By Maddy In my whole academic career I never really enjoyed doing an outline. At least for me, many of my outlining experiences stems from it being a requirement from teachers throughout middle and high school. I never saw the point in doing them, and I always just wanted to start writing and make revisions later. However, once I got to college my thoughts on the traditional outline changed. I now view this as a tool for myself, and not something that is simply required of me. While I do not create an outline for every assignment, I notice that creating a simple set of ideas to follow helps me to stay organized and cohesive while writing my first draft. There are many different techniques that can be used to create an outline. Personally, I find that creating a less formal handwritten outline works well in my writing process. It is mostly about finding what works best for you and the assignment that you will be working on. If you have had similar thoughts on the outline or are seeking ways to enhance your outlining process, I am going to go over resources or ideas that might be helpful to you. According to Purdue Owl, there are a few things to consider when creating an outline or outlining process that works best for you. Purdue Owl has labeled separate categories for considering the purpose of an outline. The categories are “Brainstorm, Organize, Order, and Label” (Purdue Writing Lab). In the Brainstorming phase, it is a rough outline of some beginning ideas of what you want to focus on in the paper. This phase does not have to be completely coherent yet, because it just serves as a way to write down initial ideas or questions about the topic. The Organization phase is where you are going to start thinking about how the ideas from the brainstorming phase relate to each other. Next, the Order phase allows the space for you to start thinking about the totality of the paper and how the related ideas are going to flow. Labeling, the final phase, gives the writer a chance to go through all of the ideas in the outline and assign sections to those ideas. This part might look different depending on the style of writing. For example, when writing in APA format you might consider creating labels based on headings and subheadings in the paper. When considering labels, there are a few different styles of outlines to consider for organization. There are a few different types of the “traditional” outline that you might recognize. First, there is the most common, Alphanumeric version. This style of outline is first divided up by Roman numerals which show the main topics, followed by capitalized lettered subtopics. Within those subtopics are numbered and lowercase letters with smaller concepts that further elaborate on the subtopic ideas. The second type of traditional outline is called the Full Sentence Outline. This style has a similar organizational pattern to the Alphanumeric, but it includes the use of full sentences instead of brief statements. These sentences could be divided up by thesis statements, topic sentences, and main arguments within each paragraph. The third type of outline is called the Decimal Outline. This style of organization is more unique, in that it uses a numbered decimal system to display the progression of ideas. For example, the first concept would be labeled as “1.0” below that it would continue as “1.1” or “1.2”. You would then continue to add a new decimal after each new concept you are writing under. Each of these outlines have their own way of displaying progression and elaboration of main ideas of a paper. As a writer, it is important to find a system that works for you and how you would perceive a paper. If traditional outlines are not for you, there are some unorthodox techniques that might be helpful. The Reverse Outline is a great tool to use for after a paper is written to self-reflect on the organization, content, as well as cohesion throughout the whole paper. I use this method a lot to make revisions and edits after my paper is completed. To do this you may start by writing a one sentence summary of each paragraph. Next, reflect on each of the sentences and ask yourself if you are satisfied with the organization, thesis development or content. Overall, this type of outline serves as a way for you to check different aspects of your paper during the final draft process. When creating a system that works for you, it is important to consider the assignment, the content, and organization. For example, some people might like a very rough outline that just covers the general points of their thesis and main body paragraph. This person might want the outline to be less detailed to serve as a way for the student to follow a general flow of ideas. On the other hand, a writer might prefer a very detailed outline in which they consider the content and organization of every paragraph. Some might prefer a typed outline, while others might like to handwrite a more free flowing outline or brainstorm initial ideas. It is important to remember that with some exceptions, an outline is a tool to help you be more organized as a writer. I always used to think that outlining is one-dimensional, there was only one way for it to be done. After learning more about the different types of outlines, there are so many ways to create an effective system that works for you. If you would like more specific information about each of these types of outlines, you can go to Purdue Owl’s outline overview and outline style pages.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
SUWC Blog AuthorsAny posts on the SUWC Blog are authored by current consultants working to improve, refine and perfect our practice as peer tutors. Find a Post!
January 2024
Categories |