Term+Paper+Revision+Checklist

Check each of these off after you have completed: Going through the paper, **the big stuff to look at first:** 1. Underline the thesis sentence and each topic sentence. 2. Do all the topic sentences relate to and back up the thesis sentence? -if no, the thesis needs to be tweaked or the topic sentences (and perhaps entire paragraph) changed 3. Is every topic sentence backed up with facts? A minimum of 3 is needed so… Facts are evidence, dates, numbers, quotes, and other details that support/back up the stand you take in your topic sentence. 4. Next to every fact, put a check mark and count up each paragraph. 5. Is each check mark (showing a fact) followed by a citation? 6. Avoid declarations you are not able to back up about something being the “worst” or “greatest” Yes, Hitler was bad, but Russians will argue that Stalin was worse. Do not wander into an indefensible statement. Only make statements that you can back up. 7. Quotes longer than three lines need to be single spaced, indented, drop the “”s and they must be totally necessary and in no way re-statable. 8. Parenthetical citations are (Gould, 1). The author’s last name or the website’s name, never the full url. NEVER. If a website, no page #. 9. Make sure there is never an I or a you in the paper unless in quotes. This is formal writing, do not tell the reader what to do. 10. Avoid rhetorical questions. It made you sound smart in middle school, now not so much. Grammatical gremlins that must be dealt with...
 * Please double space, but do not put an extra space between paragraphs; the indent shows it is a new paragraph.
 * Each new idea is a new paragraph, if there is not enough information for 4-6 sentences, bundle related ideas or cut out altogether.
 * Paragraphs have a minimum of 5-6 sentences, maximum of 13-15.
 * Type out numbers less than one hundred (ninety-nine), use numerals for dates (1975), and large numbers (42,000).
 * No contractions in a formal paper (isn’t, aren’t, won’t). No slang or first person (I, you).
 * No new ideas in the conclusion. This is the place for the wrap up, not new randomness.
 * Quotations: If over three lines must be indented, single spaced and drop the “quotation marks.” Do not use quotes over six lines. To shorten, use…to represent deleted part.
 * All quotes must be introduced and integrated into the paper, not just plopped in there. Make it clear why the quote was necessary for the paper, show analysis. Use parenthetical documentation (Harbrace, 123).
 * Quotation marks at the end of the sentence come after the punctuation. “Fire.”