A reverse outline is a revising tool used to identify problems in your essay. Create a reverse outline for your research paper.

Example revise outline:

Working Thesis

Humans learn to trust technology by appealing to our individuality.

Paragraph Number 1 (Introduction)

• Paragraph says: Thesis: Ever since Apple's 1984 Super Bowl commercial, customers have seen Apple as creating technology that appeals to our individuality.
• Paragraph does: Introduction (describes commercial) and Thesis
• Revisions needed: Think about thesisIve shown that Apple promoted their tech with appeals to individuality, but havent shown that people see Apple this way. Either find evidence for that or change thesis to talk about Apples marketing only. Also, my evidence seems to be showing how Apple has made tech friendly, personal, and human-like. May need to make thesis more specific or change my two points in second paragraph a bit.

Paragraph Number 2

• Paragraph says: Apple devices (1) appeal to our sense of individuality and (2) appeal to our need to connect to people and world
• Paragraph does: Further explanation of thesis and main points of argument
• Revision needed: Didnt talk about second point in the essay! Need to add! Which will help because paper is currently too short

Paragraph Number 3

• Paragraph says: Ipod introduced in 2001.
  • Marketing promoted ways consumers had control over their technology, choosing how they wanted to configure and use it.
  • A way to build consumer trust in technologycreated a friendly relationship with technology
• Paragraph does: Example/evidence to back up thesis

Paragraph Number 4

• Paragraph says: Apple stores:
  • Another way to build our trust with tech
  • Friendly, knowledgeable sales people
  • Clean, well-lit stores
• Paragraph does: Example/evidence
• Revisions needed: Need to explain why this builds trust. [make connection to my point]

Paragraph Number 5

• Paragraph says: "Hi, I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" TV commercials (2007)
  • Using humor to win trust, to break down tech is scary barriers
• Paragraph does: Example/evidence

Paragraph Number 6

• Paragraph says: Recent commercials
  • Reinforce that very easy for consumer to maintain their individuality with their iphone and other techhow? What is the connection to trust?
• Paragraph does: Example/evidence
• Revisions needed: Really vagueneed to describe which commercials and make connection to how these build trust in tech

Paragraph Number 7

• Paragraph says: Siri
  • Voice-activation and speech technology create an individual, intimate experience with our technology
  • Personification of technology helps us relate to it
• Paragraph does: Example/evidence

Paragraph Number 8 (Conclusion)

• Paragraph does: What is my conclusion? How can I wrap this up?
• Revisions needed: My organization is chronologicalis this the best organizational strategy? Would organizing by my two points be more effective?