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Research Paper Outline Template

A ready structure with a place for your thesis, evidence and counterargument. Replace the bracketed prompts with your own material.

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  1. I. Introduction
  2. A. Hook: [a fact or question]
  3. B. Background in two sentences
  4. C. Thesis statement
  5. II. Body paragraph 1
  6. A. Claim · B. Evidence · C. Analysis
  7. III. Body paragraph 2
  8. A. Claim · B. Evidence · C. Analysis
  9. IV. Counterargument
  10. V. Conclusion

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An excerpt from a sample introduction, marked up the way an instructor would.

Sample excerpt · Introductory research paper

Remote Work and Productivity: A Review of the Evidence

Over the past decade, employers in many countries have moved a share of their staff away from fixed offices. Whether this change raises or lowers output is still disputed.

Open with the question, not a dictionary definition.

Studies of call-centre and software teams report different results, largely because they measure different kinds of work.

Here is the gap your paper fills.

This paper argues that remote work improves output on tasks done alone but weakens it on tasks that depend on quick exchange between colleagues.

Thesis: one sentence, arguable, specific.

Section 2 reviews the evidence on individual tasks; Section 3 turns to collaborative work.

A roadmap helps long papers. Skip it in short essays.

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