6.2: Organize
- Page ID
- 331510
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You will need to determine the general layout and details of your paper. Organizing is more than plugging details into an pre-set outline. You may need to change the number of paragraphs, switch the order of ideas, or find more evidence. Let your writing evolve and don’t be afraid to rewrite or start again.
The basic essay structure is introduction, body, and conclusion. You may have learned the five paragraph essay in high school. While that might be an acceptable starting place, in college, you will be expected to use more sophisticated methods of organization.
Your content should determine your organization rather than squeezing everything into three paragraphs. The genre of your assignment influences organization. A narrative’s structure differs from an argument or analysis while compare/contrast and cause/effect essays have their own framework. Additionally, you may use four, five, six, or more main points. You could also have two main points with multiple supporting paragraphs. You might need a definition or counter argument portion at the beginning or end of your paper. This all of these choices, a students do a big disservice to themselves if they limit their content to just three paragraphs.
Plan the structure of your paper.
Skeleton outline.
Some outlines can be quite complicated and confusing. An easier way to start is with a skeleton outline. This is a bare bones structure of your paper. Start with a working thesis and a list of possible main points. Starting simply like this makes it easier to see the progression of ideas. You can also quickly change, add, or subtract details because you don’t get bogged down in the mire of an intricate outline.
You might start by writing a working thesis, which is a preliminary version of your final thesis. You might have an idea already, if not, your research question might be helpful. You can turn the question into a statement that contains your topic and the position you are taking on it. Expect to refine this as your writing process continues.
Once you have a working thesis, you can figure out the body of your paper. To figure out your main points, you can ask questions about the position you have taken in your thesis. For example, a working thesis might say that homing pigeons should be used to share covert information between federal members of defense. If you ask “why,” you will have a list of reasons, each becoming a main point. Asking “how” and would explain the process for implementing the pigeons. Each step becomes a main point idea.
As you figure out the details of your paper, you can use them to develop your outline.
An example outline is linked here:Example outline
If you don’t like outlines, you can also use your brainstorming tools, such as mind mapping, from the prewriting section to help.
Maybe neither outlines not brainstorming techniques are helpful for you. Then, you can write out a messy draft and do a reverse outline. This will help you check that you have the most important components of your essay. You can also use a reverse outline during the revision process to check your organization and basic information.
To do a reverse outline, take your draft and plug it into an outline. This process will help you check that you have included all the important components of your paper. You might ask: Is your thesis arguable? What are your main points? When you are done, look at the rest of your information. Check if it is relevant to your thesis and argument.
Just like you can use mind mapping to organize your paper, you can use it like a reverse outline. Use what works for you.
More information linked here: reverse outline.
Works Cited
"Argument Essay Outline." Writing Center. Alan Hancock College, hancockcollege.edu,
https://www.hancockcollege.edu/writing/documents/Argument%20Outline%20Format%20-%20Fillable.pdf
"Reverse Outlines." The Writing Center. University of Wisconsin-Madison, wisc.edu,