Steps to Editing Your Paper Properly
This article will give you the necessary steps for editing your paper before submitting it. You can apply these steps in any document. Here are the tips:
- Make a checklist of the requirements
Don’t let your paper get rejected because you failed to follow the instructions. Many writers realize when it’s already too late that they skipped a crucial step and struggle to fix it at the eleventh hour. Double-check the requirements at the beginning of your editing process. After getting the requirements, now make a checklist like this one;
- Topic
- Number of sources
- Data/sources/framework to include.
- Page and word count
- Format
- Writing style
- Other requirements
Scan the draft you have and see if you have covered all the requirements that you need.
- Reverse Outline
It entails a way to edit your work to ensure that the text has a natural flow between blocks and that they are in support of the main point. It will help you take notes on difficult papers. You can achieve RO through writing by hand in the left margin of the article or creating an outline in the computer in the word processor that you use. Here is an example;
- Input your thesis at the beginning of the outline. Bold it and give it a large font.
- Count the number of paragraphs in the draft and number lines for every section. Write a summary of the paragraph in the pipes.
- Summarize your main points in ten words.
- Take note of the trouble spots.
- Editing content
You will need your RO from the second step and the list from the first step and the requirement list. Do not accidentally edit out an element that is important and needed. For content editing;
- Save a second copy: launch your first draft and save it as a copy for later edits. Keep the original one if you delete something by mistake or want to refer back to something.
- Develop a game plan: check your to-do list and the marks you made on your RO and decide to handle the steps that seem essential to you. You can start with the easy ones.
- Edit the paper for content: follow through with the plan you have and edit the content while remembering the thesis statement.
- Make updates on your RO: while editing a paragraph, update the changes you make. Let the changes you make reflect in your RO.
- Double-check the requirements: after editing, check again on your needs and make other checkmarks while doing so.
- Editing the format
You now have to make the paper have its best look and get it ready for submission. The format includes margins, citation style, font style, and face and captions for tables and figures.
- Check the requirement. Look for the formatting requirements from the checklist in step one.
- Locate your style guide. You can use the APA, Chicago, or the MLA. You can find many others for journals and publications.
- Edit a step at a time. It is not advisable to edit and format everything at once. Some formats are simple, and you can do the following;
- Proofreading
It is the final step in editing. Leave this step for last as it will help you make crucial changes in the previous few sections. You can correct the few typos and errors that you can locate in other areas, but you will need to do final proofreading before calling it done. You can have a colleague help you out in reading out loud. You can locate other mistakes you did not see as you did it yourself. The second reader can also tell you how the text sounds or where to make your changes if necessary. If they make changes, review them as they can be your goal to achieve better marks.
