Certain conventions govern outline construction. Use this conventional structure (as shown below) to write your topic outline.

Topics are indicated by Roman numerals in sequence: I., II., etc. The numerals go by the left margin; the periods following the numerals should be aligned. The topic entry begins two spaces after the period.

Subtopics are indicated by capital letters in sequence: A., B., etc. The capital letter lines up under the first letter of the topic entry above it. The subtopic entry begins two spaces after the period.

More detailed outlines have the sub-subtopic entry beginning with a numeral in sequence: 1., 2., etc. These numerals line up with the first letter of the subtopic entry above them. The sub-subtopic entry begins two spaces after the period.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Every A. entry must have a B. entry, and every 1. entry must have a 2. entry. The A. and B. entries and the 1. and 2. entries start over under each Roman numeral, as shown in the sample below.

1. Start with a general subject: The Vampire Hysteria in the Middle Ages

2. Develop a specific intent:

• was full of Christian symbolism (informative)
• was caused by a rift in the Christian church (interpretive)
• was not real (persuasive)

3. Use examples--the subtopics--to show that intent. (We will use Christian symbolism angle.)

• afterlife
• blood
• the cross

The order of subtopics in your outline should reflect the order of subtopics in your thesis. Your thesis statement must be a declarative sentence, not a question.

IMPORTANT: Outlines generally do not include the introduction and conclusion of the essay.
You do not need an introduction or conclusion in your outline.

Thesis: The vampire hysteria of the Middle Ages embodied several Christian symbols, notably the promise of an afterlife, the drinking of blood, and the use of the cross.

  I. Afterlife

     A. Immortality of Jesus Christ

     B. Immortality of vampires

 II. Blood

     A. Blood used in the Christian sacrament

     B. Blood used to sustain vampires

III. The Cross

     A. Cross used to crucify Christ

     B. Cross used to identify vampires

Notice the alignment of the periods, entries, and capital letters in the sample outline. Your outline should also have such alignment. Use Courier font (as in the sample).

NOTE: Most word processors use proportional fonts as their default, so precise alignment is often hard to achieve. For this reason, use a Courier font, which is nonproportional, for your outline. A nonproportional font uses the same space area for all letters. For example, an i takes up the same horizontal space as an m. Also, do not use tabs; use spaces instead. Otherwise, your outline might not be properly aligned. The sample outline above uses Courier font and is properly aligned. Make sure your outline has similar alignment.

The link below takes you to a list of suggested topics for the research project. If you choose a topic from the suggested list, you do not need pre-approval. Otherwise, you must contact me for approval of a topic before you submit the preliminary outline.

Click here for topics, more details, and full requirements for the Assignment 4 Research Project.

• Model the outline on the sample above.
• The outline must include a fundamental breakdown of the content of your body paragraphs.
• The outline must include a thesis statement that is a complete sentence, as in the sample above.
• The outline must use proper alignment, as in the sample above.
• The outline must use a conventional structure, as in the sample above.
• If your outline does not use the conventional structure and alignment as shown in the sample above, or if your outline does not include a thesis statement that is a complete sentence, you will be revising.
  • You must have at least three Roman numeral sections, with at least A. and B. entries in each section.
  • You do not need Roman numeral sections for your introduction and conclusion.
  • If you have an A. entry, you must have a B. entry. If you have a 1. entry, you must have a 2. entry.
  • If you use ruler tabs, set them to 0.
  • Do not use tabs. Use the space bar instead.
  • Use a Courier font for your outline. The font on your word processor might be called Courier or Courier New or something with Courier in its name. Use 12 point type size.
• If your outline does not follow the alignment and structure shown in the sample outline, you will need to revise.
• This assignment is to be written using referential purpose, so do not use first-person and second-person pronouns.
• Do not use direct quotes in your outline.
• Double space your outline.

Submit this assignment using the Submissions button in Blackboard.

If you are not sure how to submit your assignment file by now, review the guidelines at this link to Assignment 1.