ABSTRACT
Whereas many writing texts describe general brainstorming or outlining methods, this chapter suggests a prewriting method that begins with an argument structure outline based on specific and detailed descriptions of exemplars of the genre. Expected section titles, components to include, number of citations expected, and average length of each division are sketched out to show the overall goal. Brainstorming and linearization then overlay specific elements of past and current research on that preliminary sketch. Topic sentences are added to the expanded outline to check the organization. This helps ensure that all the required elements are present (or their absence noted), material irrelevant to the current task is eliminated, and the general order is established before beginning to write.
