The Research Project

Thesis StatementTo

Outline

YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORNELL NOTES AND AN EXIT TICKET FOR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS POWER POINT PRESENTATION!

SO STAY ALERT AND ASK QUESTIONS FOR CLARITY

Notes and Exit Ticket Alert!

Why outline?

There are many reasons; but in general, it may be helpful to create an outline when you want to show the hierarchical relationship or logical ordering of information.

For research papers, an outline may help you keep track of large amounts of information.

Reasons for outliningBelow are the primary reasons for creating an outline.

• Aids in the process of writing

• Helps you organize your ideas

• Presents your material in a logical form

• Shows the relationships among ideas in your writing

• Constructs an ordered overview of your writing

• Defines boundaries and groups

The types of outlines

There are three basic types of outlines:

• Alphanumeric (most common)• Full sentence • Decimal outline

Alphanumeric Outlines

This is the most common type of outline and usually instantly recognizable to most people.

The formatting follows these characters, in this order:

• Roman Numerals• Capitalized Letters• Arabic Numerals• Lowercase Letters

How do I create an outline?

• Determine the purpose of your paper. Choose a limited topic based on your assignment.

• Determine the audience you are writing for. Look to the topic for clues for audience.

• Develop the thesis of your paper. Use one of the formulas for effective thesis statements.

How do I create an outline?

Then:• Brainstorm: List all the ideas that you want to

include in your paper.• Organize: Group related ideas together.• Order: Arrange material in subsections from

general to specific or from abstract to concrete.

• Label: Create main and sub headings.

Why Outline?

Remember: Creating an outline before writing your paper

will make organizing your thoughts a lot easier. Making any kind of outline (even just jotting down some main ideas) will be beneficial to your writing process.

So what’s the format?

Take a look at your handout. This is an example of an alphanumeric outline.

• You can find an outline format template on line or in the template wizard of most word processing programs. This should make creating an outline a breeze.

Four main components of

effective outlines

Ideally, you should follow these four suggestions to create an effective outline.

• The first two examples are taken from the Sample Outline handout. (Let’s take a look as you follow along.)

4 components of an outline

1. Parallelism 2. Coordination

3. Subordination4. Division

Parallelism

• Each heading and subheading should preserve parallel structure. If the first heading is a verb, the second heading should be a verb.

Example:I. Choose Desired CollegesII. Prepare Application

("Choose" and "Prepare" are both verbs. The ("Choose" and "Prepare" are both verbs. The present tense of the verb is usually the present tense of the verb is usually the preferred form for an outline)preferred form for an outline)

Coordination

All the information contained in Heading 1 should have the same significance as the information contained in Heading 2. The same goes for the subheadings (which should be less significant than the headings).

Example:I. Visit and evaluate college campusesII. Visit and evaluate college websites

A. Note important statistics B. Look for interesting classes

(Campus and websites visits are equally significant. They are part of the main tasks you would need to do. Finding statistics and classes found on college websites are parts of the process involved in carrying out the main heading topics.)

Subordination - How do I accomplish this?

The information in the headings should be more general, while the information in the subheadings should be more specific.

Example:I. Describe an influential person in your life

A. Favorite high school teacherB. Grandparent

(A favorite teacher and grandparent are specific examples from the generalized category of influential people in your life.)

Division - How do I accomplish this?

Each heading should be divided into 2 or more parts.

Example:I. Compile resume

A. List relevant courseworkB. List work experienceC. List volunteer experience

(The heading "Compile resume" is divided into 3 parts.)

Subdivisions

Technically, there is no limit to the number of subdivisions for your headings; however, if you seem to have a lot, it may be useful to see if some of the parts can be combined.

So Let’s Review

• Why outline? To logically organize and present ideas, and to

show relationship in your writing.

• What are the 4 components of an outline?Parallelism, Coordination, Subordination, Division

• What are the basic types of outlines?Alphanumeric (most common), full sentence and decimal

Outline Rubric & Homework

• Let’s stop and take a look at the outline rubric.

• For homework tonight using your thesis statement, write a rough draft of your outline for the research paper for the unit Emmett Till, Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement.

Reminders

• Turn in your Cornell notes and 3,2,1 exit ticket at the end of class

• Homework tonight-write an outline on your topic

• Check the MP website for a review, if needed, on outlines and the homework assignment

Sources

• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/