what strategies do you use for revising a paper? How do you know when to accept feedback from another source? wHAT MAKES FEEDBACK VALUABLE TO YOU?
Did you notice the word YOU in each of those questions?
Obviously, strangers can't tell how YOU revise a paper.
Here are a couple of sites with excellent suggestions on how to go about revising a paper.
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/revision.html
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/revise.html
A couple of suggestions I give my students
a) Have someone read it out loud to you.
b) Read it from the end, sentence by sentence, to the beginning. If it doesn't flow logically, then you need to find out what you have left out or not explained sufficiently.
However, IF you wrote a good outline for your essay, and supported each of your points and made sure the topic sentence of each paragraph related to the thesis and that each conclusion of a paragraph both made a discovery and leads to the following sentence, THEN you will probably have a well built essay.
If nobody is available to proofread your work, you can do this yourself. After writing your material, put it aside for a day — at least several hours. (This breaks mental sets you might have that keep you from noticing problems.) Then read it aloud as if you were reading someone else's work. (Reading aloud slows down your reading, so you are less likely to skip over problems.)
If your reading goes smoothly, that is fine. However, wherever you "stumble" in your reading, other persons are likely to have a problem in reading your material. Those "stumbles" indicate areas that need revising.
Once you have made your revisions, repeat the process above. Good papers often require many drafts.
Good feedback does not involve only evaluative terms (e.g., terrific, terrible). It supports the evaluative statement with detailed indications what is good and bad about the paper.
"Your description of ____________ creates a beautiful and happy image in my mind."
"Paragraph three is unclear. What do you mean by _________?"
Accurate feedback can indicate problems within your paper. However, you need to be the judge about how you want to deal with these problems.
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
When revising a paper, there are several strategies you can use to ensure an effective revision process. Here are a few:
1. Take a break: Start by stepping away from the paper for a while to gain a fresh perspective. This helps you approach your work with a critical eye.
2. Review the content: Read through your paper to evaluate the clarity of your ideas, the logical flow of your arguments, and the overall organization of your work. Look for any gaps or areas that need further development.
3. Check for coherence: Ensure that each paragraph connects smoothly to the next, and that your transitions are clear and logical. Make sure your arguments and ideas build upon one another to create a cohesive whole.
4. Language and style: Pay attention to the clarity, conciseness, and effectiveness of your writing. Look for opportunities to strengthen your word choice, sentence structure, and overall writing style.
5. Proofread for errors: Carefully check for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting errors. Consider using editing tools available, like grammar checkers or online proofreading services, to catch any mistakes you might have missed.
Now, regarding feedback from another source, it can be valuable when you encounter the following situations:
1. Expertise: Seek feedback from individuals who have knowledge or expertise in the subject area you are writing about. Their insights can provide valuable suggestions and improvements.
2. Multiple perspectives: Feedback from others can offer different perspectives and highlight areas you may have overlooked. This helps you identify strengths and weaknesses in your writing.
3. Specific feedback: If the feedback you receive is clear, specific, and supported with examples, it can be very valuable. It allows you to pinpoint areas that need improvement and helps you understand why those changes are necessary.
4. Consistency: Pay attention to feedback that aligns with multiple sources or feedback you receive from people you trust. Consistent feedback is often a good indicator of areas that require revision.
It's important to remember that feedback is subjective, and you have the final say in accepting or rejecting it. You should consider the feedback while keeping your goals and the target audience in mind, ultimately deciding which suggestions will enhance your paper's quality.