COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL RESEARCH HANDBOOK

WORKING OUTLINE

Once you have a thesis that is approved by the teacher or that you feel is strong, you need to develop a short working outline. This allows you to focus the rest of your research more easily and with less confusion. A working outline is comprised of the large subtopics or subideas of your thesis.

The kind of thesis you have determines the kind of outline you will have. For example, if your thesis is an opinion (argumentative), then the paper will be constructed with reasons and rebuttals of counter arguments. (A counter-argument is a reason or set of reasons which go against your own opinion. A rebuttal of a counter-argument disproves that counter-argument or shows it to be weak in some way. It is good to include not only reasons for your side but rebuttals of reasons for the other side, as it shows you have 'all the angles covered', and that you have thought about the entire issue well.) The big difference between this kind of paper and an editorial or argumentative essay is that the paper uses research to support the points rather than just the writer's thoughts. Because this kind of paper follows a similar pattern no matter what the topic, you don't necessarily have to have all the reasons or rebuttals identified at this stage. You can do that as you get the information. Here is an example:

Argumentative Thesis:

"The entire college application process is flawed and needs to be overhauled to be valid."

I. Extent of problem

II. Rebuttals of counter-arguments

A. First counter-argument and rebuttal
B. Second counter-argument and rebuttal
C. Etc.

III. Main argument

A. Reason #1 (for ex., 'the process discriminates against the poor)
B. Reason #2
C. Etc.

If your thesis explains why a condition or problem exists, the working outline will be constructed according to those reasons. The outline is simply those reasons in a thoughtful order.

Causal Thesis:

"White collar crime has risen in America for a number of reasons,but primarily because of the computer and the lack of police man-
power."

I. Extent of problem

II. Reason #1 (for ex., 'greater use of computers')

III. Reason #2 (for ex., 'lack of police manpower')

IV. Reason #3

V. Etc.

If your thesis evaluates which solution of many to a particular problem, then your working outline may look something like this:

Evaluation Thesis:

"The best alternative car engine to date is the gas/electric hybrid developed currently by several Japanese companies."

I. Explanation of issue

II. Engine #1

A. advantages
B. drawbacks
C. tentative conclusion on effectiveness

III. Engine #2

A. advantages
B. drawbacks
C. tentative conclusion on effectiveness

IV. Etc.

V. Conclusion on best engine

If your thesis compares or contrasts ideas, events, eras, or people, your outline takes one of two shapes:

1. Everything about the first thing followed by everything about the second. This only works for very short papers.
2. A POINT BY POINT comparison showing both sides for each point, as follows:

   A. Compare/contrast thesis:

   "The communes of the 1840's and the those of the 1960's were similar both in why they formed and why they died
   out."

   I. Background

   II. Why they formed

   A. Reason #1
   

   1. 1840
   2. 1960

   B. Reason #2

   1. 1840
   2. 1960

   C. etc.

There are many variations of outlines, but these three should give you an idea of how to write one. See a teacher for help.

Now here is an example of a BAD THESIS and a BAD OUTLINE:

The outline is for this bad thesis:

"The Civil War was fought over slavery."

I. The Civil War - how it got started
II. Slavery
III. Generals in the Civil War
IV. Big Battles
V. Slavery Ends

Let's look at how awful this is. First, the thesis, while bad, at least is about ONE aspect of the war. The OUTLINE, though, isn't. Isn't, according to the thesis, SLAVERY the reason the war started? If not, why the separate section on this? Slavery as a SUBTOPIC makes no sense. It is the WHOLE TOPIC! And the sections on GENERALS and
BATTLES have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THESIS! If you write an outline that looks something like this, think Montreal. Not really. Check your thesis. Make sure it states something very clear and defined. Make sure the outline breaks down the idea into logical pieces.

The working outline should not be just a task that means nothing. USE your outline to help guide you through both further source gathering and more importantly, to help you take notes.