St. James High School of Buenavista, Agusan, Inc.

Curato St., Brgy. 5, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

SEC Reg. No. PW00001134
Telefax (085) 343-4332 343-4834

Reading and Writing

Information Sheet No.2

Topic:Techniques in Selecting And Organizing Information

MELCs:
1. Distinguishes between and among techniques in selecting and organizing
information EN11/12RWS-IIIa-2
a.brainstorming list
b.graphic organizer
c. topic outline
d.sentence outline

Objectives:
1. determine the various techniques in selecting and organizing information;
2. evaluate the use of each techniques in selecting and organizing information.

TECHNIQUES IN SELECTING AND ORGANIZING INFORMATION

TARGET OUTCOMES:

After this lesson, the students should be able to learn the following:
 Identify the main idea and its supporting details through brainstorming;
 Apply different techniques in selecting and organizing information;
 Illustrate information in a written text through an appropriate graphic
organizer, and
 Construct a topical and sentence outline of the information in a written
text

Nowadays, we are bombarded with different kinds of information from books,

newspapers, magazines, and of course, the Internet. Going through this amount of
information is not only the challenge; we also have to come up with effective ways of
processing them. Hence, one important ingredient to successful reading and writing is
our ability to generate, select, and organize ideas. These can be done through
brainstorming, making a graphic organizer, outlining, and many more.

No matter how vital the information in a given texts is, if they are presented in a
disorganized fashion, the reader will have a difficult time understanding your message.
Hence, it is not only important that we get sufficient and relevant information, we also
need to present them in an organized manner.

A. BRAINSTORMING

The concept of a brainstorm was formally introduced by Alex F. Osborn who argued
that a brainstorm is “… a session that was designed solely to produce a list of ideas that
could be used later in problem solving or other creative processes.”

By definition, brainstorming is a group creative technique by which efforts are made

to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously
contributed by its members. Simply put, it is the listing of ideas based on the given topic.
This is useful to talk about a topic, exchange of thoughts, or even debate on it with fellow
students. Examples of brainstorming questions are: “What are your ideas about…?” or
“What do you think about…?” Brainstorming can be done individually. In fact, some
studies show that individual brainstorming produces more ideas. This is partially so
because in group brainstorming, people focus too much on other people’s ideas that
they are unable to generate ideas of their own. However, group brainstorming might be a
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better option in solving more complicated problems because it produces ideas that are
wider in range and greater in depth. This is largely attributed to the fact that the
experiences and knowledge of each group member augment those of the other
members’. Hence, it is better practiced as a group activity wherein participants are asked
for a “brainstorm” of random ideas on a given question, problem, or topic.

TOPIC: UNEMPLOYMENT
- Lack of initiative - Lack of jobs
- Poverty - Low salary
- Educational background - Family problems
- Lack of education - Emotional problems
- Fresh graduates - Pride
- Skills/competencies

In his seminal work, Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative

Problem Solving, Alex F. Osborn contented that a good brainstorm session should
revolve around several principles:

1. Go for quantity. This rule is a means of enhancing divergent production, aiming

to facilitate problem solving through the maxim quantity breeds quality. The
assumption is that the greater the number of ideas generated, the bigger the
chance of producing a radical and effective solution.
2. Withhold criticism. In brainstorming, criticism of ideas generated should be put
“on hold.” Instead, participants should focus on extending or adding to the ideas,
reserving criticism for a later “critical stage” of the process. By suspending
judgment, participants will feel free to generate unusual ideas.
3. Welcome wild ideas. To get a good long list of suggestions, wild ideas are
encouraged. They can be generated by looking from new perspectives and
suspending assumptions. These new ways of thinking might give you better
solutions.
4. Combine and improve ideas. As suggested by the slogan “1+1=3”. It is
believed to stimulate the building of ideas by a process of association.

Unlike freewriting, brainstorming requires students to collaborate and to explore

on the given topic and to develop ideas further. Through brainstorming, we are able to
develop ideas further by associating several other concepts to the main concept. The
primary aim of this technique is to collect as many ideas as possible which will be
sorted, organized, and used in the writing process. Again, like freewriting, the more
ideas that are “brainstormed,” the better. The aim of a brainstorming exercise is not to
produce a logical flow of ideas but to provide yourself with as many choices for your
topic as possible.

