Police brutality is a recent problem that has become a hot-button issue in newsrooms and political meetings across the United States. While it is most controversial in the United States, it is problematic in other countries as well. If you have chosen to write about police brutality for your upcoming research paper, then here are a few helpful tips on forming an outline. If you are looking for additional help, I recommend this site.

1. Brainstorm.

Most people hear the word outline and they immediately think of the standard Roman numeral outline. Outlines can be as simple as brainstorming on a piece of paper and connecting your thoughts. There’s no correct way to do this. This outline is yours. If you aren’t turning it in for a grade it can be as detailed or as messy as you like. The point is that you form your thoughts on paper before you start typing.

1. Standard Outline

This is most likely the kind of outline a professor would like to see if they require one from you. Standard outlines can be made in several different ways, but usually they’re made with Roman numerals, capital letters and Arabic numerals. Each Roman numeral stands for a paragraph and each capital letter and Arabic numeral represents further divisions of these topics. Here’s an example of a first body paragraph outline.

I. Background on Police Brutality

A. Definition

1.) Definition from dictionary

2.) Alternative way that police force describes it.

3.) Alternative way that minority communities describe brutality.

B. Statistics

1.) Rise in accounts of police brutality in recent years.

2.) Statistic accounts of police brutality across the nation.

Web Outline

The web outline is a way of both brainstorming and planning. You probably made one of these in school when you were younger. In the center of the web, you draw a circle and write “Police brutality. Then you draw lines branching off from the circle with subtopics which would represent paragraph ideas. Then, you would branch off again with smaller details about these topics until you have a good direction.

Why compose an outline?

If your professor doesn’t require an outline, then you’re probably wondering if writing an outlining is necessary at all. While it isn’t necessary, it will definitely save you work and leave you with a better product. Even the most experienced writers need outlines so that they can visualize how to get from point A to point B. Most published novelists have used outlines before writing their books. J.K. Rowling outlined Harry Potter for years before she even put pen to paper. Whether you liked the book or not, her success proves that the effort was well-worth the time spent. While you may not have a leisurely five years to outline your research paper on police brutality, you should be able to take out ten to twenty minutes.

Choose the right outline to guide you through the writing of your research paper.