Responding to literature

After you have done some initial research, brainstorming, and have thought of a working thesis statement, you can order your ideas by creating an outline. Your outline could be a list on a piece of paper or a diagram, and it could be a more organized version of your brainstorming session.

Creating an outline will help you

• strengthen your thesis statement
• discover and develop the main points that support your thesis
• determine the evidence that you need to support your thesis
• begin to analyze the evidence you have chosen
• help you stay focused while you write
• define the importance of your essay in the broader context of your topic and subject area 
• confidently begin to write the first draft of your essay with a defined structure already in place

Adapted from the Research Essays LibGuide.

What form could your outline take?

• a linear list on a piece of paper
• a diagram (or map) with the thesis as the centre hub and the supporting points radiating out from the centre
• notes arranged on a bulletin board or wall

What does your outline need to include?

• Your topic
• Rough draft of your introductory paragraph with thesis statement
• Body paragraphs with supporting evidence and analysis
• Concluding paragraph where you sum up what you have said and why it is important in the broader context of the topic and subject area

What else might you consider when constructing your outline?

• Think about counter arguments (perspectives in opposition to the one that you are taking) and refutations (arguments against those perspectives).

For more information see Four Main Components for Developing Outlines (Online Writing Lab at Purdue University).  Or use this visual guide to help you.

Adapted from the Research Essays LibGuide.