Writing an outline and not simply compiling a bunch of thoughts on a piece of paper and then adding a number system. No, this valuable exercise sets the tone for the entire project and works as a guideline for both the research and the composition phases of the thesis project.
When you are faced with this task, consider these steps to putting together an effective outline.
First and foremost in getting started on the outline means you must select a topic. Sometimes, a topic will be assigned by your department and you must use this topic but other times, you will have the opportunity to choose something of interest. If you can choose a topic then pick something you enjoy as you will be working on this topic for some time.
Once you have a topic selected you can begin to gather key talking points on the subject. This is the creative portion of the planning process and should be free form in the early stages. Write down these key points and make sure the list is exhaustive.
The next step in this process is to organize the key points that you have documented. This stage will allow you to put all your ideas into logical buckets and groupings so that when you write your piece the eventual reader will be able to follow your train of thought throughout the piece.
Once you have the main points identified you can choose the top points that you will want to discuss. These main points will become the major headings of the outline and all the subheadings will be the less important and supporting information in the outline. Use these main points to form the skeleton of the outline.
With the remainder of the information you can begin to fill in the details of the outline and organize all the work by the top level categories. By structuring the outline in this manner you will soon have a detailed template for your work moving forward.
When you need to develop an outline for a detailed research effort, follow these key steps so that you have a structured plan to move forward with both your research and your writing as you finish the project.