It looks like the educational software ad writers of this company don’t know the difference between “their” (possessive) and “they’re” (they are).

Would you feel confident purchasing educational software from a company that doesn’t know basic grammar (or perhaps simply doesn’t care enough to proofread its ad)? Probably not.

Why? Because simple typos are generally a result of sloppy work—and that’s what your professor is going to think if you turn in a paper with the same type of errors.

Typos and grammar errors are bad enough, but gaps in the content and logic of your paper are even worse. That means learning how to revise an essay is an essential skill.

So grab a current draft of an essay, and practice these revision strategies to make your essay better than ever!

How to Revise an Essay and Make it Better than Ever

Before we dive into the details of how to revise an essay, think about whether you’ll revise a digital copy or a hard copy.

If you revise a digital copy, you might want to save your first draft and make revisions on another copy. This will let you refer to your original ideas if you rewrite. (Just make sure to give the files different names, so you don’t accidentally submit the wrong version to your prof.)

If you revise a hard copy, grab a pen (and maybe a highlighter) to start marking up your pages. It can often be easier to catch typos and other errors when reading a printed copy. A lot of seasoned authors use this method, so don’t automatically dismiss this old-school way of editing before giving it a try.

Now that you’ve decided how you’ll work, here are six revision tips you need to know to revise your diamond-in-the-rough draft into a polished piece of writing perfection.

Revision tip #1: Write and revise on separate days

When you’re writing, every word you type sounds like perfection. If you read your essay the next day, though, you’ll see that every word is far from perfect. You might even have your share of typos and sentences that are barely comprehensible.

The takeaway: Don’t procrastinate.

Leave yourself enough time to revise. Write one day, and revise the next. You’ll be surprised at what types of errors seem to appear.

If you absolutely don’t have time to wait a full day before you revise, at least wait a few hours.

Think you don’t have the time (or don’t want to take the time) to revise? Consider this: If you don’t spend an extra day or two on revision, your professor will certainly let you know where you should have revised.

My point: Your grade will thank you if you put in the extra effort.

Need help managing time? Read How to Manage Time Better When Writing (and Living Your Life).

Revision tip #2: Read your paper out loud

Remember when you were a kid and you followed along with your finger as you read out loud? I bet you may have even paused to sound out words in your favorite book. It helped, didn’t it? Why? Because it helped you comprehend the words, their meaning, and the meaning of the story. You could hear the words being spoken.

While I’m not suggesting that you necessarily need to follow along the page or screen with your finger (but you can if you like), I am suggesting that you read your essay out loud so that you hear how your paper sounds. It’s easier to hear awkward wording and spot typos if you read aloud.

If you have a friend who’s willing to read your paper out loud, recruit him or her to help too. You can sit back, listen to your words, and note where you might need to revise.

Revision tip #3: Check the content of your essay first

When people think of revision, they often think of correcting spelling errors, typos, and other grammatical errors. Though these are all part of the revision process, there’s more to revision than just changing some punctuation or moving around a few words.

You need to look at the content and the development of your paper too.

Make sure you complete your revision of these larger concerns (content and development) before looking for smaller concerns, such as word choice, grammar errors, and typos.

Here’s why: Let’s say you spend 10 minutes working on one sentence that you just can’t seem to get right. You change the wording three times and move the comma twice in an attempt to craft the perfect topic sentence for your paragraph.

If you spend all that time writing one sentence, what happens if you then revise the content of your essay and end up cutting the entire paragraph because it doesn’t support your argument?

Yep, you wasted 10 minutes on one sentence. That 10 minutes would have been better spent working on your key arguments, rather than working on punctuation and wording.

Questions to ask

Not sure what you should be looking for when you revise content? Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself:

• Did you complete the assignment correctly? If you were supposed to write a compare and contrast essay, for instance, and your paper is actually an argument essay, you’ll have quite a bit of revision to do.

• Is your topic appropriately narrowed? For example, if you’re writing a four-page essay and you picked a ginormous and complex topic like climate change, you’ll definitely need to narrow the scope of your essay.

• Does your introduction effectively introduce your topic and essay? Does it include an attention grabber that makes your audience want to keep reading?

• Is your thesis statement clear and specific? Does it inform readers of the focus of your paper?

• Have you developed and defined key arguments to support your thesis? Are the arguments supported with sufficient evidence? (To check whether your paper is supported effectively, try a reverse outline.)

• Does your paper achieve its intended purpose? For instance, if you’re writing a persuasive essay, will your arguments actually persuade the reader? (Need help with being more persuasive? Check out Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Next Essay.)

• Does your conclusion effectively wrap up your paper?

Revision tip #4: Consider style

Once you’ve revised the content of your paper, consider style.

You may not initially think writing style is important, but it plays a crucial role in the overall impression your writing will make on the reader.

Writing style is kinda like your own personal style. Whether you consider your style artsy, preppy, bohemian, casual, or punk, the clothes and hairstyle you choose say a lot about the message you put out to the world.

In writing, elements such as tone, voice, or redundancy can say a lot about the message you’re sending to the reader.

Here are a few things to look for as you review the style of your essay:

• Make sure you’re writing in the correct voice. Are you allowed to write in first person? Should you write in third person? (Third person is usually preferred in academic essays.)

• Examine the tone of your paper. If you’re writing an academic essay, don’t use slang and jargon. They’re too informal. Instead, use academic voice. For instance, you could replace “back in the day” with “previously” or “in recent years.”

• Watch out for word repetition and unnecessary redundancy. If you’re writing about the death penalty, it can be easy to write the term “death penalty” over and over again simply because it’s the topic of your paper. To avoid such repetition, try using synonyms, such as capital punishment, execution, or legalized killing.

You might also consider a thesaurus, but use it cautiously. Even though the words might have similar meanings, they likely have different connotations.

For example, if you look up the word “quiet” in a thesaurus, you’ll see the word “speechless” as a synonym. Clearly, these two words don’t mean quite the same thing and can’t always be used interchangeably.

