There are three commonly used APA examples for an outline, based upon setting sections in a numerical sequence. We have gathered all the templates in this article so you can understand everything clearly. Let’s see how APA formatting style works and how an outline in APA looks.

The Basic APA Outline Format

Here is an example of a simple outline for the topic "Directing a Play for Scholars" looks.

I. Choose a Play

A. Ask other qualified people

B. Think about your own experience

(1) Think about your own school literature courses

(2) Refer to your non-academic knowledge

a) what did your parents advise you

b) your own literature preferences

II. Begin preparation

A. Select actors

1. Invite those you are familiar with

a. Choose those you have had experience working with

(1) Call those who were professional

(2) Give another chance for lesser candidates

2. Invite those you are not familiar with

a. Ask another director

b. Ask a familiar actor for a recommendation

B. Start rehearsal

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Full Sentence Outline Format

This format is almost similar to the previous one. The distinction is that this way of writing the plan requires complete sentences for each subheading. Numeric approaches are the same.

I. Directing scholastic plays is a very important educational experience.

A. Taking part in staging, scholars develop creatively with a focus on creativity.

This format implies using APA citation rules if needed. Other writing plan templates do not allow one to use other author’s thoughts.

Decimal Outline Format

1.0. Choose the play 1.1. Ask other qualified people 1.2. Think about your own experience 1.2.1. Remember school literature courses 1.2.2. Return to your non-scholastic knowledge

Example Of Outline For College Research Paper In APA Format

If you are not quite sure what format and structure to follow when creating an outline for an APA research paper, you should check out the example provided below.

I) Introduction – the first section of your paper that aims to grab the reader’s attention and clarify the topic and main objectives of your work.

A) Hook – Start with a fact, question, quote or something else to capture attention.

B) Make a statement of the paper’s main problem.

C) Background – Your goal is to tell the readers about the nature and background of a specific problem and provide enough information to better understand the idea of your work.

D) Thesis – Make a short statement on your work’s focus.

II) Body – This section in your paper will consist of 3-5 parts, each focusing on a separate idea. Each part should have the following structure:

A) Main idea (topic sentence)

B) Research concept

C) Supporting details

D) Transition to the next part

III) Summary – Briefly summarize all the points you’ve made.

IV) Conclusion – The final part of your work that restates the thesis statement, makes a reflection on the work you have done and is an opportunity for you to suggest possible uses of the results.

V) Reference page.

The research paper outline examples given above are long-established ways of composing a plan but still comply with APA writing standards.

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Although some students skip writing an outline for their research papers and underestimate its usefulness, it plays a big role in your success. With a good outline, you increase your chances of writing a high-quality paper. An outline completes several important functions:

It helps you to follow the right structure.

It contains all the ideas, evidence, and points you should include, so you won’t leave something out.

It helps you focus on the task and contributes to a faster writing process.

The outline of your APA paper would change depending on your topic and type of paper, so there’s no universal formula as to how to create a perfect plan for APA research paper. Nonetheless, there are some general recommendations you can use to make your writing more convenient.

Basic Outline Format

This is the most widespread type of outline that you may use in the APA format as well as in other formats. You can find anywhere on the Internet, and it is one of the most popular formats among the writers on websites like PapersOwl who can make a research paper for sale. Use this simple roadmap for any kind of paper as it allows you to define the main point and subpoints. This is really convenient for most types of works.

Full Sentence Outline

This is a kind of a more detailed plan in which you give a brief description of what is going on in each part. This is useful for when you have to present your roadmap to someone and want them to understand clearly what is happening. If you make a roadmap for yourself, it just makes it easier for you to memorize everything.

Decimal Outline

This is a type of plan that is best suited for complex works that tackle a variety of topics and subtopics. If you are working on a really big paper with tons of data in it, this type might just be your best shot.

Wrap Up

As you see, there are different types of outlines out there, and you can choose any of those depending on what suits you best. Creating an outline is the most important thing in writing because it basically gives you the roadmap you can then follow to write your research and make it look really good.