- Philosophical view
- Conceptual Analysis
- Benefits of the Research
Read the purpose of the theoretical framework before following it in the research paper.
See-through the list where we’ve offered examples on several subjects.
A standard is not set but follow the research paper outline example below:
Critical Research Paper
Before you plan on writing a well-researched paper, make a rough draft.
Have a look at the expertise of the writer in the following example.
The theoretical framework is the key to establish credibility in research papers.
See the way the researcher has shared participants and limits in the methodology section of the example.
For the detailed information about ASA elements of style, visit the American Sociological Association official website or read our Guide to ASA Citation and Writing Style.
The leading American method of referencing and quotation created by Sociological Association. Sociological students and scholars use the ASA citation format primarily for writing university research papers in sociology or for submitting articles to ASA journals.
APA (American Psychological Association) research paper format is often used in papers related to psychology and social sciences. In this citation, there is a general format in referencing through endnotes/footnotes, in-text, and reference pages. Academic papers in APA citation has general writing guidelines.
MLA (Modern Language Association) format format is commonly used in liberal arts and humanities. Let’s talk a bit about how to write a research paper in MLA format. This format has principles rather than a set of specific rules to be followed. Papers in MLA format provides a process of documentation.
Video Guide: Research Paper (Definition, Example, Outline)
Simply provide us with requirements, pick a writer and get a plagiarism-free paper in no time.
Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type the title of your paper in the header flush left using all capital letters. The page header is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
- Book: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.
- Example: Brown, Dan. The DaVinci Code. New York: Scholastic, 2004.
- Magazine: Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication.
- Example: Chan, Dan. The art of pandas. Panda Magazine, Nov 10, 1985.
- Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Publication Date.
- Example: Smith, John. “Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 2, 2009.
- Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed).
- Example: Smith, John. “Obama inaugurated as President.” (accessed February 1, 2009).
MLA recommends using Times New Roman font in size 12. The entire paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Tab once to indent paragraphs (ВЅ inch). Your last name and a page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.
MLA recommends using Times New Roman font in size 12. The entire paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Tab once to indent paragraphs (ВЅ inch). Your last name and a page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.
Talking about how to write a research paper in APA format, your APA paper should have four major sections:
For the detailed information about ASA elements of style, visit the American Sociological Association official website or read our Guide to ASA Citation and Writing Style.
Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type the title of your paper in the header flush left using all capital letters. The page header is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
Research Paper in Chicago Style
- Book: Author, A.A.. (Year of Publication). The Title of work. Publisher City, State: Publisher.
- Example: Finney, J. (1970). Time and again. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
- Magazine: Author, A.A.. (Year, a month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.
- Example: Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167(15), 3-40.
- Newspaper: Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx.
Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). An electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon.The New York Times, p. D5. - Website: Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL
- Example: Simmons, B. (2015, January 9). The tale of two Flaccos. Retrieved from
- Title page
- Abstract
- Main Body
- References
The Chicago style of citing is commonly used in humanities. It requires writers to cite sources in endnotes or footnotes. This citation provides the author with an avenue to express accountability and credibility to related literature or references used in written material. It helps an academic writer provide quotations in a research paper, as well as being commonly used for book bibliographies.
The following are formats to follow in citing research paper in MLA format:
The table of contents will summarize the chapters and sections in an organized manner. Furthermore, it also includes the title and descriptions of the headings and subheadings.
The conclusion is the final part of your research work that summarizes the main arguments. Similarly, it also restates the thesis, goals, and methods that are used to achieve the results.
- The student and professor’s name, class, and date appear on the first page.
- The header contains the page numbers at the upper right corner.
- All titles to be written in italics.
- A complete list with endnotes before cited works.
- Subheadings are written with Arabic numerals.
Check out the below-given MLA outline template for better understanding.
Abstract
The following is a detailed explanation of the steps to write a college research paper outline.
Make sure the abstract should not exceed the ⅓ of the page i.e. about 150 to 200 words.
Lastly, mention all the sources that you have used in your text. Do not forget any references in the bibliography section.
While it may seem challenging to come up with a good research paper topic as you try your best to narrow things down, the trick is to choose something that influences you because you know it well and can support your arguments with relevant evidence. The subject should be well-structured and relevant to your thesis statement. Always take time to research the list of sources to compose your topic sentences as well to make them relate to your thesis part. Here are the steps to consider:
- Study Available Research Topic Ideas.
Before formulating your research questions ideas, note that there are 3 important types of research questions:
It must be done at the same time as you choose your research paper topic because these two concepts must be interconnected. Your subject must reflect your main idea of the thesis statement. Make sure that you have the list of sources prepared in advance to incorporate relevant information in your body paragraphs. As always, they must be the supporting evidence for your thesis statement’s idea and the research purpose.
How to Choose a Good Research Paper Topic?
We collected the most unhacked and powerful ideas to turn the average piece of writing into a research paper. Discover what is a research paper and how to choose suitable and interesting research topics with our help.
- Start With Observing Your Interests.
Since we have already mentioned the dangers of choosing something too broad, it is vital to narrow things down and brainstorm the list of possible research paper ideas that deal with the same subject. In other words, you can write down at least five different subjects and see whether you can find sufficient information to support them with the sources or statistical data. Remember the importance of your topic’s wording!
Make sure the paper should remain consistent from the beginning to the end. The style, tone, and citation should be according to the required format.
- Student’s full name
- Name of the instructor
- Course title and code
- Submission date
The introduction is the most important part of any research paper. It should be able to present the topic and answer the research question. Similarly, it will also explain the importance of the subject matter for the audience.
There is no need to provide a detailed explanation. Instead, just give a general overview. Also, formulate the prospect for future research and a call to action to provoke the readers.
Research Paper Body
The body is the main section of your research paper. It consists of several paragraphs that include the relevant details, examples, and evidence to support your argument.
- Organizes all the thoughts and ideas in one place.
- Provides a detailed structure for your future research work.
- Demonstrates your understanding and vision of a particular topic.
- Avoids any possible mistakes by shaping a topic.
- Helps not to skip any important points.
- Gives an idea for the future headings of the paper.
- Understanding the flow of information and how ideas are related.
- Gives the audience a clear idea of what is included in the paper.
Below you can find an example of an outline for a research paper to clearly understand and create an outline for your own paper.