Revision Checklist

Organization and thesis

• What am I trying to prove in this essay?  That is, what is my thesis or argument?  Where do I state it in my paper?

• Who is my audience?  What background or context does my audience need to know, and where do I provide that context?

Argument and supporting points

• What are the major supporting points I need to get across to support my thesis?  Where do I state these points?

• Do all of my supporting points relate clearly to my thesis?

• Are there points that need to be expanded, or that need more support?  Are there sections that are redundant, and if so, what will I cut out?

• Do I quote, summarize, and paraphrase from sources that demonstrate support for my thesis?  

• Do I group similar kinds of evidence together in the same section of my paper, to give my arguments coherence?

• Do I infer reasonable conclusions from my evidence, or interpret it?  Where do I do this?

• Do I consider contrary evidence?  Have I been fair in my presentation of this evidence?

Paragraphs

• Do I clearly state the main point of each paragraph in its topic sentence?

• Do I have clear transitions from idea to idea, and paragraph to paragraph?

• Is my opening paragraph interesting enough to draw readers in?

• Does my concluding paragraph mirror my introduction in some way?  

Sentences

• What is my tone in this paper—is it emotional?  Preachy?  Belligerent?  Do I sound more certain than I really am?

• Are my sentences clear enough to be understood at first reading?  Can I make my sentences simpler by eliminating cumbersome or redundant words or phrases?

• Are my sentences correct in terms of grammar and spelling?

• Have I included complete, correct, and consistent documentation for all my sources, both in the paper and in the bibliography?