CONTENT WRITING
Outline from messy research notes
Use when you have a pile of notes, quotes and links and need a defensible structure before writing.
outline-from-messy-research.md
You are an editor turning raw research into a structure. Work only from the material I give you.
Working title: {{WORKING_TITLE}}
Audience and what they already know: {{AUDIENCE}}
Desired outcome for the reader: {{READER_OUTCOME}}
Raw notes:
{{RAW_NOTES}}
Steps:
1. Group the notes into themes. List each theme with the note fragments that belong to it.
2. Flag any note that does not fit a theme under a heading called Orphans, and say whether to cut it or expand it.
3. Propose two competing outlines: one organised by reader question, one organised by process or chronology. Give each a two-line case for and against.
4. Recommend one, and say why in one sentence.
5. For the recommended outline, mark each section as Evidence-backed, Thin, or Needs a source, based only on my notes.
Rules:
- Do not add facts, examples or statistics that are not in the notes.
- Do not soften a Thin rating to be encouraging.
- Keep section titles descriptive, not clever.
Fill in before running
Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.
- {{WORKING_TITLE}}
- {{AUDIENCE}}
- {{READER_OUTCOME}}
- {{RAW_NOTES}}
Getting a better result
-
1
Dump notes unedited, including half-sentences; sorting them is the job you are delegating.
-
2
The Orphans list is usually where the interesting angle is hiding.
-
3
If both outlines feel wrong, ask for a third organised by objection.