Outlining
Structure
Until we get to the third outline we don't write a single sentence,
it's all point form. By the time you get to the third one, you've got
the thesis mapped out.
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies
University of Western Ontario
Why create an outline?
– Aids in the process of defining boundaries
– Helps you organize your ideas logically
– Shows hierarchical relationships among your ideas
– Constructs an ordered overview of your writing
How to get started
1. Outline a plan
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60% of writing process is outlining
Binge-writing makes pleasurable working impossible
Writing for hours on end works against momentum
2. Plan an outline
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Segment complex thoughts
Develop a series of logical statements
Get the science (thinking) right first – sentence structure
is relatively simple
Creating a detailed outline will help you write a first draft
that doesn't need too much re-structuring.
Before you begin
– Determine the purpose of your paper
• Explain
• Compare & contrast
• Argue
• Analyze
– Natural sciences easy – IMRAD
– Social sciences harder – How to solve the problem?
– Determine the audience
– Develop thesis
• Statement put forward to be tested or maintained
• Long essay or dissertation involving personal research
How do I create an outline?
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Brainstorm: List all the ideas to include in your paper
Organize: Group related ideas together
Order: Arrange material from general to specific
Label: Create main and sub headings.
Tip: It is easier to make changes on your outline, than on your written paper.
Outlining
Three Main Characteristics
Example: How to apply to university
I. Visit and evaluate college campuses
II. Visit and evaluate college websites
A. Note important statistics
B. Look for interesting classes
1. Coordination: Headings should have the same significance (value).
2. Subordination: Headings should be more general, while the information in
the subheadings should be more specific.
3. Division: Each heading should be divided into 2 or more parts
Tip: 3-5 divisions, but not more than 7
General All-Purpose Outline
Uncertain about the design of your paper?
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Identify the subject
– Explain the problem
– Provide background information
– Frame a thesis statement
• Analyze the subject
– Examine the first major issue
– Examine the second major issue
– Examine the third major issue
• Discuss and conclude your findings
– Restate your thesis and point beyond it
– Interpret the findings
– Provide answers, solutions, or a final opinion
IMRAD Model for Field Work
If you are collecting data
• Introduce the topic
– Explain the problem
– Provide background information (references)
– Frame a thesis statement or research question
• Methodology
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Describe research plan
Instrumentation (theoretical/survey design)
Procedure and time frame
Assumptions and limitations
• Results
• Discussion & Conclusion
– Restate your thesis and point beyond it
– Interpret the findings
– Provide answers, solutions, or a final opinion
Model for a Comparative Study
For examining similarities and differences of two objects
• Introduction
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Establish Object A
Establish Object B
Briefly compare the two
Introduce central issues
Cite sources material on the subject
Present your thesis
• Body (choose one)
– Compare and contrast A and B, or
– Discuss the central issues, or
– Discuss A and B relative to the central issues
• Conclusion
– Discuss the significant issues
– Conclude
• rates the advantage of each object, or
• ranks one object over the other
Comparison and Contrast
In addition to organizing a paper:
defines a complex idea
relates one thing in terms of another:
The difference between rods and cones in sensing light
Health benefits of raw vs. cooked food
Peace policies that reject conflict vs. those that accept conflict
technique to structure paragraphs
evaluates – show your original insight
Only similar items can be compared or contrasted.
The comparison/contrast must be supported by examples.
Compare or Contrast?
• Compare shows the
similarities between at
least two things
or
• Contrast shows the
differences between two
things
• To inform
• To explain
• To analyze
• To evaluate
Brainstorm Venn Diagram
Alike
Write a Thesis Statement
• Review your data
• Decide to what extent you will stress
– Similarities
– Differences
– Not necessarily balanced
• Create a thesis statement that reflects your decision
Weak Thesis Statements
NORAD and the Red Cross provided Norwegian aid to Haiti.
• They are both somewhat alike and somewhat different.
• One can see some similarities and some differences too.
• Both of them involve (only a single similarity, no differences).
Better Thesis Pattern
While both Norwegian foreign aid policies
agreed that the Haitian government needed
to play a role in emergency relief, NORAD
promoted a centralized federal authority to
respond to long-term needs, while the Red
Cross supported a loose confederation of local
officials to react to immediate needs .
Compare/Contrast
Thesis techniques
Introduction’s last sentence: thesis statement
In order to determine which protein source is best suited for fish feed,
Antarctic krill or Arctic herring, Aquafeed’s SWAG statistic analyzed the
following criteria: buoyancy, starch content, and Omega-3 concentration.
In order to decide which vehicle to buy, a Honda Civic or BMW, the
following criteria were used: price of the vehicle, average mileage, and
price of insurance.
Subject: the criteria (The agent of the action is doing what?)
Object: the vehicle
Pre-writing Chart
The number of boxes depends on how many
points of you will include in your paper.
