Editing a research paper is as important as writing one. Whether it is a dissertation, thesis, or research paper, how you edit your ideas can go a long way in determining how others perceive and understand your ideas. However, most students and researchers view editing as dull, and most of the time overwhelming – especially when you are racing against time!
The plus side is that with a decent plan and effective strategies, you can navigate through the editing process fairly quickly without sacrificing quality or readability. In fact, several scholars take the help of professional scientific editing services to get their work edited in a quick and efficient manner. Alternatively, if you are self-editing your paper, this guide provides seven easy steps by which you can edit your academic writing efficiently and quickly.
Step 1: Take a Break Before You Edit
This may sound like odd advice when your time is limited, but walking away from your paper can be valuable. When you give yourself some distance, you will be surprised at what you can see when you come back to your writing. No question, you will find errors, inconsistencies, and clunky/potentially confusing sentences that you missed while writing.
Even a 30-break or a good night’s sleep will help your brain reset, you will return to your paper with a better outlook.
Step 2: Start with Structure
Before getting caught up in editing sentences, start with the overarching structure of your paper by asking the following questions:
- Does the paper have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion?
- Is the paper organized/in logical order of argumentation?
- Do the sections flow into each other?
Outline your paper quickly and compare it to your draft. If anything feels awkward or out of place, revise the structure first and then worry about content. It will be much more effective from a time saving perspective. You want to avoid editing lines that may get deleted or changed later in your paper.
Step 3: Eliminate Wordiness
Academic writing tends to become overly verbose. Reducing wordiness not only tightens your writing but also improves readability.
Common culprits include:
- Phrases like “in order to” (replace with “to”)
- Repetitive sentences that make the same point
- Long-winded transitions
Use writing tools like Hemingway Editor or Grammarly highlight the unnecessarily complicated sentences, and rewrite them simply and clearly.
Step 4: Focus on One Type of Error at a Time
Trying to fix all grammar, spelling, citations, and structure simultaneously holds you back. Instead, break your editing into focused passes.
For example:
- First pass: Correct grammar and punctuation.
- Second pass: Check citations and formatting.
- Third pass: Polish sentence clarity and word choice.
Splitting the tasks into focused passes means less distraction and efficiency.
Step 5: Read Your Paper Aloud
Reading your paper aloud may seem strange, but it is one of the quickest methods to spot clunky phrases, grammatical problems, and awkward transitions.
Your ears will catch issues your eyes often gloss over, such as:
- Run-on sentences
- Redundancy
- Unnatural phrasing
If you’re in a time crunch, use a text-to-speech program to listen to your paper. It’s quicker than reading it yourself and as effective.
Step 6: Check for Academic Tone and Consistency
Academic writing requires a formal tone and consistent terminology and formatting. Watch for:
- Slang or overly casual phrases
- Shifting verb tenses
- Inconsistent capitalization or referencing styles
Make sure that terms, abbreviations, and statistical references are used consistently throughout the paper. This attention to detail reflects professionalism and credibility.
Step 7: Use Editing Tools—But Don’t Rely on Them Alone
There are many great grammar checkers, such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid. They are fantastic, but they certainly won’t catch every mistake. For example, they can misinterpret the context or miss your specific language.
Use them as a quick way to clean up your first round of edits but check your ideas (by hand) afterward. If you are unsure, always consult your discipline’s style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) to be accurate.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Edit in the Same Format You Wrote In
If you are thinking in Word, consider printing or Pedigree the paper to edit. Changing the format of the document changes your vision of the words and can help you see the errors easier.
Some writers even edit from a mobile device or tablet to “change up” their vision experience altogether and impose an even newer perspective.
Conclusion
Editing academic papers doesn’t need to be an arduous task that takes up a lot of time. With the right approach, a focused mindset and some useful tools, you can edit more efficiently or more effectively. No matter if you are getting a manuscript ready for submission, finishing a final academic writing paper, or completing your thesis, following these seven easy steps will help you eliminate you “hamster wheel” of editing.
If you ever feel lost or time pressed, remember you can use professional options like scientific editing services to assist you in achieving your academic goals. But if you want to take your own editing process into your own hands, the guide offers you some actionable steps to elevate your paper- and get it done, quickly.
