Spring Conference Paper: Annotated Outline

Conference Session Paper #
CONFERENCE PAPER STEP 3: ANNOTATED OUTLINE
Your Name (your email), Your Name (your email)
Abstract—Your Outline must include your Abstract, 10 pt.
Times new Roman, italics, with “Abstract” in bold followed
by a dash. At this point in the Conference Paper process,
you will need to further revise and refine your thesis and
Abstract to best summarize and represent the focus and
content of your paper. Your abstract should now be between
200 and 250 words.
Key Words—Your Key Words section must include from five
to seven key words or brief phrases, listed alphabetically,
separated by commas, in 10 pt. Times New Roman, italics,
with “Key Words” followed by a dash. For example: Key
Words—First key word, Next key word, Third key word.
Note that Key Words are listed only; you should not define
or explain terms in this section. List those terms that would
make for an effective key word search for your paper, and
that might usefully appear in an index of a book that
includes your paper.
THE OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT
Compose an “Annotated Outline” for your Conference
Paper. The Outline should be a minimum of 450 words in
length (your Abstract and Key Words, which must be part of
Outline, are NOT INCLUDED in this word count). Note that
this is not a traditional outline consisting only of briefly
listed topics and subtopics. This Outline communicates, in
some detail, what your topic is, the significance of your
topic, and how you will proceed to explain the topic and
demonstrate its significance. Your Outline will depict the
probable “design” of your paper, and will include
information about each design element and how each is
related to the whole.
You will set the Outline up as you will set up your paper,
with an Abstract, Key Words, an introduction, section
headings and subheadings, a conclusion, a References
section, and Acknowledgements. Every section and
subsection must have a working title.
Outline Content
In your Outline introduction, in each section, subsection, and
in your conclusion, you will summarize what information
will be appearing in that section. Each section’s summary
must explain
what kind of information will be included in the section
why this information is relevant and important to your
topic/paper-as-a-whole
Your Outline should provide a somewhat detailed “plan of
action” for your eventual paper. For your Outline, you might
write something like this: “In this section
on_______________, we will describe____________.
Descriptions will cover ____________________, with an
emphasis on _______________________. Our clarification
of the basic processes of ___________________ provides
context for our investigation of ___________________
in the next section.“
As you compose your Outline, be sure to think about the
overall structure of your paper. Sections must be presented
logically; ask yourselves: “are sections organized and
presented in a way that facilitates readers’ understanding of
the relevant technologies and applications” The key
concept, here, is “facilitates.” Sections should be ordered in
a way that allows readers to proceed logically through all
elements of your paper. Should descriptions of the
science/technologies appear before sections on applications
How and where will you communicate the significance of
the technologies and applications you are writing about
The answers to these questions depend on the particular
topic and scope of your paper; consult your Writing
Instructor if you feel you need further input on best
arrangement of material.
You may include, in your Outline, any actual graphics you
will be including in your paper, or you may explain graphics
that you plan to include.
A Working Title, Strong Headings
“ANNOTATED OUTLINE” is NOT an acceptable title for
your Annotated Outline. You should have a “working title”
for your paper. Because this is a “working title” you can
revise the “working title” you used for the previous steps,
the draft/revised Abstract and Annotated Bibliography. You
can continue to revise and refine your Annotated “working
title” as you continue with the next steps of the paper. Thus,
your title may change, becoming more expressive and
accurate, as you proceed through each step of the writing
process.
“SECTION 1” is NOT an acceptable section heading.
“CONCLUSION” is NOT an acceptable section heading.
Remember: section headings in well-written papers should
introduce and reflect what appears in the section, and should
be used to maintain interconnections throughout the paper.
FORMATTING
Your Outline must be formatted in two-column format you
used for your papers last semester. The Formatting Template
with detailed formatting instructions is posted on the
Conference Information Page for 0012 and 0011 Writing
Projects page.
Twelfth Annual Freshman Conference
1
Date of Submission

