What is the first step of research paper writing? Preparing an outline for the paper. If you have a research outline ready before writing, you will be able to effectively organize and present all the information and ideas you collected during your research. A research outline will also help you write in a clear, organized manner without missing anything. This video shows you how you can create an outline for a research paper that follows an IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion) structure. For more manuscript writing and submission tips, visit: . Visit Editage Insights today: http://www.editage.com/insights/tips-on-effective-use-of-tables-and-figures-in-research-papers