THIS IS JUST AN APA OUTLINE NOT A FULL PAPER
DIRECTIONS:
Choose a topic to write about. If you’re having trouble settling on a topic to research you can check out some topic/brainstorming suggestions here: Research Report Topic Ideas.
Research your topic. Try to locate reliable sources of information. You need at least three sources for this research report, and they’ll need to be cited in this outline. If you want information on how to cite your sources in APA format, the APA page is: APA Format Guides. The reason your sources should be reliable is because you’ll eventually explain what each source is and why it’s credible in your Annotated Bibliography.
Write an outline. Your outline doesn’t need to be detailed; it’s just the scaffolding of ideas for what will eventually be your report. There are four example outlines in the ‘Example Research Outlines’ tab (above).
Your outline should include some suggestion of:
How do you want to introduce the topic? There are many different ways to introduce a topic, it just depends on what the topic is (introductory ideas are in the file below). Your outline should explain how you want to begin your report and what your thesis statement might be.
What information will be explained in the body paragraphs? You may have any number of body paragraphs, but each body paragraph should move the report forward and not repeat information.
How do you want to conclude your essay? There are several conclusion (and introduction) suggestions in this file: Introductions and Conclusions for Research Reports. Explain how you plan to conclude your report.
Your outline does not need to be complete paragraphs or sentences – this is just an outline. Complete sentences and paragraphs will be part of your research report draft.
TOPIC IDEAS: (you choose)
Research Report Topic Ideas
Brainstorming
If you’re not sure what topic to choose for your research report, the following information are tips on how to choose a topic:
First, create a list of things you’re interested in. Choose something from that list, and turn it into a question which you can then research and answer. Almost all research reports are focused on explaining or answering some question, so beginning with a question can be a good way to find a topic.
For example, if I were to create a list of things I’m interested in I would probably write “space, gardening, music” and then, from that list, I could turn my interest in ‘music’ into a question such as “who are the most successful pianists of the 21st century?” or whatever other question about music that I’m curious to find an answer to. My research report would then be focused on answering that question. Or I could choose one of the other things from my list and find a way to turn that interest into a question.
The point is: this report will be easier to complete if you research and write about something you’re actually interested in.
Example Topics
The topic choice for a research report could be about anything; research something that will benefit you to know. Maybe you’re interested in a specific new medical treatment, maybe you’re interested in a figure (person), or moment in history, or maybe you’re interested in learning more about a philosophical or religious idea, etc. etc. You could research a historical movement, or learn more about how people make money on TikTok, or learn about a country that you might want to visit, etc. etc. The topic ideas are endless.
These are some previous topics chosen by other ENG 102 students:
– What is the Miracle Fruit?
– Where did the ocarina originate?
– What is etymology?
– What branches are there in the field of forensic science?
– What was Zachary Taylor’s (the 9th President) life like?
– Who is Emma Chamberlain and what has been her impact in American culture?
– What is the history of EMS (emergency medical services) and when did it originate?
– Why does each monthly moon have a different name?
– How did Amazon (the company) become so successful?
– What different types of kimono are there?
– What (if any) are the health benefits of turmeric?
– What Causes Dissociative Identity Disorder?
– Who is Hirohiko Araki?
– What has the career of Cristiano Ronaldo looked like?
– Who was Barry Bonds?
– Is perfect pitch an innate ability?
– What happened in Chernobyl?
– What was the Great Australian Emu War?
– Who was Carl Laemmle?
– How was D&D created?
– How is a cello made?
As you can see, all of these are questions. These questions were then researched, and information was found to help answer each question.
Writing an objective, informative report based on factual research is the goal of this report, so it’s best to begin by asking a question that you want to find information about, and that question will become the guiding thesis for your report topic.
Last Completed Projects
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