Revision process steps

1 Steps in the revision process

The following are guidelines for students in revising writing assignments and academic papers.

1.1 Start large, end small

Before editing the grammar, style, and vocabulary, it is more important to examine the contents, to be sure that you have presented ideas that are clear, coherent, and persuasive. Thus, first consider the following.

1. The assignment

First check whether you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment.

• Have you performed the kind of thinking the assignment asked for (e.g., analyze, argue, compare, explore)?
• Have you written the genre of document called for (e.g., book review, critique, personal response, field notes, research report, lab report, essay)?
• Have you used concepts and methods of reasoning discussed in the course? Don’t be shy about using theoretical terms from the course (as long as you show that you understand them when you discuss them).
• Beware of just retelling stories or listing information.
• Have you given adequate evidence for your argument or interpretation? Be sure that the reader can understand why and how your ideas are important. For example, note where your paragraphs go after their topic sentences. Looking at your topic sentences in sequence will show what kinds of ideas you have emphasized. Watch out for repetitions of general ideas. Make sure your ideas progress into detailed reasoning, usually including sources that are referenced.

2. Organization

Then look at overall organization. It’s helpful to print out a hard copy so that you can examine everything as you consider the following.

• Does your introduction make clear where the rest of the paper is headed? If the paper is argument-based, you will likely use a thesis statement. Research papers often start with a statement of the research question. (Ask a clear-headed friend to give you a specific prediction of what s/he expects after reading only the first few paragraphs of your paper, without giving a vague answer.)
• Is each section in the right place to fulfill your purpose? It might help to make a reverse outline: take the key idea from each paragraph or section and set it down in a list so you can see the logical structure of your essay. Does it cohere together? Is it all necessary? What's missing? Revise to fill in gaps and take out irrelevant material.
• Have you drawn connections between the sections? Look again at your topic sentences to see if they link back to what has just been said as well as looking forward to the next point. Find ways to draw ideas together explicitly. Use logical statements, not just a sprinkling of connecting words.
• Would a person reading your conclusion know what question you had asked and how you had arrived at your answer?

3. Style

Now polish and edit your style by moving to smaller matters such as word choice, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

• Read passages aloud to see if you have achieved the emphasis you want. Look for places to use short sentences to draw attention to key ideas, questions, or argumentative statements. If you can’t read a sentence aloud all the way through with a normal speaking voice and expression, try cutting it into two or more clauses or separate sentences.
• Be sure to use spell check, but also read it all through (don’t always trust the word processor’s suggestions).
• Don’t depend on a thesaurus or dictionary. It will supply you with lists of words in the same general category as the one you have tried – but most of them won’t make sense. Use plain, clear words instead; or consult a thesaurus, and look for examples of how new words are used in real contexts.
• Don’t depend on a grammar checker. Even the best ones still miss errors, and can give incorrect advice. If you know that you overuse slang or the passive voice, you may find some of the “hits” and advice useful, but be sure to make your own choice of replacement phrases.

4. Layout

Follow basic expectations for appearance:

• For major essays or research papers, include a cover page with the paper title, the course name, your name, the date, and the instructor’s name. Don’t bother with colored paper, plastic covers, fancy print, or decorations. Do not include a cover page for regular homework assignments or exams.
• Number your pages at the bottom or in the top right-hand corner. You may omit the number for the first page of your paper (since it will be headed by the title), starting in with 2 on the second page
• Double-space your text (or at least 1.5 line spacing). Leave 2-2.5 cm margins on all sides; use a standard font in 12-point size, or 11-point Arial or equivalent; staple the pages.

5. References

Put the reference list or bibliography on a separate page at the end, following a standard documentation format, such as APA (in social sciences), MLA (in some humanities fields), IEEE (in engineering), CBE (in biology), or others – there are many such systems, and which one is used depends on one’s field or subfield.