Video Transcript

This video will show you how to create an outline using the popular word processing program, Microsoft Word. We suggest you check the syllabus of your course or ask your instructor for information about how your assignments should be formatted. We also suggest you view the video titled “How to Use Microsoft Word” located on the Maysville Community and Technical College’s website, at the address maysville.kctcs.edu.  The video can be found by selecting the Current Students link with your mouse, and then selecting the Online Orientation link, and then selecting the How to Use Microsoft Word link.

This is an example of a common type of outline called an alphanumeric outline. The formatting follows these characters, in this order: Roman Numerals, Capitalized Letters, Arabic Numerals and Lowercase Letters. In this example, which is an outline for a chapter of a textbook, Major Headings are denoted by Roman numerals; Minor Headings are denoted by capitalized letters; Headings are denoted by Arabic numerals; and Details are denoted by lowercase letters. The title of the outline appears first, and is centered on the page.

Please note that there are various methods that can be used to create outlines using Microsoft Word. For this tutorial, you will be shown how to recreate the example outline featured in this video. The method presented has been chosen because it involves basic steps and will allow you to create custom outlines quickly.

Once you have opened Microsoft Word, a new blank document will appear by default. You will notice a blinking cursor within the document as shown here. This indicates the location that text will appear when you use your keyboard to type. To create a title for your outline, first use your mouse to select the Center Text button shown here. Then use your keyboard to type the title. After you have typed your title, press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. This will position the cursor on the next line. Use your mouse to select the Align Text Left button as shown, to reposition the cursor to the left hand side of your document.

To create an outline in the same style as the example outline, do the following: First use your mouse to select the Multilevel List drop down menu by clicking on the small arrow section of this button. Then select the Define New Multilevel List option with your mouse as shown here. A small window will appear that will allow you to format the style of each level in a multilevel list, which you can think of as another name for an outline. The styles you create can be viewed in the preview area of this window, which will give you an idea of what your final outline will look like. The example outline only has four levels, so we will only need to define styles for the first four levels of the list.

To set the style for Level 1 of the outline, use your mouse to select the “Number style for this level” drop-down menu, and then choose the Roman Numerals option. Make sure that the textbox under the “Enter formatting for number” heading includes the highlighted character you have chosen followed by a period. If it does not, you can use your mouse and keyboard to edit this textbox so that it does include a period after the highlighted Roman numeral I character.

Now use your mouse to select the Level 2 option, as shown here. Again use your mouse to select the “Number style for this level” drop-down menu, and then choose the Capitalized letter option for level 2. Make sure that the textbox under the “Enter formatting for number” heading includes a period after the capitalized letter A.

Now use your mouse to select the Level 3 option. Again use your mouse to select the “Number style for this level” drop-down menu, and then choose the Arabic numeral option for level 3. Make sure that the textbox under the “Enter formatting for number” heading includes a period after the Arabic numeral 1.

Now use your mouse to select the Level 4 option. Again use your mouse to select the “Number style for this level” drop-down menu, and then choose the lowercase letter option for level 4. Make sure that the textbox under the “Enter formatting for number” heading includes a period after the lowercase letter a.

Finally, use your mouse to select the Set for All Levels button, as shown.  A small window will open. Make sure that the two indent values highlighted here are equal. Equal values here will ensure that each level of your outline is lined up evenly and neatly with the level above it. This example uses the value .25, or one-quarter inch for indents. Use your mouse to click the OK button to close this window.

The style for your outline is now set up. Click the OK button to close this window and return to the document. You will notice that Microsoft Word has automatically inserted a Roman numeral I. in your document for the first level of your outline. Use your keyboard to type the content of your first Major Heading. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Microsoft Word will automatically insert the Roman numeral II. on the next line under your first Major Heading. Use your keyboard to type the content of your second Major Heading. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard.

You can change this level of the outline to become the first Minor Heading beneath the first Major Heading by using your mouse to select the Increase Indent button shown here. Clicking on this button will indent the current line of text you are editing, and format it with a capitalized letter A.

Now use your keyboard to type the content of your first Minor Heading. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Microsoft Word will automatically insert the capital letter B. on the next line under your first Minor Heading. Use your keyboard to type the content of your second Minor Heading. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Again, you can change this level of the outline to become the first Heading beneath the first Minor Heading by using your mouse to select the Increase Indent button, which will format this line of text to include the Arabic numeral 1.

You can now use your keyboard to type the content of your first Heading. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Microsoft Word will automatically insert the Arabic numeral 2. on the next line under your first Heading. Use your keyboard to type the content of your second Heading. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Again, you can change this level of the outline to become the first Detail beneath the first Heading by using your mouse to select the Increase Indent button, which will format this line of text to include the lowercase letter a.

You can now use your keyboard to type the content of your first Detail. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Microsoft Word will automatically insert the lowercase letter b. on the next line under your first Detail. Use your keyboard to type the content of your second Detail. Then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. Congratulations! You have just created an outline that looks exactly like the example outline. You can now repeat the steps you have learned to continue creating additional levels in your outline.

If you need to change the current line of text you are editing to become a higher level entry in the hierarchy of your outline, you can do so by selecting the Decrease Indent button with your mouse, shown here. For instance, after you have typed the content for the second Detail under a second Heading, and pressed the Enter or Return key, you can change this level of your outline to become your third Heading by clicking on the Decrease Indent button. Clicking on the Decrease Indent button again will change this level to a Minor Heading, and clicking a third time will change it to a Major Heading. You can use the Decrease and Increase Indent buttons on any line of text to change its hierarchy in your outline if needed.

To add additional lines to a section of your outline, use your mouse to position your cursor at the end of a line of text, and then press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. For instance, you can add another Detail under a Heading in this manner.

It is also possible to insert new sections in your outline in a similar way. You can insert an additional Major Heading in your outline by using your mouse to position your cursor at the end of the line of your first Major Heading, and then pressing the enter or return key on your keyboard. As you can see, Microsoft Word will automatically insert a new Major Heading section in the outline, and change the numbered value of any existing Major Headings you may have already typed.

Again, we suggest you check the syllabus of your course or ask your instructor for information about how your outlines should be formatted. If you need additional assistance using Microsoft Word, please contact your instructor. You may also view interactive tutorials from Microsoft that can teach you how to use Microsoft Word. These tutorials can be found online at the Microsoft Office website at this address: office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help.

We hope this video has been informative, and helpful to you as a student of Maysville Community and Technical College.