Research paper outline are the items that help a researcher kick off a study, they make a research paper organized and conform to specific formats based on an institution’s standards. A research paper outline is sometimes referred to as research content or table of contents in project writing. It is usually organized into 5, 6 or 7 sections depending on the type of research, academic category of researcher or purpose of research.  It is the wheel or road map which directs the researcher on the path to go and steps to take when doing research. Research paper outline is the next thing to do after the literature review, to have organized headings and sub-headings to pilot the entire work.

How to Organize A Research Paper Outline

Research papers can be arranged in chapters that is, chapters 1 to 5 or 6 for projects, thesis and dissertations or outlined in sections (for example, sections one to section five). Some researchers arrange their paper outline in parts such as parts 1 to 5 thereabout.

However, the basic and acceptable format of a research paper is presented below.                                                     

Introduction:                                                                      

Background to the Study                                                                              

Statement of the Problem                                                                              

Purpose of the Study                                                                                     

Significance of the Study                                                                              

Research Questions                                                                            

Hypotheses                                                                                                    

Scope of the Study                                                                                        

Review of Related Literature:                                            

Conceptual Framework                                                                                                                      

Theoretical Framework                                                                                  

Review of Related Empirical Studies                                                            

Summary of Related Literature Reviewed                                                    

Methodology:                                                                                    

Design of the Study                                                                                       

Area of the Study                                                                                          

Population of the Study                                                                                 

Sample and Sampling Technique                                                                   

Instruments for Data Collection                                                                    

Validation of the Instruments                                                                        

Reliability of the Instruments                                                                        

Method of Data Collection                                                                            

Method of Data Analysis                                                                              

Results and Discussion:                                                       

Results                                                                                                           

Major Findings of the Study                                                                         

Discussion of Findings of the Study                         

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations      

Summary                                                                                                        

Conclusion                                                                                                     

Educational Implications of the Study                                                          

Recommendations                                                                                         

Limitations of the Study                                                                                

Suggestions for Further Study                                                                       

References                                                                                                    

Appendices    

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, the research outline makes up the contents of a research paper. The contents of a research paper can be structured into 5 or 6 chapters as highlighted above, the structure of a research paper determines the organization of the paper and subsequent presentation. Each section of a research paper should not be less than 1,000 words, although this is dependent on the research topic, aim and general objectives. The length of a section differs from the other hence there is a need to first determine the word count for the entire work, then apportion words to individual sections. Chapters 2 and 4 usually have the longest word count followed by Chapter 3 then the others,(chapters 1 and 5) respectively.