Revision tip #5: Edit for grammar, spelling, and typos

Now that you have the content and style in place, it’s finally time to look at those smaller issues—grammar, spelling, proper word choice, and typos.

Learn how to avoid these types of errors (and how to correct them) by reading these posts:

• Dangling Modifier: Don’t Make This Funny Grammar Mistake
• Misplaced Modifier: How to Avoid This Hilarious Grammar Mistake
• 7 Grammar Rules That Everyone Should Learn
• 33 Commonly Misused Words (and How to Get Them Right)
• 97 Transitions Words for Essays You Need to Know

And even though I know you have spell check, don’t rely on it.

Of course spell check knows if words are spelled correctly, but sometimes spell check misses things or autocorrects to something it shouldn’t. For example, if you spell “definitely” wrong, spell check might change it to “defiantly.” This is definitely not what you want!

Checklist in a minute

I know the five strategies I’ve included so far are a lot to remember, so for quick reference, I’ve created this checklist that summarizes the revision strategies I’ve included in this post. To recap, here they are again:

• Write and revise on separate days. Set aside your draft, and return to it in a day or two to begin the revision process.

• Read your essay out loud. By reading your essay aloud, you can hear errors and identify places where you might need to clarify or reword ideas.

• Check the content of your essay first. Before you check grammar, check to see whether you’ve met assignment guidelines, created a strong thesis, developed and supported your arguments, and created an effective conclusion.

• Check the style of your paper. Look for correct point of view, proper wording, and appropriate tone.

• Edit for grammar, spelling, and typos.

I’ve also created a printable revision checklist for you so that you’ll always remember how to revise an essay to make it better than ever. Just pop it open, and click File > Make a copy to snag your own copy to print out and mark up as you revise your next paper.

The Final Revision

Even after all this effort, sometimes it’s not enough to revise your own work.

While arguments might make sense in your own mind, they might not be as clear to others. Sometimes, you can even miss small grammar and wording errors because your mind reads what you meant to say, not what you actually typed.

Need more convincing? Read Why Self-Editing is Killing Your Writing.

And thus, the last strategy to use when revising an essay…

Revision tip #6: Have someone else read your writing

Having others look at your work means they see it from a new perspective. They’re reading as your audience, not as the writer, so they’ll see and understand things differently.

In some English courses, you’ll have the opportunity to have your classmates read your work. If you’re not in an English course, you might have another friend (hopefully one who is good at writing) read your paper. You might also visit your school’s writing center.

Of course, it’s always a smart idea to have a professional editor review your work even when you know how to revise an essay. And for that, you’re in the right place: the editors at Kibin can not only provide you with expert feedback and help with the revision process but can also help you become a better writer along the way.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on February 1, 2017, but has been expanded to include fresh advice and additional resources.

It’s all about striking the perfect balance.

There are several mistakes that could push your rough draft too far in one direction or the other. Fortunately, you have me here to help explain what the most common of those mistakes are, as well as what you can do to avoid them.

Why Do You Need to Write a Rough Draft in the First Place?

No one gets writing right the first go around. Most people don’t even get it right the second or third time. That’s okay. Even professional writers go through several drafts and rounds of editing. But this is why the rough draft is so crucial in the writing process.

The rough draft comes after your outline but before your polished, completed essay. It gives you the opportunity to write a full-length essay without thinking about the perfect word to use in every situation or whether you need a transition in that one spot.

It takes a lot of effort, but it allows you to get your ideas on the page in roughly the same words and order they’ll appear in your final draft.

Depending on your assignment and the thoroughness of your outline, the drafting process could take hours or days. I’ve even spent months on drafts for my high-word-count research papers.

However, no matter what the instructions, the topic, or the length of your essay may be, there are several mistakes that drag out the process or make the revising and editing processes much more difficult.

So without further ado, here are five painful mistakes to avoid in your rough draft.

Mistake #1: Ditching the Outline

I know, I know. Outlining is a whole step away from writing your rough draft.

But outlining affects how long it takes to write your rough draft and how good the draft will be.

Outlining affects how long it takes to write your rough draft and how good the draft will be.
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Your outline should serve as the bare-bones version of your first draft. It should have all of the important details, just without the pretty words and fantastic transitions.

Sometimes, especially with more narrative essays or ones that don’t need too much support from outside sources, I don’t get too detailed with the outline. I simply include the following:

1. Introduction
   1. Hook
   2. Thesis Statement
2. Main Point
   1. Supporting Evidence
   2. Supporting Evidence
3. Main Point
   1. Supporting Evidence
   2. Supporting Evidence
4. Main Point
   1. Supporting Evidence
   2. Supporting Evidence
5. Conclusion

In these minimal outlines, I simply list a few words of the main points and supporting evidence I have in mind, just to figure out the best way to organize the essay. If you struggle with outlining, you might even find a graphic organizer useful for this purpose.

If your essay deals with a lot of facts or sources, I would also suggest including where you got your information to make it easier when you’re writing.

Once you have a complete outline or mapped-out essay, you can begin writing your rough draft. It’s much easier this way because you won’t have to spend time later rearranging paragraphs or figuring out exactly what pieces of supporting evidence to use.

Mistake #2: Getting Too Nit-Picky With Your Editing

Your rough draft is supposed to be a little… well… rough. But many students’ inner perfectionists get in the way sometimes. While it might make sense in theory to edit as you go, it actually makes the writing process much longer and more difficult.

When you edit as you go, you tend to get lost in all the small details and lose focus of the big picture. This not only makes your writing lose its flow but also makes writing your rough draft a much more difficult process.

But more importantly, editing as you write your rough draft is often just wasted effort. At the end of your draft, you might decide that a certain section belongs somewhere else, needs to be completely reworked, or needs to be entirely eliminated.

If you spend a lot of time choosing the right words and making sure every comma is in the right place, you waste time you could use in the revising process.

The key is to just let the words flow while following your outline. Try not to worry about spelling or grammar mistakes for now. You can fix all of that when it’s time to revise.

