Revising

Revising a research paper is one of the most important steps any writer can make after the peer edits have been done. Many students think that revising is simply making spelling and grammar corrections. This is one part of the revision process, but not the only part. An often overlooked step is re-envisioning your research paper.

This means that you are looking at your subject a little differently now that it has been written. Oftentimes, the first draft gets close to what you want to say, but readers may have unanswered questions after reading it. This is where revision makes a difference in not only the quality of the paper, but in the grade you receive. Quite often there is a letter grade difference between papers that were revised and those that were not.

Reasons to Revise:

• Delete extra or unnecessary information
• Reorganize sections
• Add critical new information
• Correct grammar and spelling errors
• Correct errors in logic
• Correct potential plagiarism issues by citing sources correctly

Methods of Revision:

• Reread your introduction completely. Does it set a solid foundation for the rest of the paper? Does it include a thesis statement?
• Next, re-read your body paragraphs. Does each paragraph transition to the next in a smooth and coherent manner? Do you need to cite more sources to back up your claims?
• Fill in missing information or rewrite paragraphs to add clarity
• Re-read your conclusion. Does it tie together with the introduction?

Sure Fire Strategies:

• When you think you are finished, read the paper aloud to yourself.
• Set the paper aside for several hours or a day, and then read it one last time with a fresh set of eyes.
• Print out a hard copy and make an electronic copy just in case your teacher misplaces it or you accidentally lose it. (Rule of thumb: Always backup your work)

Other Useful Tips:

• Use a highlighter to highlight the main points. Compare each main point and check to see if you have given each point enough consideration.
• Highlight every source citation and double check it with the work cited page at the end. Double check that every source cited in the paper appears at the end of the document in a work cited page.