Tentative Outline and Concept Paper

Overview of Tentative Outline and Concept Paper

This content teaches students the creation of a tentative outline and concept paper for research. By the end of the fourth week's lesson, students are expected to define outlining, recognize the parts of a tentative outline, understand various formatting styles of outlining, and create their own concept papers.

Key Components of a Tentative Outline

A tentative outline consists of a three-page paper that outlines research plans on a specific topic, serving as the framework for a written work. The required parts include:

  1. Rationale

  2. General Objective

  3. Specific Objectives

  4. Research Problems

  5. Hypotheses

Types of Outlines

There are several types of outlines:

  • Topic Outline: Consists of keywords or phrases for brevity.

  • Sentence Outline: Comprises complete sentences that express main and sub-ideas.

  • Paragraph Outline: Contains sentences that define the contents of entire paragraphs.

Formatting an Outline

Outlines can have different structures:

  1. Six-level Outline

  2. Three-Level Outline

  3. Numbered Outline

Guidelines for Writing an Outline

  1. Choose primary topics and use Roman numerals for major points.

  2. For subtopics, use capital letters.

  3. For details, use numerical enumeration.

  4. Ensure the correct use of punctuation and capitalization.

Components of a Concept Paper

A concept paper serves as a proposal for research, consisting of:

  • Rationale: Explains the importance of the topic chosen, starting general and moving to specific.

  • Objectives: Clearly stated goals for the research that are feasible and measurable.

  • Methodology: Outlines the research methods, including techniques for data collection and analysis strategies.

  • Expected Outcomes: States anticipated results, though these may evolve with ongoing research.

Example Structure of a Research Topic

An example of a topic could be Pollution:
I. Introduction
II. Sources of Pollution
III. Strategies to Combat Pollution
IV. Conclusion

References

A section at the end should include all references used during the research, ensuring proper citation for academic integrity.

These notes provide a succinct overview of how to effectively create a tentative outline and concept paper for research, highlighting the essential parts and types of outlines, along with formatting guidelines and components of a concept paper.