Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used programs in the world. Millions of people use it for both work and studies. It's a program with a multitude of features, making it an incredibly versatile tool. Among the features available in Word is the ability to create an outline.
This is something that may be necessary on many occasions, although many users don't know how to create an outline in Microsoft Word . If you have any questions about how to do this, we'll explain how below. This is something you might need at some point, such as when you have to submit a project or assignment.
As we've mentioned, Word is an extremely versatile program with many available functions. Among them is the ability to create all kinds of diagrams, which can undoubtedly be very helpful for any assignment or project you have to submit. It can contribute to a better visualization of the data or the different levels within it. We'll also explain how to create a concept map in a document, something that many Word users may find useful.
Aspects to consider
An outline is something that will allow us to have a structured summary of the content of a document that we are creating in the office suite. As with the index, the document will have to be organized in levels, which can be divided into a few main points. This scheme in Word is something that we can use whenever we want, although it is something that may be of special interest or use in documents that are very extensive.
One thing that raises questions among many users is when to use this outline . Is it better to create it before writing the entire document, or is it better to do it afterward? If you create it before writing, this outline can be used as a kind of guide for drafting the document in Word. It can be helpful to visualize the points you want to develop, if you've already thought about them or prepared them. It's also possible to create this outline at the end, once you've finished writing the document, because you already have the content and points of the document in front of you. So, for some, this might be more convenient.
Therefore, when to introduce this outline is something each user should consider . Both options are equally valid, so it's more a matter of personal preference when writing: whether you want to use the outline as a guide or add it at the end. The steps we'll follow are the same in either case.
Create outline in Word
In many cases, this outline is added to Word at the end, once the document has been drafted. The advantage of this approach is that the levels created in the document are already visible , which can be more convenient for many users. However, it doesn't matter when it's done, as the steps will be the same. The steps to follow are as follows:
- Open the document in Word where you want to enter that outline.
- Place yourself at the point in the document where you are going to put this outline.
- Go to the View menu at the top.
- Look for the Scheme option.
- Click on it.
- The text is already displayed in the outline format. Now we have to write the titles that we are going to use in the document, and then assign the level that corresponds to each of them.
- If you had already created the text, then assign the levels. Word normally assigns that level based on the type of heading you've used, so we applied the level manually in this case.
With these steps, we've created this outline in Word, as you've already seen in the document itself. Each user can choose the type of outline to use, as well as assign levels as desired, so this will depend on the type of document you've created. However, in all cases, the goal is for this outline to summarize information, aiding in better understanding and reading of the document within the office suite.
Create a concept map
In reality, we have various types of diagrams, such as concept maps . Many people might want to include one of these in their Word documents. The good news is that this is possible, so if a concept map seems more interesting to you or you think it works better visually in a Word document, you can create one. The document editor allows us to do this.
The concept map allows us to draw arrows between one box and another . The process of creating this type of diagram is somewhat longer because it's a more complex design, but we obtain good results, with a visually appealing design. These are the steps we need to follow to create one:
- Open the Word document in question.
- Place yourself at the point where you want to enter this outline.
- Go to the Insert section at the top of the screen.
- Choose the Shapes option.
- Choose the shape you would like to use on your map.
- Hold down on the shape and choose its size.
- Select the color of the background, shape outline, or shape fill.
- Right click on this shape with the mouse.
- In the drop-down menu choose the Add text option.
- Choose the format of the text.
Once we've created the first box for this concept map, we simply repeat this process until we have all the boxes we need. It's best to copy each rectangle and place it elsewhere, gradually building the map we'll use in the Word document. We'll only need to change the text or the color of the box to show the different levels within it, for example.
The process itself isn't complicated, but it is a bit longer, as you can see. A concept map is a good alternative to a traditional outline in Word. Furthermore, many users find it visually more effective, so it's worth going through the process. Once this is done, we can add the closing braces to the concept map . This is done as follows:
- Go to the Insert in the document section.
- Go to Shapes.
- Choose the key you want to use.
- Insert the key into the concept map.
- Adjust the size at each level.
- Paste the key in all cases where it should be.
If you've created a concept map you like, the best thing to do is save the design in a document so you can use it in future documents. That way, you'll only need to change the names in each box or the colors, but the bulk of the work will already be done. This will save you time whenever you need to use one in a document.
Templates
Of course, we don't always have to create a diagram or concept map ourselves in Word. We also have a large number of templates available that we can use in these cases. Using a template isn't a bad thing, as it saves us time in the creation process, and we also know that we already have a suitable design—a diagram or map that we can use right away in this Word document because it's ready-made.
We've found websites with templates available for all sorts of elements in Word. This includes templates for outlines and concept maps that we can use. Furthermore, there are many designs available, so it's just a matter of choosing the one that best suits the document we're writing.
When using a template, all you have to do is enter the titles or text you want to use in the outline. In other words, the names of the levels in your document. This makes the process simpler, as you only need to enter one title or level at a time. So, if you think creating an outline in Word is too complex, or you simply don't want to do it yourself, you can use templates. A good website for this is Smile Template, where you'll find many designs to help you find an outline to use in your document.