Research Paper Outline Template (APA)
This template uses the section order common in APA-style empirical papers: introduction, method, results, and discussion. Headings follow APA levels. Always confirm details with the latest APA manual and your instructor.
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Template structure
Title page and abstract
Title, author, affiliation, and a 150 to 250 word summary of question, method, results, and conclusion.
Introduction
Broad topic, review of prior work, the gap, and your research question or hypothesis.
Method
Participants, materials, procedure, and analysis plan, with enough detail to replicate.
Results
Report findings with statistics and figures. Do not interpret yet.
Discussion
Summarize results, relate them to prior work, note limitations, and suggest future research.
References
List only sources you cited, in APA format.
Tips
- Write the abstract last.
- Group the literature review by theme, not by author.
- Keep Results free of speculation.
- Check that each hypothesis is addressed in Discussion.
Frequently asked questions
Is this for non-empirical papers?
Use the thematic variant: replace Method and Results with topic sections.
Does it format citations?
No. It plans structure only.
How long is the Method section?
Long enough that another researcher could repeat the study.