Mistake #3: Writing Too Little

One of the most common traps people fall into during their rough drafts is not writing enough. The point of a rough draft is to get as many of the final words in the paper as possible. When you revise the draft, you shouldn’t have to add much more content.

Typically, when people don’t write enough in the drafting stage, it’s because they’re following too closely to the outline. They simply expand their arguments and supporting evidence into full sentences instead of bullet points.

To avoid this mistake, think about how you want your ideas to flow from one to the other. You want to present one argument, flesh it out, give substantial evidence, and then move to your next argument.

If you’re used to not writing enough in your rough draft, just write more than you think you may need. You might even consider looking at some sample essays on your topic for inspiration to see how other students have flushed out similar essays.

You don’t have to ramble or go on tangents that don’t have anything to do with your thesis statement, but you may feel like you’re repeating some of your points. That’s okay—you can always go back and take out the redundancies or change the wording if needed.

But many times, you may read over it when the draft is complete and realize that it sounds perfectly fine.

Mistake #4: Going Off on Tangents

During the outlining stage, you should have a pretty coherent thesis statement. Everything that comes after that thesis statement should support it. Going off on tangents is just going to take up time you could be using in other parts of your essay.

Tangents happen when you try to cover too much at once. For instance, if you’re writing about the themes in The Scarlet Letter, you’re more likely to stray in your writing if you try to cover every single theme. Instead, keep a tighter focus on just one.

Mistake #5: Forgetting to Cite Your Sources

Writing your rough draft should be the longest part of the writing process. Afterward, you want it to be as easy and fast as possible to make your revisions and final edits.

That’s why it’s important to cite your sources during the drafting phase. That way, you don’t have to flip through your books all over again. Have to follow MLA 8 or APA? Here are relevant resources to help guide you:

• The Stress-Free Guide to APA Essay Format
• The Stress-Free Guide to MLA Essay Format (8th Edition)

The Rough Draft Is a Balancing Act

You don’t want to write too much or too little. You don’t want to get bogged down by edits during the drafting process, but you don’t want your draft to need too many edits when it’s finished.

Fortunately, this balancing act gets easier over time and by making sure you do the hardest work (such as outlining and citing your sources) at the very beginning.

If you’re still unsure about how polished your essay is after drafting it, you can turn to the Kibin editors for guidance. Whether it’s your first draft or your fifth, they’re a great second pair of eyes to catch mistakes, from grammar and spelling to flow and tone.

Good luck on your rough draft!

Or so it constantly seems when writing an essay.

As soon as you think you’re finished, it’s time to examine, revise, and rewrite.

The end of your first draft marks the beginning of your second. The beginning of your third draft marks the end of your second. So on and so on.

The end is the beginning is the…

As a teacher, I can tell you that the second draft is much more important than the first, the third is more important than the second, and the final draft (if one really exists) is more important than the one that came before it.

This means that understanding and addressing the feedback in each draft is incredibly important to the success of your next draft. And to your grade.

The end is the beginning not only for you but also for your teacher. Your first draft might have been the best in the class, but if you ignore or misinterpret your teacher’s feedback when writing your second draft, your final grade certainly won’t be at the top.

So let’s take a look at 15 types of essay feedback and how to address each one in your subsequent draft.

15 Types of Essay Feedback and How to Address It

While this list obviously doesn’t address all possible types of essay feedback you might receive, these are the most common and cover vital components of any good essay.

1. “What is the main point/argument?”

Almost all academic essays require a thesis statement, which expresses your main idea or argument. The rest of your paper uses your thesis statement as a guiding light. All evidence and explanations are focused on supporting that important statement.

If your teacher is confused about what the main point or argument is within your essay, it’s almost assuredly because your thesis is weak or unclear. In your next draft, focus on writing a concise thesis statement that clearly expresses the main points of your essay.

You can also try Kibin’s thesis generator.

2. “The essay doesn’t flow well.”

Writing a longer essay can feel like an overwhelming undertaking for those who lack a lot of writing experience. Therefore, a common problem is that a first draft doesn’t flow well.

This can be because the writing is clunky or because the information isn’t presented in a logical order. To prevent this, it’s important to create an outline early in the writing process.

If you’ve already written a draft without an outline, try creating a reverse outline before writing your next draft. Once you’ve done this, you should be able to reorder your essay in a way that will flow better.

Beyond presenting information in a logical order, you need to develop strong transitions between points so that your writing flows flawlessly from one point to the next.

3. “This section is unclear.”

Even if you have outlined your essay and put paragraphs in a logical order, it’s easy to write a paragraph in a way that seems clear to you but isn’t for your reader.

This happens because you have spent so much time with the material that it’s difficult to imagine what it will be like for a reader who is coming in with a blank slate.

So if you find a paragraph in your draft highlighted as “unclear,” you should go back and look at the structure of that paragraph. Remember that you need a topic sentence that clearly states which part of the thesis the section or paragraph will be supporting.

Without it, you risk confusing your reader.

4. “There is not enough/too much evidence.”

There’s a fine line between having too much evidence and not enough. I have read some papers in which there were only one or two quotes in the entire paper, and I have read others in which almost the entire essay consisted of quotes from sources.

As a new writer, it can be difficult to strike the right balance.

Although your professor might encourage you to provide as much evidence as possible in support of your thesis, it’s still your paper. Too many quotes, statistics, and data can clutter your paper.

Remember that you must provide commentary, in your own words, for every piece of evidence you provide.

If, on the other hand, you don’t have enough evidence for your paper, you should start looking for more resources to support your claims, no matter how terrible you find the idea of doing more research.

5. “The ideas aren’t original.”

Although some research papers ask you to merely research a topic and explain it, the majority of assignments call on you to make some type of claim. In an argumentative essay, this means arguing for or against some aspect of your topic.

Some students fall into the trap of merely researching someone else’s argument and regurgitating it. However, the point of the paper is to come up with your own original idea.

To avoid this, spend some time thinking about your own view of the topic before reading other people’s opinions on it.

6. “The essay is too long/short.”

