Writing the first draft of a paper is a major feat, but the revision process is arguably
more important to the final understanding of your paper. While the first draft allows
you to collect all the information that you would like to present, the revision process
helps you present this information in the most logical way and makes your writing
more accessible to readers of various experience levels. Revisions are crucial for the
readers’ understanding and can take your paper from good to excellent. The best
way to revise is to have someone like a peer, writing center consultant, a professor,
or an advisor read your draft and make comments about ideas you may have not
fully explained. An outside reader can also note places in the manuscript that feel
repetitive or over-explained. Keep in mind that we are so close to our writing that we
usually cannot find moments in our prose when we confuse our readers. You can
then take these comments and integrate them into your writing, improving the flow
by following a logical sequence of information and expanding important sections
that will provide context for your reader.
See accompanying handout and exercises on this topic.
Handout: editing and revisionsExercises: editing and revisions