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Developing an Outline

• Outlining • Assignment • Internet Resources • Class Materials

Outlining is a strategy that helps you identify your main points.

• As a prewriting strategy, outlining shows you whether you have enough evidence to support your key ideas.
• As a revising strategy, reverse outlining shows you whether your paper follows a logical order or if information is missing.

As Kyle Cushman says, "Outlines can work wonders for students who are feeling muddled and at a loss for how to begin a paper."

How do I develop an outline?
To write your outline, follow these steps:

1. Sort through your information.
• Use 1-2-3 order. If you know your three main points, write them down. If not,
• Shuffle and discard. Use note cards or sticky notes to capture every idea you think is important. Keep things short; e.g., Procrastination linked to illness. Move the cards or notes around until you find an order you like. Then choose the most important points and set the rest aside.
2. Arrange your ideas into a formal outline.
3. If outlining works for you, you'll find it an invaluable tool. If your brain works primarily by making associations, you might find it helpful to talk to your instructor about other prewriting strategies.

What are the requirements for the CM102 Unit 5 assignment?

• Follow rubric for Unit 5 Project if you are comfortable using 1-2-3 order.
• If you prefer to organize by making associations or writing about your topic, check with your instructor to see if concept-mapping, a progress report, or an exploratory essay would work.
• Identify the focus of your paper and the main points you are going to develop.
• Remember that your outline is a guide, not a committment. As you write, you may get new ideas that take your writing in a new direction.

Internet Resources for Outlining

Sorting Ideas

	Getting Ideas (Webster CC)
	Developing a Research Question (Empire State)
	The Question Is the Answer (McKenzie)
	How to Create a Concept Map (Utah State)
	Using a Topic to Generate Questions (UWashington)

Developing an Outline

	Developing an Outline (Purdue OWL)
	Ye Olde Outline (Cushman)
	Using Outlines (Indiana U)
	Appendix B: Preparing a Formal Outline (Beeftink, Graham, & Ingraham)
	Developing an Outline; principles of coordination and subordination (Kies)
	Online Technical Writing: Planning Reports—Outlining (advanced topics such as eliminating one-line entries and comparing the outline to the draft; MccMurrey)

Reverse Outlining

	The Reverse Outline (UW-Madison)
	Reverse Outlining (Duke)

Class materials
Kaplan materials are on the k: drive, which can be accessed only when you are on the Des Moines campus.

	Directions and Model (k:\CM102\Unit5_project.doc)
	Rubric (k:\CM102\Unit5_outline_rubric.doc)
	Outlining (ppt)

For more details, see The KU Handbook for Writers: “Writing a Formal Outline,” pp. 98–99; “How to Write a Strong Paragraph,” pp.44 –51; and “Introduction and Conclusions, pp. 52–58