AN OUTLINE

1. The introduction to your essay:

 Give reader background information they need to understand your thesis.

 Include your arguable thesis with previewed points. Research suggests claim because of
X, Y, and Z. The thesis should be the last sentence of the first paragraph.

2. The body of your essay:

 Paragraph(s) for each supporting point from your thesis in the order they appear in your
thesis.
 Each main point should have sufficient, relevant, and credible research to support it.
 Cite your sources and use in-text citations within the outline of your body where they
best support your ideas.

For example:

-Body Point 1: Sentence that addresses point one of the thesis.

Supporting evidence (with in-text citations)

-Body Point 2: Sentence that addresses point 2 of the thesis.

Supporting evidence with (in-text citations)

-Body Point 3: Sentence that addresses point 3 of the thesis.

Supporting evidence with (in-text citations)

3. The Conclusion to your essay

Restate your thesis and summarize all of the main points. Be careful that you don’t add any
new information, don’t put out a call to action, and avoid preaching to your readers.

4. Your Reference Page with 1-1 correspondence to the in-text citations in the body of the
outline.

It is very important to stick closely to this structure. This will help guide you, effectively, as you
write and will greatly reduce the risk of writer’s block. Use your outline like a map, as you write
the paper. Once you have a draft and begin revising, you can use the following as a guide to
revising and polishing your paper:

-You are writing a formal academic paper; do not use personal pronouns, and clean up all
grammar mistakes.
-Your introduction needs to lead to your debatable thesis, which will be the last sentence of the
intro. If you include history as background info in your introduction, make sure it leads directly
to your thesis. What does the reader need to know to understand your thesis or see it as solution
to a problem within your topic? That information is the background or context you need in the
intro to lead to the thesis.

-The body of the paper will address the supporting points of the thesis. Think about your thesis
points as the sections of your paper’s body. You will introduce them, support them (with
research), explain the support, tie them back to your main claim, and use them to lead to the next
point. How can you combine and add to your paragraphs to make this happen so the reader fully
understands your ideas and how they are connected? Remember, introduce a point, use research
to back it up, explain how the research supports the point, show how that in-turn supports the
claim, and transition to the next point. You will do this for every point. Each point must align
with the thesis points.

-You should use at least 7 of your 10 sources as support in your paper and they should be cited
with correct APA format on the Reference page and as in-text citations.

-The conclusion should restate the thesis and should then summarize of all your main points.
Don't include any new information. The conclusion should be one paragraph long.

-The Reference Page needs a 1-1 correspondence between the sources cited in APA there and
those cited in the body of the paper.