PREPARING OUTLINES & BIOGRAPHIES

OUTLINING: Laying the Foundations

The step-by-step process is essential in ensuring that the building will stand firm will through
time and determining the shape that the building will take upon its completion.
■ Outline is crucial in essay writing because it will establish the “shape” that an essay will take.
■ The outline should be a reflection of an essay’s thesis statement, and in turn, will guide the writer as
to what details are supposed to be included in an essay.
■ Outlines are used in determining the structure of an academic paper.
■ These means that the main headings for each of the sections are encoded using Roman numerals
(I.II.III, etc.) while the supporting arguments or details are marked by capital letters (A, B, C, etc.)

Remember:
1. Title
2. Thesis Statement
3. Content
Introduction - subtopics
Body - subtopics
Conclusion -- subtopics

Thesis Statement
■ The foundation of the entire work and informs the reader exactly what you wish to achieve.

2 Types of Outline
1.Topic Outline – use of key words and phrases
2.Sentence Outline- use of complete sentences

Alphanumeric outline- an outline that uses letters and numbers in the following order.
I. Roman Numerals
A. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, etc.
-Represent main ideas to be covered in the paper in the order they will be presented
II. Uppercase Letters
A. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, etc.
-Represent subtopics within each main idea
III. Arabic Numbers
A. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.
-Represent details or subdivisions within subtopics
IV. Lowercase Letters
A. a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, l, m, etc.
-Represent details within subdivisions

BIBLIOGRAPHY
■ a list of materials that were used or will be used in the composition of an academic or professional
piece.
■ It is normally found at the end of the text and is arranged alphabetically.
■ The entries are encoded using the prescribed format in a particular discipline.

Importance of Bibliography
■ Shows the breadth of your research
■ Strengthening your academic argument
■ Showing the reader the source of your information
■ Allowing reader to consult your resources independently
■ Allowing the reader to verify your data
■ Avoid Plagiarism

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA)

NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION (MLA)

HUMANITIES

Annotated Bibliography
■ An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is
followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph- the annotation.
■ The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the
sources cited

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by
incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement.

misquote
a passage or remark quoted inaccurately.

Reading Tip
 When reading a text you wish to paraphrase, first, capture its main idea and then identify the
details that will substantiate it
 Read your paraphrase vis-à-vis the original passage to ensure that you are able to accurately
convey your reference’s ideas.
 Using your marginal notes or a separate sheet of paper, enumerate the details given in support
of the main point presented in each section.
 Closely examine the concluding paragraph to help you identify the salient points presented in
the essay. Note that the conclusion and your summary have a similar function.

Paraphrasing
● Paraphrasing is a process in which a writer restates the insights found in a reference using his or her
own words.

Process of Paraphrasing
1. Repeatedly read the passage to be paraphrased until you have completely understood what it says.
2. Do not look at the passage while you are writing your paraphrase. Doing so might influence your
choice of words in your paraphrase.
3. After writing your paraphrase, read the original passage once again to check if you’re able to
accurately capture its meaning. By doing this, you will avoid misquoting your source.
4. Check whether your paraphrase has errors in grammar or mechanics.
5. Always cite your source. This may vary depending on the nature of the paper you are working on.

Common Types of Plagiarism

A. Word-for-word
(Verbatim) Plagiarism
● This is also known as cut-and-paste plagiarism. This happens when a researcher copies the work of
another writer word-for-word or verbatim and claims it as his or her own.

B. Word order
Plagiarism
● This happens when a writer changes some of the words of another author to make the work look as
if it were his or her own.

C. Idea Plagiarism
● This happens when a writer paraphrases a work and includes it into his or her own article without
proper attribution. This, it is important to cite the sources of all the borrowed ideas found in a paper.

Writing a Summary or a Precis

Synopsis
A synopsis is a brief summary of the major points of a subject or written work or story, either as prose
or as a table; an abridgment or condensation of a work.

Tips in Summarizing
1. Read the text you are about to summarize over and over again.

2. Identify the main idea of the text you are planning to summarize.
3. Put your feet into reader’s shoes. Do not assume that your readers have already read the text you
are summarizing.
4. Ensure a smooth flow of ideas. Use appropriate transition devices for your readers to easily notice
the relationship of one idea to another.
5. Limit your summary to a few sentences.
6. Do not forget to proofread your work.
Writing Reviews

INTRODUCTION
The goal of a review is to evaluate or judge something. We judge things
every day.
When you write a review, your job is to state your opinion or judgement and support it. You do this by
presenting reasons and evidence.

Drafting Stage
• Put your ideas on paper and having your work in essay form.
• Do not be too conscious of your grammar and organization yet.
• Before you write, make sure you know the general message you want to convey.
• A simple thesis will help keep your review from straying off topic.

Revision Stage
• Focusing on flow, organization, and focus.
• This process aims to make the paper sound good and make sense.

Revision Stage
Below are some guidelines on what to watch out during the revision stage.
1. Does the review have a clear general impression that it communicates to its readers?
2. Do the details presented in the body adequately support the main idea of the review?
3. Is the presentation of the criticisms presentable to the general audience, or do they sound too
spiteful? Does it border on being offensive or libelous?
4. Did the author maintain an objective stance towards the restaurant being reviewed?

Editing Stage
• Correcting mistakes in writing such as spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, incorrect words and
other mechanical problems.
• Focuses on grammar
• Before making your work available for public consumption, go over it and correct whatever errors in
grammar or mechanics you may find.

Publishing Stage
• After correcting the grammar errors in the second draft, the reviewer’s paper is now ready for
publication.

TIPS IN WRITING REVIEWS

Read, watch, or listen to the work more than once
Provide essential information
Understand your audience
Take a stand
Introduce evidence to support your criteria
Do not summarize the entire plot
Provide a general idea of what happens, but don’t give away important secrets, especially the end.