Some professors have strict word-count requirements that you must take into account when writing your paper. If you aren’t sure if your essay length is acceptable, ask your professor before turning it in.

If you’re faced with essay feedback that says you need to shorten your essay, try to focus your argument a bit further.

For example, instead of arguing that students should take a gap year after high school, narrow your argument to what they should do during that gap year, such as volunteer in another state. By narrowing your argument, your essay will shorten.

If your essay needs to be longer, it’s time to expand your thesis with another claim and possibly do more research. I know. Sorry.

7. “The essay lacks focus.”

Remember when I referred to the thesis statement as the guiding light of your essay? Well, it’s there to guide you for a reason.

Every piece of evidence and commentary in your essay should be supporting your thesis in some way. If it isn’t, then your essay will lack focus. Keep this in mind as you’re outlining your paper and when revising it.

Also beware of any evidence that might unintentionally contradict your argument. Know your thesis, and let it guide your writing.

8. “Expand/Elaborate on this idea.”

There are times when an idea or argument seems perfect in your head, but then your reader says it’s insufficient.

Don’t get discouraged. A lot of times this is just because you’re so close to your subject that it’s hard to see any holes in it. This is why revision is so important!

Between your first and second draft, you’ll have some time away from your essay. When you return to it, it’ll be easier to spot those holes.

It’s often as simple as needing another piece of evidence or a bit more commentary. Sometimes providing an example to your reader can clear up any confusion.

9. “Vague/Confusing/I don’t understand/What does this mean?”

Remember that most essays should be written with the idea that your reader doesn’t know anything about the subject. Sometimes you can fall into the habit of assuming the reader will understand.

For example, if you’re writing about cryptocurrency, it might seem to you that your reader should know what a blockchain is, but the reader might not.

However, you should make sure your introduction provides any necessary background info so that your reader isn’t confused later. That means explaining any history on your subject that’s pertinent to your argument.

Also be sure to explain any necessary vocabulary or jargon that might trip up your reader.

10. “Needs better/more reliable sources.”

This is a common problem that’s easy to fix with a bit of education on what constitutes a reliable and an unreliable source.

You want to search for and use materials from reputable sources, but how do you know whether a source is reputable? Look carefully at the author of the material and, if online, assess the website itself as well.

You want to find information from people who are respected in their fields. This means no crowd-sourced material like Wikipedia.

Also pay attention to the purpose of the source. If it’s written by a lobbying firm, then it will be one-sided. Some of the best information will be from recent academic journals. Even then, try to find information from multiple journals, not just one.

11. “The style/tone is inappropriate.”

The tone of your essay will change depending on the essay assignment and subject. This can be tricky for some students.

For example, a narrative essay can take on a much more personal tone because it’s focused on telling a story. However, the tone for an argumentative essay should be much more professional.

If you included personal anecdotes in the first draft of your argumentative essay, you will probably be well-served by removing them from the next draft.

12. “The introduction is flawed/confusing.”

A good introduction will hook your reader, provide necessary background information, and then present the all-important thesis statement.

This is not the place for examples, data, quotes, or paraphrasing. Keep it simple, or risk it becoming confusing.

To fix a “flawed/confusing” intro, keep it simple—avoid examples, data, quotes, or paraphrasing.
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13. “The conclusion is ineffective.”

The goal of the conclusion is to leave your reader without any lingering questions. Every conclusion paragraph should include a restatement of the thesis statement and a recap of the most important takeaways from your paper.

If there are any loose ends, now is the time to tie them up. The conclusion is not the place to present further evidence or another argument. It’s too late. Doing so now will potentially leave your reader with unanswered questions.

And if you’ve ever seen the show Lost, you understand that being left with questions is frustrating.

14. “The citations are incorrectly formatted.”

Formatting your citations and reference list can be a bit tricky for even the most seasoned writers, so don’t be discouraged if you need to revise them a bit in later drafts.

Be sure that you’re using the style guide your professor has chosen for the assignment as the various guides (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) can vary wildly.

15. “There are too many errors.”

This can be a discouraging piece of essay feedback, but it’s also one of the easiest to fix. It’s important to have someone read and edit your draft, whether you struggle with grammar or consider yourself a word nerd. Everyone makes mistakes.

For a trusted, professional editor who will ensure your paper is spotless, check out Kibin. Kibin editors will not only fix any grammatical errors but also leave some great feedback so that you can improve your next draft and learn along the way.

That’s what feedback and revision are all about. Good luck!

That’s why it’s important to have a system. While “system” sounds like it sucks the creativity out of writing, it actually gives you the structure you need to be creative and focused. And there’s no better system than the writing process.

You may be asking yourself, What is the writing process? Well, that’s what I’m here to explain, so let’s get to it.

What Is the Writing Process?

The writing process is a certain set of steps many students and professional writers use to come up with creative, cohesive essays, dissertations, and novels.

You can adjust the writing process to fit your particular assignments and writing style, but it boils down to five steps:

1. Prewriting
2. Researching
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Editing

There are a bunch of different ways you can approach these steps. It’s not a formula—more like a roadmap to follow from Point A to Point B to Point C and so on.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to remain organized while writing and have a great essay by the time you’re finished.

Let’s jump into the first step…

Step 1: Prewriting—Putting Your Ideas to Paper

The first step of the writing process, prewriting, is one of the most fun. There are a few different approaches to prewriting, and the one or ones you use will depend on what type of essay you’ve been assigned and your personal preferences.

Unorganized prewriting strategies

Brainstorming involves writing short statements, phrases, or even single words related to the prompt. It helps to write the prompt at the top of the page and write any words or ideas that come to mind.

Don’t worry about the validity of all of the ideas for now. The important thing is to get it all out there.

Freewriting is kind of like brainstorming in that it’s a way of getting your ideas onto a page. However, it’s much more stream-of-consciousness. Begin by writing for 10 minutes—without stopping—about the prompt or a specific topic.

It doesn’t matter if your spelling or grammar isn’t perfect. No no one but you is going to be reading it anyway. The goal is to see where your mind takes you and what ideas you come up with in the process.

