Research Paper Outline Example: 3 Complete Outlines You Can Copy

Q: What are the 5 main parts of a research paper outline?

For most papers: introduction (context, research question or thesis), literature review or background, methods, results or body arguments, and discussion or conclusion. Empirical papers follow IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion); argumentative papers replace methods and results with claim sections and a counterargument.

Q: Should a research paper outline use full sentences?

Use full sentences for each section's main claim and topic phrases for supporting points. Full-sentence claims make it obvious when a section has no argument. Follow your instructor's format if one is required.

Q: How long should a research paper outline be?

Roughly one page per 5 to 8 pages of paper. If the outline is much shorter, sections probably lack specific evidence; if much longer, you are drafting rather than outlining.

TL;DR

A good research paper outline answers three questions for every section: what is this section's claim, what evidence supports it, and how does it lead to the next section? Below are three complete outlines you can adapt:

An empirical study outline (IMRaD format)
An argumentative research paper outline
A literature review outline (organized by theme)

There's a blank template at the end, plus the five mistakes that make an outline useless once you start writing.

The Standard Research Paper Structure

Section	Job	Typical share of the paper
Introduction	Context, gap, research question or thesis	10–15%
Literature review / background	What's known and what's missing	15–25%
Methods (empirical) or claims (argumentative)	How you studied it, or your main arguments	20–30%
Results / evidence	What you found	20–25%
Discussion / conclusion	What it means, limits, next steps	10–20%

Empirical papers in the sciences and social sciences use IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion). Humanities and argumentative papers usually replace methods and results with a series of claims and a counterargument section.

Example 1: Empirical Study Outline (IMRaD)

Topic: Phone use before bed and sleep quality in college students. Research question: Is screen time in the hour before bed associated with lower self-reported sleep quality among undergraduates?

I. Introduction
   A. Context: undergraduates report less sleep than recommended
   B. Gap: most studies measure total daily screen time, not timing
   C. Research question: does screen use in the final hour before bed
      predict lower sleep quality?
   D. Hypothesis: more pre-bed screen minutes → lower sleep quality score

II. Literature Review
   A. Sleep and academic performance (2–3 key studies)
   B. Screen light and melatonin (lab studies)
   C. Social/notification effects vs. light effects (competing explanations)
   D. Gap restated: few field studies isolate the pre-bed hour

III. Methods
   A. Participants: N undergraduates, recruitment, inclusion criteria
   B. Measures
      1. Pre-bed screen minutes (phone's built-in screen-time log)
      2. Sleep quality (standardized questionnaire, named and cited)
      3. Controls: caffeine, course load, chronotype
   C. Procedure: 14-day diary, daily morning survey
   D. Analysis: regression of sleep quality on pre-bed minutes + controls

IV. Results
   A. Descriptive statistics (table)
   B. Main association, with effect size and confidence interval
   C. Robustness check: weekdays vs. weekends

V. Discussion
   A. Answer to the research question in one sentence
   B. Comparison with the lab findings from II.B
   C. Limitations: self-report, correlational design, sample
   D. Practical implication for students
   E. Future research: experimental "no phone" condition

VI. Conclusion (3–4 sentences)

Why it works: The research question appears in I.C and is answered in V.A. Every literature review theme (II.A–C) comes back in the discussion. Methods name the actual measures, not just "survey".

Example 2: Argumentative Research Paper Outline

Topic: Parking minimums in city zoning. Thesis: Cities should eliminate minimum parking requirements because they raise housing costs, encourage driving, and waste urban land, and the main objection (neighborhood parking shortages) can be managed with pricing.

I. Introduction
   A. Hook: a concrete example of a building shaped by parking rules
   B. Background: what a parking minimum is and where it came from
   C. Thesis (full sentence, above)

II. Claim 1: Parking minimums raise housing costs
   A. Evidence: construction cost per structured parking space
   B. Evidence: case where removing minimums changed what got built
   C. Analysis: costs are passed to all residents, including non-drivers

III. Claim 2: Parking minimums encourage driving
   A. Evidence: free parking and travel-mode research
   B. Analysis: required parking makes transit less competitive

IV. Claim 3: Parking minimums waste urban land
   A. Evidence: share of downtown land used for parking (local data)
   B. Analysis: opportunity cost: housing, shops, tax revenue

V. Counterargument and Rebuttal
   A. Objection: removing minimums causes on-street parking shortages
   B. Strongest evidence for the objection
   C. Rebuttal: residential permits and demand-based meter pricing
   D. Concession: transition period needed in car-dependent areas

VI. Conclusion
   A. Restate thesis in light of the evidence
   B. Policy recommendation
   C. Broader significance for housing affordability

Why it works: Each claim section is one full-sentence claim matched to the thesis. The counterargument gets a whole section with its strongest evidence, not a single throwaway line. For more ways to phrase the thesis, see these thesis statement examples.

