Essentials of Outlining

Essentials of Outlining

Page 274

In every phase of outlining, basic guidelines will help you structure and prepare your speech. A solid outline will clearly reveal the structure of your arguments and the hierarchy of your points.

A weak link in the outline—an unsupported argument, an unrelated point—reveals an overall weakness in the way you’ve presented and defended your thesis.

At every phase of development, you should review your outline for sound organization. When reviewing, you should see a clear hierarchy of points reflected in each tier of your structure. A weak link in the outline—an unsupported argument, an unrelated point—reveals an overall weakness in the way you’ve presented and defended your thesis. A solid outline shows not only how well you’ve organized your material but also how each point is supported by two or more subpoints, making a stronger case for your thesis statement. It also shows the scope and validity of your research by detailing your evidence with complete citations.