Outlining Strategies by Walden University

Outlining 

1. Definition: Listing each paragraph’s topic sentence
2. Advantages:
   1. Ensure that each paragraph is serving a specific purpose – paper’s central argument
   2. Find opportunities to combine or eliminate potential paragraphs
   3. Identify paper’s strengths and weaknesses to guide in revision
3. Parts
   1. Introduction – provides context to readers to prepare them for the paper’s argument or purpose
      1. Discussion of specific topic (not a broad background overview) - begin
      2. Central argument – end
   2. Background
      1. Purpose: justify your own project or paper by pointing out a gap in the current research which your work will address
      2. Optional inclusion: literature review
         1. Surveying the current state of knowledge on your topic; or
         2. Historical overview of relevant information
   3. Major and Minor Points – building until there is enough evidence and analysis to justify the conclusion
      1. Major points – building blocks (towards the conclusion)
      2. Minor points
         1. Subtopics within the major points
         2. Develop the nuances of major points but may not be significant enough to warrant extended attention on their own
         3. Optional forms:
            1. Statistics (from sources)
            2. Supporting ideas
   4. Conclusion
      9. Restates major claim / thesis statement and end by tying that into larger discussions such as:
         1. Current research in your field
         2. Next steps for other researchers
         3. Broader studies
         4. Other future implications

 Tips:

• Reserve a full page for your introduction and conclusion combined
• A standard 5- to 7-page paper has three to four main points