An Exploration Into The Attitudes and Perceptions of Research Writers Towards Editing and Proofreading

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The attitude and perception of the research writers are changing at a rapid pace towards editing and proofreading. The main factor behind this is that there are many common mistakes authors make while editing and also many do not have any idea about how to choose between Editing & Proofreading. So, in this blog, we will explore editing and proofreading in light of the frequent questions we receive to address this issue. 

Before delving deep into the topic, we need to understand What is Journal Manuscript Editing and Why is it important? Because if we don’t understand Manuscript Editing, then we cannot compare Editing Vs Proofreading. So, let’s begin.

Manuscript editing is the process of reviewing and revising a written work, such as a book, article, or academic paper, to improve its clarity, coherence, and overall quality. The goal of editing is to make the manuscript more polished, readable, and effective in conveying the author’s intended message to the audience.

There are different types of editing, including copy editing, which focuses on correcting errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting, and developmental editing, which involves more substantive changes to the content, structure, and style of the manuscript.

Now, what are the Common Mistakes authors Make while Editing? They skip the editing process altogether, focus too much on minor details, edit too quickly, not seeking feedback and are too attached to their own words. 

Editing is important because it helps to ensure that the manuscript is of high quality and meets the expectations of the intended audience. A well-edited manuscript is more likely to be published or accepted for publication, and it can also improve the author’s reputation and credibility as a writer. In addition, editing can help authors to clarify their ideas, improve the organization and flow of their writing, and eliminate inconsistencies or errors that could undermine the effectiveness of their message.

Many research writers view editing and proofreading as tedious or time-consuming tasks that they would rather avoid. Some may also feel that they lack the necessary skills or knowledge to do a good job. 

Research writers may feel like editing and proofreading is tedious or time-consuming for several reasons:

  • Editing and proofreading require a lot of attention to detail: Editing and proofreading involve carefully reviewing a text for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and formatting. This can be a very meticulous and time-consuming task that requires a high level of concentration and focus.
  • Editing and proofreading can be repetitive: Depending on the length of the document, editing and proofreading can involve reading the same text multiple times to catch different types of errors. This can be monotonous and may feel like a chore, especially if the writer is already familiar with the content.
  • Editing and proofreading may not feel as creative or intellectually stimulating as other aspects of writing: For some writers, the process of generating new ideas, conducting research, or crafting arguments may be more fulfilling than the process of revising and polishing their work. As a result, they may feel like editing and proofreading is less enjoyable or rewarding parts of the writing process.
  • Editing and proofreading may not be viewed as important as other aspects of writing : Some writers may prioritize content creation over editing and proofreading, feeling that their ideas and arguments are more important than grammar and spelling. However, this can lead to errors that detract from the overall quality and impact of the writing.

There are several ways to improve your editing and proofreading skills:

  • Read widely: One of the best ways to improve your editing and proofreading skills is to read widely in the genre or subject area in which you are writing. This will help you develop an ear for language, style, and tone, and familiarize yourself with common grammatical and stylistic conventions.
  • Take a course or workshop: Consider taking a writing course or workshop that includes instruction on editing and proofreading. These classes can teach you specific techniques and strategies for improving your writing and spotting errors.
  • Practice regularly: Like any skill, editing and proofreading require regular practice to improve. Set aside time each day or week to practice editing and proofreading, whether it’s reviewing your work or editing and proofreading the work of others.
  • Use tools and resources: There are a variety of online tools and resources available that can help you improve your editing and proofreading skills. These include grammar checkers, style guides, and writing communities that provide feedback and support.
  • Seek feedback: Ask a colleague or mentor to review your work and provide feedback on your editing and proofreading skills. Be open to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
  • Develop a checklist: Create a checklist of common errors and issues to look for when editing and proofreading. This can help you stay focused and ensure that you are thorough in your review.

