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Outlines and Mapping

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Mindmapping.

Writing a Research Paper

MindMap. Essay Map. How to Write an Outline. What is it?

How to Write an Outline

An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented in a speech or a paper. The outline shows the order of the various topics, the relative importance of each, and the relationship between the various parts. Order in an Outline There are many ways to arrange the different parts of a subject. Sometimes, a chronological arrangement works well. Thesis Statement of Summarizing Sentence All outlines should begin with a thesis statement of summarizing sentence. Types of Outlines The two main types of outlines are the topic outline and the sentence outline. Rules for Outlining 1. Example: I. 2. Examples Topic Outline Choices in College and After Thesis: The decisions I have to make in choosing college courses, depend on larger questions I am beginning to ask myself about my life’s work.

I. A. 1. B. 1. II. A. III. A. Sentence Outline Thesis: The decisions I have to make in choosing college courses, depend on larger questions I am beginning to ask myself about my life’s work. Basic Outlining. Basic Outlining An outline presents a picture of the main ideas and the subsidiary ideas of any subject.

Basic Outlining

Some typical uses of outlining are: a class reading assignment, an essay, a term paper, a book review or a speech. For any of these, an outline will show a basic overview and important details. Some professors will require an outline in sentence form, or require the main points to be in chronological order, or have other specific requirements. A student’s first responsibility, of course, is to follow the requirements of the particular assignment.

Below is a synopsis of the outline form. I. II. It is up to the writer to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately describe the subject. Suppose you are outlining a speech on AIDS, and these are some of the ideas you feel should be included: AZT, Transmittal, AIDS babies, Teenagers, Safe sex, Epidemic numbers, Research. To put these ideas into outline form, decide first on the main encompassing ideas. Major Aspects of Aids. How to Write an Outline (with Free Sample Outlines) Developing an Outline. Summary: This resource describes why outlines are useful, what types of outlines exist, suggestions for developing effective outlines, and how outlines can be used as an invention strategy for writing.

Developing an Outline

Contributors:Elyssa Tardiff, Allen BrizeeLast Edited: 2013-03-01 09:20:56 Ideally, you should follow the four suggestions presented here to create an effective outline. When creating a topic outline, follow these two rules for capitalization: For first-level heads, present the information using all upper-case letters; and for secondary and tertiary items, use upper and lower-case letters. The examples are taken from the Sample Outline handout. Parallelism—How do I accomplish this? Each heading and subheading should preserve parallel structure.

("Choose" and "Prepare" are both verbs. Coordination—How do I accomplish this? All the information contained in Heading 1 should have the same significance as the information contained in Heading 2. (Campus and Web sites visits are equally significant. How to Write an Outline - University at Albany - SUNY. New Outline Maker. - Top 10 Sites for Creating Outlines by David Kapuler. WiseMapping - Visual Thinking Evolution. Quicklyst - take better notes.