The Outline

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The Outline

• Bum Bum Buuummmm!

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Outlines are CRUCIAL

• Youre going to have ten pages of information. If
  that information doesnt progress logically, your
  conclusion will be invalid. That is BAD.
• This presentation will explain the rules of
  proper outlining. We hope it will help you on
  this magical journey that we like to call your
  research paper.

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To Begin

• You should have between 80 and 100 note cards.
  (If you just thought, Gosh, I only have 50! or
  something to that effect, GO AND WRITE MORE!)
  Write a phrase on the back of each card that
  describes the information on the card.
• Divide your note cards by topic using these
  phrases. All of the cards associated with, say,
  airplane engine failure should be separated from
  all information about pilot drug use, etc.

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Subdivide your divisions

• You should have several large, general groups.
  Now, further divide those groups into even more
  specific topics. (At this point, having
  paperclips and rubber bands on hand would be
  REALLY helpful)
• When youve finished, you should have many small
  piles that make individual points. Now comes the
  hard part

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Selecting and Arranging

• Now, you need to determine what your argument
  will be. Look at your information. What does it
  all add up to? This is the point where youll
  come up with a final thesis based on your
  information. What happens next is determined by
  the structure of your paper.

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Argument

• An argument structure will use the thesis to make
  a claim and then support that claim by presenting
  evidence and puncturing the evidence of the
  opposition. An argument outline will have a basic
  structure that looks something like this next
  slideonly much more elaborate, of course.

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• I. Introduction
• Thesis
• II. First main claim
• A. Sub-claim
• 1. Supporting point
• 2. Supporting point
• B. Sub-claim
• 1. Supporting point
• 2. Supporting point
• a. Supporting detail
• (1) even more detail
• (2) even more detail
• b. more detail
• III. Second main claim
• (same basic structure)
• etc.
• Refutation of opposing evidence could present
  itself either as its own Roman numeral or as a
  letter in each body section.

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Cause-Effect Structure

• In a cause-effect paper, you will essentially be
  proving that A does or does not cause B (for
  instance, you could argue that greenhouse gases
  cause global warmingor you could argue that they
  dont.) This will involve both a detailed
  discussion of the causes and proving a direct
  causal link to the effect. Its all about proving
  the connection between your concepts. The next
  slide has a sample structure for a cause-effect
  outline.

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• I. Intro
• Thesis
• II. Causes
• A. Cause 1
• 1. Origin/Aspects of Cause 1
• a. Supporting detail
• (1) more info
• (a) even more info
• (b) even more info
• (2) more info
• b. Supporting detail
• 2. More aspects of cause 1
• B. Cause 2
• (same)
• III. Effects
• A. (same type of setupbe sure to provide
  irrefutable links!)

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Comparative Evaluation

• This will be set up in the same way you set up
  your college essayeither item by item or
  criterion by criterion. You outline structure
  will be dictated by the organizational method you
  choose. Dont forget that in a comparative
  evaluation, your conclusion has to be the logical
  result of your findings.

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Rules of the road

• EVERY note card that you use in your paper MUST
  be represented in your outline. Not every spot on
  the outline has to have a note card (we would, of
  course, like you to have an original thought or
  two), but all of your information and ideas must
  be present in the outline. There are few things
  sadder than not catching a pervasive logical
  problem until after the rough draft is written.

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Rules, continued

• When you write your outline, you may choose to
  use either phrases or sentences, but you must be
  consistent. If you use phrases, make sure that
  they are specific enough that your argument can
  be followed via the outline. DO NOT simply type
  your note cards into the spots on the outline. It
  is almost impossible to evaluate an argument by
  looking at a collection of quotes!

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Hints

• DO NOT use Autoformat. It is your enemy.
• DO stick to either sentences or phrases in your
  outline.
• DO check to make sure all of your note cards are
  represented.
• DO ask questions!