How to Improve Your Writing: Checklist
(this is intended to be helpful, not comprehensive)

THE EASIEST WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR PAPER: THE VISUAL CHECKLIST

AFTER DRAFTING AND REVISING YOUR PAPER:  PRINT IT OUT, THEN
LOOK AT IT:

__ Do a word count.  Is the paper the right length?  (remember, title, references,
tables, figures, and appendices **do not** count).

__ Are any paragraphs half a page long or longer?  (if so, break them up).

___ Do I have all the parts (of a research paper)?  Have I addressed all the subquestions (of
 a multi-part essay question)?

___ Are the parts in the correct order? (Title, text, references, figures, tables, appendices).

___ Is it formatted correctly? (see my web pages and R&R Appendix A)

___ Do I have the correct information on the title page?

___  Are there any hanging headers? (headers that end a page -- there should not be
any of these)

___  Have I cited anything without referencing it? (easy check: Scan for 19 or 20, which
will include all dates, then check to see if they are in the references).

___ Have I included the date with every citation? (e.g., Prothro & Grigg, 1960).

___ Have I double-spaced throughout, or have I added unnecessary, inappropriate
extra spaces?


USEFUL FOR ALL PAPERS:
AFTER COMPLETING ALL THIS: RE-READ EACH SENTENCE SLOWLY AND OUT LOUD
Have I made ridiculously overstated and unjustified claims?
"My tiny little study of 90 ads in four magazines proved that America is not a racist
society."

Are any of my sentences not?

Are any of my sentences excessively flowery and convoluted?  Could the same thing
be written more succinctly?

Any run-ons or convoluted sentences?

Would an intelligent 7th grader understand all sentences except those involving
technical aspects such as statistics or methodology?


SUBSTANTIVE/CONTENT CHECKS (for empirical papers, not essays or concept papers)

Did I write a full draft of the paper that includes all references, appendices, and tables
at least 3 days before it is due?

INTRO
Have I explicitly stated the hypotheses?

Have I presented a clear and convincing basis for testing
those hypotheses?

Have I presented an argument along with logic or prior
data that suggests that it is plausible to believe these hypotheses might be true?

METHOD
Have I explained how I obtained my data/subjects?

Have I indicated how many subjects there are?  Have I presented their demographic
(gender, ethnic) breakdown?

Have I explained anything unusual about my procedures?

Have I explained why/justified why I collected the data the way that I did?

RESULTS
Have I presented my preliminary results?

Have I tested all hypotheses described in my intro?

Have I explained how each main result bears on a hypotheses?

Have I presented what my results mean in such a manner that my grandmother
would understand them?

DISCUSSION
Have I summarized the results in the first paragraph?

Have I discussed what the results mean and why they are important?

Have I discussed and critically evaluated the meaning of limitations to my study?

Have I suggested directions for future research?  Have I justified these suggestions?

Have I included a concluding paragraph or two that says why my study's findings are
important?

TABLES AND FIGURES
Are they simple, clear and self-explanatory?  If not, is there text on the table or figure
that explains the table?