Research paper outline: what goes in each section

A research paper outline lists the sections of your paper in order and notes what each one will contain. For a paper that reports a study, the usual sections are the title, abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion and references. For each section, write a line on its purpose, then the specific points, sources and data you will put there. Outline the introduction's research question first, because every other section answers to it.

Below, each section is explained in turn, followed by a complete sample outline and a template you can reuse.

Two kinds of research paper

Before you outline, check which kind of paper your assignment wants. The structure follows from it.

Lab and methods courses usually ask for the first kind; most other courses, including many in the sciences, ask for the second. Many assignment instructions list the sections they expect; if yours does, use those headings exactly.

This guide outlines the empirical paper in detail, then shows how to adapt the outline for an analytical one.

What goes in each section of a research paper outline

Title

A working title that names your topic and, ideally, your variables or focus. "Four-Day School Weeks and Reading Scores in Rural Districts" tells the reader far more than "School Schedules".

Abstract

A summary of the whole paper in one paragraph, usually 150 to 250 words. Check your style guide or assignment instructions for the limit. In the outline, write one note each for the problem, the method, the main finding and the main conclusion. Write the abstract itself last, because you can't summarize results you don't have yet.

Introduction

The introduction moves from the broad topic to your exact question. Outline it in four moves:

1. The topic and why it matters.
2. What is already known, in a sentence or two.
3. The gap: what is not yet known or settled.
4. Your research question, hypothesis or thesis, and how the paper will answer it.

Literature review

Some papers fold this into the introduction; longer ones give it its own section. In the outline, group sources by theme or by finding, not one source per bullet. Each group should end in a note on what it means for your study. (Our guide on what a literature review is covers this section in depth.)

Methods

Enough detail that a reader could repeat what you did. Outline:

• Participants or materials: who or what you studied, and how they were chosen.
• Design and procedure: what you did, step by step.
• Measures: what you measured and with what instrument.
• Analysis: how you turned the data into results.

Results

What you found, without interpretation. In the outline, list each result in the order of your research questions, and note the table or figure that will show it.

Discussion

What the results mean. Outline four parts:

1. The main finding, answering the research question directly.
2. How it fits with or challenges earlier studies.
3. Limitations of your study.
4. What future research should look at.

Conclusion

A short section restating the answer to your question and its wider importance. Some papers merge it into the discussion; check your assignment instructions.

References

List every source you plan to cite, in your required style (APA, MLA, Chicago or another). Starting the list in the outline means you never have to hunt for a source's details later.

Sample research paper outline

Here is a complete outline for an undergraduate empirical paper. The topic is realistic, but the study is invented for this example, so the outline shows where results will go rather than stating any.

Working title: Four-Day School Weeks and Reading Scores in Rural Districts

I. Abstract (write last)

• Problem: rural districts are adopting four-day weeks with mixed evidence on learning.
• Method: comparison of reading scores in matched four-day and five-day districts.
• Finding and conclusion: [summarize once the results are in]

II. Introduction

• A. Topic: some rural districts have moved to a four-day week to save costs and attract teachers.
• B. Known: studies disagree on whether the schedule affects achievement.
• C. Gap: few studies look at reading in the early grades specifically.
• D. Research question: Do third-grade reading scores differ between four-day and five-day rural districts?
• E. Roadmap: one sentence on how the paper proceeds.

III. Literature review

• A. Why districts switch: cost savings, recruitment and attendance. [3 sources]
• B. Evidence on achievement: studies finding small losses, none, or gains. [4 sources]
• C. Early reading as a special case: time-on-task and instructional minutes. [2 sources]
• D. What this means: the mixed findings justify a focused comparison in the early grades.

IV. Methods

• A. Sample: [number] rural districts, matched on size, income and prior scores.
• B. Data: publicly reported third-grade reading results over [number] years.
• C. Analysis: compare average scores and change over time between the two groups.
• D. Ethics: public, aggregate data only; no individual students identified.

