Violence in media

Research Methods (Online)

Paper

Outline Instructions

Due:

How: Upload to BB in PDF file

  • You are required to submit an outline of the introduction of your paper. Do not include any other sections.
  • An outline provides you with a general structure for how you will write your paper.
  • Your outline should clearly show the order in which you will present your introduction, and what you will present in each section/paragraph of the introduction.
  • The outline should present a clear and logical argument, or series of arguments, for your hypotheses.

 

Below is an example of how you might structure your outline. This is very general—your outline will be specific to your articles. Here are some pointers:

  • Each paragraph must have a purpose.
  • Each paragraph should have its own “level”, for instance in the example below, each paragraph is marked with a Roman Numeral.
  • Body paragraphs (not the first or last paragraph) should have “main points” which are supported by one or two of your studies.
  • Keep in mind that the order of the paragraphs and studies you are citing is logical and leads the reader to our hypotheses.
  • Each point (a., b., c., etc.) should have a sentence that explains what will go in that part of the paragraph.

 

  1. Introduce the topic and describe its importance
  2. Preview argument: main points to be talked about below
  3. End with thesis: Your general prediction or topic

 

  1. Main point of this paragraph (a necessary claim to support your thesis)
  2. Study supporting main point of this paragraph
    1. In one complete or incomplete sentence, describe the KEY variables looked at.
    2. Summarize KEY findings in one or two complete or incomplete sentences.
    3. Describe implications of study for our hypotheses. (i.e., These findings suggest that…)
  3. Study supporting main point of this paragraph
  4. In one complete or incomplete sentence, describe the KEY variables looked at
  5. Summarize KEY findings in one or two complete or incomplete sentences
  6. Describe implications of study for our hypotheses (i.e., These findings suggest that…)

 

Main point of this paragraph (make sure to transition between paragraphs in actual paper)

***Repeat study descriptions, use studies to support main point

 

Main point of this paragraph (make sure to transition between paragraphs in actual paper)

*** Repeat study descriptions, use studies to support main point

  1. The current study…
  2. Bring argument together: Based on “main points II-IV” … we investigated whether… we predict that…
  3. Say what you did in this study: We measured x, y, and z with a survey…
  4. State specific hypothesis: Our hypothesis is that…Based on these variables, we predict