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Study Skills Handout: How to Write a Research Paper
Step 5 -- Revising the Paper

The handout below is just one of the many study skills handouts available through the Tutoring Center. If you are having trouble with study skills of any kind, or if you have questions about study skills that are not addressed here, stop in the Student Commons Building, Room 1300, at the Normal campus and talk to a tutor. He/she can provide additional handouts, help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses and help you formulate a plan to develop effective study strategies. To find out when tutors for various courses are available in Pontiac or Lincoln contact the receptionist in Pontiac (815-842-6777) or Lincoln (217-735-1731).

How to Write A Research Paper
A Guide for Tutors and Students

Heartland Community College Academic Support Center
Prepared by Carol Baker, Melissa Clark, Nancy Mazur and Ellen Vogel

Guidelines on How to Write a Research Paper are broken down into the following steps.

• Introduction
• Checklist: Scheduling Your Research Paper
• Step 1: Getting Started
• Step 2: Collecting Data
• Step 3: Taking Notes
• Step 4: Drafting the Paper
• Step 5: Revising the Paper
• Step 6: Preparing the Final Draft
• MLA
• APA

Step 5: Revising the Paper

Edit for focus, content, and flow (also called unity or coherence).

Read the paper out loud to yourself and have someone else read it as well.

Use proofreading marks. (See handout: Proofreading Marks.)

• Does the paper deliver the message you intend?
• Is each sentence clearly expressed?
• Is your style appropriate for your audience and interesting?
• Is anything unclear?
• Is more description, explanation, and/or support needed?
• Is your choice of words appropriate to convey your meaning?
• Have you included adequate discussion of the reasoning behind your main ideas?
• Have you repeated key terms for coherent flow?
• Are there unnecessary word repetitions?
• Do you have enough supporting information?
• Did you limit the number of quotations to only a few?
• Did you check all quotations for accuracy?
• Is the paper well organized so the thoughts flow logically?
• Do you need to change things around so ideas work better another way?
• Do you need to work on smooth sentence phrasing, transitions between sentences, or transitions between paragraphs?
• Have you covered everything you wanted to include?
• Do you have enough information to carry out your purpose?
• Is the theme of your thesis sustained throughout the paper and is it adequately supported?
• Have you established a line of discussion in your own voice that controls the paper and
• explains the use of source material in each instance?
• Is source material used only to support and develop your own ideas

Polish your Paper. (See an English tutor for further assistance.)

• Check punctuation.
• Check for comma splices and fused sentences.
• Check capitalization.
• Check grammar usage.
• Check subject/verb agreement.
• Check noun/pronoun agreement.
• Eliminate over-used words.
• Review sentence construction.
• Revise awkward sentences.
• Include a variety of sentences. (See handout: Sentence Structure.)
• Spell check and check for typographical errors.
• Eliminate unnecessary word repetitions.
• Correct words that spell check did not catch.
• Delete extra spaces and add spaces where needed.
• Proofread backwards for final error check.

Note: See revising your thesis questionnaire handout.

• Look at the thesis statement again.
• Present a clear thesis statement that:
• Accurately reflects the broad subject area.
• Narrows your topic to a main idea or a main question that the paper will answer.
• Is specific enough to be fully discussed in the paper.
• Expresses your perspective on the subject.
• Is explained and supported throughout the paper.
• Gives the reader a reason to read.

Prepare Final Outline if required.

Note: Use your informal outline to create the final outline.

• Give a logical, general description of your topic.
• Follow a definite organizational pattern.
• Reflect logical thinking.
• Use the principles of:
• Parallelism
• Coordination/Subordination
• Division/Classification

Let your paper "rest" a day or two.

Note: If you have planned your research and followed the schedule you will have your paper done well before the deadline to hand it in. This "rest" period from your paper is beneficial because time away from your writing allows you to come back to it with a fresh perspective.

One more reading can reveal things you might not have seen when you were, as the old saying goes,"so close you couldn’t see the forest through the trees." Taking time out gives you one more chance to make final needed changes and it could make a difference in the grade you get on your paper.

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