How to write an outline
How to write an outline
When you build a house you should have a ground plan first and an outline is your ground plan for “building” your research paper.
An outline has a powerful influence that it gives the writer a specific guidance as to what kind of supporting details you should look for in your further research and where you can fit them into the context of your paper. The readers, on the other hand, benefit from the outline as a complete and detailed table of contents.
When our team were preparing for our presentation of Oprah.We had written three version of outline.Now I am glad to share our experience with you.
Firstly , I’d like to show you our progress of making the outline
步骤：
1.从主题出发,考虑outline所需的内容，有方向地搜集相关材料资料
2.对材料进行筛选，整理出所需内容
3.将材料有逻辑性地排列，形成一个初级的简单提纲
4.可将简单提纲与同学讨论或请教老师，对简单提纲作出调整
5，简单提纲安排妥当之后，则开始做详细提纲，在刚才形成的heading之下的内容又按时间或逻辑顺序划分为多块内容
6.用精炼的语言将材料中的小部分的内容概括成一些subheading，形成详细提纲
7.从整体出发检查，作必要的增删。
For example
简单提纲：
一．Brief introduction
二．Early life& The way to success
三．Her effect
四．some memorable moments in her talk show
详细提纲：
按时间顺序
2. Her early life and way to success
2.1 Age 0~6: Lived in rural poverty with her maternal grandmother
2.2. Age 6~8: Moved to an inner-city neighborhood in Wisconsin
2.3. Age 8~9: Temporarily sent to live with her father
2.4. Age 9~13: Moved back to live with her mother
2.5. Age 14~14: Gave birth to a baby,
Sent to live with her strict but encouraging father
2.6. Age 17~19: Won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.
Hired by WVOL
2.7. Age 19~22: Became the youngest and the first black female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV.
2.8. Age 22~30: Moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV
Co-anchored the Six O'clock News
Co-hosted WJZ's local talk show People Are T alking
2.9. Age 30~ : Relocated to Chicago
按逻辑顺序：
4．Beef wars
4.1 Brief introduction of the case
4.2 The cause of the case
4.3 The statements of both sides
4.4 Adjudication and some comments
Secondly,I’d like to introduce you some tips on an outline.Analysing the outline we made and the outline revised.We concluded some tips:
一．在格式上：
1.序号
Outline序号的编写是按层次有规则地编写的
2.标题
Outline标题首字母大写，并且按照标题的地位不同，其字号也应有大小，并且Outline的heading与subheading应按照层次缩进
For example:
3. The big effects and memorable moments
3.1. H er sexual abuse claim
3.1.1 Brief introduction
3.1.2 Effect: paved the way for people to sit on her sofa and confess
二．在内容上：
1.正确处理内容的包含或并列关系
For example:
修改前：
1．Brief introduction
1.1 Basic information including 1.2 & 1.3 ??
1.2 Occupation
1.3 Status
修改后：
1．Brief introduction
1.1Her hometown
1.2 Occupation
1.3 Status
2.内容的精简概括性
Outline的语言应该是简洁而有用的，不宜透露过多的细节
For example:
修改前：
2.Age 14~14: At the age of 14 she gave birth to a baby who died not
long after it was born. Then she was sent to live with her
strict but encouraging father where she became an honors
student, was voted Most Popular Girl.
修改后：
2.5. Age 14~14: Gave birth to a baby,
Sent to live with her strict but encouraging father