Research writers may have different attitudes and perceptions towards different types of editing and proofreading. For example, some may view grammar and spelling checks as more straightforward and necessary, while others may prioritize more substantive editing tasks such as improving organization or argumentation. Now, what is the reason the research writers have different attitudes and perceptions towards different types of editing and proofreading?

  • Personal preference: Different writers have different preferences when it comes to editing and proofreading. Some writers may prefer more hands-on editing, while others may prefer a lighter touch. This can be due to personal writing style or past experiences with editors.
  • Writing experience: Experienced writers may have a better understanding of the editing and proofreading process and may be more open to feedback and suggestions from editors. Novice writers may be more resistant to changes or suggestions as they are still developing their writing skills.
  • Type of document: Different types of documents may require different levels of editing and proofreading. For example, a scientific research paper may require more technical editing, while a personal essay may require more stylistic editing.
  • Time constraints: Some writers may be under tight deadlines and may not have the luxury of multiple rounds of editing and proofreading. This can impact their attitude towards the editing process and may require a faster, more streamlined approach.
  • Editor’s approach: The editor’s approach to editing and proofreading can also influence the writer’s attitude. Some editors may be more collaborative, while others may be more directive with their assignments. The level of trust and rapport between the writer and editor can also impact the writer’s perception of the editing process.

Research writers may have varying degrees of familiarity with different editing and proofreading tools and resources. Some may be comfortable using online grammar checkers or professional editors, while others may prefer to rely on their skills and expertise. But why is that? Let’s know it.

  • Education and training: Some research writers may have received formal education or training in editing and proofreading, which would make them more familiar with the tools and resources available. This could include courses in English grammar and composition, or workshops specifically focused on editing and proofreading.
  • Writing experience: Experienced writers may have had more exposure to different editing and proofreading tools and resources, either through their own research or through working with editors. They may have a better understanding of what works best for them and their writing process.
  • Access to resources: Research writers may not have access to the same editing and proofreading tools and resources depending on their location, budget, or institutional support. For example, some writers may not have access to expensive editing software or may not be able to afford a professional editor.
  • Personal preference: Research writers may have personal preferences for certain editing and proofreading tools and resources over others. For example, some writers may prefer to use a specific style guide or software that they feel is more effective for their writing.
  • Time constraints: Research writers may not have the time to explore different editing and proofreading tools and resources. They may need to rely on tools and resources they are already familiar with to meet deadlines.

There are various challenges the researchers face while editing and proofreading their work which can help us to understand the reason for the attitude and perception of the research writers.

  • Familiarity with the content: Researchers are intimately familiar with their work, which can make it difficult to identify errors or areas that need improvement. They may overlook mistakes or gaps in their reasoning because they already know what they intended to convey.
  • Bias: Researchers may be biased towards their work and may have a difficult time being objective about their writing. This can lead to a lack of critical evaluation, making it harder to spot errors or areas that need improvement.
  • Time constraints: Researchers often have tight deadlines and may not have the luxury of spending a lot of time editing and proofreading their work. This can lead to rushed and incomplete editing, which can result in errors being overlooked.
  • Lack of perspective: Researchers may be so focused on their work that they lose sight of the bigger picture. They may have a difficult time seeing their work from the perspective of their readers, which can make it difficult to identify areas that may be confusing or unclear.
  • Subjectivity: Editing and proofreading are inherently subjective processes, and researchers may have different opinions on what constitutes good writing than their readers or peers. This can make it difficult to make decisions about what changes to make or what areas need improvement.
  • Limited expertise: Researchers may have limited expertise in editing and proofreading, especially if they have not received formal training or education in these areas. This can make it difficult to identify errors or know how to improve the overall quality of their writing.

Apart from the challenges, there are various potential biases or ethical considerations in editing and proofreading the research writing. And also, the researchers get affected by the potential biases or ethical considerations while editing and proofreading their work because of these biases.

