Creating an outline can help structure your thoughts and ensure that you are presenting your information in a logical and easy-to-follow format. To create an effective outline, there are five main components to include:
Introduction: This section should clearly explain the problem you're addressing and why it is important. You should also give a brief overview of the main points you intend to cover.
Body: The body of your outline should include the main points that you plan to cover in detail. These points should be logically connected and ordered in a way that helps the reader follow along.
Examples: To give a more concrete example of your ideas, examples should be included in your outline. This will help to back up the points you are making and make it easier for the reader to understand your main points.
Conclusions: The conclusions section should summarize the main points of your outline, as well as provide any recommendations or conclusions that can be drawn from your research.
References: Any sources you used to research your topic should be listed in a references section at the end of your outline. This will ensure that you are giving credit to the original authors.
By including all of these components in your outline, you will create an effective, organized, and thorough structure for your paper. For more information on the basics of outlining, check out the Purdue Online Writing Lab's guide here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/pre_writing/the_outline.html
