Here's a few ideas to keep yourself on track while writing:
• as you're writing keep your outline close by and compare it to your paper
• if you see that your paper is not following the same route as your outline then take a close look at what you have written and see if you can recreate your outline
• if the recreated outline says what you want it to say and the order is easy to follow, then you've been successful with your organization!
• if you cannot recreate the outline then you will need to revise your paper
Creating an outline assists you with organizing your ideas, and help you to remain focused while writing your paper.
An outline will also help with:
1. Identify the research topic/question: this is the main point of your paper.
2. Identify the subtopics: your introduction will describe all of the subtopics and the rest of the paper will expand on those. The number of subtopics you use depends on the amount of information that you are trying to cover.
3. Identify points within your subtopics that will support your main point.
(adapted from the University of Southern California Libraries)
Alphanumeric Outlines: the most common type used
Here are some examples courtesy of The Purdue OWL.
Don't let the outline ruin your paper.
As you investigate and learn more about your research topic, your analysis may take another direction. Feel free to reorganize the outline. Relax and enjoy the learning process.