7 Editing Tips to Make Your Research Paper Shine

Editing your research paper may seem daunting, but it can be quite simple if you follow some basic editing tips.

Of course, you could always hire an editor to go through your paper with you if you have the money and the time available, but many students are pressed for both of these and must do their editing from start to finish.

Fortunately, with the right information, even novice writers can easily edit their research papers and make them much more readable and well-formatted than they would be.

Read your paper out Aloud.

This is one of my favourite editing tips. Reading your paper aloud lets you see what’s going on in a new light. You can easily see where your writing sounds awkward or unnatural and hear when your ideas are hard for a reader to follow. 

It takes practice to get good at reading aloud, but it’s worth it. For example, if you stumble over a word while reading aloud, chances are that word will also be confusing for readers! It also helps if you have someone else read your paper aloud so they can point out any issues they find with grammar or spelling (if English isn’t their first language).

Ask someone else to read it.

Of course, once you’re finished writing your research paper, you can’t publish it immediately. You have to edit it. Ask someone else who knows nothing about science or academia to read over your work and tell you what they think of it. 

They won’t be able to correct typos (or, rather, they will probably try), but they will help ensure that your thoughts are organized logically and clearly. It’s also a good idea to get a second opinion on your thesis statement—the main point you want to get across in your paper.

How can you expect them to find it if you don’t understand how others perceive your ideas? And if they don’t find it, then why should anyone else?

Replace repetitive words

To make your paper more readable, avoid redundancy. Repeating words in different contexts only dilute their effect and makes your writing seem choppy and clunky. Read over your paper, looking for instances where you’ve used similar words—such as say, finally or very—twice within a few sentences of each other. 

Replace one of these with an alternative that isn’t so repetitive, like ultimately or extremely. Make sure every word counts when writing a research paper (or an essay). This means editing all filler words like that, very, or really. These words don’t add anything to your sentence, so they should be removed!

Correct spelling errors

Writing isn’t just about getting your message across. It’s about communicating that message effectively. To do so, you must ensure every word is spelt correctly and use words in their proper context if you want your research paper to look polished and professional. 

Don’t skimp on editing and proofreading—the more you read your work over, checking for errors in spelling and grammar, the better it will sound when you present it.

Add transitions between paragraphs.

Many students aren’t sure how to transition from one paragraph to another, so you must check if your paper has them. 

If there aren’t any between paragraphs, try adding some for a smoother flow. You can also find transitions in articles online and use those as a guide. 

Make the Intro and conclusion strong

The introduction and conclusion sections can ensure your paper come out strong, organized, and coherent. 

It’s a good idea to edit the conclusion first, end on a high note, and then return to edit the intro. If you haven’t written it yet, write your introduction last ( you should) and then go back through it once more before submitting it.

Give every sentence a Purpose

Sentences with no purpose are flabby and ineffective, like a bird that can’t fly. To edit your paper effectively, put every sentence through a rigorous set of tests. 

Ask yourself: How does each sentence further my argument or discussion? Does it contain unnecessary repetition? Is there another way I could say what I mean? Do any sentences contain irrelevant information? Cut anything that doesn’t pass these tests. 

You may find you have more work on your hands than you thought! But editing is an essential part of writing well. Forget about perfection: You won’t be able to edit all at once; rather, you will edit in stages over several drafts. 

The important thing is not to get stuck in one stage for too long—you want to keep moving forward! You may never start writing if you spend too much time editing before drafting (or revising).