1. LA III Research Paper

2.  A formal outline is a tool used to organize your ideas for your paper.  An outline acts as the foundation for writing your paper.  Using the combination of Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V) and letters (A, B, C, D), you will construct an outline from the note cards that you have created.

3.  You would use Roman numerals for the main points of your research paper.  Uppercase Roman numerals: (I,II,II,IV,V)  These are used for the broadest points of the research paper.  This would include your introduction, author’s life, author’s works, author’s critics, and works analyzed.  Example: I. Introduction

4.  After your Roman numeral, you would use an uppercase letter (A, B, C, D, E).  The purpose of the letter is to indicate that your idea is starting to get more specific.  EXAMPLE: If you have Shakespeare’s Life as your Roman numeral (II. Shakespeare’s Life), your first letter would be something more specific about his life (A. Shakespeare’s Early Life).

5.  Now that you have introduced what your paragraph is going to be focused on, you will now include the facts that you have researched after a lowercase Roman numeral (i, ii, iii, iv, v)  The facts from your note cards will be the information that goes after lowercase Roman numerals.

6.  II: William Shakespeare’s Life  A: William Shakespeare’s Early Life  i: Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 (Smith 155).

7. YYOU MUST include the citation after every lowercase Roman numeral!!!

8. YYour research paper may be more than five paragraphs. (Just because there is one Roman numeral, it does not mean that you will have just one paragraph.) TThe more detailed your formal outline is, the easier it will be to write your rough draft. YYour formal outline MUST be typed!

9.  A citation should either include: ◦ The author and the page number for books and encyclopedias. EXAMPLE: (Newell 28). ◦ The article title if the author’s name is not present. EXAMPLE: (“Shakespeare and His Plays”).