Organizing and Outlining

1. Organizing and Outlining Old and New Methods: Tips and Tricks for Making the Most Out of Your Paper By Lauren Peterson, Peer Tutor

2. Highlight Benefits Materials • Traditional, effective and visual method of organization for papers • Works well for Thesis I students as they read articles • 3-8 highlighters or colored pencils • OR the highlighter function on computer

3. Highlight • Assign each section of paper a color. • Read paper and highlight each sentence. • Be mindful of overlap • Not highlighting is okay • Rearrange sentences by cutting and pasting colors together to form section, then arrange in sensible order

4. The Cut and Paste Benefits Materials • A very literal, visual organization method • Printed copy of paper • Scissors • Tape or stapler • Lots of SPACE

5. The Cut and Paste • Cut up each paragraph or sentence cluster • HINT: number strips with original page number beforehand to locate easily later • Begin grouping strips by idea • When done, arrange into paragraphs • With order established, tape/staple paper together to preserve order • Apply new cut/paste to Word document

6. The Web Benefits Materials • Turns brainstorming technique into organizational tool • Helps prioritize, organize, and make connections with information • One sheet of paper • Pencil • Highlighters (optional)

7. The Web • Write question/subject in center of paper, this becomes central theme • Write extensions from central theme, keep to single words/small phrases • Write more extensions off these • Identify primary topics and supports • Number primary topics (and supports) in order for placement in paper

8. Tree Diagram Benefits Materials • Works well for inductive or deductive thinkers • Technique can function first as brainstorm, then as structure for paper • Paper • Pen or Pencil

9. Tree Diagram Deductive Inductive • Start with main idea, “Tree Trunk” at top of paper • Work down “the roots” with supplementary ideas and supports • Start with a detail • Work up “the roots” with more details, expanding subjects to broader themes until you reach “the trunk” or main idea

10. Flow Charts Benefits Materials • Good for cause & effect, chronological sequence, and systems • Two similar approaches • Paper • Pen or pencil

11. Flow Charts Approach 1 Approach 2 • Draw line down center of horizontal paper • Start with cause on left, effect on right • Place supplementary info along line • Extend line to include pre-cause or post-effect info • Draw line down center of horizontal paper • Label starting point at left and ending point at right • Place supplementary info along line in middle • Functions as sequential timeline or order of steps for system

12. Card Sorting Benefits Materials • Good for conceptualizing categories and concepts • Adapted from business research technique • 20-30+ index cards (minimum) • Plenty of space

13. Card Sorting • Start with minimum 20-30+ index cards • On each card write a single word (vocab, concept, term, subject, ect.) • Group cards into categories to determine separate categories and how concepts relate

14. Card Sorting • Goals of this method include: • Identify terms with vague or multiple meanings • Present options for structuring a paper • Validate the strong categories and identifies the weak categories