Outline for Research Paper Projects: Make It Perfect July 31st, 2012
Is it absolutely necessary to start your investigation from an outline for research paper projects? You might want to skip this stage and start from more exciting things, like experiments and their discussion. Try to resist this temptation and take a closer look at why and how you should plan your investigation before making your first steps.
Outline for research papers: format
What is an outline for a research paper? A research paper outline is a plan of your project in the form of several sentences, representing the most important stages and details of your investigation. It will make your project more persuasive, consistent and better organized. These are the main recommendations for writing a good outline:
- Research and brainstorm before writing your plan. Organize your ideas logically.
- Use the same form for all entries in your outline. For example, if you use a full sentence for one of your entries, you should use full sentences for all of them.
- If you use headings and subheadings, make headings more general and subheadings more specific. (For example, methodology can be the heading, with subheadings such as qualitative research method, survey and type of sampling used.) In addition, make certain that there is more than one subheading under every heading.
Outline for research papers: a template
To write a good term paper outline, you might want to use this template:
- Introduction:
- Existing research focused on… (briefly discuss what other scholars already investigated and found out.)
- There is a gap in literature on… The problem of … requires further research.
- The hypothesis of this study is that … (there is a(n) (in)direct relationship between X and Y; X affects Y.)
- Literature review:
- Some studies support this hypothesis.
- Some studies refute this hypothesis. (Divide the known findings of other scholars in several groups, based on their conclusions and research methods.)
- Methods and materials:
- A qualitative (quantitative) method was used to…
- An interview (survey, others) was carried out…
- The sampling method was… (Specify also how many participants were involved in your study, discuss their age, education, origin and other relevant characteristics.)
- Results:
- X (number of participants) indicated that…
- An examination of individual participants revealed a few specific characteristics…
- Analysis and discussion:
- The findings of this study show that…
- According to the results of this study, X is significantly (positively) related to Y.
- This finding may relate to…
- Limitations. (Some limitations to the current study were the sampling method/ researcher’s bias/ desirability of positive results…)
- Implications and recommendations:
- The findings of this study can be applied in practice in…
- Further research is required for…
- Current results suggest that…
- Therefore, steps need to be taken…
- Conclusion. Briefly repeat what you have already said. Make certain to give a clear answer to your main research questions not to confuse your audience.
You are welcome to use this brief outline for a research paper to make your own effective plans and write outstanding research projects.
Thesis Statement for Research Paper Projects: 4 Easy Steps April 22nd, 2012
If you desperately need help writing a thesis statement for your research paper and start losing hope to find a solution, it is high time to look through this quick guide. If you wonder how to write a good thesis statement, you might want to follow the 4 easy steps described below and come up with a truly good thesis statement for your research paper.
A thesis statement for research paper projects: Step 1
A thesis statement is a very condensed summary of the main arguments you make in your project. It is a sentence or two long, usually placed at the end of your introductory paragraph. The first step to writing a winning thesis statement for research paper projects is to understand its main goals. The main goals in writing a thesis statement are:
- to create a road map for the paper and explain what readers can expect from it;
- to take a particular stance with respect to the discussed problem;
- to make a claim that might be disputed by some other people.
A thesis statement for research paper projects: Step 2
The second step in creating a worthy thesis statement for research paper projects is to clarify the type of your research paper. The type of your research paper affects the form of your thesis statement. There are two main types of research papers:
- Argumentative (you can and should take a particular stance). A thesis statement for this type of research papers should clearly state your stance. E.g. Although global warming is irreversible, the community should be educated on how their efforts can be valuable for reducing the negative effects of this phenomenon.
- Analytical (you do not have enough competence to take a particular stance, but you can analyze and synthesize the opinions of others). E.g. While a number of the world’s greatest poems and plays are traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare, under the influence of anti-Stratfordianism, the movement disputing Shakespeare’s authorship, Walt Whitman, Sigmund Freud and Mark Twain denied the relation between the historical Shakespeare and the works attributed to his name.
