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After brainstorming for ideas (and researching , if you are writing a longer, researched paper), the next stage of the writing process is to organise your ideas into an outline before you begin on the first draft . This page explains what an outline is , gives reasons why you should outline your essay or report, shows you what an outline looks like , and gives the features of a good outline . There is also a checklist at the end of the page that you can use to check your own outline.
An outline is a plan for your writing. It will include the main ideas and show how they are organised and the overall structure. It is often used for essays, in which case it will include elements of the introduction such as the thesis statement , an overview of each paragraph including the topic sentences and supporting ideas , and elements of the conclusion, for instance the summary . It can also be used for other types of writing such as reports .
An outline will assist you in your writing for three main reasons. First, it will help you to organise your ideas. This is especially important for longer writing, such as researched essays , where there may be large amounts of information to keep track of. Even for shorter essays, however, it is important to put the information in a logical order so that the reader can follow your main argument. Secondly, it will help ensure your writing has unity . Unity means that all ideas relate to the central theme of the paragraph. Writing an outline will help you to focus on the central theme and thereby include only those ideas which relate to it, while omitting any which are irrelevant. Finally, an outline will aid in the process of writing by breaking down the task into more manageable components. Writing a 1500 word essay is a daunting task; writing a 100 word 'map' of the essay is much easier.
An outline can take many forms. The simplest form, recommended for exam essay writing when time is limited, comprises simply adding numbers and/or letters to ideas generated during brainstorming so that you can put them in a logical order before writing. Most outlines, however, are written out in a linear way, using a format similar to linear notes for reading or listening.
The following is an example outline for the section Why outline? above.
An outline will assist you in your writing for three main reasons.
1. Organise ideas
i. keep track of ideas (esp. longer writing)
ii. put in logical order
2. Create unity
i. means all ideas relate to centre theme
ii. include only relevant ideas
iii. exclude irrelevant ideas
3. Aid in writing process
i. breaks down task
ii. makes 1500 word essay easier with 100 word 'map'
The above outline is fairly detailed, showing the topic sentence, main ideas and supporting details. Below is a simpler outline for the same paragraph, showing only the main ideas.
An outline will assist you in your writing
The second outline is simpler and therefore takes less time to write. The detail in the first outline, however, will make it easier to write the paragraph and so save time later. Which style of outline - detailed or simple - will depend on your preference. Try using both and see which one helps you most.
In order to be effective, an outline will have the following three features.
A detailed outline will also have the following feature.
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Below is a checklist for this section.
I have written an for my essay/report. | ||
My outline contains elements such as . | ||
My outline uses (and, for a detailed outline, division). |
Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (1999) Writing Academic English . New York: Addison Wesley Longman.
Tardiff, E. and Brizee, A. (2018) Four Main Components for Effective Outlines . Available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/01/ (Access date 31/3/18).
Tardiff, E. and Brizee, A. (2018) Why and How to Create a Useful Outline . Available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02/ (Access date 31/3/18).
University of Maryland University College (2018) Prewriting and Outlining . Available at: http://www.umuc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/writing-resources/getting-started-writing/prewriting-and-outlining.cfm (Access date 31/3/18).
Read more about writing the first draft in the next section.
Read the previous article about researching .
Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 02 March 2020.
Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .
Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.
Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).
Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.
Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).
Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.
Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.
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Once you have your concepts and know how you are going to connect your concepts, you can start to shape your essay by working on an outline. An outline can help structure your writing – but it is flexible! Imagine that your outline is your travel plan for what you want to do on your vacation – you know which sights you want to see, which pictures you want to take, and where you want to go. Once you know this, you can then decide how you’re going to do these things: what do you want to visit first? How will you travel between destinations? How long will you stay in each place?
For your writing journey, an outline can help you answer similar questions: which concept do you want to discuss first? How will you travel between different concepts? How much will you write about each concept?
Your outline helps you plan and structure what you want to say and in what order you will say it. As your ideas develop, you may adjust your outline so that it better fits with the concepts you want to connect and the evidence you will use to support your ideas.
You can follow this KPU learning aid to learn more about structuring your outline.
Using our example writing assignment, I can get started on my outline.
I’ll group ideas and concepts into paragraphs:
Right now, I haven’t written my thesis statement, but that will be my next step.
If you are an intermediate or an experienced academic writer, you might want to try creative graphic approaches to outlining.
Below you can see an example of using text and d rawing to organize key ideas and assess options when putting together a project.
