Tips and Hacks

As you get to this final stage you will realize that you already have a significnat amount of your paper written in the form of the outline and your notes and quotes (the annotated bibliography). You are not there yet, but you have a lot of meanignful content already generated that you can begin explicating, developing, elaborating and refining.

Transitions are extremely important., and a vital vehicile to making a comprehensive and cohesive major claim. Think of it as the thread that will bring the different parts and components of the paper together. This means not only having a transition word, but an entire sentence that brings the paragraphs into conversation with one another.

When reviewing, read your paper several times. If possible, allow at least a day between finishing a complete draft, and beginning to edit. It is easier to see flaws and mistakes with a clear head. Read it at least twice: once for grammar, spelling and accuracy of citations. Read it a second time for content- make sure your eliminate redundancy, that your transitions are strong and that your main claim is evident throughout the paper. Of course, reading it more than twice is twice as beneficial!