SKILLS@LIBRARY ONLINE

THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY RESOURCES

REVISING, EDITING AND PROOFREADING

Use these guides in your writing process to check for common errors, language used, formating, references and
citations, and much more.
 KEY ISSUES TIPS AND TRICKS

Content Build it into your timing

Relevance Double spaces
Argument Print a hard copy Include page numbers

REVISING
Structure Wide margins
Description
Use headings
Analysis Criticality Reverse outlining
Highlight topic sentences
Evaluation

Define terms Re-thinking Have I answered the question set? Research question?
Re-writing Is there a balance between description analysis and evaluation?
Cutting sections Does my writing match the outline in the introduction?
Adding sections Have I said what I meant to say?
Reorganising Am I clear?
Thesis Are my ideas linked?
Outline Is the sequence of ideas logical?
Geography Are there any gaps?
Time Is there anything which is not relvant?
Area Scope Introduction Are there any hidden assumptions or links?
Focus Does my conclusion follow from the rest of the writing?
Texts

FOCUS QUESTIONS
 KEY ISSUES TIPS AND TRICKS

Build it into your timing

Making it easy for the reader
Leave a day between edits

EDITING
Genre
Read it from your
audience’s point of view

Sentence/word level
Avoid emotive language
Formal vs informal
Academic voice
Active or passive
Essay/Section/Figure as subject Use of “I” and “we” What is the main focus?
Hedging How can I show the
First... This section examines... In conclusion... Navigation structure of my argument?
Signposting
Therefore... In contrast... Furthermore... Linking words Does every sentence do some
Topic sentences work to support my thesis?
Statement/Assertion Am I clear?
Evidence Structure Paragraphs What does the genre require?
Evaluation/Significance/Reasoning Are there any discipline
Length specific requirements?
Duplication
Fewer examples/case studies Reduce
Waffle
Wordcount
Where are the gaps?
Have I answered the question? Increase
More reading required? FOCUS QUESTIONS
Counter argument?
May need to go back to REVISING
 KEY ISSUES TIPS AND TRICKS
Details Build it into your timing
Accuracy Spelling

PROOFREADING
Departmental requirements Word tools Grammar
Tutor preference Use “find” to locate and change
Use technology
repeated words, ‘z’ common errors
Use ¶ to check layout errors
Punctuation Google
Spelling Check meaning Use a thesaurus
British National Corpus
British vs American English to find variations
Oxford English Dictionary
Grammar Read aloud
Syntax Turn it upside down
Wrong words Language Read it backwards
Avoid repeating Use a guide
Lack of vocabulary
the same word Subject/verb agreement
Abbreviations
Typing errors Make a list of your common mistakes It’s vs Its
X But... And... Because...
Line spacing
Margins Separate your focus 1) Check language
Layout
Spaces 2) Check appearance
Quotations 3) Check referencing
Font
Font size Appearance
Pages
Sections Numbering Is there a “house” style for my department?
Figures, Tables Does it read well?
Am I clear?
Figures, Tables
Which referencing system is required?
Harvard Does every citation have a reference?
Numerical Does every reference have a citation?
MHRA Is every citation near to the content?
APA Does it make sense?
IEEE Have I used technical vocabulary accurately?
Other Referencing
OSCOLA
Royal Society of Chemistry
Vancouver
Names: check family or given?
Spaces, full stops, brackets, colons FOCUS QUESTIONS