Research Paper Assignment: Outlining the Paper 

Purpose

The purposes of this assignment are to gain experience in developing a writing outline for a research paper and to develop an outline for this semester's research paper. The outline should be based on the research question developed last semester. As a reminder, the research question must deal with the relationship between environment and warfare. It can cover historical or contemporary concerns, be focused at small or large scale issues, relate to the US and/or other nations, and can deal with one or more stages of warfare as defined in class. For students that have joined us this semester, it will be important to informally share your proposed research question with Dr. Machlis prior to beginning this assignment. 

Key Resources

Your research question paper and my review comments from last semester are important guides for this assignment. All of the assigned readings can be a source of material for the outline. Additional resources include national newspapers, websites that deal with environment and conflict, and the UI Library (books, reports, and scientific journals). Faculty and fellow students can also help you in locating interesting and important material for the outline. 

Assignment Tasks 

1. Re-read your research question proposal and my comments, and consider any adjustments or revisions to the research question that strengthen your proposal.

2. Review available resources online and at the UI Library, to gather materials related to the topic to guide your research. While you may not have time to complete all of your library research for the paper, significant additional library research beyond last semester’s assignment is necessary to develop a successful outline. 

3. Develop a 2-3 page double-spaced outline of your research paper. The outline must contain the research question (stated as a formal question), as well as other key elements of the final paper (see details below and follow all instructions carefully.

4. Proofread the outline before turning in the assignment. The assignment must be turned in on paper (see instructions); electronic submissions will not be accepted. 

Instructions for Preparing the Research Proposal 

Preparation of a formal paper outline is an important step in writing a research paper. The outline should be presented in traditional alphanumeric outline format, which has a hierarchy of sections and subsections—Roman numerals (such as I-IV), capital letters (A-C), arabic numerals (1-7), lower case letters (a-f). The research paper outline must have the following key sections, though they can be titled creatively to reflect your question and interests: 

I. An introduction that describes the general topic and why it is important. 

II. The research question, clearly and concisely stated. This section should also include definition of terms, the scale and unit(s) of analysis, and the identification of independent and dependent variables, as discussed last semester. 

III. The methods, which describes how you have gathered (and will gather in the future) the information for your research paper.  

IV. The results, which organizes and describes what you have learned that helps answer the research question. This section should discriminate between correlation and causation as they relate to the independent and dependent variables, as discussed last semester. While you may find additional information during the semester, this section should reflect your library research and current knowledge related to the question.  

V. The discussion, which includes what you think are the important implications of your results. This section should include an evaluation of the quality of the evidence you have used to answer the research question. 

VI. The conclusion, which summarizes the key points of the paper and suggests further research questions that emerge from your research. 

VII. A list of references, which lists the references you have used in your outline. (These need not be all of the references you will use in the final paper, but should reflect the ones used in the outline.) Be sure to use a common and formal format for all references. 

Subsections within each of the above sections are necessary and will depend upon your research question and the way you are planning to answer this question. 

Preparing the Outline 

The assignment must be prepared in formal alphanumeric outline style (a full sentence outline is not required, but the material should be understandable to an interested reader), with accurate spelling. The outline must be typed, in 10-point font (the same size type as this assignment handout). The outline must be double-spaced, single-sided, with 1' margins on all sides. The outline should not exceed 3 pages. The outline should have your name in the upper right of the first page, and be stapled. The outline can be handed in at the beginning of class on Wednesday 11 February OR delivered to Dr. Machlis’ office (Room 16, College of Natural Resources) by 5p Friday 13 February. The outline will be evaluated on its professional preparation (including neatness, grammar, spelling and organization), meeting all the instructions of the assignment, and (most importantly) the logic and substance of the outline.