Outline Your Writing Success: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Write an Outline

Outline Structure:

Body Paragraphs:

1. Introduction
2. Topic sentence
3. Background information
4. Thesis statement
5. Body Paragraph 1
6. Topic sentence
7. Supporting evidence
8. Explanation

• Body Paragraph 2

1. Topic sentence
2. Supporting evidence
3. Explanation
4. Body Paragraph 3
5. Topic sentence
6. Supporting evidence
7. Explanation
8. Conclusion
9. Restatement of thesis
10. Summary of main points
11. Final thoughts or implications

Some common formatting styles for outlines include decimal, complete sentence, and bullet point formats. Decimal format is typically used for more complex outlines, while full sentence and bullet point formats are used for simpler outlines. Let's look at each formatting style in more detail: 

Decimal Format:

1. Introduction
   1. Topic sentence
   2. Background information

Full Sentence Format:

1. Introduction
   1. Topic sentence
   2. Background information
   3. Thesis statement
2. Body Paragraphs
   1. Topic sentence
   2. Supporting evidence
   3. Explanation

• Conclusion
  1. Restatement of thesis
  2. Summary of main points
  3. Final thoughts or implications

Ways to craft a flexible outline

The steps listed will assist you in creating a solid outline.

1. Know why you are writing the paper.

Before creating an outline, you need to have a clear sense of why you are writing the paper in the first place.

• What is the purpose of your essay?
• Are you trying to persuade someone?
• Inform them of something or entertain?

Once you know the answer to this question, you can begin to develop an outline that will support your argument or main points.

2. Develop a list of critical points.

After you have chosen your purpose, you will need to create a list of the main points supporting your purpose. These points should be listed in order of importance. If your paper is Persuasive, these points should support the thesis statement that you will include at the beginning of your paper.

If your paper is Informative, these points should support the main idea you will present in your introduction. In either case, these points should be clear, concise, and supported with evidence from research that you have done.

3. Organize your main points.

Now that you have created a list of main points, you need to determine how they will be presented in your paper. This step is important because it will determine how easy it is for your reader to follow your argument.

You can organize your points chronologically (in order), spatially (by location), or categorical (by category). No matter which method you choose, make sure that each point flows logically into the next and that each point is connected to your thesis statement or main idea.

4. Fill in supporting details for each main point.

After deciding how you are going to present your points, it is important to provide evidence from research to support each point. This evidence can be direct quotes from reliable sources, statistics from credible websites, or anything else that supports your statement. Be sure to cite all sources to avoid plagiarism properly. Also, be sure not to include any information that does not directly relate to supporting your thesis statement or main idea.

5 . Create an introduction and conclusion.

The final step in creating an outline is to write an introduction and conclusion. These should be one or two paragraphs long and introduce and summarize your paper's main points.

The introduction should include a thesis statement and one sentence that presents your paper's argument or main idea. The conclusion should restate this argument and summarise how the evidence presented in the body supported it.

Additional expert suggestions

These expert suggestions on how to write an outline work wonder in academic writing.

1. Brainstorm your topic

Before you can begin to create an outline for your paper, you need to have a clear idea of what your paper will be about. To do this, you can brainstorm your topic by writing down all the ideas that come to mind. Once you have a list of ideas, you can start to organize them into categories.

2. Create a thesis statement

After you have brainstormed your topic and organized your ideas into categories, you need to create a thesis statement. A thesis statement summarizes the major point of your paper in one or two sentences. A good thesis statement should be specific and arguable.

3. Create an outline

Once you have a thesis statement, you can begin to create an outline for your paper. An outline is a tool that will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your paper has a logical flow. To create an outline, start by listing all the main points you want to make in your paper. Then, arrange them in a logical order. Finally, add supporting details for each of these points

Conclusion

An outline is an important tool for writers because it helps them organize their thoughts and structure their papers logically before they start writing.

Outlines can be created using various methods – chronological, spatial, categorical – but no matter which method is used, all outlines must include main points that support the purpose of the paper, as well as evidence from research.

Furthermore, outlines must also have an introduction with a thesis statement and a conclusion summarising the main points for clarity. Writing an outline is, therefore, essential for anyone hoping to produce a successful paper.

For more academic writing tips and resources, explore following;

1. How to Cite Your Sources
2. How to Write an Introduction for Research
3. How to Write Recommendations
4. How to Write References
5. A Quick Guide on How to Write the Methods Section in Academic Writing

Contact Premier Dissertations to help craft the perfect outline for your next academic paper.