Academic Writing and Editing Checklist
Professor Caroline Strange
Writing – start by planning the overall structure. Then write and refine later.
Keep your writing simple – never use a long word/sentence when a short one will do.
Structure
Writing a sentence
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Writing a paragraph
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What constitutes a
section / part of a
chapter?
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The complete chapter?
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How long?
Order of the sentence.
Does the sentence convey what you
intended?
Have you succumbed to journalistic writing,
overused clichés?
Have you used topic, body wrap? Badley
(2009)
How long?
How should you start the paragraph?
What about the end of the paragraph?
Are you making assumptions / drawing
conclusions without justifying them?
Is there some link between the sentences in
your paragraph?
How long?
Is there a theme?
How will you make the section a cohesive
piece of writing?
How will the reader know when they have
reached the end of the section?
Start of the chapter: is it clear to the reader
what to expect in the chapter?
Have you structured the chapter so that the
reader’s journey through the chapter has
plenty of signposts?
Have you abandoned the reader in a maze of
text or run so fast through your ideas that the
reader arrives ‘breathless’?
The complete thesis?
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Appendices
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In reading the thesis is the reader always
clear where they are in the overall scheme of
things?
The contents page – can you gain an
overview of the thesis from your chapter /
parts headings?
Have you provided sufficient signposts?
Does the abstract truly reflect your thesis?
Reading the abstract and conclusions - do
they make a ‘matched pair’?
Do your conclusions answer your research
question(s)?
Have you observed the required format for
the thesis? - check the Research Degrees
Regulations.
Is the thesis the correct length?
You have 40,000 – 80,000 words: is the
balance of words between the chapters/parts
correct?
The thesis should focus on your research
placed in the context of research in this area:
does your ‘literature survey’ use too many
words?
Do you need lists of abbreviations / diagrams
/ figures/ a glossary?
Do I need them?
Are they referenced in the main text?
Editing
Edit in stages
Check the structure of
your thesis, then
chapter…
Read your writing afresh
Is the structure logical?
In supporting your
argument have you used
sufficient evidence?
Appropriately referenced? Draws upon your
research: data to support – experimental data /
simulation to support theory developed,
triangulation of data from different
approaches/sources. Is it clear why you have used
the approach you have adopted?
Are you consistent in
your use of tenses?
Mixing present and past tenses?
Is your referencing
consistent and accurate?
Are you using an appropriate referencing system for
your subject area?
Check grammar,
punctuation, hyphenated
words?
Apostrophes – have you used them correctly?
Overuse of
abbreviations?
All abbreviations given in full?
Writing of numbers?
Numbers up to nine should be written out in full,
e.g. nine, except where decimals are involved, e.g.
9.7
What does it convey? Does the text support your
conclusions? Is the text in the relevant section?
Some helpful sources of information
Plain English websites include:
http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/plainenglish/?view=uk
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk
Our workshop booklet for Academic Writing – Stage 2B. This includes many writing tips.
Download it from the Research Training web page:
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/rdcs/research/training.phtml#stage2b
Badley, G (2009) Editing for academics.
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/rdcs/research/info/Editing%20for%20academics.pdf
For advice on punctuation:
Truss, L (2003) Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.
London: Profile Books
October 2009