Why do outlines

George Mason University; Plotnic, Jerry. Organizing an Essay. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Reverse Outline. The Writing Center. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Using Outlines.

Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College. If, in writing your paper, it begins to diverge from your outline, this is very likely a sign that you've lost your focus. How do you know whether to change the paper to fit the outline, or, that you need to reconsider the outline so that it fits the paper?

A good way to check your progress is to use what you have written to recreate the outline. This is an effective strategy for assessing the organization of your paper. If the resulting outline says what you want it to say and it is in an order that is easy to follow, then the organization of your paper has been successful. If you discover that it's difficult to create an outline from what you have written, then you likely need to revise your paper. Search this Guide Search. Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a college-level research paper in the social and behavioral sciences.

The Abstract Executive Summary 4. The Introduction The C. The Discussion Limitations of the Study 9. The Conclusion Appendices Definition An outline is a formal system used to develop a framework for thinking about what should be the organization and eventual contents of your paper. Importance of A good outline is important because : You will be much less likely to get writer's block.

An outline will show where you're going and how to get there. Use the outline to set goals for completing each section of your paper. It will help you stay organized and focused throughout the writing process and help ensure proper coherence [flow of ideas] in your final paper.

However, the outline should be viewed as a guide, not a straitjacket. As you review the literature or gather data, the organization of your paper may change; adjust your outline accordingly. A clear, detailed outline ensures that you always have something to help re-calibrate your writing should you feel yourself drifting into subject areas unrelated to the research problem.

Use your outline to set boundaries around what you will investigate. The outline can be key to staying motivated. Was this helpful? Need more information? Ask us! Or browse Quick Answers by Topic.

Walden University Quick Answers. Warning: Your browser has javascript disabled. Without javascript some functions will not work, including question submission via the form. What is an outline?

Toggle menu visibility. Answered By: Rachel Willard. Last Updated: Aug 09, Views: An effect? An example? Is one idea the solution to another? Do two points represent different categories of a larger idea? In other words, do your ideas fall into one of the conventional approaches to thinking about an issue: cause-effect, problem-solution, comparison-contrast, definition, classification?

You can use these standard approaches to help you think through your ideas and come up with a logical plan. That plan then becomes your outline. While drafting, you can make a draft or descriptive outline--an outline that is based on your draft. It describes each of your paragraphs so that you can critique your organization. It helps you answer the questions: Does my draft flow logically from point to point?

Have I discussed similar ideas in the same section or do I seem to jump around? This is a draft outline the above-mentioned student made after writing the first draft of her paper.

She summarized the draft, paragraph by paragraph, and then took a look at what the outline revealed. Paragraph 1 -- General introduction to political theories, Thesis: neo-Marxism most useful Paragraph 2 -- Description of neo-Marxism Paragraph 3 -- Description of pluralism Paragraph 4 -- Coalitions of interest groups Paragraph 5 -- Description of elitism Paragraph 6 -- Pluralist analysis of U.

Paragraph 7 -- Neo-Marxist analysis of U. She noticed that the descriptions of neo-Marxism and elitism were each in a single paragraph, but the description of pluralism took two paragraphs. She decided to be consistent by combining paragraphs 3 and 4. She also noticed that the second half of the paper seemed to jump around from theory to theory, presenting each theory's analysis and then each theory's weaknesses.

She decided to put the pluralist analysis of the U. Finally, you may also be required to write a formal outline--an outline that serves as a guide to your paper for your reader. If you haven't already been making formal outlines, this outline will be a formal version of your previous notes; it lays out your main points and subpoints for your reader.

Generally, this kind of outline uses conventions of formal outlining: Roman numerals, letters and indentations. Sometimes this sort of outline can be produced after you have written your essay. Formal outlines can be written in two ways. In topic outlines, the ideas are expressed in parallel phrases in other words, they are expressed in the same grammatical form--as noun phrases, as verb phrases, etc. Topic outlines have the advantage of being brief. In sentence outlines, on the other hand, the ideas are expressed in complete, though not necessarily parallel, sentences.

Sentence outlines give the reader a clearer idea of what you will argue. Regardless of the kind of formal outline you choose, convention states that you begin with a statement of your thesis and indicate increasing levels of support in this order: I.

In scientific papers, however, a decimal system is also commonly used.