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A. Do not hurry into writing. Think over again what your
subject and purpose are, and what kind of material you have
found.
B. Review notes to find main sub-divisions of your
subject. Sort the cards into natural groups then try to name
each group. Use these names for main divisions in your outline.
For example, you may be writing a paper about the Voice of
America and you have the following subject headings on your
cards.
1.
Propaganda - American (History)
2. Voice of America - funds appropriated
3. Voice of America - expenditures
4. Voice of America - cost compared with Soviet propaganda
The
above cards could be sorted into six piles easily, furnishing
the following headings:
1.
History (Card 1)
2. Purpose (Card 5)
3. Organization (Cards 6, 7)
4. Cost (Cards 2, 3, 4, 9)
5. Effects (Card 8)
6. Future (Card 10)
You
will have more cards than in the example above, and at this
point you can possibly narrow down you subject further by
taking out one of the piles of cards.
C. Sort the cards again under each main division to
find sub-sections for your outline.
D. By this time it should begin to look more coherent
and to take on a definite structure. If it does not, try going
back and sorting again for main divisions, to see if another
general pattern is possible.
Use these designations only in the outline and not in the
paper itself, or it will look more like an extended outline
that a paper.
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