now promotes greatly expanded goals of new legal restrictions, increased law enforcement, and changed public attitudes toward alcohol use, both illegal and legal.

I. MADD was founded in response to the death of Cari Lightner, a California teenager, in 1980.

A. News coverage of the hit-and-run death

B. Public appearances and statements by Candace Lightner, Cari’s mother

C. Mission statement and publicity for organization of MADD

D. TV movie in 1983

II. MADD grew rapidly to become an international organization with high public visibility.

A. Offices established in multiple US states and Canada by 1989

B. Connections and influence in the US Congress

C. Advertising campaigns

D. Ongoing news coverage

III. The Internet age greatly expanded the scope of MADD’s activity and influence.

A. Web site design

B. Online access to services

C. Fundraising methods and success

D. Ongoing news coverage

E. Exploitation of social media

IV. Over the years, MADD has succeeded in influencing public opinion, legislation and the legal system.

A. Favorability ratings and polls regarding public service organizations

B. MADD publishes “grades” on states’ policies and enforcement

C. MADD’s role in political campaigns

D. Use of government funding

E. Use of media presence to gain victim representation in the legal system

V. Today’s modern advertising techniques have roots in the propaganda campaigns that flourished in the era of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and beyond.

A. Distribution of posters and flyers with slogans and news of the movement

B. Emphasis on the visual impact of messaging materials

C. Speeches and discussion groups to reinforce the message of change

D. Use of newspapers to announce successes and new regulations

E. Local “grass-roots” participation in the larger movement

Vi. MADD has adjusted its message as its activities have expanded to new projects and a broader range of cultural influence, a developmental phase that has challenged many revolutionary movements.

A. Sponsoring of new taxes and regulations on alcohol use

B. Attempts to regulate depictions of alcohol use in entertainment and advertising

C. Management of a large budget and bureaucracy

D. Changes in leadership as focus is redirected

E. Current trends in public support and funding for MADD