Outlines can be vertical lists or horizontal columns. For example, you would use a vertical structure if your notes consisted of long paragraphs grouped under headings or if you wanted to indent items in a list. You might use a horizontal structure for a list of coworkers' telephone numbers or a list of words and their definitions.

Vertical outline structure

Indented items in a list

Horizontal outline structure

To create a vertical outline in Microsoft Office OneNote 2003, you follow a paragraph with another paragraph at the same level or indented one level. To create a horizontal outline, you press TAB to create a new column before you press ENTER.

Whether your outline is horizontal or vertical, you can use headings and subheadings to provide a structure that is useful in several respects:

• Organize information in a hierarchy   Indent subheadings to make them subordinate to headings, and write body text under headings and subheadings to create a hierarchical structure for your notes.
• Expand and collapse content   Double-click a paragraph handle to collapse and hide any subheadings that are subordinate to that paragraph. Double-click the paragraph handle again to expand the content.

  Note  You can also show or hide the body text underneath any heading or subheading that is showing.

• Selectively show content based on hierarchy   For any paragraph with subheadings, you can choose the depth of the hierarchy you want to show (as many as five levels, plus body text). Right-click the paragraph handle of a collapsed heading, point to Hide Levels Below, and then click a level.
• Select text at the same level of hierarchy across the entire outline   If you consistently place the same kind of information at the same level of hierarchy in your notes— for example, you list projects as Level 1 headings and To Do items as Level 2 headings— you can quickly select this information and copy, move, delete, or format it. Right-click the paragraph handle of a heading at the level you want, and then click Select All at Same Level.