How to write an outline

HowtowriteanoutlinePart1of2:PlanningYourOutline1Chooseatopic.Whetheryourworkwillbereflective,persuasive,informative,research-based,orsomecombinationthereof,youmustchooseageneralfocustohelpkeepyourthoughtsontrack.1Atthisstageitsokaytohaveabroadtopicinsteadoftryingtonarrowitdowntoyourspecificthesisstatement.Forexample,whenyourejuststartingout,insteadofnarrowingyourtopicdownrightawaytotheattitudesoftheFrenchtowardstheMaquisresistancefightersinWWIIyoumightlookatFrenchlifeduringtheGermanoccupationingeneral.Youcanalsomakeanoutlineforacreativepiece,likeanovel.Youwillstillwanttofocusonatopic(steampunkreimaginingofHamlet).Youwonthaveathesis,andtheoutlinewillfollowthestructureofthenovel(importantevents,forexample).2Determinethelargerpurposeofyourwork.Choosinganendgoalwillnotonlygiveyourtopicdirection,butalsohelpyoustructureyourpaperlogically.Ifyourewritingaformalessay,writeathesisstatementthatfulfillsthispurpose,otherwiseyoullneedtodeterminewhatyouretryingtoaccomplishwithyourwork.Youcouldcompareandcontrasttwothings,whichmeansthatyoullbemakingconnections,andusingcriticalthinkingtoengageinanalysisofthetwo(usually)pieces.Thiswillneedtogobeyondsimplysummarizing,butusuallywontrequiremuchoutsideresearch.2Presentcauseandeffect.Showwhysomethinghappened(particularlygoodforhistoricalessays,becauseyoucanlookatsomethingthathappenedinhistoryandtheeffectithadonevents).Defineoranalyzeaparticularaspectorconcept.Forexample,youmighttalkaboutfeminismandtalkaboutthehistoryoftheterm,thedifferenttypesoffeminism,andwhatitmeanstodifferentgroups.Presentonesideofanargument(youshouldalsoprovide,oratleastaddress,thecounter-argument).Provideevidenceanddrawaconclusion.Youshouldalways,whenwritinganessay,backupyourconclusionsandyourthesisstatementwithspecificevidence,evenifyourewritingapersonalessay,apersuasiveessay(especiallywhenwritingapersuasiveessay),oracreativeessay.3Gathersupportingmaterials.Thesemightbequotes,statistics,theories,images,plotpoints,orpersonalreflectionsdependingonthenatureofyourwork.Makesurethatthesethingssupportwhatyourewriting,orthatifyoudofindconflictingevidenceorideas,youaddresswhythesearewrong,insteadofsimplyignoringthem.Expanduponyourassertionswithevidence,warrantsandexamples.Includeproofinyouroutlinetostrengthenthebonesofyourpaper,andidentifypotentialholesinyourresearch.Ifyourelookingspecificallyforsupportinginformationforanovel(sinceitisalittledifferentthananacademicstyleoutline),itsgreattogetinformationonsetting,characters,clothing,foodetc.Youwantyourstorytobeasbelievableaspossible.Makesurethatwhenyourenotingdowninformationforyouroutlinethatyounotedownpagenumbersforbooks,andwhereyoufoundthatinformation.Thatwillmakeiteasierwhenyouregoingbackthroughandsettinguptheoutlineitself.4Pickyourtypeofoutlines.Atopicoutlineusesshort,generalphrasesandcanbeusefulifyouroutlineisveryflexible;asentenceoutlineusescompletesentencesandaddressescomplexityanddetail.3Considerstartingyouroutlineasatopicoutlinewithstructuralflexibilityandthenconvertingittoasentenceoutlineasyougo.Thereisntmuchdifferencebetweenthetwoexceptthatyoucanusethesentencesfromthelatterdirectlyinyourpaperorpresentation.Part2of2:WritingYourOutline1Decidehowtogenerallyorderyoursupportingevidence.Youwanttomakesurethatitsupportsyourlargerpurpose.Youllwanttomakesurethatyoureorderingitinthemosteffectivemanner.Thatmeans,startingoffwithyourstrongestpiecesofevidence,aswellasmakingsurethatyourpiecesofevidencenaturallyflowintooneanother.4Forexample:ifyouarepresentinganhistoricaloverview,youmaywanttoorderthingschronologically;ifyouarguingforaliteraryinterpretation,youmaywanttoorderthingsbytheme;ifyouareweighingtwosidesofanargumentbeforetakingastance,presenttheevidencethatcontradictsyourstancefirst,andthendispelitwiththecounterevidencetoendonapersuasivenote.2Identifyyourmaincategories.Basedonboththelargerpurposeoftheworkandthenatureofthesupportingmaterialyouhavefound,determinehowbesttobreakyourlargertopicdownintologicalcategories.Thesewillformthefirstlevelofyouroutline,whichistraditionallylabeledwithRomannumerals(I,II,III,IV,etc.).Whenwritingessays,itisverycommontodevoteonecategorytoeachparagraph:I.wouldbetheintroparagraph,II.wouldbethefirstbodyparagraph,andsoon.Forexample:Ifpresentingahistoricaloverviewofthecar,eachcategorymightcoveramajorerainthecarshistory.3Thinkofatleasttwopointsforeachcategory.Selectthesesub-pointsbasedonboththepurposeofyourpaperandthelistofsupportingmaterialsyougatheredearlier.Thesewillformthesecondlevelofyouroutline,whichistraditionallylabeledinlettersoftheEnglishalphabet(A,B,C,D,etc.).Indentthesecondlevelofyouroutline0.5to1inchpastthefirstlevel.Forexample:Ifpresentingahistoricaloverviewofthecar,eachpointmightcoveratypicalenginemodelduringthatera.4Expanduponyourpointswithsub-pointsifnecessary.Thiswillmaximizethelogicalgroundingofyouressaywork.Puttheseinthethirdlevelofyouroutline,whichistraditionallylabeledinnumbers(1,2,3,4,etc.).Shouldyouneedtogoanotherlayerdeeperintoyouroutline,uselowercaseRomannumerals(i,ii,iii,iv,etc.),thenlowercaseletters(a,b,c,d,etc.)andthenfinallyswitchtonumbers(1,2,3,4,etc.).Itisunlikelyyouwillneedtohavemorethan4layersinyouroutline.Considercombiningpointsifthisisthecase.Forexample:Ifpresentingahistoricaloverviewofthecar,eachsub-pointmightaddressatechnologicalinnovationforthatenginemodel.TipsBeconciseandstraightforwardinyouroutline.Thisdoesnthavetobeperfectlypolishedwriting;itjusthastogetyourpointacross.Dontbeafraidtoeliminateirrelevantinformationasyouconductmoreresearchaboutyourtopicandnarrowtheareayouwantyourwritingtofocuson.Useoutlinesasamemorizationtool.Chooseconcisewordstotriggeraconcept.Useacomputer.Manyprovideoutlinetools.Itsquicktoadd,delete,orrearrangeinformation.Indenteachlevelofyouroutline0.5to1inchpastthepreviouslevel.WhenyoustartcreatinganoutlineinMicrosoftWord,ithasanautomaticindentationfeaturethatitimposesonyouro