BLANK RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE FOR DR. HEAFNER'S 102 COURSE

Text You Are Analyzing: 
The Argument You See the Story Making (Your Thesis): 
Reasons (Major points That Support Your Thesis Claim):
1)	_______________________________________________________
2)	_______________________________________________________
3)	_______________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence (Take Straight From Your Reason 1):______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
1st Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: __________________________________________(      )
Explanation of Quote: __________________________________________________________
Research That Supports/Helps Explain This: ______________________________________
	2nd Quote that supports the Topic sentence:__________________________________________(        )
		Explanation of Quote:___________________________________________________________
		Research That Supports/Helps Explain This:_______________________________________
3rd Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: _________________________________________(        )
		Explanation of Quote:___________________________________________________________
		Research That Supports/Helps Explain This_______________________________________

Body Paragraph 2:
Topic Sentence (Take Straight From Your Reason 2): ____________________________________________
1st Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: __________________________________________(       )
Explanation of Quote:  __________________________________________________________
Research That Supports/Helps Explain This: ______________________________________
	2nd Quote that supports the Topic Sentence:_________________________________________(        )
		Explanation of Quote:___________________________________________________________
		Research That Supports/Helps Explain This:_______________________________________
3rd Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: _________________________________________(         )
		Explanation of Quote:___________________________________________________________
		Research That Supports/Helps Explain This_______________________________________

Body Paragraph 3:
Topic Sentence (Take Straight From Your Reason 3):  ___________________________________________
1st Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: __________________________________________(       )
Explanation of Quote:  __________________________________________________________
Research That Supports/Helps Explain This: ______________________________________
	2nd Quote that supports the Topic Sentence:_________________________________________(        )
		Explanation of Quote:___________________________________________________________
		Research That Supports/Helps Explain This:_______________________________________
3rd Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: _________________________________________(        )
		Explanation of Quote:___________________________________________________________
		Research That Supports/Helps Explain This_______________________________________

SAMPLE OUTLINE
Text You Are Analyzing: “The Story of an Hour”
The Argument of the Story (Your Thesis): This story helps us to understand the oppressive nature of some relationships.
Reasons (Major points that support your thesis claim):
4)	Relationships can stifle individuality
5)	Relationships can cause physical harm.
6)	Relationships are hard to get out of.

NOTE: The thesis of this paper might sound like this—

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” helps us to understand the oppressive nature of relationships by showing us how one woman’s marriage has stifled her individuality, caused her emotional and physical harm, and created a situation that was very difficult to escape.  

Body Paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence (Take Straight From Your Reason 1):  One way Chopin’s story helps us to understand the oppressive nature of relationships is by showing us how marriage has stifled the main character’s, Louise’s, individuality.  
	1st Quote that supports the Topic Sentence: “. . . she saw beyond that bitter moment a long 	procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread 	her arms out to them in welcome.” (1 )
Explanation of Quote:  This seems to imply that the “years” Louise has spent with her husband have not been hers but theirs.  Essentially, Louise had to sacrifice herself for the betterment of the marriage.  However, now that her husband is gone, she welcomes this new opportunity to live for herself and not for the relationship.  That’s why she opens her arms to all the years in her future. 
Research That Supports/Helps Explain This: John Smith certainly shows that some 	people feel relief after a spouse is no longer around.  According to his survey, “eighty 	percent of all married people who lose their husbands or wives, either because of death 	or removal, report themselves as having more freedom than they did during the 	marriage” (34).

NOTE: You will not need supporting research for every explanation you have in this paper, but a few in each paragraph are necessary.