WRITING AN OUTLINE

Writing an outline is the final stage of planning your report. The outline translates your pyramid structure into a blueprint that you can use to prepare your first draft.

Constructing the outline forces you to clarify your thinking. By organising your ideas into a numbered format, you can check that every idea is in the right place and well expressed.

The outline isn't a first draft. It won't include all the information or evidence you want to give, but only the principle ideas. It includes only your message, key points, sub-points and minor points.