You've all now turned in a first draft of your paper. Now it's time to go back and look over what you wrote and clean up some of the grammar, word choice, and transitions. Basically, you have a piece- now it's time to clean it up so it is a little more streamlined.
I've looked over all your papers and have provided some notes on them to indicate where I think you need to focus some of your efforts. The best place to start is there. Try to take those suggestions and weave them into the fabric of your paper.
There are a few other tips to consider in getting a better feel for the paper:
Read the paper out loud to yourself- Does it sound like it flows properly? Are there any word choices you think are awkward? Is there anything you could do to improve the transition moments?
Does the paper say what you intended it to say- This is an important one. You outlined a few weeks ago what your paper's purpose was, do you feel like the paper does that? On top of that, does it do that in a concise, logical manner? Do you have too many words at times?
Look at your paragraphs- Do they all have a single thought and are they internally coherent? Make sure there is not too much going on in the paragraphs.
Have another person read the paper- Take note of what they feel the strengths and weaknesses are. When all else fails, a fresh pair of eyes is a good way to gain new insight.
Along the right-hand side of the page are links for more tips on what to do, and what to look for.
YOUR MISSION:
You have two weeks to read through your paper a few times and make any adjustments you feel are necessary. As you work, consult with me and I can help make sure you are on the right track. By the end of this portion you will be two small steps away from finishing up the paper.
