outline, outline writing, how to write outline, guide, tips outline writing

An outline breaks down the parts of your thesis in a clear, hierarchical manner. Most people find that writing an outline before beginning the paper is most helpful in organizing one's thoughts. Outlines give structure and order to essays, articles, and stories. Outlines also help to remind the writer of content they intended to include in their project should they work on it over a long period of time. If your outline is good, your paper should be easy to write.

Outlines contain both headings and subheadings. Headings are used for the discuss or explain the overall point for that section. Subheadings get into more detail about specific paragraphs within a section. Headings are represented by capital Roman numerals. Subheadings are represented by capital letters from the alphabet. To expand on one of the subcategories, you may add tertiary headings, which are represented by numbers.

Your thesis or main idea should be the first section of your outline. Since the thesis is usually the introductory paragraph of your paper, it only makes sense that it comes first in your outline. By having your thesis first, you can use this to build main points for your paper. Usually you will end your paper with a closing paragraph. This usually sums up your thesis, and ties in all your main ideas. In this paragraph you would bring the whole paper together. This is usually the last section of your outline. The following are the instructins for writing an outline:

1. Organize your notes. You cannot complete an outline without adequate, or organized, notes. You can gather information from newspapers, magazines, books or helpful computer pages.

2. Decide your first main topic. This should be the most important topic in your document. The topic choosen should be focused on a limited aspect of the topic that you can manage.

3. Write two or more supporting topics. These topics should describe and support the first main topic.

4. If there are details for the supporting topics, place the details with their relevant topics.

5. Continue this for the rest of the first main topic.

6. Next, decide on your second main topic. This should be the second most important topic of your document.

7. Write two or more supporting topics. As with number 3, these should describe and support your second main topic.

8. If there are are details for the supporting topics, place them with their relevant topics.

9. This procedure is repated until the thoughts (or notes) are completed.

10. Remember to use Roman numerals. If you do not have many notes, then the highest Roman numeral you should know would be X, or the number.

11. Be sure to always use this format: I, then A, 1,2, then B, 1,2. If there are more details about the supporting details, show it like this: 1, a, b, 2, a, b...and so on.

Now let's see an example of outline as follows:

I. First Main Topic (most important) 
A. First supporting topic 
1. Details 
2. More details 
B. Second supporting topic 
1. Details 
2. More details 
3. Even more details 

II. Second Main Topic 
A. First supporting topic 
B. Second supporting topic 
1. Details 
a. details about the first detail 
b. more details about the first detail 

2. More details 

III. Third Main Topic 
A. First supporting topic 
1. Details 
2. More details 
3. More details 
B. Second supporting topic 

IV. Final Main Topic 
A. First supporting topic 
B. Second supporting topic 
C. Third supporting topic 
1. Details 
2. More details 
3. More details 
a. Details about the third detail 
b. Details about the third detail