The American Psychological Association encourages the use of headings to help readers follow the organization of a paper. Headings will also help you organize your evidence.
For an original research report, the major headings often follow a standard model: Method, Results, Discussion. The introduction is not given a heading; it consists of the material between the title of the paper and the first heading.
For a literature review, headings will vary. The student who wrote about treatments for childhood obesity used four questions to focus her research; the questions then became headings in her paper:
What are the implications of childhood obesity?
Is medication effective at treating childhood obesity?
Is medication safe for children?
Is medication the best solution?
Outlines can also help you organize your evidence. Some writers prefer to start with a formal outline, perhaps using complete sentences. Other writers sketch an informal plan that organizes ideas in bold strokes.
Exercise: Thesis statements in APA papers 1
Exercise: Thesis statements in APA papers 2
Related topics:
Informal plans and outlines
Formal outlines