Outlining is an effective way of organizing the relationship among ideas. It is a form of note-taking in which you pull together important information and record it to show how ideas interconnect.

In outlining you begin by reading a passage to find the main and supporting ideas; then you write these ideas using the following format:

I Main idea

1. Major detail

1. Major detail

II Main idea

Notice that main ideas are identified with Roman numerals (I, II, III) and are placed farthest to the left margin.

Major details are identified with capital letters (A, B, C) and are placed to the right of the main ideas. Minor details are represented by Arabic numerals and are placed to the right of the major details.

You should use short phrases or short sentences in your outline. If you use phrases rather than sentences, be sure to use similar grammatical patterns (e.g. using either infinitive phrases or noun phrases throughout) so that your outline will be easy to follow. Also try to use your own words rather than copying most of the material from the text. It is acceptable to use the writer's key words and specialized terminology.

(From Integrating College Study Skills, 1984 and College Reading and Study Skills, 1992)