Article outlining
Turn a topic or rough material into an outline that can support a useful, honest article. This method produces a proposed outline and evidence plan; it does not publish, send, or change a content-management system.
Intake
Use the material already supplied before asking for more. Establish only the facts that change the outline:
- the intended reader and the decision or understanding the article should improve; - the central claim, observation, or question; - evidence available, including its limits; and - any required format, length, voice, or publication constraints.
When the request is exploratory, state narrow assumptions and offer a first outline rather than turning it into a long interview. Ask a question only when the answer would materially change the argument.
Five-part outline workflow
1. **Explore.** Restate the reader's problem and the article's useful promise. Separate the observed facts from the author's interpretation. 2. **Choose the story.** Propose one bounded thesis, the tension or counterargument it must answer, and a practical takeaway. Do not promote a small observation into universal proof. 3. **Plan evidence.** Identify which claims need primary sources, supplied examples, or clearly labeled inference. Capture source URLs as research is gathered; never add a statistic or case study without its source. 4. **Build the action path.** Sequence the opening, context, argument, counterpoint, concrete examples, and conclusion so each section advances the thesis. Give the reader a usable next step rather than a generic call to action. 5. **Finalize for drafting.** Check that the title, thesis, headings, evidence needs, and conclusion agree. Flag unresolved evidence or claims that should be narrowed before drafting.
Output
```markdown # [Working title]
## Reader and purpose [Who this is for and what it should help them understand or decide]
## Thesis [One bounded, supportable claim]
## Outline 1. **[Section]** — [purpose, key point, and evidence needed] 2. **[Section]** — [purpose, key point, and evidence needed] 3. **[Counterpoint or limitation]** — [what it qualifies] 4. **[Practical conclusion]** — [specific next step]
## Evidence plan - [Claim] — [source, supplied observation, or information still needed]
## Risks or open questions - [Any unsupported claim, missing audience choice, or factual gap] ```
Evidence and boundaries
- Cite every non-trivial external claim inline in the eventual article and list its sources. Re-check each URL against the claim before finalizing. - Preserve counterevidence, uncertainty, and the scope of supplied examples. - Keep client, employer, customer, and personal information private unless its owner explicitly authorizes publication. - A request to publish, schedule, upload, or distribute is a separate action requiring the host's normal approval path.
Handoff
Hand the approved outline to a writing workflow for drafting, or to the host's configured publishing workflow only after the user explicitly asks for that next action.