Example 3: Literature Review Outline (Thematic)

Topic: AI tutoring tools and student learning. Review question: What does existing research say about AI tutoring and learning outcomes, and where is the evidence weak?

I. Introduction
   A. Scope: K-12 and undergraduate studies, last 10 years
   B. Search method: databases, keywords, inclusion criteria
   C. Organizing approach: by theme, not by study

II. Theme 1: Effects on test performance
   A. Studies finding gains (group by subject)
   B. Studies finding no effect
   C. Synthesis: when gains appear (practice-based subjects, feedback timing)

III. Theme 2: Effects on independent problem solving
   A. Evidence of over-reliance
   B. Designs that prompt students to attempt first
   C. Synthesis

IV. Theme 3: Equity and access
   A. Who benefits most and least
   B. Gaps in the samples studied

V. Methodological Limitations Across Studies
   A. Short study durations
   B. Outcome measures tied to the tool itself

VI. Conclusion
   A. What is well supported
   B. What remains open → your research question

Why it works: It is organized by theme, so each section compares several studies instead of summarizing one study per paragraph. The last section turns the gaps into a research question.

Outline Formats: Alphanumeric vs. Decimal

Alphanumeric (most common in humanities and in US classes):

I. Main section
   A. Subsection
      1. Supporting point
         a. Detail

Decimal (common in sciences and engineering):

1 Main section
   1.1 Subsection
      1.1.1 Supporting point

Two rules apply to both formats:

Parallelism: Items at the same level should be grammatically similar.
Division: If you have an "A", you need at least a "B". A single sub-point should be merged into its parent.

How to Build Your Outline in 6 Steps

Write the research question or thesis as one sentence. If you can't, keep researching before you outline.
List every source and tag it with the section it supports. Sources that fit nowhere are either off-topic or a sign you're missing a section.
Draft section claims as full sentences. "Claim 2: Parking minimums encourage driving" is checkable. "Driving" is not.
Slot evidence under each claim. Aim for at least two pieces of evidence per claim.
Add the counterargument (argumentative) or limitations (empirical).
Read only the full-sentence claims in order. They should read like a one-paragraph summary of the paper. If they don't, reorder.

Five Outline Mistakes and Their Fixes

Mistake	Symptom when drafting	Fix
Topic words instead of claims	You stall on every section	Rewrite each heading as a full-sentence claim
One source per section	The paper reads like a list of summaries	Organize by theme; cite several sources per point
No counterargument	Reviewers call it one-sided	Add a section with the strongest opposing evidence
Research question never answered	The conclusion drifts	Mark where the question is answered (V.A in Example 1)
Outline as long as the paper	You're drafting, not planning	Cut to claims and evidence labels only

Blank Research Paper Outline Template

Title (working):
Research question / thesis (one sentence):

I. Introduction
   A. Context
   B. Gap or problem
   C. Research question / thesis

II. Background / Literature Review
   A. Theme 1:
   B. Theme 2:
   C. Gap:

III. [Methods] or [Claim 1]:
   A.
   B.

IV. [Results] or [Claim 2]:
   A.
   B.

V. [Discussion] or [Counterargument + Rebuttal]:
   A.
   B.

VI. Conclusion
   A. Answer / restated thesis
   B. Significance
   C. Limitations or next steps

Using AI to Check Your Outline

Use an AI writing tool to stress-test the outline, not to write it. These prompts work well:

Here is my research question and outline. For each section, tell me
whether it helps answer the question. Flag any section with no evidence
listed, and any claim that the evidence doesn't support.

Read only the full-sentence claims in my outline. Summarize the paper's
argument in three sentences. Where does the logic jump?

TextSpell's essay writer can help you draft sections once the outline is settled. For section-level structure, see our essay structure examples. For citation and tone conventions, see the academic writing style guide. For page setup and headings, see this essay format example.

FAQ

What are the 5 main parts of a research paper outline?

For most papers: introduction, literature review or background, methods (or claims), results (or evidence), and discussion or conclusion. Empirical papers follow IMRaD.

Should a research paper outline use full sentences?

Use full sentences for each section's main claim and short phrases for supporting points, unless your instructor requires a specific format.

Does APA or MLA require a specific outline format?

No. Neither APA 7 nor MLA 9 prescribes an outline format. Most instructors expect alphanumeric or decimal numbering.

How long should a research paper outline be?

Roughly one page per 5 to 8 pages of finished paper.