Revise
This checklist covers three types of revision: global, paragraph-level, and sentence-level revision.
Global Revision
Assignment Guidelines
- Does your paper meet all the assignment guidelines?
- Does your paper follow the assignment rubric?
- Do you use enough outside sources in your paper?
- Is your paper the appropriate length?
Introduction
- Does your essay have an introduction?
- Does your introduction have a hook to capture the reader’s interest?
- Does the introduction provide the reader with important context or background information on your topic?
Argument
- Does your essay have a thesis statement?
- Does it take a clear position?
- Is your position debatable?
- Is it specific and narrow enough for the scope of the assignment?
- Is it positioned at the end of your introduction?
- Does it forecast the content of your essay?
Organization
- Are any paragraphs off topic or unrelated to your argument?
- Do any paragraphs stand out as being too short?
- Can any of these paragraphs be deleted or combined with other paragraphs?
- Do any paragraphs stand out as being too long?
- Can any of these paragraphs be broken up into multiple paragraphs?
- Is there redundancy in any of these paragraphs? Can redundant content be deleted?
Conclusion
- Does your essay have a conclusion?
- Does it summarize your argument and main supporting points?
- Does it consider the implications and significance of your argument?
- Does it consider how future research should build off of or respond to your argument?
Paragraph-Level Revision
Topic Sentences
- Does each paragraph contain a topic sentence?
- Does each topic sentence state the paragraph’s main idea or claim?
- Does each topic sentence tie back to your thesis statement in some way?
- Does each topic sentence match up with the content of the paragraph?
Evidence and Source Usage
- Is each claim supported with evidence?
- Is your evidence from a reliable and credible source?
- When relevant, are your sources peer-reviewed?
- Are your sources paraphrased fairly and accurately?
- Are all quotations in quotation marks?
- Are there any direct quotations that could be paraphrased instead?
- Are all your sources cited in text?
- Are all your sources cited in the References page?
- Have you generated and reviewed an originality report for your paper through Turnitin?
- Is your paper below the acceptable similarity percentage of 30%?
Analysis
- Is each piece of evidence followed by analysis?
- Does the analysis refer back to the evidence?
- When relevant, does your analysis perform a close reading of your evidence?
- Does your analysis demonstrate how your evidence supports the paragraph’s claim?
- Does your analysis demonstrate how the evidence fits into your larger argument?
Transitions
- Does each paragraph contain a concluding sentence?
- Does this concluding sentence link back to the main idea of the paragraph OR
- To the next paragraph OR
- Back to the thesis statement?
Sentence-Level and Lower-Order Concerns
Sentence-Level
- Are there any sentences that can be combined?
- Do you use a variety of sentence structures?
- Does your sentence length vary throughout your paper?
- Have you omitted unnecessary or redundant words?
- Do you use the appropriate point of view?
- Do you stick to one point of view throughout the paper?
Common Grammatical and Mechanical Mistakes:
- Have you reviewed your draft for issues with parallel structure?
- Have you corrected any instances of comma splices?
- Does every sentence have a subject and a verb?
- Does each subject and verb agree?
- Are proper nouns and the beginnings of sentences capitalized?
- Do you correctly use they’re, there, and their?
- Do you correctly use it’s and its?
- Are apostrophes used correctly?
APA Formatting
- Are your in-text citations and references formatted in APA style?
- Does your paper follow the CSU-Global APA template?
Editing and Proofreading Strategies
- Have you read the paper out loud?
- Have you used spell check on your paper?
- Have you made an appointment with the Writing Center to get feedback on your writing?