Conference Session Paper #
NOTE: PASTE IN YOUR ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Paste your Annotated Bibliography onto a separate page (or
pages) after the end of your Outline. You do not need to
revise or reformat your Annotated Bib., simply paste it in, as
is.
WHAT MUST THE REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES SECTIONS INCLUDE
Your References section must include full bibliographic
information for any sources from which you quote,
paraphrase, or summarize in your Outline. You must include
these sources in your References section, even if they
already appear in your “pasted in” Annotated Bibliography.
Sources in your References Section should be listed in order
of the corresponding bracketed in-text reference (always
beginning with [1]—just as you listed them in your papers
last semester. Remember: any graphics (charts, graphs,
tables, photos, drawings) or equations taken from a source
must be correctly referenced, in text and in your References
section.
Sources that you have consulted, but from which you
have not quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be
included in an Additional Resources section. Again, you
must include any sources used, even if they also appear in
the “pasted in” Annotated Bibliography. You do not need
“annotations” for sources in your Outline’s References and
Additional Sources sections. Simply present the full
bibliographic information according to the usual formatting
specifications, found in the “Guide to Help You With
Listing Your References Research Guide” on the 0012
Conference Information page and the “Guide on How to
Present References” on the 0011 Writing Projects page.
Information in your Additional Resources section must be
listed according to these same specifications, except in
alphabetical order by the author’s last name, rather than by
bracketed number.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Your Outline must have an Acknowledgements section
Twelfth Annual Freshman Conference
2
Date of Submission

OUTLINE F.A.Q.
Q. May we revise our Annotated Bibliography
A. No, you may not revise your Annotated Bibliography; however, paying careful attention to your Writing Instructor’s
comments on your Bib. will help you understand how to best continue to assess and use sources. The grade on your
Annotated Bibliography will also help you see how well you are following instructions and attending to the (always
important) details of an assignment. For example, if you did not include all required information in your
“Annotations,” (and that information was required because it is important to you and your readers’ understanding of
the value and purpose of a source), that missing information might be a sign that you need to give more careful
attention to the details and examples of an assignment.
Q. Should we revise our Abstract again Which version of our Abstract do we include in the Annotated Outline
A. Your Annotated Outline must have an Abstract. You will be revising your Abstract again, since you now have further
feedback and experience regarding the best thesis and a prospective “plan of action” for your paper. Thus, your
Annotated Outline will have your new, best-so-far Abstract, an Abstract that includes a clear, appropriate thesis and
that summarizes how you will proceed through your paper. By the time you are completing your Annotated Outline,
you will have a better idea of the topic of your paper and of how you will address all aspects of that topic. This
improved understanding of the scope and content of your paper will allow you to write an Abstract that accurately
states the topic of the paper and that accurately previews/summarizes what the paper will include.
Q. How might this newest revised Abstract (the one we are including in our Annotated Outline) affect our grade
A. A revised Abstract within your Outline will not alter the grade your received for your original Abstract or the
revision
of that Abstract (the revision included with your Annotated Bibliography). However, an excellent Abstract will
contribute to and reflect excellence in your Outline, and so will contribute to a good grade on your Outline.
Q. How should we use our Annotated Bibliography when composing our Outline
A. Your Annotated Bibliography and the continuing research you will be doing should help you know what sources and
information you will be using for various sections, explanations, descriptions, and clarifications related to your topic.
It will be useful to explicitly state, in your Outline, where (and how) you might include information from particular
sources.
Q. When we write our actual, full Conference Paper, will sections, headings, and content need to be exactly as they are in
our Outline
A. The Outline should help you and your readers clearly see the focus and eventual content of your paper. You may
continue to revise and refine focus and content as you continue with research and writing. While your Outline should
demonstrate substantial work in all these areas, as you continue to investigate and understand your topic, it is entirely
possible that you will add sections, add significant areas of information, rearrange the order of sections, change the
titles of sections, etc., from Outline to Conference Paper.
Q. Should our entire Annotated Bibliography appear in the Outline How should we handle references in our Outline
A. As noted in the Outline Assignment, you must include your Annotated Bibliography with your Outline submission.
You do not need to reformat your Annotated Bib.—simply cut–and-paste it onto a separate page. If you have
consulted new resources since submitting your Annotated Bib. you do not need to add these to your Annotated Bib.,
but you do need to include these new resources in your Outline’s References or Additional Resources sections.
A. Your References and Additional Resources sections, then, will include any sources from your
Annotated Bib that you are continuing to use (though you will not include the description/annotation in your
References or Additional Sources sections), plus any sources you are using that are “new”—that were not part of your
Annotated Bib.
A. Your REFERENCES section is the same kind of section you included in last semester’s papers. This section provides
full bibliographic information for all in-text references. In-text references are accompanied by bracketed numbers,
which correspond to the proper numbered references in your References section. Resources you have consulted, but
from which you have not quoted, paraphrased, summarized, or used graphics or equations should appear in your
Additional Resources section. Scroll down for the “How to Present References” document, also available via the 0012
Conference Information site.

