Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 1: Making a text diagram
• Tips
• Warnings

A text outline is a great way to keep your thoughts and research materials organized when preparing for a lecture, essay, book, or other text. Follow the directions below to make a good text diagram.

To step

Method 1 of 1: Making a text diagram

1. Choose a subject. Whether your work is contemplative or informative, it must be convincing, based on research, or a combination of these; you must always have a purpose to direct your thoughts.
2. Determine the main purpose of your work. Choosing a goal not only gives direction to your topic, but can also help structure your text logically (If you're writing a formal essay, write a thesis that summarizes this goal). For example, you could do the following:
   • Compare two things and look for differences.
   • List cause and effect.
   • Define or analyze a specific aspect of your topic.
   • Enter one side of an argument, or both.
   • Provide evidence and reach a conclusive conclusion.
   • Present a problem, then provide a possible solution.
3. Gather supporting materials. These could be quotes, theories, statistical figures, pictures, charts or your own thoughts about the nature of your work.
4. Determine a suitable format for your text. For example, if you are providing a historical overview, you probably want to keep to a chronological order; if you think a literal interpretation is most appropriate, you may want to organize everything by theme; if you weigh the two sides of a statement before taking a position, give the counter-argument first, then refute it with the evidence for your own position. Then finish with a convincing conlusie.
5. Decide whether you want to create a text outline by topic or in a more elaborate form. A text outline by topic uses short, general (core) words or phrases and can be useful if your outline needs to be very flexible; a more elaborate text scheme uses descriptions, is more complex and more detailed.
   • A good method is to start with a flexible text scheme that is built up according to a subject structure, and then gradually develop it into a more detailed text scheme in whole sentences or paragraphs.
6. Identify your main categories. Based on both the main purpose of the work and the nature of the supporting material you have found, you decide how best to categorize the text. This is it first level of your text scheme, and usually indicated by Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc.).
   • When writing an essay, it is customary to cover a particular category in each paragraph: I. the introduction, II. the body and so on.
   • Ex. If you give a historical overview of a car, each category could represent an important era in the history of the car.
7. Try at least two points to make up for each category. Choose these points based on the purpose of your thesis and the list of background material you have previously collected. This forms it second level of your text scheme where you generally use the letters of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, etc.) for the layouts.
   • Let this second indentation level 1.2 to 2.5 cm.
   • Ex. If you are giving a historical overview of a car, each point could be about a specific model of gasoline engine during that era.
8. If necessary, expand this with a further subdivision into points. This ensures the maximum feasible logical basis for your essay. Place these points in it third level of your text scheme, usually numbered (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).
   • If you want to add even more levels to your text scheme, use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.), then lowercase letters (a, b, c, d, etc.) and finally dashes and periods.
   • You are unlikely to need more than 4 coats. If you think you need more, see if you can merge points.
   • Ex. If you give a historical overview of a car, each of these points can be about a technological innovation of that model of petrol engine.
9. Present your material in the form of a text plan. Organize your categories, points, and sub-points to convey to the reader what your main goal is, using indentation, Roman numerals, and plain numbers as demonstrated above.
   • Make sure the structure of your text outline is consistent; if you are writing an essay from a comparative perspective for example, make sure to properly juxtapose the same aspects of each item.

Tips

• Expand your theses with evidence, substantiation and examples. Include evidence in your text outline to support the core of your argument and look for possible gaps in your research.
• Be concise and clear in your text outline. What you write does not have to be perfectly worked out; just try to get your point across to the reader.
• Don't be afraid to cut out irrelevant information as you do more research on your topic and narrow down the area you want to write about.
• Use text diagrams as a memory tool. Use short words to bring concepts back up.
• Use a computer. Many programs provide tools for creating a text outline. Adding, removing or rearranging information is done quickly.
• Always use the same indentation for each new level.
• Microsoft Word has an automatic indentation system that you can apply to text schemes if you want to use it. It is also possible to indicate your own preference for indentation.

Warnings

• Take your text scheme seriously and you will find it a huge help in structuring your text logically. Many essays fail because their general structure and organization is weak.
• In general, it is better to avoid having only one point or sub-point at any level of the text outline. If there is an A, you probably also need a B to not simplify it too much.
• Your text outline is not intended to be your essay in any other form. Make sure to write down only the main statements of your piece, or to refer to specific details / examples in quotation marks. Keep your text outline concise.