Essentials of Outlining

• Use standard symbols. What an outline does, essentially, is put the hierarchy of points visualized in Figure 12.1 into text format. To do this, outlines generally use roman numerals, letters, and standard numbers to indicate different levels of importance in the hierarchy.
  2. Main Point
     1. Subpoint
     2. Subpoint
        • Sub-subpoint
        • Sub-subpoint
• If you need to break down the sub-subpoints even further, you may use lowercase letters (a, b, etc.) to create sub-sub-subpoints.
• Use subdivisions properly. It is basic logic that a whole of anything—a sandwich, a doughnut, or an outline heading—can never be split into fewer than two pieces. Therefore, as you divide your ideas from main points to subpoints, remember that each numbered or lettered entry must come in a series of at least two points: if you have a I, you must have a II; if you have an A, you must have a B; and so on.
• Separate the parts of your speech. It is typically helpful to label your introduction, conclusion, and even your transitions to distinguish them from the body of your speech (your main points and supporting subpoints).
• Call out your specific purpose and thesis. Many instructors want students to include this pertinent information at the top of the outline, so check with your instructor to determine his or her preference. You may feel that you already know this information by heart, but it can be helpful to see it at the top of your outline page to ensure that all your main points support the purpose and thesis. Also, you may wind up tweaking them a bit as you work your way through the outlining process.
• Cite your sources. As discussed in chapter 11, it is extremely important to give proper citations in your speech. As you work on the outline, you should always mark where a specific point requires credit. Directly after the point, insert either a footnote or a reference in parentheses; once you complete the outline, arrange the references in order on a separate sheet titled “Works Cited,” “Notes,” or “References.” Citations can be presented in a variety of formats, including styles dictated by such organizations as the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). See Figure 12.2 for a sample of how you might handle references in APA format. Your instructor may have his or her own preferences about how to handle citations, so when in doubt, ask.
• Give your speech a title. Once all your ideas and points are organized on paper, you can give your speech a catchy title that captures its essence. You might also consider using a provocative question as the title or part of a memorable quotation that you will use in the body of the speech.