Revision Hints for Researched Essays

In addition to all of the revision and editing techniques that apply to non-researched essays, the following hints also apply:

• Read the essay out loud, checking that each spot where you’ve worked in research reads smoothly and logically, that your sentence structures work.

• Check each spot of research to make sure 1) that you have either paraphrased or quoted, and that you’ve done so correctly and accurately, 2) that you have clearly cited the source in such a way that your reader can tell which of the sources on your Works Cited is being referenced in each spot, 3) that you follow the correct MLA style for the citations. Look in your textbook—don’t try to remember it off the top of your head. Be careful rather than careless.

• Make sure that for each of the sources listed on your Works Cited, that your reader can clearly tell where each source is used in your essay.

• Make sure you always cite a source when you borrow information, and that if you also borrow the wording, that you use quotation marks.

• Check to make sure you have put your own thinking into the essay in addition to the information you got from research. Make sure your essay isn’t just a patchwork quilt, that you show us your own critical thinking about your subject.

• Remember that in college, we don’t want just a report on the topic. Make sure you pick an angle for your essay that fits the actual assignment you were given, and make sure you go below the surface in your thinking. Dig deep.