Creating an outline is the first step you should take as you begin to research, organize, and write a research paper. An outline will allow you to present your ideas in a clear, logical, and organized way. Outlines are especially important for research papers because they help you structure your main argument and supporting sub-arguments. Following the APA style format for an outline will allow readers to be able to follow your paper’s logical flow of ideas. While there is no perfectly correct APA outline format, this general format is often followed by researchers when organizing their thoughts and arguments.
The basic APA format research paper outline template includes:
I. Title Page
This should include the title of the research paper, your name, name of your institution affiliation, and the projected date of submission. Keep the title page separate from the rest of the outline.
II. Abstract
The abstract is a short summary of your entire paper. It briefly explains what your research is about, how it was conducted, the main results, and your main conclusions. Limit your abstract to 150-250 words. The abstract page should have a running head and page number.
III. Introduction
The introduction section should include the hook, background information on your topic, your research question or thesis statement, and an outline of the structure of the rest of the paper. In most cases the introduction section is 2-3 paragraphs.
IV. Body
The body sections form the bulk of the paper where you will develop your arguments and ideas. Each new idea or supporting point for your thesis statement should start on a new page with the corresponding header (e.g. Section 1, Section 2, etc.). Within each body section you may include sub-sections with sub-headers.
Section 1
Subsection 1.1
Subsection 1.2
Section 2
Etc.
Each section or subsection should have 2-5 paragraphs developing the main idea or argument. Paragraphs should have topic sentences that relate back to the section header to guide the reader. Include in-text citations and references as needed to cite sources and support your claims.
V. Conclusion
The conclusion is the final section where you will summarize the main points and arguments from your paper and reiterate your thesis statement or the answers to your research questions. The conclusion should not merely repeat what you have written in the body but synthesize your key findings and their broader significance. One paragraph is usually sufficient for the conclusion section.
VI. References
On a new page, provide an alphabetized list of all sources that were cited within the body of the paper. Use the APA referencing style format consistently for all sources.
Beyond the basic outline content and structure, APA style dictates additional rules for formatting an outline properly:
Use 12-point Times New Roman font consistently.
Double space the entire outline, including between section headers and paragraphs.
Number pages consecutively in the top right header starting with the title page as page 1.
Use left alignment for all text including headers and section titles.
Capitalize only the first word in all section and subsection headers.
Indent the first line of each paragraph 1⁄2 inch from the left margin.
Use italics, not underlining, for titles of longer works like books, movies, journals etc.
Use a running head on the title page and subsequent pages with a shortened title in all caps.
Following this APA format research paper outline template will help you effectively organize and structure your paper. The outline serves as a roadmap to guide your research and writing. Adjust the outline as needed throughout the research and writing process. Once complete, you can now transform your outline into a polished APA style research paper by adding in content for each section as defined in the outline.