As a general rule, a brainstorming session starts by having a facilitator, group

leader, and participants. Students draw their ideas from the topic and list down important
points of a discussion. A time limit is set at the start of the brainstorming. The leader of
each group should make sure that all participants contribute to the discussion to
generate as much ideas as possible. Make sure not to criticize during brainstorming, so
as to create a free and open environment. Do not forget to take short breaks during long
sessions. All members of the group including the leader will then go over the list and
discuss the reasons for writing each item. Each written item may be marked as important
or irrelevant. “In addition to contributing ideas of their own, participants should suggest
how ideas of others can be turned into better ideas; or how two or more ideas can be
joined into still another idea” (Osborn, 1953).

Brainstorming Variations

1. Individual Brainstorming – it is the use of brainstorming in solitary. It typically

includes such techniques as free writing, word association, and drawing a mind
map which is a visual note taking technique in which people diagram their
thoughts.
2. Nominal Group Technique – participants are asked to write their ideas
anonymously. Then the facilitator collects the ideas and the group votes on each
idea.

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 3. Group Passing Technique – each person in a circular group writes down one
idea and then passes the piece of paper to the next person, who adds some
thoughts. This continues until everybody gets his/her original piece of paper
back. And this continues until the distribution list is exhausted. This technique
takes longer, but it allows individuals time to think deeply about the problem.
4. Team Idea Mapping Technique – this brainstorming technique works by
association. It starts with a topic. Each participant brainstorms individually, then
all ideas are merged into one large idea map. Once all ideas are captured, the
group can deliberate and take action.

B. GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

According to McKnight (2010):

Graphic organizers are teaching and learning tools; when they’re integrated into
classroom experiences, students are better able to understand new material. Creating a
strong visual picture, graphic organizers support students by enabling them to literally
see connections and relationships between facts, information, and terms.

Graphic organizers are visual representations of concepts that help us structure

information into organizational patterns. They present essential information and connect
these pieces of information into a coherent framework.

A graphic organizer is a communication tool that uses visual symbols to express

knowledge, concepts, thoughts, or ideas, and the relationship between and among them.

Graphic organizers show the relationship between and among facts, concepts, or
ideas using visual symbols. They help you increase recall, arrange information, interpret
and understand learning. The main purpose of a graphic organizer is to provide a visual
aid to facilitate learning and instruction. Praveem and Premalatha (2012) proved in their
study that graphic organizers are legitimate ways to improve one’s reading
comprehension.

The following are examples of several graphic organizers.

1. Venn Diagram – this shows the common characteristics of two ideas or

concepts. This diagram uses two or more overlapping circles to show similar and
different attributes. 
2. KWL Chart – this helps students organize information before, during, and after a
lesson.
3. Topic Generators – allow students to think of associated topics based on the
main topic or central idea. An example of this is clustering/mapping.
4. Clustering or Concept Map - a technique that uses visual representations to
show connections/relationship between ideas. When you are done drawing your
cluster, browse through all the ideas and pick one that you would like to talk
about. If you want to expand on your chosen idea, you can also use the words
and phrases you wrote around it. The beauty of this pre-writing method is that it
teaches you how to dissect an idea, or how to develop it further.
5. Series of Events Chain – this shows the arrangement of events in chronological
order. Plot Diagram or Story Map and Flow Chart are examples of this.
6. Story Map – may summarize the beginning, middle, and end of a story. It may
also focus on the setting, character, plot, conflict, events, and outcome of a
narrative/story.
7. Flow Chart – this displays the steps or stages in a process.
8. Fishbone Map – this explores the many aspects or effects of a complex topic. It
is used to better understand the causal relationship of a complex phenomenon. It
shows the factors that cause a specific event or problem, as well as details of
each cause.
9. Cycle – this describes how a series of events interact to produce a set of results
repeatedly. Some examples of events that require a cycle are water cycle,
metamorphosis, poverty cycle, etc.
10. Discussion Web – allows you to give the meaning of what you read. It also
privileges you to polish your own interpretation against another.
11. Network Tree – this is used to represent hierarchy, classification, and branching,
it is useful in showing relationships of scientific categories, family trees, positions
in organizations, and even lineages.
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 12. Spider Map (also known as Semantic Map) – this is used to investigate and
enumerate various aspects of a central idea, which could be a concept, topic, or
theme. This central idea is placed at the center of the map. The main idea is
placed along its diagonal line, which details of the main idea are placed on the
sides of the diagonals.
13. Problem-Solution Map – this displays the nature of the problem and how it can
be solved. This map usually contains the problem’s description, its causes and
effects, and logical solutions.
14. Timeline - used to show how events occurred chronologically through a long bar
labeled with dates and specific events.
15. Persuasion Map – is used to map out arguments and evidence that prove a
viewpoint. This map is especially useful when processing persuasive or
argumentative texts.
16. Vocabulary Map – this promotes vocabulary development. It usually asks
students to define a word, or provide synonyms or antonyms.