Organized prewriting strategies

Outlining is my preferred organized prewriting strategy. Once you have a topic picked out, you organize your thoughts by listing your thesis, arguments for your thesis, and supporting evidence.

It’s okay if you don’t have every single detail at this stage. An outline can lead you to the basic structure of your essay.

In the prewriting stage of the writing process? An outline can lead you to a good essay structure.
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Mapping is like outlining for more visual learners. One version of mapping is to put your topic in the middle of a page. Your main arguments will branch off the topic, and supporting evidence will branch off the respective arguments.

You can use other types of graphic organizers to visualize your ideas too.

Deciding which strategy is right for you

My suggestion is to use one unorganized and one organized prewriting technique to get the most out of the writing process.

Unorganized strategies are great for getting all your thoughts out with little to no interruption in your thought process. They help you figure out what to write about.

Organized prewriting strategies help you focus on one specific topic and write what you know about it in a, well, organized way. They help you figure out how to write about whatever topic you choose.

Step 2: Researching—Getting the Details

Once you have your basic ideas down, including any supporting evidence you can think of, it’s time to do your research. This helps you get the specifics you need to properly support your arguments.

If you’re writing a literary analysis essay, research includes looking for specific information within the book or play you’re writing about. You don’t have to reread the entire book. Just look for the points that relate to your topic.

If you’re writing a persuasive or research essay, your research will involve looking up credible articles online or in academic journals, watching documentaries, or looking at government websites—depending on your topic.

No matter where your facts are coming from, be sure to note the source, so you can credit the author(s) in your essay. This is important in avoiding plagiarism and making your arguments more credible.

Referencing Resources:

The Stress-Free Guide to MLA Essay Format (8th Edition)

The Stress-Free Guide to APA Essay Format

Remember, your notes should be helping you through the process—which means they should be organized. There are a few ways to do this depending on the type of essay you’re writing and the style of note-taker you are.

Here are a few go-tos for students:

1. Old-fashioned pen and paper: There’s nothing wrong with this tried-and-true method. It allows you to have flexibility that isn’t possible when working in a Word document, such as drawing arrows or helpful illustrations. This method is a bit more time-consuming and not great for long periods of time because your hand might get a bit tired. Using index cards is a popular strategy with this method.

2. Word document: Whether its Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or some other type of word processing software, you’ll get roughly the same experience. It’s quicker than hand-written notes, but you’re more limited in your creative freedom. You can still add emphasis to different parts of your notes through font and style changes, colors, and highlighting.

3. Note-taking apps: My personal favorite is Evernote, but there are several others on the market. Some are free. Some cost a few bucks to download. These are helpful because you can organize your notes into different folders (you can have separate folders for each symbol you’re analyzing, for example). You can also use many apps on any device, so you can take pictures with your phone and paste them right into your notes if that’s helpful for you. All your notes sync across devices.

4. Highlighting and annotating: Highlighting and annotating are kind of shorthand versions of the old-fashioned pen and paper method. They’re done right in the text, so you know exactly what you’re referring to. This is best for literary analyses because more than one or two books of highlighting and annotation requires more comprehensive notes.

Of course, you can find your own way, or use a combination of the ones listed here. The right way is the one that works best for you.

Step 3: Drafting—Fleshing Out Your Ideas

Now that you have your topic, a general idea on how to organize your essay, and some specific details you found in your research, it’s time to put it all together in the third step of the writing process—the first draft.

Many people think of outlining as a blueprint. If that’s the case, then drafting is like a detailed model—it’s not a perfect representation of the finished product, but an outsider could see the points you’re trying to make pretty clearly.

During the drafting stage, you don’t have to get caught up on spelling or minor grammatical errors. Instead, focus on fleshing out all your ideas.

This means building your arguments, deciding which pieces of research go where, and drafting an introduction, thesis statement, strong body paragraphs, and conclusion.

When you’re finished with your draft, it should look like an essay. But it’s not done yet. It needs revision to turn it into something worth submitting.

Need inspiration to get going on your first draft? See how other students have written about your topic.

Step 4: Revising—Creating a Decent Document

The revising stage is where it really comes together. Enter revisions through the mind of your reader. Here are some questions you might think about:

• Is there anything that might be unclear to them?
• Does the essay jump around in a disorganized or confusing fashion?
• Do you need transitions that make it easier to follow along?
• Are your sources cited properly?

One method is simply reading, rereading, and re-rereading, revising with each step. Another way is to write a reverse outline, which is basically just outlining the paper you’ve written.

The benefit to this is that you can see whether your paper is organized well, whether it meets the assignment guidelines, and whether all your ideas are sufficiently supported.

Whatever method you use, be sure to correct anything that might be confusing or inaccurate. Make your sentences into real prose instead of loose ideas. Correct any glaring mistakes in grammar, style, or spelling.

There’s no shame in revising more than once. When you’re finished revising, you should feel that, even though it’s not your best work, it’s still representative of your skills as a writer and probably passable (depending on how your teacher treats minor proofreading errors.)

Step 5: Editing—Polishing Your Essay

Editing should be saved for the very last step of the writing process. Too many writers, both students and professionals, get caught up in editing as they go. This is a big waste of time. Oftentimes, you end up deleting or changing large chunks of text anyway.

When you’re editing, you should be looking for grammar and spelling mistakes. Any time you make a change, be sure to reread the paragraph or section to ensure it still makes sense.

After You Finish the Writing Process

Now that you can answer the question that brought you here, What is the writing process?—it might seem like there are a lot of steps involved. Some might not even feel all that necessary.

However, by following each step, you can:

1. Use prewriting to choose the best topic for the prompt and organize your thoughts.
2. Effectively research to back up your arguments with credible facts.
3. Write a faster, more cohesive draft.
4. Revise to make your writing appeal more to the reader.
5. Make the edits that give your paper the finishing touches it needs.

If you’re finished with your essay but still don’t feel 100% confident, that’s okay. Even the best writers have editors. That’s because no writers can catch all of their own mistakes.

