There are two kinds of outlines: the topic outline and the sentence outline.
The Topic Outline consists of short phrases. It is particularly useful when you are dealing with a number of different issues that could be arranged in a variety of ways in your paper.
The Sentence Outline is done in full sentences. It is normally used when your paper focuses on complex details. The sentence outline is especially useful for this kind of paper because sentences themselves have many of the details in them. A sentence outline also allows you to include those details in the sentences instead of having to create an outline of many short phrases that goes on page after page.
Both topic and sentence outlines follow rigid formats, using Roman and Arabic numerals along with capital and small letters of the alphabet. This helps both the student and anyone who reads the outline to follow the organization easily. There is no rule for which type of outline is best.
Process of Outlining
When should you start outlining?
Some students like to start outlining at the beginning of the semester as a method of review. They may begin outlining once the professor has finished discussing one section of the course syllabus. Other students begin once they are able to see the big picture concepts of the course, which may cause them to begin outlining later in the course. They begin once they can predict where the course is going or once they have a sound understanding of what the course has already covered. Some students use the outlining process as a comparison tool; they begin outlining at the beginning of the semester and look at their reading notes and draft portions of their outline before class to compare their outline with what is covered in class. All these exercises cause panic in the work and instead of benefiting, they mostly cause harm. The outlining process neither should be devised at the outset, nor from the mid, instead outlines should be made thoroughly and throughout when needs be. The student should himself consider what type of the topic is, and also what sort of outlining he may need.
The outlining process requires a complete planning and sketching of the whole study matter. When deciding when to begin outlining, you should consider how many exams you have to prepare for and whether you will be outlining for each. Your time constraints may guide your decision on when to start outlining more than any other factor. Many people like to start outlining first semester during the first week in November because most of the course material has been presented at that point and the remaining material will require minimal additional effort to include in the outline. However, many successful exam-takers start outlining over Thanksgiving break, when they have a block of uninterrupted time. Choose the one that you think works best for your paper.
HOW TO MAKE OUTLINE
1. Identify the Topic
The topic of your paper is important. Try to sum up the point of your paper in one sentence or phrase. This will help your paper stay focused on the main point.
2. Identify the Main Categories.
What main points will you cover? The introduction usually introduces all of your main points, then the rest of paper can be spent developing those points.
3. Create the First Category.
What is the first point you want to cover? If the paper centers around a complicated term, a definition is often a good place to start. For a paper about a particular theory, giving the general background on the theory can be a good place to begin.
4. Create subcategories
After you have the main point, create points under it that provide support for the main point. The number of categories that you use depends on the amount of information that you are going to cover; there is no right or wrong number to use. By convention, each category consists of a minimum of two entries. If your first category is Roman numeral I, your outline must also have a category labeled roman numeral II; if you have a capital letter A under category I, you must also have a capital letter B. Whether you then go on to have capital letters C, D, E, etc., is up to you, depending on the amount of material you are going to cover. You are required to have only two of each numbered or lettered category.
FORMAT OF OUTLINE
One-Level Outline: as a beginner, the student is needed to start with a one level outline. A common basic one-level outline looks like this one:
I. Introduction
II. Explanation
III. Analysis
IV. Results
V. Discussion
VI. Conclusion
Using the above outline as a guide, create a one level outline for your paper by making the topic headings more detailed. For example, instead of “Literature review”, a more detailed heading could be “Literature review on the impacts of literature and its implications.” After providing details, read your outline. Then overview and see does it flow clearly and provide a structure to build a complete paper around the chosen topic. If not, refine it. When it does, move to a two level outline.
The Two-Level Outline: as the student feels comfort and expertise in outlining, s/he should proceed toward the two-level outline.
A common basic two-level outline looks like this:
1. Introduction
i.Definition
ii.Basic data and information
2. Explanation
i.Implications
ii.Extent of the review
iii.Periods to be covered
3. Analysis
i.Comparative
ii.Analytical
4. Results
i.Statistics and figures
ii.Outcomes
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
PURPOSE OF MAKING OUTLINE
Preparing an outline is the most important step in the process of producing a manuscript for publication in a journal. The outline bears roughly the same relation to the final manuscript as an architectural blueprint does to a finished house. The purpose of an outline is to divide the writing of the entire paper into a number of smaller tasks. A good outline organizes the various topics and arguments in logical form. By ordering the topics the students identify, before writing the manuscript, any gaps that might exist.
Outlining is an important step in organizing a paper. When done well, it clearly shows the relationships between ideas in your paper and provides a plan for writing. It also helps the student to think about the topic and to reach the level of synthesis and evaluation in learning. Further, it can help to determine whether student has researched the topic thoroughly. Finally, it can help to determine whether the paper makes a convincing argument, before spending time agonizing over grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and transitional sentences etc.
Before continuing, the student should make a rough and sketched outline. Some important activities that are generally done prior to outlining include extensive reading, taking notes on important ideas (with citations), brainstorming and listing ideas, grouping related ideas together, ordering groups from general to specific (from abstract to concrete.) After having done a lot of these activities, the student is ready to start outlining. Here will be needed to revisit these activities as before making an outline whenever there may occur new ideas and material for writing.
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