Most people who write using computers have the understanding that revision is a constant, ongoing process. You get to revise when you cut, paste, delete or exchange words. On the other hand, the real modification is a lot more than making a few changes. It requires you to rethink and rewrite the entire paper.
To get to achieve this state of mind is quite a hassle. You may get attachment issues with your document to the point where you do not feel like changing a word in there. There is also a time factor. You may get the sense that the paper requires a lot of work, but the deadline is already here, and you probably have an exam to write. You may also have difficulty understanding the exact problem with your paper, or you might get sick and tired of it.
Revising your completed papers will teach you to become a wonderful writer. The greatest way to clench the writing skill is rewriting. You get to improve both your analytical and revision skills. You will get to challenge your ideas and will give you the extra oomph to strengthen your arguments.
Types or revising
- Large Scale: it involves skimming through the paper for areas that your thinking may go weary. You may need to define concepts or terms, provide evidence, or bolster your reasoning.
- Small Scale: it takes place when you discover that a part of your paper is failing. It could be that your intro needs mending or a part of your argument is not as firm. After locating the problem, you will direct your focus to that part of the text and start the revision process.
- Editing: several students fail to understand the rift between editing and revising. They are two different processes that apply other techniques. Editing checks minor problems like the clarity of the paper.
- Proofreading: it involves checking for mistakes in your paper. You may look for punctuation errors, subject and verb agreement, and spelling errors. It would be best if you went a notch down when proofreading. Give time for your eyes to focus on each word and phrase that appears on your paper.
How to Develop Objectivity
The most challenging part of the process of revision is probably developing the critical eye. It makes you become a better thinker, reader, and writer. It is therefore worth considering.
The most initial step is to distance yourself from your work. If your plan goes well with writing, you will have a day or two saved to take a break. If your schedule is tight and you lack that time, take a one hour walk and get back to your text. You will have a fresh perspective when you get to view your paper the next time you see it.
Tips for Revising
On top of the above advice, you need to check on these tips.
- Take your time when revising. Do not begin your paper a day to the deadline as you will not have enough time to adjust. If you have a long article to work on, you will have to set more time for better revision work.
- Print out a hard copy of the text. Studies have shown that several people miss out on mistakes present in their papers when they read from the screen of their computers. Since you cannot view the whole document from the computer’s screen, you will not easily see the big structural problems. If you have yourself a printed copy, you will see the issues and help you write your notes on the margins.
- Read aloud. You can sometimes hear mistakes you cannot see. When you read aloud, you may get signaled on some elements that fail to make sense or when you have lengthy sentences.
- Get another reader. It is difficult to see problems on your own after severally going over your paper. You can get yourself a second reader to help you out as they can tell you where they got confused, bored, or offended in the text.