V. Results

• A. Average scores by group. [Table 1]
• B. Change over time by group. [Figure 1]
• C. Any notable differences within subgroups. [Table 2]

VI. Discussion

• A. Answer to the research question.
• B. Comparison with the studies in III.B.
• C. Limitations: matching is imperfect; reported scores hide individual variation.
• D. Future research: classroom-level data; what schools do with the fifth day.

VII. Conclusion

• A. Restate the answer in one or two sentences.
• B. What districts weighing the switch should take from it.

VIII. References

• [Each source from II and III, formatted in APA 7.]

Notice how each section points back to the research question in II.D. If a bullet doesn't help answer that question, it probably belongs in a different paper.

Adapting the outline for an analytical paper

An argument-based paper drops methods and results and organizes the body by claim. A sample shape:

I. Introduction: context, the debate, your thesis.

II. Background: the terms, history or facts the reader needs.

III. Point 1: claim, evidence from sources, your analysis.

IV. Point 2: claim, evidence, analysis.

V. Point 3: claim, evidence, analysis.

VI. Counterargument and response: the strongest objection and why your thesis still holds.

VII. Conclusion: what the argument shows and why it matters.

VIII. Works cited or references.

Every body section should start with a claim that supports the thesis, the same way topic sentences work in an essay.

A reusable research paper outline template

Copy the version that fits your paper.

Empirical paper

1. Title: [topic + focus]
2. Abstract: problem / method / finding / conclusion (write last)
3. Introduction: topic, what is known, the gap, research question
4. Literature review: theme A, theme B, theme C, what it means for your study
5. Methods: participants or materials, design, measures, analysis
6. Results: one item per research question, with its table or figure
7. Discussion: answer, comparison, limitations, future research
8. Conclusion: answer restated, wider importance
9. References

Analytical paper

1. Introduction with thesis
2. Background
3. Points 1–3 (or more), each with claim, evidence and analysis
4. Counterargument and response
5. Conclusion
6. Works cited or references

How to build the outline, step by step

1. Write your research question or thesis first. One sentence. Everything else is planned around it.
2. Lay out the section headings your assignment requires, in order.
3. Under each heading, write its purpose in one line, such as "Methods: how I compared the districts".
4. Sort your sources into the sections where you will use them. A source with no home may not belong in this paper.
5. Mark the gaps. A section with no sources yet, or a result you still need to analyze, should be flagged so it doesn't get forgotten.
6. Estimate words per section. In a 3,000-word empirical paper, a rough split is 10% introduction, 20% literature review, 15% methods, 20% results, 25% discussion and 10% conclusion. Your field's norms and your assignment instructions come first.
7. Check the logic. Read the research question, then only the first bullet of each section. They should tell the story of the paper.

Keep the outline and the draft as one document

It helps when your section headings and your outline are the same thing. In ScribeSprout you can start from the Research paper template, which lays out Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Discussion, Conclusion and References, add any section your assignment also needs (a Literature review or Results, for example), and reorder sections in the Outline view. Marking a section Needs evidence is a quick way to carry the gaps from step 5 into your draft.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a research paper outline?

Start with your research question or thesis, list the sections your assignment requires, and write the purpose of each section in one line. Then place your sources and data under the sections that will use them, mark the gaps, and check that each section helps answer the question.

What does a research paper look like?

An empirical research paper has a title, an abstract, an introduction, often a literature review, methods, results, discussion, a conclusion and a reference list, in that order. An analytical paper replaces methods and results with body sections organized by claim. Headings, citations and formatting follow the style your course requires.

How do I structure a research paper?

Use IMRaD (introduction, methods, results, discussion) for a paper that reports a study, and a thesis-led structure (introduction, points with evidence, counterargument, conclusion) for a paper built from sources. Follow your assignment instructions if they list sections.

Is there a research paper outline template?

Yes. This guide includes two: one for empirical papers and one for analytical papers. Copy the one that matches your assignment and replace the bracketed notes with your own topic, sources and data.

What is an example of a research paper outline?

The sample in this guide outlines a paper comparing reading scores in four-day and five-day rural school districts. It moves from abstract to references, and each section notes its purpose, its sources and where tables or figures will go, with every part tied back to the research question.