How to Use Appropriate Headings for Subtopics Within a Research Paper

Research papers are often thought of as arduous tasks to complete. Outlining the paper with appropriate headings for subtopics can help to make the paper easier to write, as well as make the paper more understandable for your audience. Your subtopics should be based on the paper's thesis statement, which is the main point that you are trying to make. Appropriate headings will be different based on the research subject.

Step 1

Write the thesis statement for your research paper. Your thesis statement can be more than one sentence, but it needs to summarize the point that you are making in your research. This is the basis of the paper, and subtopics will come from this information.

Step 2

Write down an outline that includes an introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction will be the first heading and the conclusion the last heading.

Step 3

Divide the body of the paper into smaller sections, which will be the subtopic headings. These will be based on the areas that you will be writing about in the paper's main section. They should break the thesis statement into small sections. Keep the headings no more than a few words long to be appropriate.

Step 4

Include any subtopics that you are required to write about in your outline. Example may be methods, materials, population and discussion. Your instructor will provide you with this information when assigning the paper.