Dissertation Literature Review: Three-Stage Outline

A Three Stage Outline is one way to organize your research as you prepare your literature review.

Creating a Three Stage Outline

First Stage Outline

•      Develop the main concepts or themes of your literature review/term paper
•      Determine a logical sequence of topics
•      Tips: Consider the following questions

o   What am I trying to say?

o   What was the original question?

o   What is the “so what” factor? Why does your reader care?

Second Stage Outline

•      Develop subheadings for each major concept
•      Revise your outline – add concepts or change the order – as you learn more about your topic

Third Stage Outline

•      Add the references that support each topic
•      Use this as the framework for your paper
•      Organize your notes in the order of your outline, or in an order that makes it easy for you to find the       appropriate reference quickly and easily

Adapted from Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (2000). Proposals that work: A guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals (4^th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.