“ 2013-10-14 Mapping what you know ” by Sacha Chua CC BY 2.0
Academic Writing Basics Copyright © 2019 by Megan Robertson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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This is the most common type of outline and usually instantly recognizable to most people. The formatting follows these characters, in this order:
If the outline needs to subdivide beyond these divisions, use Arabic numerals inside parentheses and then lowercase letters inside parentheses. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.
The sample PDF in the Media Box above is an example of an outline that a student might create before writing an essay. In order to organize her thoughts and make sure that she has not forgotten any key points that she wants to address, she creates the outline as a framework for her essay.
Your instructor asks the class to write an expository (explanatory) essay on the typical steps a high school student would follow in order to apply to college.
To explain the process for applying to college
High school students intending to apply to college and their parents
When applying to college, a student follows a certain process which includes choosing the right schools and preparing the application materials.
The full sentence outline format is essentially the same as the Alphanumeric outline. The main difference (as the title suggests) is that full sentences are required at each level of the outline. This outline is most often used when preparing a traditional essay. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.
The decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline. The added benefit is a system of decimal notation that clearly shows how every level of the outline relates to the larger whole. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.
The Writing Process
Making expository writing less stressful, more efficient, and more enlightening
To construct a detailed outline:
Click here to practice constructing your own detailed outline .
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Published on August 7, 2022 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on August 15, 2023.
A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process , providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized.
A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to:
A research paper outline can also give your teacher an early idea of the final product.
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Research paper outline example, how to write a research paper outline, formatting your research paper outline, language in research paper outlines.
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Follow these steps to start your research paper outline:
There are three different kinds of research paper outline: alphanumeric, full-sentence and decimal outlines. The differences relate to formatting and style of writing.
An alphanumeric outline is most commonly used. It uses Roman numerals, capitalized letters, arabic numerals, lowercase letters to organize the flow of information. Text is written with short notes rather than full sentences.
Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points.
A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences.
To write an effective research paper outline, it is important to pay attention to language. This is especially important if it is one you will show to your teacher or be assessed on.
There are four main considerations: parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.
Parallel structure or parallelism is the repetition of a particular grammatical form within a sentence, or in this case, between points and sub-points. This simply means that if the first point is a verb , the sub-point should also be a verb.
Your chosen subheadings should hold the same significance as each other, as should all first sub-points, secondary sub-points, and so on.
Subordination refers to the separation of general points from specific. Your main headings should be quite general, and each level of sub-point should become more specific.
Division: break information into sub-points.
Your headings should be divided into two or more subsections. There is no limit to how many subsections you can include under each heading, but keep in mind that the information will be structured into a paragraph during the writing stage, so you should not go overboard with the number of sub-points.
Ready to start writing or looking for guidance on a different step in the process? Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper .
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You’ve decided to write a paper or fellowship application, but now it’s time to start drafting. There are almost no sights more intimidating to an academic than a blank page that you hope will soon be filled with brilliant arguments and turns of phrase. However, you don’t need to start with complete sentences and paragraphs. Arranging scattered words and phrases into an outline and gradually filling it in can get you to your goal. In fact, this approach may help you keep the big picture in mind as you write, allowing you to stay focused on your main ideas and overarching argument even as you delve into the weeds.
Here are some steps and strategies for assembling an outline and massaging it into a first draft:
There are many ways to begin a first draft. Gradually fleshing out a rough outline was what worked best for me when writing research reports and my dissertation. It isn’t pretty—few first draft strategies are—but it helped me bypass the initial feeling of being overwhelmed as well as overcome instances of writer’s block. Try it, and whether you love it or hate it, you’ve come closer to figuring out a writing practice that works for you.
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The Fellowships & Writing Center is excited to introduce its cohort of postdoctoral fellows for the 2024–25 academic year. We welcome three new and two returning members to our team of specialists from across the disciplinary and geographical landscapes of the University.
August in New England signals the height of summer heat, and with it, the tendency to move at a slower pace. But for those of us who live by the academic calendar, the laziness of August quickly yields to a bubbling sense of urgency as the fall term approaches.
A few hours in a kayak on the Charles is, for me, a uniquely refreshing summer activity. Between instinctual stroke after stroke on the tranquil waters, my mind can relax, thoughts meander, and ideas flow.
Summer is a time to exhale and refresh our minds before evaluating and resetting our goals. After the hustle and bustle of the academic year, what kinds of projects might you tackle over the summer and how might you move forward with them?
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Learn how to write an effective essay outline with clear guidelines and examples, and improve your argument and structure in academic writing.
An outline is an organizational tool you use to keep track of all the topics and points you plan to include in a piece of writing. Knowing how to make an outline is a great advantage when you're doing any kind of writing, from research papers to creative writing.
