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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.