  • Authorship: Editors and proofreaders need to ensure that they do not take credit for the work they are editing or proofreading. It is important to acknowledge the authorship of the work and give credit where it is due. Researchers may feel that their work is being altered or misrepresented if an editor or proofreader takes credit for the work they have edited. Researchers need to ensure that their authorship is acknowledged and that any changes made are done with their permission and approval.
  • Confidentiality: They may come across confidential or sensitive information when working on research writing. They need to maintain the confidentiality of the information and not share it with others without the author’s permission. Researchers may be concerned about the confidentiality of their work if an editor or proofreader comes across sensitive or confidential information. They may want to ensure that their work is only seen by authorized individuals and that their privacy is respected.
  • Objectivity: The Editors and proofreaders must be objective and unbiased when editing and proofreading research writing. They should not let their personal biases or opinions influence their work or make changes that would alter the meaning of the author’s work. Researchers may be concerned about the objectivity and bias of the editor or proofreader. They may worry that the editor or proofreader may make changes that alter the meaning or intent of their work, or that they may not be sensitive to the nuances of the research topic.
  • Cultural sensitivity: Editors and proofreaders need to be aware of cultural differences and avoid making changes that would be insensitive or offensive to readers from different cultural backgrounds. Researchers may be concerned about the cultural sensitivity of their work, especially if their research involves different cultural groups. They may want to ensure that the editor or proofreader is sensitive to these differences and does not make changes that could be perceived as offensive.
  • Plagiarism: They also need to ensure that the work they are editing or proofreading does not contain any instances of plagiarism. They should be familiar with the relevant plagiarism guidelines and ensure that the work meets the necessary standards. Researchers may be concerned about unintentional plagiarism or the risk of having their work plagiarized. They may want to ensure that the editor or proofreader is familiar with plagiarism guidelines and that they do not inadvertently introduce plagiarized content.
  • Conflict of interest: Editors and proofreaders should disclose any potential conflicts of interest, such as a personal or financial relationship with the author, that could compromise their objectivity or the quality of their work. Researchers may be concerned about conflicts of interest if the editor or proofreader has a personal or financial relationship with them. They may want to ensure that the editor or proofreader discloses any potential conflicts of interest and that they are comfortable with the editing or proofreading being done.
  • Informed consent: They should obtain informed consent from the author before making any changes to their work. They should explain the editing and proofreading process to the author and ensure that they are comfortable with the changes being made. Researchers may be concerned about the changes being made to their work and may want to ensure that they are consulted and that their consent is obtained before any changes are made. They may want to review and approve any changes before the work is finalized.

Finally, we have come to the question of how to choose between Editing & Proofreading. So, let us choose between Editing and Proofreading. 

Choosing between editing and proofreading depends on what the author is looking to accomplish and the stage of the writing process they are in. Here are some guidelines to help make the decision:

  • Editing: Editing is a more comprehensive process that involves reviewing the manuscript for issues related to structure, content, style, and grammar. Editing is typically done during the revision stage when the author has completed a rough draft of the manuscript and is looking to improve its overall quality. Editing can involve substantial revisions to the content, including rewriting sections, reorganizing the structure of the manuscript, and clarifying the language used.
  • Proofreading: Proofreading is a more focused process that involves reviewing the manuscript for errors related to spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Proofreading is typically done after the manuscript has been edited and is in its final stages, just prior to publication. Proofreading is a final check to ensure that the manuscript is free of any errors that may have been missed during the editing process.

So, if an author is looking to improve the quality of their writing and make substantive revisions, editing is the way to go. On the other hand, if the author is looking to ensure that their writing is error-free and ready for publication, proofreading is the right choice.

In some cases, a manuscript may require both editing and proofreading, and it’s important to allocate sufficient time and resources to each stage to ensure that the final product is of high quality.If you have any questions, you can comment below and also you can visit our websites https://www.editingproofreading.in/manuscript-editing-services.php and https://www.editingproofreading.in/compare-services.php to learn more about us.

