Sociology Question

Overview

To develop a focused, thorough final major paper, it is important to develop an outline to guide your work and organization throughout the process. The outline is an evolving document. As you increase your research on your topic, you will likely adapt and revise the outline.

The outline should be structured in a sentence outline format, with the identification of major points/themes and support for these points. Additional guidance and examples can be found in the APUS Writing Center.

A title page, reference page, and general APA formatting are required. Current (within the last ten years) scholarly resources are used.

Please address each section of the outline in 1-2 sentences:

1. Introduction
   1. State the topic for the Major Paper
   2. Establish context leading to a clear statement of the major paper (explain why the topic is important)
      1. Provide background and contextual material justifying why this topic should be studied
         1. Define key terms and theories
         2. Examine the history or relevance to field
         3. Discuss how and what it contributes to the field
         4. Explain how the topic applies to your professional interests
   3. Communicate a clear, direct topic statement.

1. Literature Review (This organizes the 3 to 5 articles that will be used in the Major paper.)
   1. Literature Search Criteria (Describe your search criteria for the articles you selected regarding the approved topic)
   2. Critical Analysis of Literature (The paper can have any number of main points, three is simply an example.)
      1. Main Point 1
         1. Support for position (Sources from the annotated bibliography)
         2. Succinct summary of main point and transition statement
      2. Main Point 2
         1. Support for position (Sources from the annotated bibliography)
         2. Succinct summary of main point and transition statement
      3. Main Point 3
         1. Support for position (Sources from the annotated bibliography)
         2. Succinct summary of main point and transition statement

1. Discussion
   1. Main Themes Meanings and Findings- Synthesize critical analysis of the literature (Reiterate common themes – what can you learn from what others have studied by looking at the whole picture?) The paper should include an analysis of the articles included in each of the main points above. For example if there are two main points there should be two discussions of the main themes meanings and findings.
   2. Contribution to Field- Identify new knowledge gained through integration of articles findings (What new knowledge have you or do you anticipate being able to generate based on your review? How can this information add to our understanding of the overall topic?)
   3. Implications for Future Research- Present recommendations for future research

1. Conclusion- Summarize the entire paper.

See writing the conclusion in the Graduate Writing section of the Trefry Library.