Unit 4: Revising and Editing—Polish Your Research Report

Unit 4: Editing and Revising—Polish Your Research Report

Overview

In the previous unit (”Writing—Create a Research Report”) you produced a first draft of a research report or paper. In this paper you presented your American hero and cited supporting evidence. However, your paper is not quite finished. It is your first attempt to write, or “speak,” to your audience. This first attempt to direct your writing to an audience is called a first draft. Think back to the last time you looked through a pair of binoculars or a microscope. Most likely, the picture you saw was a little blurred. You found, however, that by doing some fine tuning you could improve the picture until it was crystal clear. You are about to do the same thing to your first draft. You are about to fine tune your first draft so that it says exactly what you want it to say and looks exactly how you want it to look. Only after you have adjusted your paragraphs, or pictures, will your writing be ready for your readers.

The process of fine tuning your writing has three steps. The first step is called revising. During this step you look at what you have said and the way in which you have said it. Not until you have tuned your message are you ready for step two: editing. During the editing stage you check your grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Lastly, after your writing says what you intend and uses correct English, you are ready for the final step: proofreading. During this step you check for typos, omitted words, misspellings, or any other “accidents” on the page. This is your final look to make sure everything is just right. When you have completed these three steps, you are ready to deliver your writing to your audience. These three steps are used by all different levels of writers. Even professional writers don’t get it right in their very first draft. Writing is a process, and good writing is adjusted until its message is clear, persuasive, and error free.