Outline of an Informative Essay Unit 5 Project: Outline of an Informative Essay

Goal: One purpose of the outline is to determine how outside sources will fit into your paragraphs. Note: Access the sample outline by Maggie Durham from the k:\ drive. Consider saving the document as a “type-over” template to simplify the process.

Question: What is the outline and how should it work? An outline provides the structure we need to create an organized essay. identifies the ideas and facts to be included

Step 2: Use Maggie Durham’s example outline. To use Maggie’s work as a template, save her outline as a Word document and type over her work to be sure you have the right format. Pay close attention to presentation items such as punctuation and spacing.

Step 3: Understand each part of Maggie’s essay to apply her ideas to yours. The first level of Maggie’s outline is her introduction. She uses Roman numerals to divide her outline. The introduction is Roman numeral “I.” A = Her attention-engaging technique (filmmaker analogy) B = Her topic background C = Her specific thesis sentence (topic + key points = thesis sentence). Note: If Maggie does not cite an item in her outline as being from an outside source, it is her own idea.

Step 4: Understand Maggie’s use of sources with body-paragraph outline levels. If Maggie has already written draft body paragraphs (as we saw sampled in Unit 3), the primary purpose of her outline is to plan how outside sources fit with her own ideas. Therefore, Maggie can use her topic sentences (from the Unit 3 Project) at the Roman numeral levels II-IV and follow these topic sentences with source paraphrase and quotation that support her topic sentences (A, B, C, etc.). Keep in mind that Maggie is not going to string together a series of sources and expect this to be an essay. She will use her own ideas and use outside sources to support her ideas. The outline is a plan for this process.

Step 5: Understand the difference between paraphrase and quotation. Again, a paraphrase occurs when the writer uses his or her own words to express the ideas of a source. Direct quotation occurs when a writer copies the exact words of a source. One should use more paraphrase than direct quotation, but sometimes we just cannot say it better than the original source.

Step 6: Understand APA in-text citation for paraphrase. When a writer paraphrases, he or she cites the author and year of the source. Examples: *Mary Smith (2005) indicates that young voters may feel disconnected from political issues. *A recent study indicates that young voters may feel disconnected from political issues (Smith, 2005). *In 2005, Mary Smith’s study of young voters indicated that these voters may feel disconnected from political issues. Note: In the third example, there are no parentheses because all the information needed for this paraphrase is in the text of the sentence.

Step 7: Understand APA in-text citation for direct quotation. When a writer quotes directly, he or she will include a page number when one is available. Not all sources have page numbers. Examples: Mary Smith (2005) points out that “most kids simply are not involved in the typical voting agenda” (p. 25). A recent study suggests that “most kids simply are not involved in the typical voting agenda” (Smith, 2005, p. 25). In her 2005 study, Mary Smith suggests that “most kids simply are not involved in the typical political agenda” (p. 25). Note: These examples are all ways of handling the same quotation. Notice that these examples and Maggie’s examples integrate quotation into the writer’s own sentences. No quotation should stand alone as its own sentence.

Step 8: Combine your own ideas and research findings. This point is worth repeating: Maggie began this essay with her own ideas and sentences. Research supports Maggie’s ideas and gives her new perspectives from which to write, but the essay is Maggie’s work based on her research. Outside sources are important, but we cannot string them together and call them an essay. Her sources are cited. Non-cited material is Maggie's own. In the body-paragraph levels of the outline, the sub-points (A, B, C, etc.) include citation because Maggie is going to use these to decide how to support her ideas with her research.

Step 9: Understand Maggie’s conclusion format. Roman numeral “V” represents the conclusion paragraph. A = Restatement of the thesis sentence in brief B = Wrap up of significant ideas associated with the thesis key points C = Circle back to the attention-capturing technique of the introduction

Step 10: Pay careful attention to detail. The References Page has a specific spacing and indentation format. Copy this format exactly. Use the APA resources in Unit 4 to find out what every item in the reference entry means.

Step 11: Ask questions!  The outline is a detailed project. Read the instructions for the project. Are there any rules you might have overlooked? Are there specific requirements for the sources from which you will borrow information? Use the rubric as a checklist for the project. Use the Kaplan Writing Center’s help. Ask your instructor for help. Leave time to ask questions by beginning work early in the Unit.

Some reminders . . . Read, print, and read at least two more times. Begin immediately; don’t let one minute go to waste. Set a personal plan for completing the outline and submitting it by your own due date and time.

A step at a time . . . Learning to outline and use APA requires patience, practice, and time-management. Consider the rules for the sources you are using. Do not try to learn all the rules at one time. If you take these issues a step at a time, you will learn with practice. We often learn from making mistakes; do your best and seek help when you need it. 