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CHECKPOINT #4: OUTLINE WORKSHEET

NOTE:
FILL OUT THIS FORM COMPLETELY TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THE CHECKPOINT

ENG 102 Sarah L.

Dye

DIRECTIONS: Read the attached handout and examples before

beginning this worksheet as well as the material assigned in your
textbooks on outlining. Then, to meet the requirements for
Checkpoint #4, complete the worksheet for constructing a working
outline for your research paper. This step will allow you to produce a
paper which synthesizes the materials you have gathered from
outside sources through your research and note-taking.

YOUR NAME: __________________________________________________

 WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER?

(Suggestion: Review your ENG 102 syllabus and handouts, your
Checkpoint #1 Proposal Essay, your textbook reading assignments
in both Behrens & Rosen and Lester.)

 WHAT IS THE THESIS SENTENCE FOR YOUR PAPER?

(Suggestion: At this point, your thesis can no longer be in the form
of a question as it could be in your proposal essay. It MUST be a
statement. Additionally, a closed thesis sentence provides a
stronger beginning for you than an open thesis sentence does. For
example, “Historians suggest three causes for the United States
becoming involved in the Vietnam conflict: the country’s image of
“big brother to the world,” an economy in need of strengthening,
and a series of mistakes on the part of the American government.”
is a closed thesis sentence. An open thesis sentence would state
“Historians suggest many reasons for the United States becoming
involved in the conflict in Vietnam.”

 SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS YOUR AUDIENCE FOR THIS RESEARCH

PAPER?
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(Suggestion: Remember that your audience goes beyond just your

instructor.)

 WHAT ARE THE THREE TO FIVE TO SEVEN MAIN CATEGORIES

YOU WISH TO COVER AND FOR WHICH YOU HAVE NOTECARD
INFORMATION SUPPORTING THOSE MAIN CATEGORIES?
(Suggestion: Begin by arranging your completed, or almost
completed, notecards and other resource material into a logical
order with main categories.) List these categories in the numbered
spaces below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

 REARRANGE THE MAIN CATEGORIES ABOVE INTO A LOGICAL

ORDER USING ROMAN NUMERALS NEXT TO THE ARABIC
NUMERALS USED ABOVE.
(Suggestion: Go from general to specific, or from abstract to
concrete, or from least important to most important)

 CREATE SUBHEADINGS UNDER EACH OF YOUR MAIN

CATEGORIES.
(Suggestion: For each main category, you should have at least two
subheadings. The subheadings should be equal in some way to one
another. Label each of the subheadings, writing coordinate levels in
parallel form. See the attached handout for an explanation of
parallelism and coordination.)

I.

A.

B.

II.
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A.

B.

III.

A.

B.

IV.

A.

B.

V.

A.

B.

NOTE: Use another sheet of paper if your outline will contain more than five Roman
numerals!

 INDICATE BELOW WHAT TYPE OF OUTLINE YOU WILL

CONSTRUCT FROM THIS WORKSHEET FOR YOUR FINAL, FORMAL
OUTLINE FOR THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER.

Topic Outline _____

Sentence Outline _____

I have chosen this type of outline because ...

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