Developing an Outline

PURPOSE:

An outline provides a logical road map for your paper. It is a visual reminder of how your ideas are organized so that you can write a paper in a clear and concise manner.

It also clearly establishes what you will and will not address in your paper. By preparing an outline before you write, you will be less inclined to wander off course. In addition, an outline saves you time and can provide you with ideas if you suddenly encounter writer’s block.

Steps to begin outlining:

1. Make a list of ideas that support your thesis statement
2. Organize this list into groups of related ideas.
3. See if you can arrange your material and ideas from general to specific or from abstract to concrete.
4. Create headings and subheadings

BALANCE:

Achieving balance in an outline is important because it helps you develop a logical pattern to present your ideas. Four main principles can help you create an outline that is useful and accurate.

Principle #1: Parallelism

Parallel structure among your headings helps you better understand the type of information that needs to be included in that section. In general, use consistent nouns, verbs or adjectives.

Example of good parallel structure:

1. To hunt
2. To eat
3. To defend

Or

1. Hunting for prey
2. Eating for survival
3. Defending the kill

Poor parallel structure:

1. Hunting for prey
2. To eat rabbits
3. Bad defense techniques

Principle #2: Coordination

Coordination is based on the idea that main topics and subtopics have value. Coordinating those topics means assigning them letters or numbers that reflect their value in relation to one another. Assigning value will help you organize your topics accurately and develop strong paragraphs and topic sentences.

Example of good coordination: Equal value leads to strong paragraphs

1. Native habitats
2. Native prey
3. Native enemies

Poor coordination-unrelated topics lead to confusing paragraphs

1. Native habitats
2. Prairies in South Dakota (type of habitat)
3. Man’s invasion of territory (type of enemy)

Principle #3: Subordination

Subordination is the concept that outlines use major and minor headings so that your ideas can be organized in a logical way. Therefore, minor subtopics support major topics.

Example of good subordination:

A. Native habitat

1. Prairies in South Dakota
2. Forests in Minnesota

B. Native Prey

1. Rabbits
2. Deer

Example of poor subordination:

A. Native Habitats

1. Prairies of South Dakota
2. Wide open ranges
3. Cattle grazing

Principle#4: Division (Rule of Two)

Understanding how to divide your topics and subtopics into a logical sequence is the goal of outlining. Dividing them accurately rests on your ability to divide your information into parts. Keep in mind that the definition of division is based on separating topics into at least two parts.

In other words, if there is an A, there must be a B; if there is an a, there must be a b; if there is a 1; there must be a 2, etc.

Keep in mind that there is usually more than one way to divide your topics. So, if you’re getting frustrated consider reorganizing your headings so it follows the rule of two. This is where coordination and subordination can help.

Strong Example of Rule of Two:

A. Native Habitats

1. Prairies in South Dakota
2. Forests in Minnesota
3. Deserts in California

B. Native Prey

1. Rabbits

a. For raptors
b. For wolves
c. For coyotes

2. Deer

a. For wolves
b. For mountain lions

C. Native Predators

1. Man

a. For sport
b. For food

2. Wolves

3. Raptors

Poor Example of Rule of Two:

A. Native Habitats

1. Prairies of South Dakota

B. Native Prey

1. Rabbits

a. For raptors
b. For wolves

C. Native Predators