How to Identify Whether or Not You Should Use Survey Methodology

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Survey methodology is used to collect information about the population of interest by organising face-to-face interviews, telephonic conversations, internet or any other media source. Surveys are used to assess thoughts, feelings and opinions of people. The common research areas that require the use of this research methodology are social research and demography. 

When to conduct surveys?

Surveys are organised to collect new information about the experience of people for a particular event. These are benign to collect data that is not directly available in documents and does not allow of sufficient validity and reliability to meet research objectives. 

For example, you will conduct a survey if you want to analyse the experience of young children and their parents about the internet usage. You will randomly pick locations to take face-to-face interview of the fixed number of children (9 to 15-years-old) and their parents. 

When you have gathered information through a survey, your will arrange key findings in your thesis as follows:

  • Online activities that children do – games, instant messaging, homework, uploading images, chats and blog writing
  • Digital skills that they hone – developing search techniques, acute knowledge of apps and social media sites like privacy settings, blocking messages and finding website quality by comparison
  • Parents concern about the internet use – violent content, provocative images, internet bullying, threats and harmful messages, personal data abuse and online skullduggery
  • Parental restrictions on the internet use –  their guidance to children, their monitoring ways and the impact of their restrictions on children. 

Below is a snapshot of findings from another survey on attitudes and motivation toward English as the foreign language

When not to use surveys?

Here are the contraindications to the use of surveys.

  • When recorded data exists
  • A pre-existing survey exists
  • The concept is ill-defined
  • The sampling frame is not qualified

Conclusion

Survey methodology is the best tool to collect unobservable information such as human emotions and perspectives. However, you can use a mixed methodology that uses surveys and other data collection methods.

How Proofreading saved Venugopal a year in his PhD

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Your guide would help you throughout your PhD, but do not expect that all practical advice would necessarily come from the guide. As it happened in the case of Venugopal. When he was doing his PhD from VTU, his guide was supportive and supervised efficiently throughout. During the final year, when he was closer to thesis submission and final viva, his guide told him to prepare well for the viva and suggested tips to handle the defence well. However, like how I said before, not all practical advice would come from your guide. He did not mention him about thesis proofreading.

Venugopal was in touch with other scholars from the university and during his regular interactions with them, he understood that it was very important for him to get proofreading done for his thesis. He acted pro-actively upon some wise advice and took external help from experts for thesis proofreading. And to his surprise he discovered that many of the sentences in the thesis were meaning just the opposite of what he wanted to say. This was largely because of English being a second language for him, sometimes he made the wrong choice of words or sequencing of the sentence which completely turned around the meaning of the sentence. Other than that minor spelling and typo errors also altered the meaning of the sentences. Here are some example paragraphs from Venugopal’s proofread thesis:

In the short term, output in the goods market is determined by the level of consumer demand. The demand for goods is itself a result of a number of different factors including the confidence that consumers have in the economy (which says whether they are happy to spend on non-essential goods or would rather save for the rainy days they may perceive to be ahead), as well as fiscal and monetary policy.

The major defining factor that we will consider here is the disposable income. Naturally, the more disposable income a person has, the more they will spend and the more goods they will consume. Economists usually consider that a (positive) linear relationship between disposable income and consumption exists of the form

It came as such a relief to him that the external and internal reviewers did not have any issue with the quality of his work and his thesis got cleared in the first go itself.  He thanked that good sense prevailed on time and he took the right decision to go for proofreading. Else, surely the completion of his PhD would have been delayed by a year, at least.

So, to get perfection in your thesis and to ensure your articulation is impeccable, meaning what you want to say, proofreading is a must!

78% of manuscripts submitted to web of science journals are rejected due to English issues. Know how to avoid common language errors in your document.

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It is a known fact that the quality of an article can be made or ruined on the fundamentals of its spelling, punctuation and the grammar associated with it. A good paper can be further enriched with effective language and at the same time, in contrast, use of poor or faulty language can make the document look puzzling, blurred, and disordered.

As a researcher when you submit documents for publication, you must be aware that most of the papers are sent back or rejected straight from the desk of the editor because of grammar or semantic issues.