There are more graphic organizers you may use depending on the nature of the text
or the nature of your writing activity – you may even device a graphic organizer of your
own!

C. OUTLINING

Dadufalza (2008) provided a comprehensive definition of what an outline is:

An outline provides a rapid grasp of the fundamental aspects of an entire

expository piece. It shows, through its standard format, how these parts relate to each
other as sections of equal importance or units of subordinate rank which merely support,
clarify, or illustrate the main headings under which they are classified. An outline,
furthermore, reveals how, seen together, all these main and subordinate parts of
the outline contribute final relevance to the central idea of the entire composition.
An outline, therefore, ultimately yield the inner logic from which the coherence of an
entire body of thought springs (p. 303).

An outline arranges ideas hierarchically (showing which are main and which are
sub-points), in the desired sequence and shows what will be talked about.

An outline is valuable for several purposes: 1) for organizing one’s thoughts

before writing, and 2) for checking the organization of a piece after it has been written.

By locating the thesis statement, claims, and evidence, and then plotting these
into an outline, you can see how the writer structures, sequences, and connects his or
her ideas. This way you will be able to better evaluate the quality of the writing.

An outline shows how an article is organized, or how it is constituted (including

how its main and supporting ideas relate to each other). A good writer, whether technical
or not, uses an outline to serve as a skeletal framework for his composition. Ideas are
well-organized when an outline is made prior to collecting information or writing
the draft. Indeed, an outline helps the writer present his ideas in an orderly fashion.

But how do we come up with an outline? Do we just choose random sentences

and ideas and “outline” them?

Crucial to a good outline is an excellent understanding of the source material.

The first thing we need to do is to identify the text’s thesis statement or central idea—
what is the author talking about? Then, we locate the main ideas in the text that directly
supports the central idea—these are the text’s main ideas. All other information that are
subordinate to the main ideas are the supporting details. An outline is so essential to
clear and effective writing.

We must remember that when outlining, there should always be at least two
items for each level. Hence, a main idea should always have at least two supporting
ideas.

Things to Remember:

1. Use roman numerals for the main idea.

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 2. Use capital letters for the subheadings.
3. Use Arabic numerals for supporting details.
4. Indent each level of the outline.
5. State the points in each division/level in parallel form. Use the same kind of word
or phrase structure within each division.

An outline may take any of these two forms: sentence (formal) outline or topic
(scratch) outline. As the terms suggest, a sentence outline consists of complete
sentences. The sentences state the crucial point of each stage of the paper. You use
this outline when the topic being discussed is complicated and requires details. On the
other hand, a topic outline contains words and phrases as its entries. Remember that a
topic outline lists words or phrases. This type of framework is sufficient for short papers.
Do NOT place periods after any of the points in a topic sentence. Also, make sure that
each point is stated in the parallel grammatical form.

