Research Paper Outline Generator
Standard IMRaD templates, discipline-specific structures, and section-by-section guidance for outlining your research paper.
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Why start with a research paper outline?
A strong outline is the foundation of a well-structured research paper. Before writing, mapping your paper's sections, subsections, and key arguments ensures you cover all required elements and that your narrative flows logically. Journal editors and reviewers expect a clear structure, typically IMRaD for empirical papers, or a field-specific variant. This guide provides standard templates for each research type, along with tips for what each section must contain.
Standard research paper outline
1. Abstract
150–300 words: background, objective, methods, results, conclusion.
2. Introduction
Context, gap in literature, research question, and paper organization.
3. Methods
Study design, participants/data, measures, procedure, and analysis approach.
4. Results
Present findings logically, with tables/figures, no interpretation.
5. Discussion
Interpret results, compare to prior work, discuss limitations.
6. Conclusion
Summary of contribution, implications, and future directions.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
All required sections present
Abstract through References all included.
Correct section order
IMRaD structure maintained correctly.
Content placement
No results in Methods, no new data in Discussion.
Completeness
Each section contains sufficient content.
The practical edge your peers already use
Across disciplines and career stages, researchers reduce bottlenecks and submit with confidence: clearer drafts, easier guideline compliance, and less back and forth with co‑authors and reviewers.
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. It is the standard structure for empirical research papers in most scientific disciplines. Most journals expect this structure with an Abstract and References added.
No. Review papers don't have a traditional Methods/Results structure. Humanities papers use a different argumentative structure. Theoretical papers may have a very different organization. Our checker adapts to your paper type.