Some of the main language errors that are made by researchers are:

  1. The typo errors: Typos are common to find in documents. This is despite the fact that we have loads of spell check tools available. If your document is loaded with a lot of typos, surely it is carelessness on your part. The best way to avoid the typos is to use a spell check that is relevant to the content of your document. In addition to doing that, you must manually scan it to identify any errors that got left out in the computerised process. Giving your brain and eyes a gap of a day or more is a good idea as it allows to look at it with a fresh perspective and mind-set.
  2. Using the wrong word: The clarity of the word meaning and its relevance to context is very important, so you got to make sure that the choice of words is very appropriate. Often because of the wrong choice of words, the message doesn’t come to the reader in the way that it is intended. The best way to solve this problem is to keep a dictionary handy so that when you feel unsure of a particular word, you can check its meaning and relevance. If you are an ESL scholar, you can always have a third person read your document and give relevant feedback.
  3. Using excessively long sentences: Using complex and very long sentences is not an uncommon thing seen in scholars. With research, and its theme in itself being complex most of the time, it is important that the sentence structure be simple and easy to comprehend. You can avoid this by making a conscious effort that the sentence structure of your write up is kept uncomplicated. The rule that is applicable globally, is about 25 words maximum in a sentence.

The Importance of Feedback

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Feedback is a significant and productive contribution in the creation of a good quality thesis. Researchers need to seek feedback and use it in their research. Ph.D. is away from regular lectures, tutorials or classroom sessions. Most of the work that is done is the initiative, and the effort of the researcher himself. It is independent decision making only with some broader guidance from the end of the supervisor. Not all the initiatives lead to success followed by regular and timely feedback. It is important to understand whether the effort and energy are getting used in the right direction.  As a scholar, you need to take an initiative to meet up with your supervisor and ensure that his feedback is getting used towards improvising the quality of your work.

Remember that just casual interaction is not good enough. You need regular, focused, and timely supervision so that it is actually fruitful for the improvisation of your content. Let us discuss here the different areas of your dissertation, where you need to get feedback from your guide:

In the formative stage:  At this stage, you may want to discuss ideas so that you can know that they are feasible, practical, and result oriented. The experience and expertise of your supervisor would be needed here to ensure that the foundation of your thesis is strong and result oriented.

The middle years: By this stage, the results would have started to produce, and you get to know what is the best methodology and approach to analyse your results. Some things which are not working, or are the hurdles and obstacles in your journey, you need to identify them at this stage and remove them from the further effort of your research. You must specifically, and directly seek from your supervisor the input regarding whether or not your results are going in the right direction.

At the later stage: This is very crucial. At this stage, your supervisor can judge the quality of your work, and suggest how you can present it better or embellish it with add on to make it ready for approvals and clearance.  The suggestion given by him may not occur to you because you have not faced it before, and he has the experience and expertise which you don’t have at this stage. The quality of work can be enriched, and improved by the right feedback at this stage.

Why is it important to teach during your PhD?

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Teaching during the course of your Ph.D. is not a mandatory requirement of the course at most of the places. It is a decision which is subjective to the researcher as well as the supervisor. Depending upon the environment you belong to, your teaching options may vary. Some of the departments offer the choice of doing seminars, while others give term long or even yearlong teaching assignments. Quite many research scholars take up teaching jobs during Ph.D. for monetary as well as experience related benefits. A lot of guides encourage their scholars to take up teaching assignments in the final year of their Ph.D. By the last year of their course, they are largely free from the task of research, and thesis writing. It is always advisable to go by the advice of your supervisor, primarily.

 As a research scholar, for the future, if you are sure that academia is your calling then getting some teaching experience is surely the way it should go. However, even if you are looking for a career in the corporate, teaching exposure would help you to build up your communication skills, time managing skills, and at the same time train you to be imaginative and flexible at the same time. An effective and focused teacher at the university level is always on a mission. Though he knows his focused goals of teaching, there is always scope for the unexpected to creep up and that surely is a learning experience for all.

