Reverse Outline

A reverse outline is an outline that you complete after your draft has been completely written. Instead of outlining what you think you want to write, you will be outlining what you have already written. This will allow you to see the overall organization of your paper and, hopefully, spot any areas that need revision. It can also help you create a plan for revision as you reread through your paper. 

Instructions

1. Open a blank document (or use a blank sheet of paper to write on) and reread your paper. 

2. For each paragraph, note the main idea of the paragraph. This is typically the topic sentence (the first sentence of your paragraph), but you may need to summarize the paragraph if you find that the topic sentence isn't the main point of the paper. 

   1. • If you have more than one main idea in a paragraph, make sure that you are writing them all down; this will be a sign that you need to revise that paragraph since you should only have one main idea per paragraph. Additionally, if your thesis sentence isn't lining up with the main point you are making, that should also be noted. 

3. Then briefly explain how the paragraph supports or develops your thesis or main point. 

4. And finally, note whether revision is needed on that paragraph, and if so, what the revision plan is. These notes can be based on your assessment from the reverse outline but can also include other revision ideas that you have while reading your paper. 

Example Reverse Outline

1. Main Idea(s)/Topic sentence

   • Briefly explain how this paragraph supports or develops your thesis/main point of the writing. (you can skip this bullet for your introduction and conclusion paragraphs)

   • Is revision needed? If yes, briefly explain why and/or what your revision plan is for this paragraph.

2. Main Idea(s)/Topic sentence

   • Briefly explain how this paragraph supports or develops your thesis.

   • Is revision needed? (If yes, briefly explain why and/or what your revision plan is for this paragraph.

(and so on...)