MLA Format for Essays and Research Papers. If you are writing a research paper in the MLA format that includes a title page and an outline page or pages before. Sample Outline in an MLA Paper (Levi) Source. This paper has been updated to follow the style guidelines in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Purdue OWL; Writing Lab; OWL News; Engagement; Research; Contact;. Ideally, you should follow the four suggestions presented here to create an effective outline. This is an article with a few research paper outline examples. Creating an outline is the first thing you should do before you start working on your research paper. C. Creating an Outline. Writing an Effective Outline; Outline for Writing a Research Paper;. There are several different ways to format an outline, but the MLA. For any research paper, it is essential to know how to write an outline. Many research paper formats even require an outline, as an integral part of the paper. Preparing and Using Outlines. Using an outline can help you organize your material and can also help you discover connections between pieces of information that you. Here is a sample paper in MLA format that has both the cover page and the outline pages. This paper has 10 pages so if you are under a slow Internet connection, This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources. When writing a research paper, it is often helpful to write an outline before starting on the rough draft. Not only are outlines helpful, but they are often required.