A research paper or a speech must follow a plan for organization.
Without organization, an argument cannot sustain itself.
Each element
of the work must inform every other element to create a sense of
logical
progression and rhetorical integrity.
Creating a traditional outline before writing a speech or a paper allows
a
writer to examine his or her plans before committing to a formal mode
of
expression. The writer may look for patterns of bias or points lacking
supporting evidence. The writer may also examine the outline to determine
if any element of the
rhetorical pyramid (the information, the writer, the
audience)
dominates other elements.
The seven-point structure for the classical argument (exordium,
narratio,
propositio, partitio, confirmatio, confutatio, peroratio) devised by
Greek
orators remains a reliable organizational format.