For you, the editors at Kibin are prepared to be your second set of eyes. They’ll not only catch spelling and grammar errors, but also suggest changes in formatting or structure if needed.

Now, get out there and make the writing process work for you.

• psychology
• Romanticism
• World War II
• music

If you said that all of these are great subjects but they aren’t great topics because they’re too broad, you’re right.

You cannot possibly write a good essay about such a large topic in only a few pages. There’s simply too much information to include and not enough space to put it in. It’s like stuffing five pounds of potatoes into a three-pound sack. It just isn’t going to work.

Don’t know how to narrow a topic that’s too broad? Feel like you’re sinking fast and need some help ASAP?

Hang in there. I’m about to throw you a lifeline and show you how to narrow a topic and write a focused paper.

How to Tell If Your Topic Is Too Broad

If your mind is racing with so many different options and angles that you don’t know where to start, chances are your topic is too broad.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say you want to write about skateboarding. You have four pages to write a convincing essay about your topic, but what should you write about?

You might write about the origins of skateboarding, skateboarding at the X Games, or skateboard clothing, jargon, tricks, or culture.

See what I mean? This topic is too broad, and you cannot possibly write an effective essay that encompasses everything about skateboarding in only four pages.

You’ll need to narrow it to something more manageable. Luckily, I’m here to help. Let’s dive into how to narrow a topic and write a focused paper, shall we?

Three Strategies for How to Narrow a Topic

Not all strategies work best for all topics, so try a combination of all of these to see which works best for your topic.

Strategy #1: Be more specific

To narrow your topic, think of ways to make your topic more specific by focusing on a smaller aspect of the topic, one key component of the topic, a specific time period, or perhaps a specific location.

Here’s what I mean.

If you want to write about music, consider how you might be more specific. What type of music do you want to write about? Will you write about hip hop, jazz, country, pop, opera, or some other type?

Will you focus on music from the United States, or will you write about music from another country? Will you focus on current hits, music from the 1960s, or music from another era?

For this example, let’s focus on US pop music in recent decades. (See, the topic is already much narrower, right?)

Strategy #2: Ask journalists’ questions

Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Asking these questions will help you focus your ideas and help you consider new angles to your topic.

Let’s apply these to the topic of pop music in the United States.

• Who? Boy bands, female artists, one-hit wonders
• What? Hit records, major fails, highest earners
• When? Current acts, musicians of various decades
• Where? United States
• Why? Compare acts, inform readers, argue who is the best/worst
• How? How did they become so popular? How did their popularity fizzle so quickly?

As you answer these questions, you’ll notice that you still have a lot of information to sort through—and a lot of decisions to make.

Some of these decisions will be made for you by your assignment guidelines. For instance, if you have to write an argument essay, you certainly aren’t going to compare NSYNC to One Direction or tell readers how Taylor Swift rose to fame. Neither of these topics are argumentative.

Instead, you could argue that NSYNC is more talented than One Direction (or vise versa).

Strategy #3: Research

Even though research is listed third on this list, it doesn’t mean you have to research last. You might need to spend some time researching to learn more about your topic even before you figure out how to narrow a topic.

And just because you research once to narrow your topic doesn’t mean the research is over. You might need to return to your narrowed topic and research it again to learn more about that topic. (I know. It feels like a never-ending process, doesn’t it?)

As you research, look for specifics about a subject and check to see what others are writing about. You might just read something you hadn’t thought about that would make a great topic.

If, for example, you were still trying to find a way to narrow your skateboarding topic, a quick Google search might lead you to information about skateparks.

You might have to write a persuasive paper, and suddenly you’re inspired to write your paper about why your local community needs to build a skatepark.

What a great idea! See? A little research can go a long way in when you’re figuring out how to narrow a topic!

A little research can go a long way when you’re trying to narrow a topic.
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Let’s look at the pop music example again.

In this case, a little research can help you narrow the list of countless one-hit wonders to a short list of songs from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

Here are a few examples to start your list:

• 1983: Kajagoogoo, “Too Shy”
• 1988: The Proclaimers, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”
• 1996: OMC, “How Bizarre”
• 1999: Lou Bega, “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…)”  
• 2000: Baha Men, “Who Let the Dogs Out”
• 2006: Gnarls Barkley “Crazy”

With a solid list of examples, you can listen to the songs again and again and start to figure out what they might have in common and why they were so popular. (Your research might also help with the analysis of what made these songs hits.)

If you need more one-hit wonders, here’s a Wikipedia list for inspiration.

Researching a more scholarly subject? Read 5 Best Resources to Help With Writing a Research Paper.

The Narrowed Topic

Once you’ve sufficiently narrowed your topic, put it all together to form the focus of your paper.

In our example, we narrowed the broad topic of music to a comparison of one-hit wonders of the 1980s–2000s and included an examination of what makes the songs popular.

Now, since you learned how to narrow a topic, you have a sense of where you’re going and what you should be writing about. Now you’re on your way to writing a focused paper.

Don’t stop there!

Before you start writing, turn your narrowed topic into an effective thesis statement.

A thesis statement about one-hit wonders might look like this:

From the 1980s through the 2000s, one-hit wonders in pop music have managed to solidify their places in music history through one key musical component: a catchy hook.

Notice how the thesis statement is specific and narrowed to explain to readers exactly the focus of your paper. (This thesis also gives you a clear focus and will make writing your paper much easier.)

Now that you know how to narrow a topic for your paper (and cannot stop singing one of those catchy, one-hit wonders–you’re welcome), you can (finally) start writing.

When you’ve finished your draft, send it our way for review.

True:  Writing a research paper is very time consuming. You can’t just grab a few random sources and try to make them work. You certainly can’t start writing a research paper a few hours before it’s due and expect to write an “A” paper.

True or false? Writing a research paper can be difficult.

True: Writing a research paper can be difficult and can seem overwhelming. There really is no easy way out of writing. It takes time and effort to find and evaluate sources, organize your information, and write the paper.

