Topic outlines are usually used when your research deals with many different issues that can be arranged in different ways. Sentence outlines are usually used if your research focuses on complex issues. Some instructors will insist that you must not combine these two forms. Many others, however, offer one exception to this guideline by allowing the main section headings to be short phrases while the remaining subpoints are written as full sentences.
The first level is represented by Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc. ), the second level is represented by capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc. ), the third level is represented by numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, etc. ), and the fourth level is represented by lowercase letters (a, b, c, d, etc. ).
One school of thought indicates that first level headings should be written in all capital letters while all remaining headings use standard sentence capitalization rules. Another school of thought suggests that the first level headings should only have the first letter of each word capitalized, rather than the entire word. The remaining headings, again, use standard sentence capitalization rules.
For a four to five page paper, you only need a single page outline. For a 15 to 20 page paper, your outline will usually run no longer than four pages. [2] X Research source
These headings are labeled with Roman numerals. Note that you would not usually use this outline for a research paper, as it is not very specific or detailed. It can still be a good idea to start with this outline level, however, since you can use it to provide yourself with a general direction for your paper and expand upon it as the information flows in.
In other words, your Roman numeral and capital letter sections are both present. Each second-level subheading should discuss a primary supporting argument for the main idea it falls under.
You use Roman numerals, capital letters, and standard numbers for this version. Next to each third-level subsection, you should address the topic of a paragraph that falls under the corresponding second-level section or main idea above it.
The fourth-level subheadings should address supporting statements, citations, or ideas within each paragraph listed in the third-level sections.
This refers most obviously to the usage of “topic” versus “sentence” outline formats, as described in the “structure and type” section of the article. Parallelism also refers to parts of speech and tense. If a heading starts with a verb, then the other headings must also start with a verb. Moreover, that verb must also be in the same tense (usually present tense).
Your major headings should identify major tasks or ideas. Your subheadings should elaborate on the points addressed in your major headings.
For instance, if you were writing about memorable experiences from your childhood, “Memorable Childhood Experiences” would be the heading and the subheadings might look something like, “Vacation at 8 years old,” “Favorite birthday party,” and “Family trips to the park. "
There is no limit on subheadings, but once you start forming a dozen or so subheadings under a single heading, you might find your outline looking cluttered and messy.
From this research problem, you will derive your thesis statement. A thesis statement is a single sentence that sums up the entire purpose or argument of your research paper. This thesis statement will usually be written above the outline itself or within the first “Introduction” heading of the outline. Your research problem can also help you figure out a title.
The main points are details that support or address your research paper. They should be very general in nature.
Chronological arrangements generally only work if you have a topic that has some chronological history to it. For example, if you were researching the history of modern medicine, it would make sense that your paper and outline follow a chronological order. If your research topic does not have a history, though, you will probably end up using a spatial structure. For instance, if you are researching the effects of television and video games on the adolescent brain, you probably would not follow the chronology of the research. Instead, you might describe the different contemporary schools of thought on the issue or otherwise follow some other spatial arrangement of ideas.
Some instructors will insist that you do not use the terms “Introduction” and “Conclusions,” however. In these instances, you can usually skip these two sections altogether, but you will need to write your thesis statement separately and above the outline.
Note that these elements will usually be listed as subpoints, not as major headings. The major heading for the section will be “Introduction. "
As with the actual paper itself, this portion of your outline will hold all the significant content. The main headings will correspond to the main categories briefly listed under a subheading of your “Introduction” section. You can include only the main ideas and supporting details of those ideas (a two-level outline, as noted in the “Outline Levels” section of the article) or you could include information about specific paragraphs and supporting details within those paragraphs (three-level and four-level outlines, respectively).
Restate and rephrase your thesis. If you drew any additional conclusions based on your research, list them here. Keep in mind that none of this information should be “new,” and all of it should have been addressed elsewhere in the paper. If your research demands a “call to action”—a response that a reader should have in response or an action that should be done in response—include that under this section, as well. This will usually be your final point within the outline.
