Reverse Outlining Techniques and Strategies

This video tutorial demonstrates an editing technique to ensure your paper's content and structure are logical and balanced. It introduces the concept of a reverse outline, which involves numbering paragraphs, identifying main topics, and revising the outline based on the current structure. The video emphasizes evaluating the order and depth of ideas to ensure they are balanced and effectively convey your argument. It also suggests resources for further learning about reverse outlines.

What is the primary purpose of using a reverse outline in editing?

• To add more content to the paper

• To check for grammatical errors

• To improve vocabulary usage

• To ensure ideas are presented logically and with balanced word count

Why might a draft shift away from the original outline?

• Due to changes in word count requirements

• Because of new ideas emerging during writing

• To make the paper longer

• To include more references

What is the first step in creating a reverse outline?

• Rewriting the introduction

• Highlighting key points

• Summarizing each paragraph

• Numbering each paragraph

If identifying the main topic of a paragraph is difficult, what might this indicate?

• The paragraph needs more examples

• The paragraph is too short

• The paragraph covers more than one main idea

• The paragraph is well-structured

What should you do after rewriting your outline based on the current structure?

• Summarize the entire paper

• Add more paragraphs

• Evaluate if ideas are in the right order and depth

• Check for spelling errors

In the given example, why is it suggested to move the historical background to the start of the paper?

• To make the paper longer

• To establish context early on

• To reduce word count

• To add more references

What should you do if the ideas are not in the right order or depth?

• Delete unnecessary paragraphs

• Add more content

• Reorganize the outline to better fit the argument

• Focus on grammar corrections

How often can the reverse outlining process be repeated?

• As many times as necessary

• Until the paper is perfect

• Twice

• Only once

What flexibility does the reverse outlining process offer?

• It can only be done by professionals

• It requires special software

• It can be done on paper or on screen

• It can only be done on paper

Where can you find more information about reverse outlines?

• In a thesaurus

• In a dictionary

• On Rachel Cayley's blog 'Explorations of Style'

• In a grammar book