The Research and Writing Process: A Step-by-Step Guide: Draft an Outline of Your Paper

INTRODUCTION

• Start with a sentence that will catch the attention of the reader, but also introduces the subject of the paper.
• Narrow subject
  • Give background information.
  • Cite author and article, short story, or poem on which your essay is based.
  • Define terms your readers might not know.
• Name Main Points - Usually two or three, in the same order in which they will be discussed in the essay body.
• State Thesis - Opinion or point of view you intend to defend, to be supported by main points.

BODY

• Main Point - First (same for Second and Third, and so on)
  • Topic Sentence - Introduce first main point; limits paragraph to only that topic.
  • Examples that are illuminative and provide proof for you topic.
  • Explanation and details
  • Conclusion/Transition

CONCLUSION

• Return to general discussion as in INTRODUCTION.
• Restate Thesis (NOTE: Restating the thesis means rewording the thesis, not simply "copying & pasting it").
• Concluding Statement - Ends essay with impact and makes it more than simply a repetition of the Introduction
  • Discuss implications of thesis.
  • Propose solutions for thesis.
  • Relate thesis to something beyond scope of essay: how does thesis fit into relevant, larger picture like society, humanity, government, science, personal relations, etc.

PRO TIP!

One of the biggest tools writers use in their introductions is a "hook".  Using something like a provocative question, a good quote, or a really bold statement will interest the audience in wanting to read more.

                   - Adapted from UNM's Center For Academic Program Support

Using Generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, etc.)

Generative AI tools, when used responsibly and intelligently, can sometimes be helpful in this phase of the research process.

When entering a prompt (query) be sure to give the GenAI tool some context clues so it can better and more appropriately assist you.
Context clues should include things like:

• Your topic
  "My topic is _____ ."
• Your research question
  "My research question is ______ ."
     and / or
  Potential things you're interested in learning about your topic
  "I'm curious about ______ but I'm also curious about ______ ."
• What exactly you need help with
  "I need help drafting an outline."  
• What type of student you are
  "I'm a college student..."  OR  "I'm a high school student..."

So rather than "Can you draft me an outline about climate change?", a good prompt query might be something like: "I'm a college student writing a paper about climate change that focuses on [insert research question or thesis statement here]. I need help drafting an outline for this."

Use of Generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.) has increased exponentially since late 2022. But that doesn't mean these tools are always appropriate to use. It is your responsibility to know whether or not their use is allowed. Use of these tools if they are prohibited by your instructor constitutes a violation of SFCC's Academic Integrity Policy. Inclusion of GenAI tools in this guide does not indicate SFCC Library's endorsement of said tools.