#Outline format manual#

If they don’t, rewrite your thesis to reflect the main ideas you’re putting into your outline.

Your broad ideas should connect back to your thesis or controlling idea.

From there, order your major subtopics so each one naturally flows into the next. For an essay or speech, pick the subtopic with the most supporting materials, and lead with this argument.

If you're writing a story or presenting a historical argument, a chronological order makes sense.

As supporting details, you might include quotes from the book. Your subpoints might be that Victor Frankenstein is restored by nature and that his scientific efforts create a monster.

For example, your main point might be that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein champions emotion over reason.

However, aim to have at least 2-3 subpoints and 2-3 supporting details for each main idea. Depending on the purpose of your outline, you may have many subpoints and supporting details. Broad ideas are more likely to be your main points, while details are the bits of information you will use to support those ideas. 2017.Put each group in order from broad ideas to specific details. Request John Jay's copy from the Reference Desk (call number LB2369.

#Outline format manual#

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

Includes several models, including for a general-purpose academic paper. Writing research papers: A complete guide (13th ed.). Enter your text on each slide, and edit the headings or slide formatting to create a customized template. GVRL provides topic overviews, many of which are organized with an outline themselves. 'Academic Wikipedia'), a collection of entries from specialized encyclopedias. To gain an initial familiarity with your topic, look it up in Gale Virtual Reference Library (a.k.a. If you change your outline, ensure that logical relationship among ideas is preserved. As you do research, you may find it necessary to add, subtract or change the position of various ideas. It is only possible to make an outline if you have familiarity with the subject. Effects of gerrymandering in 20 elections.Are they part of the redistricting process, or do they belong under racial aspects? The complete outline might look like this: Next, decide where the rest of the important ideas fit in. To put these ideas into outline form, decide first on the main encompassing ideas. Suppose you are outlining a speech about gerrymandering, and these are some of the ideas you feel should be included: voter discrimination, 'majority-minority' districts, the history of the term, and several Supreme Court cases. However, traditional form dictates that if there is a I in the outline, there has to be a II if there is an A, there has to be a B and so forth. It is up to the writer to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately describe the subject. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I.Sub-points under the numerals, if any, take lowercase letters (a, b. Sub-points under the capital letters, if any, take Arabic numerals (1, 2. Sub-points under each main idea take capital letters (A, B. Sub-points under the capital letters, if any, take Arabic numerals (1, 2. Basic outline form The main ideas take Roman numerals (I, II. The main ideas take Roman numerals (I, II. What follows illustrates only the basics of outlining. A student’s first responsibility, of course, is to follow the requirements of the particular assignment.

Some professors will have specific requirements, like requiring the outline to be in sentence form or have a 'Discussion' section.

It's a good idea to make an outline for yourself even if it isn't required by your professor, as the process can help put your ideas in order. For any of these, an outline will show a basic overview and important details. Some typical uses of outlining might be an essay, a term paper, a book review, or a speech. An outline presents a picture of the main ideas and the subsidiary ideas of a subject.