Selecting and Organizing Information

• Brainstorming

  • group exercise in which each person expresses their ideas as they arise
  • ideas are classified and prioritized for further action
• Brainstorming List

  • method for listing potential subjects from a broad topic
  • you can quickly produce thoughts and retain precise facts about a subject
• Simple Steps of Brainstorming Process (According to Osborn, 1963)

  1. Ideas Generation
  2. Ideas Combination
  3. Evaluation and Validation
  4. Generate New Ideas
  5. Selection of Best Ideas
• Graphic Organizers

  • visual representations of concepts that help us structure information into organizational patterns
  • present essential information and connect these pieces of information into a coherent framework
  • help others focus on the relationships or connections of the ideas presented with other details
• Problem-Solution Map

  • nature of the problem and how it can be solved
• Outline

  • how the parts of a text are related to one another as parts that are of equal importance, or sections that are subordinate to a main idea
  • "blueprint"
• Outline Formats

  1. Alphanumeric
  2. Decimal
• Alphanumeric

  • both letters and numbers
• Decimal

  • only numbers
• Principles of Outlining

  1. Coordination
  2. Subordination
  3. Division
  4. Parallel Construction
• Coordination

  • Requires ideas of the same relevance to be labeled in the same way
• Subordination

  • Shows that minor details must be placed under their respective major details
• Division

  • Requires that no cluster should contain only one item
• Kinds of Outline

  1. Sentence Outline
  2. Topic Outline
• Sentence Outline

  • complete sentences
  • also known as expanded outline
• Topic Outline

  • systematic arrangement of ideas using broad topics in the form of words or simple phrases as headers
• Topic Outline

  • series of ideas organized in a certain sequence that demonstrates how information is presented in writing
  • broken into two parts: headings and subheadings
• Sentence Outline

  • much more accurate because it states the main and secondary ideas in complete sentences
• Steps in Creating an Outline

  1. Brainstorming - List all ideas that you want to include in your paper
  2. Organizing - Group all related ideas together
  3. Ordering - Arrange material in subsections from general to specific of from abstract to concrete
  4. Labeling - Create main ideas and sub-headings
• Benefits of Outlining

  • It easily shows the relationship of ideas.
  • It helps organize your ideas.
  • It simplifies and helps you to save time in writing.
  • It helps effective speaking.