ENGLISH/FRESHMAN ENGINEERING WRITING PROJECT
HOW TO PRESENT REFERENCES
If you have a question about the correct way to present a source not exemplified, here, contact your Writing Instructor.
BASIC FORMAT: SOURCES ACCESSED VIA THE WEB
J. K. Author. (year, month). “Article title.” Book, Newspaper, Periodical, etc. Title. [Type of medium]. Pages, if given.
Available: URL
Examples: Sources Accessed via the Web
K. Chang. (2011, Sept 15. NASA Unveils New Rocket Design. New York Times. [Online article]. Available:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/science/space/15nasa.html_r=1&hpw
S. Unger. (2010, ).“Responsibility in Engineering: Victor Paschkis vs Wernher von Braun.” IT Professional. [Online article].
12 (3), pp. 6-7. Available: DOI 10.1109/MITP.2010.94
G. Ondrey. "Graphene." (2010, August). Chemical Engineering. [Online Article]. p. 9. Available:
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do&id=GALE%7CA235407371&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
ASCETweets (2011, Sept. 15). “Floating Bridge Replacement Work Under Way Near Seattle.” [Online Twitter post].
Glynch. (2011, Aug. 11). “Falling Apart and Falling Behind.” Our Failing Infrastructure: The Official Blog of ASCE
Government Relations.[Online blog post]. Available: http://blogs.asce.org/govrel/
“Inflatable Seatbelts: The Forefront of Backseat Safety.” 2011, (Sept. 15.) ASME Facebook. [Facebook wall post]. Available:
http://www.facebook.com/ASME.orgsk=wall
BASIC FORMAT: HARD COPY PERIODICALS AND JOURNALS
J. K. Author. (year, month). “Article title.” Title of Newspaper, Periodical, etc. page
Examples: Hard Copy Periodicals and Journals
S. Rosenberg (2011, Sept. 18). “A Foundation of Science.” The New York Times Sunday Review. p. 3
T. Frazier. (2011, Sept. 5). “The March of the Strandbeests.” The New Yorker. p. 56.
D. Aydin, E. Demirel. (2011, August). “Hydrodynamic Modeling of Dam‐ Reservoir Response during Earthquakes.” ASCE
Journal of Engineering Mechanics. pp.528-528
BASIC FORMAT: BOOKS
J. K. Author. (Year). Book Title. City, State of Publication: Publisher. page
Example: Books
C. E. Harris, M .S. Pritchard, M. Rabins. (2008). Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Belmont CA: Wadsworth. p.60.
Example: Chapter From a Book
C. E. Harris, M .S. Pritchard, M. Rabins. (2008). “Equity or Justice” in Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Belmont CA:
Wadsworth. pp.144-147

OTHER SOURCES
Example: E-mail
D. Budny. (2011, Sept. 21). [E-mail].
Example: Conversation or Interview
K. Bursic. (2011, Sept. 21). [Conversation]
D. Robinson. (2011, Sept 22). [Interview]
Example: Lecture
L. Kogut. (2011, Sept 26). General Chem for Engineers 1. [Lecture]