Instructions for Analytical Outline and Logical Summary
of Your Focus Article for Second Major Paper

Contact: Dr. Jan Garrett

Minor revision: November 1, 2006

For an example of how one might do this using Ruth Groenhaut's article on Feminism, see Analytical Outline for Ruth Groenhaut's "Essentialist Challenges to Liberal Feminism".

For an explanation of the terms "premise," "conclusion," "intermediate conclusion," etc., see Logical Terms. For discussion of what it means to define a concept, see Concepts.

Note that the purpose of an outline is not to include all the details but, among other things, to distinguish what is essential and important from what is less so.

1. Use standard outline format: roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals, lower case letters.

2. The roman numeral levels should reveal the basic structure of the article

3. At some level there should be complete statements, i.e., declarative sentences, or it should be easy to see how complete statements could be constructed from the items you have supplied.

4. Complete statements should reveal:

a. the final conclusion

Note that in a few cases, the article may not converge upon a single final conclusion. It is possible that, after converging upon a main conclusion, the author draws several further conclusions from that main conclusion: the further conclusions then may be final conclusions and the main one turns out to be intermediate.

b. the intermediate conclusions (statements meant to support the final conclusion or other intermediate conclusions and meant to be further supported by other statements)

c. the ultimate premises (statements not allegedly supported by other premises but meant to support intermediate conclusions or, in some cases, a final conclusion)

d. definitions of key concepts

5. You may also include, where appropriate, unstated assumptions made by the author which he or she seems to need in order to get the conclusions desired by the author from the premises and intermediate conclusions the author actually does state.

6. After the outline itself, provide a "Logical Summary" that briefly describes the key logical relationships within the article (and your outline) such as:

a. where the final conclusion is indicated in the outline

b. where the statements are that provide direct support for the final conclusion

c. where the statements are, or information is, that allegedly provide support for the intermediate conclusions

d. which statements are ultimate premises, which statements are intermediate conclusions