Answered By: Paul Lai
Last Updated: Aug 09, 2015     Views: 86622

An outline is a helpful guide in organizing your paper. Outlines give a visual structure to your work and are used to show relationships and hierarchies within your content.

To outline, you must create a linear, organized plan for your paper that shows the main ideas that you will discuss as well as their relationships within the paper. See example outlines and other tips on how to outline on the Writing Center's webpage.

 

Outlines usually organize the following components of your written work:

  • Introduction
  • Thesis
  • Body (major points and minor points)
  • Conclusion

 

Note: Remember that the outline is like the skeleton of your work; you will still need to include analysis and explanation of why these major and minor points support your thesis.

 

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