A thesis statement for research paper projects: Step 3
The third step to writing an effective thesis statement for research paper projects is to choose appropriate constructions and use them to finally formulate it. Here are some valuable phrases and hints:

- This paper will examine (discuss, argue, explore etc.)…
- State that one aspect contributes to another one, explaining how you are going to prove it.
- State that certain concepts or phenomena can be explained through the impact of other concepts or phenomena.
- State that certain issues or theories can have different interpretations.
A thesis statement for research paper projects: Step 4
If you still doubt whether you wrote an effective thesis statement, you can use these criteria to test it:
- ”So what” question. Will your readers say “so what” after they read your thesis statement? If they are likely to say that, you need to stress more in your thesis statement the importance of your research project.
- Captain Obvious test. Ask yourself whether your position is not obvious and whether others may want to challenge it.
- How and why test. Does your thesis statement briefly explain how you have arrived to your specific conclusions?
By the way, you should not be afraid of writing “working” thesis statements for research papers that might be later revised and changed if necessary. So, you are welcome to follow these 4 easy steps and make your thesis statements the strong point of your research papers.
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Jun 9, Homework Projects October 12th, 2011
Homework projects can ‘discombobulate’ the entire family! Do everybody a favor and follow these homework project tips!
The Homework Blog
In this guest post, GreekForMe.com provides tips to help students deal with different personality types in your school group projects.
High school teachers and college professors just seem to adore group projects, don’t you think? After all, there’s nothing like teamwork!
Well, if you’ve been part of a group project, you know they’re a lot harder than they look. Working as team is a challenge, and not just for the work involved – the hardest part is juggling all the different personalities.
We have a hunch that learning to work well with our peers might just be the real reason why teachers on insist on group projects. Long before we found ourselves pursuing our dream jobs in the Greek Clothing industry, we were high school and college students just like you, and our experience taught us a thing or two about those faces you’re seeing around the library table.
Larry The Leader
Every group has a Larry. He’s that guy that just seems to take control from the start, saying hello to everyone, reading the project directions, and starting to divvy assignments. Let Larry do his thing, but understand that most Larry’s have a details problem. He’ll happily work out the big picture and be the spokesperson of your project, but you need to help him out by laying out specific roles, deadlines, and the small details of the projects. He (or she!)’s natural habitat is the head seat at your gathering spot.
Introverted Isabella
Isabella is a major asset to the group, so don’t take her quiet demeanor as lacking any group qualities. Sure, she may not want to be the one presenting the project or speaking up during group meetings, but assign her a role and task, and she’ll run with it and get it done. Make it a point to specifically ask her for her opinion and ideas, rather than expecting her to pipe up. She might blush, but she’ll be thankful you sought her opinion – and so will you!
Cooperative Chris and Carrie
You’ll usually have a few of this type, which is great, as they’ll make up the backbone of your group and are the easiest personality type to deal with in a group setting. Chris and Carrie will share their ideas and understand your vision, and although they may not always create new ideas, they will certainly carry out the group’s plan and get it done on time. These two do need to be challenged, so give them the rough plan, and allow them to run with it and put their own stamp on it.
Free Riding Randy
Uh oh. Randy is that guy or girl in your group who either really doesn’t care, or has so much going on that they just don’t have that much time to invest in the group. If he or she is of the not caring type, take the (often frustrating) time to continually remind him or her of meeting times, speak directly to Randy at meetings, and specifically ask for task updates. It’s never fun to have to be someone’s source of structure, but Larry the Leader will need to be just that for Randy. If Randy simply has too much going on to do much for the project, instead of overwhelming Randy will large tasks, give him a series of small tasks. This presents itself as more doable in light of his busy schedule, but still equals out to someone with a more extended task.
These are just a handful of group personality types – what kind of group project personalities have you had the opportunity to get to know? How did you deal with them and make that personality type work for your group? Share the nitty gritty with us!
Study Tips and Productivity Advice to Help Students | Studenthacks.org