Skip to Main Content

CMNS 101 Fundamentals of Communication

Public Speaking Research Guide

Writing an Outline: Organizational Strategies

There are five common strategies employed to structure a speech:  

  • Chronological – Organized by time 
  • Spatial – Organized by space or place 
  • Causal (Cause/effect) – Organized as cause(s) and effect(s) 
  • Problem/Solution – Organized as a problem that can be solved 
  • Topical – Organized by logical subtopics, each under the bigger topic but potentially unrelated to the other subtopics