 You may feel that time is an issue for researchers as they are anyways fighting against time to complete their research on time.  But you can handle it by doing some strategic planning. With some consistent effort on a daily basis in planning and preparation, surely teaching assignments can be accommodated easily in the schedule of a scholar.

Not everyone is made of the mettle to teach so you must ponder over the idea before you jump into teaching as a profession. If you feel that teaching isn’t your forte, you can also explore the option of becoming a mentor for the students. It is also a fulfilling and learning experience, and also a great help to distressed students or students in need of guidance and support. By and large, taking up some teaching jobs during the doctoral tenure wouldn’t make you lose anything, and surely make you have an insight into the profession. Just ensure to follow your guide’s opinion.

Proofreading can alter the fate of a thesis. How?

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Many years of hard work, research, lengthy discussions, investigations, and experiments go in the creation of a Ph.D. thesis which is the key requirement for a Ph.D. degree. With all this going behind the creation of a thesis, there is still an element of risk of rejection and failure when the thesis is submitted for review at the University. The reasons for rejection can be one or many of these, faulty grammar, spelling and punctuation flaws. All the details that the researcher puts up in the thesis must reflect accuracy and authenticity. With such high level of quality standards required for a good thesis, at least another set of eyes should go through it, particularly for the purpose of proofreading and editing.

The proof-reader, an expert in improvising the quality of the thesis gives tips to the writer to improve the thesis with respect on repetitions, titles, headings, etc. the suggestions that are given help the scholars to enrich the quality of the thesis and give more appropriate headings and sub-headings.

Proofreading comes to more help, at the last stage of Ph.D. writing.  When they are nearing the final submission, an expert helps in sailing through it more smoothly. Researchers must never ignore or show negligence towards proofreading. Each and every word, page, and element of the thesis should be checked thoroughly so that none of the errors go unnoticed, but the document is conforming to the guidelines given by the university. An experienced proofreader is always the right person to do this.

A lot of universities do not offer the Ph.D. scholars with guidelines and academic support. Because of this, the researchers fail to meet the unspoken standards of quality laid by the university, and it expects from the scholars for good grades. Many times the grades of the researchers suffer because of this and proofreading by a professional agency comes to help and rescue here as it meticulously and critically examines the document, identifying the inconsistencies that exist in the content and formatting.

Lastly, when you are on the last leg of your Ph.D., there are numerous deadlines to be met and living by all of them takes a toll on the stress level of the majority of students. The best choice here would be to get expert hand involved in the proofreading task so that the document is improvised to the best of its potential with suggestions that can further help the scholar to improve the thesis.

How to choose the best Dissertation Writing Company?

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There is a glut in the market of dissertation writing companies. Students are often seen struggling to decide for the one that is best for them. These kind of services are surely desired by students and come in very handy to them because students, particularly scholars are trapped in so many activities and schedules which makes it very challenging for them to take up the writing work of the dissertation. Getting the writing work outsourced is helpful and important but what is more important to decide is, that it is the right choice for you, from among so many options that are available.

By paying attention to two simple things, you can ensure that the dissertation company that you are choosing is the best option for you:

Experience and Background: This is the first and the most important thing that you must check when you are finalising a dissertation writing company. The kind of experience the company has in this field is very important. This is crucial because the availability is so much and you wouldn’t know that many of them who have a virtual presence do not have a sound physical system to rely upon. Hence, it is essential for you to ensure about the history and the experience of the company, completely.

Competence and Skill: Being profession is integral for a good writing company. They need to be someone who can stick to time commitments, quality expectations and other specifications that you give them, without you actually being after them, all the time. The way they handle their work for you, talks a lot about their level of professionalism and competence. In addition, their level of skill is also very important. You have to ensure that the company is able to meet your needs appropriately and are able to give you the productivity that you so desire. The level of expertise in any dissertation writing company would come from the pool of writers/editors and proof-readers that they have. Good and professional companies are very particular about hiring the right kind of people and making sure that they are the best in the industry, and are well versed and updated with the changing requirements of the academic arena. Sometimes, as clients, when you are looking out for companies to do writing work for you, you may get tempted to go for the one that is offering a cheaper quote without actually going in the background of its experience, competence and skill. That may not be a wise approach.

Things about writing that no one else would tell you about….

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Most of the people who are doing their PhD, are intending to be in academics, where what they talk in the classroom will be more important than what they write. Ironically, still, to be able to qualify to be become an academician, you should have done your PhD.

Only when you start your PhD degree do you realise that writing, which is integral to research, is no way similar to passing an exam. Though, for all your previous academic endeavours, it has been the requisite for a successful journey.

You would find a great deal of advice online and offline, about how and what to write, but first thumb rule to adopt for life is, that one never really becomes an expert writer. You keep practicing and you keep improving. That is the journey of a writer.

If you are a parent, then I can tell you that writing has some similarities to parenting. Like, only after becoming a parent, do you realise what it means to be one, only after starting to write, can you know what it means to become a writer.

Still there are a few things about being a writer, which no one would ever tell you about. Here are they:

  • The medium that you start using to write becomes your addictive medium and it is very difficult to switch over mediums. Like, if you are a pen and paper writer, you may find it very difficult to move to a computer to write and vice versa.
  • Once the writer bug in you is awakened, and you are involved in it in body, mind and spirit then it shows everywhere. From body aches to arm twitched arms, your brain starts to stay unaligned with your body clock. You may get the best of ideas at the wackiest of hours.
  • If you are a professional writer, you also got to be a professional digital trouble shooter. With so many software and bugs that are present in the virtual world, and to add to that being able to handle formatting, editing and other concerns on the machine, you got to be not just good at the creative part. Have your technical antennas also ticking.
  • Writing is exhaustive, physically yes but mentally too, equally. So much of creative exploration of your mind tires it and you need to give time to both, to rejuvenate and come back in their productive best state.

How to revise content and structure appropriately?

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Revision is surely required in research papers. After the first draft is the first time that you sit to revise the content of your document and then the same exercise has to follow a couple of times in the subsequent stages. The changes that you make in the document could be related to the content or the manuscript of the document. When you sit to revise the content of your document and structure, the key thing to keep in mind is that there should be no gaps in the content and a logical and easy to comprehend structure is maintained.

Revising the content of your document:

  • When you are revising your content, make sure that all inaccurate information that is related to data, discussion or citation related issues is corrected.
  • Ensure that the description of the concepts and techniques is sufficient and complete. Whatever additions or modifications are required, should be made at the appropriate places
  • All the inconsistencies  in the document should be looked  for and removed
  • If you have missed explaining any technical terms and if their use is extensive in your document, you should do so by adding them wherever required in accordance with the scope of your document.
  • Small things, such as full forms of abbreviations and acronyms should be given when they are mentioned for the first time itself. Then on in the document they can be used as short forms wherever required
  • Remove all superfluous content from all places

After having worked on the content, the next thing is to work on the structure of the document. Some of the restructuring intricacies adopted can greatly impact the quality of your document and improvise its impact from the first stage where you have written it.

Revising the structure of your document:

  • The introduction must necessarily have a brief roadmap of the manuscript that guides the reader through the document. In case it is absent, incorporate that as the first thing in the structure
  • Make sure throughout the document you have given the required headings and subheadings. If you haven’t done that, make sure you provide them at the right places
  • The document must follow a flow and any deficiencies in the document must be removed or rectified as per requirement
  • Sometimes in the beginning of the writing process we include sections or content, that may be irrelevant and may need rearrangement or deletion because it may seem irrelevant or not required now
  • Put the figures and the tables in appropriate order

When you   would have done all this, you would have created a document that is more worthy of reading and would win more appreciation and accolades.