So if writing a research paper can take so much time and can be so hard, what can you do to make the entire process a little less painful?

I’m glad you asked.

All you need to do is follow this step-by-step guide, and you’ll learn how to write a research paper in no time.

Okay, so maybe it takes a bit more effort than that. Did I mention you’ll still need to take some time to research and write? You didn’t think you were getting away that easy, did you?

How to Write a Research Paper Step 1:  Understand Your Assignment

Sure, it can be easy to read an assignment and think you understand exactly what you should be writing.

But what happens when you’re supposed to write a historical overview of the Vietnam War, and you decide to write an historical overview of World War II because you thought you were supposed to write about any war.

I’ll tell you what might likely happen:  You’ll fail the paper.

So the first step to knowing how to write a research paper is to read the assignment carefully. Understand your assignment’s guidelines, including the topic requirements.

You should also know what type of paper you should be writing. For example, know if you should write a compare and contrast essay, a persuasive essay or an argumentative essay.

Here’s why:  Let’s say you write an amazing essay comparing The Simpsons  and Family Guy.  

But you were supposed to write an argumentative essay about which one of these cartoons has had a greater influence on American culture.

What grade do you think you’d get for all your hard work? Probably another failing grade.

Why? Because you didn’t follow guidelines and didn’t understand your assignment.

So please make sure to read the assignment guidelines carefully! Your professor gives them to you for a reason.

How to Write a Research Paper Step 2:  Find a Topic

Once you know what type of research paper you should be writing, you’ll need to find a topic.

Easier said than done, right?

I know it can be tempting to write another boring essay about abortion or marijuana legalization.

Resist the temptation!

Look for more interesting and original topics. Look for topics that people actually want to read about. (And look for topics that fit your assignment guidelines.)

Need some inspiration? Read 50 Research Paper Topics to Help You Jumpstart Your Writing.

How to Write a Research Paper Step 3:  Create a Thesis

Knowing what you want to write about is important, but it’s just as important (or maybe even more important) to know what you want to say about the topic.

If you want to be stressed out, over-worked, and frustrated beyond belief because you just can’t find any “good” sources, then feel free to start researching without a working thesis.

If you want to work harder than you have to, then start researching without a thesis.

If you want to work harder than you have to, then start researching without a thesis.
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But if you want to make your life less stressful, develop a thesis before you begin researching.

You’ll thank me later. Really.

Here’s why:  A thesis is the controlling idea of your paper. It provides readers (and you) with a road map of your paper.

Without a strong thesis, your paper lacks direction.

If you don’t at least develop a working thesis before you begin researching, you’ll lack direction, too. (But you’ll have no lack of frustration.)

Still don’t believe me that you need a working thesis?

Look at this example:  Let’s say you decide to write about social media. (Note: you’re starting your search here without a thesis.)

Typing “social media” in a search box will produce a list of all kinds of results, from a list of different types of social media sites, to social media in the news, to social media in schools.

Are these results useful?   Probably not. “Social media” is too broad of a search and doesn’t include any focus.

Try the search again with a working thesis, such as “Social media can cause teens to feel isolated.”

Suddenly, your results change. Rather than a list of random and likely useless sites, you’ll see a list of more relevant sources.

This tip not only increases your relevant search results but decreases your frustration levels!

Check out 10 Thesis Statement Examples to Inspire Your Next Argumentative Essay

How to Write a Research Paper Step 4:  Look for Credible Sources

No, you won’t find sources under your bed with the dust bunnies and that half-eaten candy bar you somehow forgot about.

Most likely, you won’t find them all through a Google search, either.

Google is a useful search engine that can provide a few basic sources, but the problem with a general internet search on Google is you get a lot of worthless results.

For example, a search for marijuana legalization might produce a list of news articles and random websites, but not all of these sources will be useful in your research.

Why?  Because they may not be about the specific focus of your paper and because they may not be credible. (We’ll talk more about evaluating sources in Step 5.)

The search results may also not be useful for your research paper simply because they don’t provide enough information.

Have you ever read a magazine or internet article and thought, “Wow, that was worthless. It didn’t tell me anything!” Because these types of sources inform readers of only basic information, they don’t provide enough details, statistics, or facts to actually be useful as research sources.

So where do you look for credible sources?

You’re writing a research paper for a class, so you want to find sources that are scholarly. You want to find detailed, in-depth articles written by experts.

And no, you still won’t find them lingering under your bed, and you won’t find them by staring mindlessly at the screen watching a Game of Thrones marathon.

You will find them via your school’s library. Don’t worry, though, you can still keep Game of Thrones on in the background. Just log in to your school’s library and research from your couch.

Read 5 Best Resources to Help with Writing a Research Paper for more ideas of where to find credible sources.

How to Write a Research Paper Step 5:  Evaluate Your Sources

Your first instinct might be to use the first handful of sources you find and cite them in your research essay. This may be the easy way, but it’s certainly not the best way.

As you find sources, you need to evaluate them to see if they’re credible and if they’re right for your paper.

Think of it like online dating. You wouldn’t just start dating the first person that showed up on a list of search results for eligible singles in your area, would you?

Of course not!  You’d want to see what the person looks like. You’d read the person’s profile to learn something about his or her personality, age, and interests.

You’re evaluating whether or not this person is right for you.

You’ll do the same with sources: evaluate them to see if they’re right for your paper. This is especially important if you’re using websites.

Just like online dating, evaluate online sources to be sure they are right for you (and your essay).
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To evaluate whether or not sources are credible, see if they pass the CRAAP test. (No, this doesn’t mean whether or not they’re crappy sources!)

CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose. Let me break this down.

Currency:  When was the information written or last updated? You want current, relevant information for you paper.

If you’re writing a paper about new computer technology, and you’re using an article written in 1990, you can assume the hottest 1990 trend in desktop computers is no longer an amazing new technology.

Relevance:  Is the content detailed and unique?  Does the information meet your needs?

If you’re researching the importance of recycling, and you find a three-paragraph article that discusses a new recycling program implemented in a nearby community, chances are the information isn’t detailed enough or unique enough to be of any relevance to your argument.

