1. Brainstorming
and Outlining
Helen E. Hodgson, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication
Westminster College
Salt Lake City, Utah

2. Benefits of an Outline
• Supplies a solid foundation on which to
build
• Ensures direction
• Provides a checklist of important items
• Helps maintain proper emphasis
• Allows early feedback on your plan for
the paper

3. Systems of Outlining
Find a System
• Brainstorming
• Mind maps
• Cluster diagrams
• Issue trees

4. Brainstorming
• Think about your topic in broad terms.
• Randomly list everything that comes to
mind.
• Do not worry about repetition.
• Do not think critically about your
ideas.

5. Brainstorming to a
Structured Outline
• Look for ideas that appear more than
once, as they are probably major themes.
• Select these major ideas as main points
for your structured outline.
• Organize subordinate ideas under the
main points.
• Eliminate unrelated ideas.
• Supply missing sub-topics.

6. Other Types of
Brainstorming
Examples of Systems
• FreeMind Software
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/i
ndex.php/Main Page
• MindManager (mindjet.com)

7. FreeMind Software
(http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

8. MindManager
(mindjet.com)

9. The Formal Outline
• Determine a format you find effective.
• Focus on the thesis or main idea of the
paper.
• Include interesting ideas, relevant
points, supporting information, topic
sentences
• Select specific words and phrases that
capture the essence of your ideas.

10. Collaborative
Planning
Explain your message (purpose, key points)
to someone else (or to a tape recorder), or
ask someone to review your outline.
• Helps crystallize your views
• Helps you recognize incongruous views
• Helps you create new ideas
• Helps you clarify your purpose
• Helps you articulate key points

11. Collaborative
Planning—Continued
Ask your collaborator to look for
• Gaps in argument
• Confusing ideas
• Concepts that need fuller development
• Ideas presented out of order

12. Revision of the Outline
• Revise your outline on the basis of
peer review.
• Use it to walk mentally through the
plan for your paper.
• Make any final changes on the basis of
your review.
• Use the outline to guide you as you
write the paper.