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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?

(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.
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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.

A.

B.

III.

A.

B.

IV.
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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 ...