Outlining helps pull together the results of your prewriting. When your purpose is a major research paper, an outline is a must; however, any essay pulls together better if directed by an outline.

Outlines

bullet order ideas
bullet help prepare the thesis statement
bullet provide visual guides
bullet take the place of a checklist
bullet and perhaps most importantly, reveal flaws:
bullet missing information,
bullet undesirable repetitions,
bullet digressions from the thesis,
bullet unclear thinking,
bullet illogical transitions.

Two Types of Outlines

Informal Outlines

An informal outline orders information and helps a writer gain clarity in thought; however, they are rarely acceptable for your professors. These types are generally for personal use only.

Sample Informal Outline
Thesis Statement: With the right training, any writer can use the outline to help organize and direct her essay
to attain clarity of thought use indents and bullets
bullet transitions
bullet signify change of thought

to help with sufficient evidence

bullet detail
bullet examples

as a checklist of info

bullet include notes to self about citations or exciting ideas
bullet when writing the first draft can use as a reference

Formal Outlines

Content and format are rigid in the formal outline. The two blend to display the relationships among ideas in an orderly fashion. A formal outline can be a topic outline or a sentence outline. Each item in a topic outline is a word or phrase; each item in a sentence outline is a complete sentence. Formal outlines never mix the two.

Conventions of Formal Outlines

Formal Outline Pattern
Thesis Statement:
I. First main idea
A. First subdivision of the main idea
  1. First reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail

  2. Second reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail
B. Second subdivision of the main idea
  1. First reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail

  2. Second reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail
II. Second main idea
A. First subdivision of the main idea
  1. First reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail

  2. Second reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail
B. Second subdivision of the main idea
  1. First reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail

  2. Second reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail

Traits of a Formal Outline
bullet Signal groupings and levels of importance with numbers, letters, and indentations;
bullet subdivide each level with more than one entry;
bullet use the same level of generality for all subdivisions;
bullet do not overlap headings, i.e., different points require different ideas;
bullet arrange phrases and sentences grammatically parallel;
bullet capitalize the first word of each entry;
bullet end each sentence in a sentence outline with periods but not the items in a topic outline;
bullet do not include introduction or conclusion;
bullet place the thesis statement above the outline itself.

Sample Formal Outline
Thesis Statement: Comparison of Teacher-student communication: A descriptive typology of students' interpersonal experiences with teachers and Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated interaction: A meta-analysis of social and antisocial communication.
I. Rhetorical Analysis of the first article: Teacher-student communication: A descriptive typology of students' interpersonal experiences with teachers by R. West, a qualitative study "to provide communication researchers with a descriptive base of information, showing how students interpret what teachers say and do in the classroom."
A. Topic and purpose discussed in a no nonsense manner, i.e., minimal use of acronyms, jargon and oblique references
  1. The introduction leads the reader into the piece by establishing rapport.
  2. In the first paragraph the direction, slant, tone are established

B. Audience concerns are shown.

  1. Economy of language is missing.
  2. Diction is "acadamese"-less.
  3. Paragraphs are generally from 8- 13 lines long.
  4. It makes use of headings, subheadings and numbered categories for ease in reading.
  5. Article's length is suitable, 8 ½ pages.

C. Ethos established through use of references which show a breath and depth of the field.

  1. References used from cognitive realm.
  2. Citations are include Vgotsky.
II. Rhetorical Analysis of second article: Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated interaction: A meta-analysis of social and antisocial communication by J. Walther, J. Anderson, D. Park an article measuring the "effects of time restriction on social interaction in computer-mediated communication."
A. Topic and purpose are obfuscated by the immediate introduction of an acronym, then a broad, and I do mean broad, spectrum which attempts to set up the topic under discussion.
  1. The introductory paragraph discusses the conflicts in the field, does not introduce purpose.
  2. The purpose is not stated until fourth paragraph.

B. Audience concerns are not attended to.

  1. A brief knowledge base is presented.
  2. Assumes that readers are knowledge about computer interaction social theory.
  3. Does not aid the reader with use of bullets or numbering.
  4. Length is much too long: 27 pages.

C. While ethos is established by the sheer amount of recognition of previous research, one wonders whether mention of select, key research would have worked better.
IV. Methodology: Teacher-student communication: A descriptive typology of students' interpersonal experiences with teachers.
A. standard research format is used: abstract, introduction, definition of terms, existing research, methodology, results, discussion for future.
B. Terms are defined and the actual questionnaire is presented.
C. Readers do not have to guess.
D. On the minus side, there is a lack of understanding of why the criteria used for coding the responses was chosen.
V. Methodology: Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated interaction: A meta-analysis of social and antisocial communication.
A. Standard research format is used: abstract, establishing of problem, hypothesis, review of literature, methodology, findings and discussion.
B. Since this was a study of various studies, the authors were limited in their sample.
C. Tables were included.
D. Endnotes added to the density of material.
VI. Which is better? Audience is the answer.

 


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Last revised: November 19, 2009 by Jan Strever -- jstrever@scc.spokane.edu
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