FOUR OUTLINING PRINCIPLES

There are four principles that need to be followed in making an effective outline.
These principles are coordination, subordination, division, and parallel construction. The
principle of coordination requires ideas of the same relevance to be labeled in the
same way (see I and II in both sample outlines that follow). The principle of
subordination shows that minor details have to be placed under their respective major
details (see I and A in both sample outlines). The principle of division requires that no
cluster should contain only one item. In short, if you have subheading 1, there should be
subheading 2. Lastly, the principle of parallel construction requires all entries in each
cluster to use the same structure and format. For example, the words promotes and
improves in sample topic outline below use simple present tense.

An outline is used not only as a prewriting strategy but also as a postreading

activity.

SAMPLE OUTLINES:

Topic Outline

I. Positive effects of uniform policy

A. Promotes school identity
B. Improves school security
II. Negative effects of uniform policy
A. Inhibits learning
B. Curtails individuality

Sentence Outline

Thesis: Students should not be mandated to wear uniforms because wearing a uniform
does not improve behavior nor does it facilitate learning.

I. Wearing a uniform does not improve behavior.

A. Van de Laan confirms that wearing a uniform does not have direct
positive impact on behavior.
B. Dr. Wallin confirms that the perceived positive impact of uniforms on
students’ behavior is just a halo effect.

II. Wearing a uniform does not facilitate learning.

A. A study of Seamon (1995) shows that there is weak connection between
academic performance and uniform policy.
B. Dr. Badger (2008) claims that a standardized uniform policy does not
improve school performance.
C. Dr. Brunsma (2006) confirms that there is no positive correlation between
wearing a uniform and academic achievement.

Conclusion: On top of being insensitive to the individuality of students, implementing a

uniform policy does not have useful advantages as well, as it does not present sufficient
evidence that links to positive influence on students’ behavior and academic
performance.

Other Examples:
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TOPIC OUTLINE

Thesis: Because our family has a variety of hobbies and interests, we get a lot of junk
mail that we treat like junk.

I. Definition of junk mail

A. Bulk rate postage
B. Advertising

II. Hobbies and interests of the family

A. Woodworking
B. Investing
C. Gardening and sports

III. Lists sold by companies

A. Farm, fleet, work clothes catalogs
B. Financial brochures
C. Sports, clothing, camping, and gardening catalogs

IV. Junk mail as junk

A. Clutter
B. Garbage

SENTENCE OUTLINE

Thesis: Because our family has a variety of hobbies and interests, we get a lot of junk
mail that we treat like junk.

I. A junk mail is a particular kind of mail.

A. Junk mail goes for “bulk rate.”
B. Junk mail consists of advertising or soliciting brochures.

II. The hobbies and interests of our family reflect the kind of junk mail we
receive.
A. My father is a woodworker, so he gets everything connected with
carpentry.
B. My mother is an investor in stocks and bonds, so she gets investment
brochures.
C. I once had a garden, so I get garden catalogs.
D. I ordered something from L. L. Bean, so now I get sporting goods
catalogs.

III. The companies we order from have sold their lists of customers.
A. My father gets farm and fleet catalogs as well as work clothes catalogs.
B. My mother gets invitations to “make a million.”
C. I get every conceivable kind of catalog related to sports, clothing,
camping, and gardening.

IV. We treat the catalogs like junk.

A. We seldom look at them.
B. We throw them in the garbage.

Conclusion: As a result of all our junk mail, our family has reduced the number of things
that they order by mail and have taken to buying from the local stores.

Understand that an outline is a writing aid that will show you how to present your
points from start to end, but it should not dictate the form or style you want to use in your
writing. Outline only if it will help your writing, and outline in a way that will help you best.
The helpfulness of an outline will all be up to you. Remember that the key to outlining is
distinguishing between main ideas and supporting ideas. Also, it is only possible to make
an outline if you have familiarity with the subject. 

SUMMARY NOTES

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 Selecting and organizing information for a paragraph development are very vital in
writing a composition. Several techniques can be used in coming up with clear and
effective writing output. These techniques are brainstorming, graphic organizers, and
outlining. These techniques when properly applied and utilized will bid in producing an
organized and well-developed composition.

Self-Check

Choose at least 3 of the graphic organizers presented in this module and use the chosen
graphic organizers in organizing your thoughts. You are free to choose what topic/idea to
use. Put it in a short bond paper and construct it neatly and creatively.

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