Learn how to write an essay outline that puts your ideas in logical order, no matter the essay type, along with tips and examples.
Outlining An outline is a tool for planning your essay's organization and content. map of your essay. It helps you see the structure your essay will take, including the relationship between its different kinds of content and how you will order that content. Most outlines use numbers and/or bullet points to arrange information and convey points.
Find out how to write an essay outline in this detailed guide. Learn about the structure, formatting guidelines, and writing tips backed by relevant examples.
Of the five steps of the writing process, outlining is part of the second: preparing. Whether you're writing a lengthy research paper, a short essay, a blog post, or a presentation, outlining is a crucial practice that can save you lots of time later. It's also a roadmap you can refer back to at later writing stages, particularly if you find your writing cruising off course or feel stuck ...
To write an effective essay, you need to create a clear and well-organized essay outline. An essay outline will shape the essay's entire content and determine how successful the essay will be.
Learn how to structure your essay with a clear and effective outline. MasterClass offers tips and examples for creating a strong essay outline template.
The alphanumeric outline is the most common type of outline. The formatting goes in the following order: An example of an alphanumeric outline is below. This and the other sample outlines are for an essay about a future career. 1. Job responsibilities. 2. Job requirements. 3.
Follow the topical outline structure of your choice and begin by outlining the introduction. In a sentence, describe the topic you're writing about. Then follow up with your thesis statement. You might also want to include an essay hook to make your paper even more enticing for readers. An essay hook is the opening sentence of your ...
An outline is a great way to organize ideas and information for a speech, an essay, a novel, or a study guide based on your class notes. At first, writing an outline might seem complicated, but learning how to do it will give you an essential organizational skill! Start by planning your outline and choosing a structure for it. Then, you can organize your ideas into an easy to understand outline.
What Is an Outline? An outline is a direct and clear map of your essay. It shows what each paragraph will contain, in what order paragraphs will appear, and how all the points fit together as a whole. Most outlines use bullet points or numbers to arrange information and convey points. Outlining is a vital part of the essay planning process. It allows the writer to understand how he or she will ...
Organize your ideas and gather information for your essays by learning to write a proper essay outline. You'll save time and present a polished piece!
An outline is a tool used to organize your written ideas about a topic into a logical order. It is meant to help you establish a structure for a paper you are going to write. It is a way for you to demonstrate the main argument (thesis), main points (topic sentences), and main pieces of evidence you are going to present in a paper before ...
An outline is like a skeleton of the essay. Outlines for academic essays and research papers that are not reports on research or other specialized report have a very specific organization. Here is a sample for a 500-word essay. The number of body paragraphs will vary, generally from two to four, for a 500-word essay.
After brainstorming for ideas (and researching, if you are writing a longer, researched paper), the next stage of the writing process is to organise your ideas into an outline before you begin on the first draft. This page explains what an outline is, gives reasons why you should outline your essay or report, shows you what an outline looks like, and gives the features of a good outline. There ...
12. Outlining. Once you have your concepts and know how you are going to connect your concepts, you can start to shape your essay by working on an outline. An outline can help structure your writing - but it is flexible! Imagine that your outline is your travel plan for what you want to do on your vacation - you know which sights you want ...
Full Sentence Outlines The full sentence outline format is essentially the same as the Alphanumeric outline. The main difference (as the title suggests) is that full sentences are required at each level of the outline. This outline is most often used when preparing a traditional essay.
How to write an outline An outline presents a picture of the main ideas and the subsidiary ideas of a subject. Some typical uses of outlining might be an essay, a term paper, a book review, or a speech. For any of these, an outline will show a basic overview and important details.
Below is an example of a detailed outline. (It is for a research paper, but the principles and structure apply to any paper.) Notice the hierarchical use of the roman numeral system. Such a hierarchy is key to organizing your thinking and your argument and keeping track of the relationships between your ideas. Introduction.
An outline is a guide you create when writing a paper, crafting a presentation or publishing a study that organizes and visually structures your information. It allows you to construct a linear plan for your paper by highlighting the key topics and ideas you plan to discuss. Compiling these topics in an outline can help you categorize and ...
A research paper outline makes writing your paper more efficient. It organizes your thoughts and helps shape the flow of information.
Don't worry about writing complete sentences. When many ideas are coming to you at once, give yourself permission to use bullet points and write down only the most important words or phrases. In a later writing session, you can round out your sentences and edit for style. Organize subtopics as indented bullet points under your main ideas.
Learn how to structure and create a research paper outline from beginning to end, with examples of different styles to choose from.