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How to Write an Outline
Why Use an Outline? An outline is an ordered list of the main points of your essay. Outlining helps you define and organize your topic and subtopics so that you bring the reader on a logical journey from your thesis, through your supporting evidence, to your conclusion. Many writers use outlines to better visualize their ideas and to have a way to share them with others in the planning stage of their writing process.
Before You Outline
Define the purpose of your essay.
- Why did the teacher assign this paper?
- What do you want to learn from this?
- What do you want your reader to understand?
Define the audience for your essay. Knowing your audience allows you to focus your paper better.
Write your thesis statement. Once you have read the primary materials on your topic, write out a working thesis statement. This will take several drafts until you get it just right. To develop a working thesis statement ask yourself:
- What gaps are there in the literature on this subject?
- What is controversial or unresolved?
- What changes in methods, analysis, or data have occurred that might shed light on a previously studied topic?
- What applications are there to another topic that others may not have considered?
- What social, economic, or other impact has previous research had in this area?
- What unanswered questions do I have now that I have researched the topic?
- Why should anyone care about the literature I am reading for this paper?
Once you have a consequential thesis statement, write it at the top of your outline-to-be.
Steps in Outlining
- Brainstorm all of the ideas you want to include in your paper.
- Group related ideas.
- Sequence the ideas in a logical order.
- Label your ideas with headings and subheadings. The labels should be precise enough that they help you develop a topic sentence for each section of the outline. An effective outline is not a list of topics, but rather a framework for a set of ideas.
- Write a draft of your outline.
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