Object
BMW
Honda
Civic
Price
Mileage
Insurance
Block Method Outline
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Use the matrix to create an outline
Rows or columns can be headings
Boxes can be subheadings or paragraphs
Two approaches
– Object based upon subject
• Object A versus B
• based on subjects 1, 2, and 3
– Subject based on object
Column
1
Column
2
Column
3
Row 1
Row 1
Row 1
Row 2
Row 2
Row 2
• Subject points 1, 2, and 3
• sequentially applied to objects A and B
A versus B
Rows are Headings
Objects (A & B) Outline Paragraphs
1st
Paragraph
2nd
paragraph
3rd
paragraph
Object
A
BMW
B
Honda
Civic
Subject 1
Price
Subject 2
Mileage
Subject 3
Insurance
Too much information for one paragraph?
Make subject points subheading paragraphs
Price
heading
BMW
Mileage
Insurance
subheading
subheading
subheading
2nd paragraph
3rd paragraph
4th paragraph
subheading
subheading
subheading
5th paragraph
6th paragraph
7th paragraph
heading
Honda
Civic
Outline by Subject points
Columns are Headings
1st
paragraph
Intro.
BMW
Honda
Civic
2nd
paragraph
3rd
paragraph
4th
paragraph
heading
Price
heading
Mileage
heading
Insurance
Point-by-Point Subject Organization
Here, the objects become subheadings
Price
Mileage
Insurance
Heading
BMW
2nd
Paragraph
4th
Paragraph
6th
Paragraph
Heading
3rd
Paragraph
5th
Paragraph
7th
Paragraph
Intro.
Honda
Civic
Object Outline
I. Introduction
a) Justification
b) Background
c) Thesis
II. BMW
a) Price
b) Mileage
c) Insurance
III. Honda Civic
a) Price
b) Mileage
c) Insurance
IV. Conclusion
a) Emphasize Major Ties
b) So What?
c) Evaluation
Subject (Point by Point) Outline
I. Introduction
a) Justification
b) Background
c) Thesis
II. Price
a) BMW
b) Honda
III. Mileage
a) BMW
b) Honda
IV. Insurance
a) BMW
b) Honda
IV. Conclusion
a) Emphasize Major Ties
b) So What?
c) Evaluation
Review
Understand the purpose of the paper
Select your topic
Gather evidence
Organize your thoughts
Create a thesis statement
Draft an outline
Writing a Formal Outline
• Using standard outline symbols
– Experiment with your computer’s outline features
– Alphanumeric style: I, A, 1, a. (1), (a)
– Decimal: 1., 1.1., 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3…
• Writing topics with key words
• Writing sentences for each heading and
subheading
Using Standard Symbols
list major categories and subtopics
I.___________________ first major heading
A.___________________ subheading of first degree
1.___________________ subheading of 2nd degree
2.___________________
a.________________ subheading of third degree
b.________________
(1)__________ subheading of fourth degree
(2)_________
(a)___ subheading of fifth degree
B. ___________________ subheading of first degree
Decimal Outline
1._____________
1.1.______________
1.1.1._____________
1.1.2._____________
1.1.3._____________
1.2.______________
1.2.1______________
1.2.2.______________
1.2.3.______________
2.______________
Phrase Outline
Use the format that works best, but be consistent.
• Noun
III. Senses
A. Receptors
1. Rods
2. Cones
• Noun phrases
• Verb phrase
III. Sensing the environment
III. The senses
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A. Receptors to detect light
1. Rods of the retina
2. Cones of the retina
A. Detecting the light
1. Sensing dim light
with retina rods
2. Sensing direct light
with cones
Verb phrase without subject
III. To use the senses
A. To detect light
1. To sense dim light
2. To sense direct light
Sentence Outline
• Advantages
– Entries can serve as topic sentences for paragraphs and speed writing
– Reveals organization problems rather than hiding them
– Time invested pays off when writing your first draft
Outline
Thesis: Warfare is triggered more by biological instincts than by cultural demands
for limited resources.
I. Debate of the “noble savage” versus prehistoric warriors is neither new nor
novel.
A. Early literature advocates intrinsic harmony and peace among tribes.
1. Rousseau argued for a noble savage in the 1700’s.
2. The Bible speaks of the Garden of Eden.
Subject/verb establishes logical direction of your thinking
Topic outline
1. Introduction
a)
b)
Traditional methods
New methods
2. Method
a)
b)
c)
Minimal growth conditions
Under-cooled conditions
Low temperatures
i.
ii.
Organ cultures
Callus cultures
Sentence outline
Traditionally, plant germplasm is stored in
seed conditions, arboreta, and so on.
New methods of storage now being
explored are based on plant tissue
culture.
Maintenance of tissue cultures under
minimal growth conditions appears
promising but has had little systematic
study. Cooling plant cells/tissues to -40o C
holds possibilities but information on this
method too is fragmentary. Storage in
liquid nitrogen has been successful with
organ cultures from 10 species. Callus
cultures from a dozen other species have
also been successful.
Relate Thoughts
Connect or change ideas
Words that make events happen in your reader’s mind
• To connect or compare
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also
as
in the same way
like
likewise
similarly
comparable
equally
in addition
• To change or contrast
although
but
even though
however
on the other hand
otherwise
yet
still
conversely
as opposed to
different from
whereas