Authority:  Who wrote the article or webpage? Can the author be trusted? What credentials does the author have?

Let’s say you find an article about whether or not children should be vaccinated. The article was written within the last year and is several pages long. So far so good.

But then you research the author, and find out it’s written by some high school student. While the student might be an intelligent 17 year old, it’s not the best idea to cite a high school kid’s blog in your college research essay.

Accuracy:  Is the information correct, reliable, and accurate?  Can you verify the content?

If you’re citing unreliable sources, your paper is just as unreliable.

Avoid sites that aren’t written by experts and sites that are known to be unreliable.

Sites such as Wikipedia are notorious for inaccurate information. (Did you know that in 2008, Wikipedia reported Miley Cyrus as dead?)

Avoid this Wikipedia debacle, and pay close attention to the accuracy of the information.

If you can’t verify the information in another source, and you can’t verify the author’s credentials, you’re probably better off not using the source in your research paper.

Purpose:  Is the information biased?  Why was the article written?  What is the purpose of the website.

Think about it. If a site exists to sell you an awesome new energy drink, it’s not going to say anything about any potential negative side-effects of the drink.

If a site exists to promote treating animals ethically, it goes without saying that it’s trying to persuade you to feel empathy for animals and not harm animals in any way.

Sites such as these often do not provide balanced information.   They present only the information they want you to know.

It’s a lot like online dating. No one includes their annoying habits or flaws on their profile. They only include the information that makes them look good.

How to Write a Research Paper Step 6:  Take Notes

Okay, so you have a handful of credible sources for you paper, now what?

This is where you’ll again realize the importance of your thesis.

Because you already have a working thesis and focus for your paper, you’ll be able to read your sources and understand what you’re looking for.

Take the time to read sources carefully for information that seems like a good fit for your paper. Take notes on everything that seems important. You may not end up using it in your paper, but that’s okay.

You don’t need to use every piece of information (or every source) you find.

Here are a few quick tips for taking good notes:

• Choose information that is interesting and/or unique.
• Look for specific facts, statistics, or anecdotes that can support or refute your thesis.
• Keep your notes minimal. Paraphrase and condense ideas.
• Organize and label your information.

Yes, taking notes and organizing them may be easier said than done, right?

But trust me. Taking notes isn’t that hard, and though it may seem like it takes too long, it will actually save you time in the end.

If you need some help taking notes and organizing information, try one of these methods:

The Note Card System:  Use standard 3 x 5 index cards to record and organize useful information about each source, such as a Works Cited (or Reference) entry and a summary or comment about the source.

Annotated Bibliography:  Use an annotated bibliography to record each source in proper MLA or APA format. Beneath each source, write a summary and evaluation of the source. (This will help you evaluate your sources, too.)

How to Write a Research Paper Step 7:  Outline

Now that you have lots of credible sources and you’ve taken notes, you’ll need to outline.

Outlining is a form of prewriting that will help you organize your ideas.

Think of those key quotes, paraphrases, statistics, and anecdotes you included in your notes.

The goal is to create the key points or arguments of your paper and the subpoints that will be used to support arguments.

You can either write a traditional outline in complete sentences, or write an outline by using just a few key words to keep you on track.

Choose whichever method works best for you.

Hate outlining and worrying about Roman numerals, upper and lower case letters, and the formality of outlining?

You’re not alone.

Unless your professor requires it, don’t feel obligated to write a traditional outline.

As long as you develop a method that works for you and that includes the same information as a traditional outline, you’re fine.

Here’s a quick example of ideas you might include in an informal outline about violence in children’s television programming. The information is the same as a traditional outline, but it doesn’t include the same formality.

How to Write a Research Paper Step 8:  Write a Draft

Now that you’ve put in the hard work of researching and organizing, writing the draft is the easy part. (Really!)

The research essay is essentially a more in-depth version of the 5 paragraph essay.

(Need to include an abstract? Read How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper and 10 Good Abstract Examples That Will Kickstart Your Brain.)

Because you already have an outline, it’s time to simply plug in the information and write your research essay.

Remember, you’re writing a draft of your research essay. This is not the final copy.

This means that you shouldn’t start writing a few hours before the essay is due. But it also means that you don’t have to worry too much if you make some mistakes along the way.

Don’t stress about starting from the beginning and working your way to the end.

If you have a great idea for your first key argument start there. If you have an idea for a key opposing argument, start there.

You can always write the conclusion first and the introduction last. No one will know in what order you wrote the essay, so simply begin writing!

How to Write a Research Paper Step 9:  Revise and Edit

After you’ve written your first draft, set the paper aside for a day or two (another good reason not to wait until the last minute).

Working on a paper for hours on end will fry your brain. You’ll think you’re writing a brilliant “A” paper, but you’ll actually miss all kinds of errors, and your “A” paper will likely be more like a “C” paper.

Once a day or two has passed, re-read your research essay.

Begin with revision (this is different from editing). Revision means you’ll change content. You’ll add new information, delete sections that don’t fit in your paper, move sections around, and revise wording.

Finally, edit your research paper. Editing means you’ll check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

Make sure you edit after you revise. If you edit before you revise, you might spend 20 minutes writing the perfect sentence only to realize later that it really doesn’t even fit into your paper or support your argument. (Talk about a waste of time!)

Don’t forget about formatting! As part of your editing process, don’t forget to make sure your paper is written in correct format.

Of course, if you’re looking for a professional to help edit your paper, make sure to contact the Kibin editors.

Whew! That was a lot of work and a lot of information to remember.

To help you stay on track, use this quick reference table to remember the 9 steps in writing a research paper.

The End of a Long Journey

Though writing a research paper can seem overwhelming, with a little preparation and organization, the process isn’t so bad after all.

Yes, it takes time and effort, but when you see your grade on your final paper, your hard work will all be worth it.

Want even more advice about how to write a research paper?  Check out these resources:  Essay Structure and Writing the Research Paper.

Good luck!