Mind Mapping and Outlining:  Two Tools for Organizing Your Writing

 

Mapping:  Idea Mapping or “Mind Mapping”

 

Mapping is a way that writers use, not unlike “branching” or “clustering,” to visualize a plan for their writing.   If you have ever seen a simple flow chart, a paper’s idea map is not that dissimilar.  To build an idea map, you’ll first have to do a bit of drawing.  Draw a shape (usually a rectangle, but any oblong shape will do), and put it at the top of your page.  Write your topic in this shape:

 

Benefits of a College Education  

Underneath your topic, put a statement that describes the types of categories or organizational groups that you came up with while organizing your ideas.  This could be “types of X, causes of Y, effects of Z,” or even “steps related to doing X task” :

 

Outlining

 

An outline is another way of organizing your ideas. 

 

Outlines are built on the same underlying principles as idea maps, but present the ideas as parts of a hierarchical list rather than as a visual diagram.   Outlines also tend to be more specific than idea maps:  they often include a thesis statement (see Chapter 05.3.1) and very specific supporting details in addition to mapping out the larger logical divisions in an essay.  You may find it helpful to create an outline after you have completed your initial idea map—this will assist you in refining your ideas further and getting more specific details into your paper. 

 

There are two main types of outlines we will discuss here: the numbered outline and the topic-sentence outline.  The main difference between the two types is that the “topic sentence outline” requires you to actually draft a sample sentence introducing each topic; numbered outlines are a bit more general in what they cover (but much more specific than an idea map). 

 

Both methods, however, depend on your having an understanding of the logical grouping of the material that you generated during the generating ideas phase of the writing process.  Just as with the idea map, you will still have to look for similarities and logical relationships between the ideas that you generated.  

 

 

The Numbered Outline

You may have encountered this type of outline in high school or in another writing class.  The numbered outline provides a detailed roadmap for a paper, and is organized according to the logical divisions of both the essay itself and the topic being discussed.   Generally, numbered outlines use Roman numerals, capital and lower-case letters, and numbers to indicate the relationship between the items in the outline.  Also, most numbered outlines begin with sketching out the essay’s introduction (see Chapter 05.3.3) and thesis statement (see Chapter 05.3.1). 

 

Here is the basic organizational scheme of most numbered outlines.  The number of body paragraphs will vary with the writing project, as will the number of supporting details (and any subsequent clarifications of them).     Information can be added to the outline in phrases or complete sentences—your choice—but you have to be consistent throughout. 

 

 

1. Introduction
   1. Background on Topic
   2. Establish Importance & Relevance of Topic
   3. Thesis Statement
2. Body Paragraph 1: (First Logical Division)
   1. Supporting Detail (1)
   2. Supporting Detail (2)
   3. Supporting Detail (3)
      1. Clarification of Supporting Detail (3)
      2. Further Clarification of Supporting Detail (3)
3. Body Paragraph 2 (Second Logical Division)
1. Supporting Detail (1)
2. Supporting Detail (2)
4. Body Paragraph 3 (Third Logical Division)
   1. Supporting Detail (1)
   2. Supporting Detail (2)
5. Conclusion
   1. Restate Main Points
   2. Re-Establish Importance of Topic

 

 

The Topic Sentence Outline

Topic sentence outlines are often used to transition between the “planning” stage of the writing process and the “drafting” stage.   The organizing principle behind the topic sentence outline is very similar to the numbered outline:  you must select appropriate material and establish logical distinctions between sections.    In the topic sentence outline, however, you go a step further, and try to craft good, well-constructed sentences that establish and describe these divisions:  these sentences will form the “ledes,” (pronounced “leeds”) or first sentences, of each of your paper’s paragraphs—your topic sentences. 

 

To complete a topic sentence outline, you will need to first come up with your essay’s thesis or main idea, as well as the main logical sub-divisions or supporting parts of your essay.   It is often helpful to use labels and boxes to clearly delineate your various areas of discussion.

 

Basic Organization of a Topic Sentence Outline

 

Thesis Statement:  Write here a single sentence stating the main idea of your paper—what  you want your audience to get from reading your essay.

 

 

 

 

Paragraph 1:  Begin your discussion of your supporting details in this paragraph.

Topic Sentence:   A single sentence that describes your first logical division—the first scene in your narrative, the first area of comparison in a compare-contrast, the first sub-claim in your argument, or the first step (or stage) in a process analysis.   

 

 

 

Description and support details relating to your topic sentence:  clarification, explanation, relevant definitions, descriptive details, evidence, facts.

 

 

 

Transition sentence to next logical division:

 

 

 

 

 

Paragraph 2:  Continue your discussion of your supporting details in this paragraph.

Topic Sentence:   A single sentence that describes your second logical division—the second scene in your narrative, the second area of comparison in a compare-contrast, the second sub-claim in your argument, or the second step (or stage) in a process analysis.  

 

 

 

Description and support details relating to your topic sentence:  clarification, explanation, relevant definitions, descriptive details, evidence, facts.

 

 

 

Transition sentence to next logical division:

Paragraph 3:  Continue your discussion of your supporting details in this paragraph.

Topic Sentence:   A single sentence that describes your third logical division—the third scene in your narrative, the third area of comparison in a compare-contrast, the third sub-claim in your argument, or the third step (or stage) in a process analysis.  

 

 

 

Description and support details relating to your topic sentence:  clarification, explanation, relevant definitions, descriptive details, evidence, facts.

 

 

 

 

Transition sentence to next logical division:

 

 

 

Paragraphs 4+ (Insert boxes as needed, repeating basic structure as shown above)

 

Conclusion:  Conclude your discussion of your supporting details in this paragraph.

Topic Sentence:   A single sentence that sums up the overall point or thesis of your paper.  Restating the thesis in different words here is often an effective means of summing up.

 

 

Remind your audience of the importance of your topic: