My main tip for finalizing the report is to revise based upon the rubric. If I were to start my project all over again, I would have created my sub-section headers based upon the requirements in the rubric. That way, I would have guaranteed that I included all the rubric’s components from the beginning instead of including information that did not fit into any of the rubric’s requirements.

Another tip I have for finalizing the report is read through the entire report with a specific intention in mind (i.e. making the tone more professional, enhancing transitions between ideas, making sure that in-text citations are correct etc.). It helps me not burn out and be efficient so that I do not have to go back on separate occasions to make the same type of revision or edit. If I were to start the project all over again, I would have implemented this principle from the beginning so that I did not have to read back through the report multiple times for the same reason.

My final tip I have is to read the paper out loud. It helps me notice so much more. If I were to start my project all over again, I would have read my paper out loud after finishing each section so I could have respectively made revisions as I moved along and, in turn, brought more clarity to the argument.

Comment by Jarrett Vigil:

Hey Mary,

I like that you mentioned that you would incorporate the rubric to design your subsection headers. This is also something that I would do if I had another round for my paper as well. During this course I started incorporating the rubrics into my drafting phases, but it was only really after I had drafted my paper. Following this strategy was very helpful with the creation of my presentation. Using this framework during the drafting stage of my presentation went better than expected and helped it flow well.

Good luck with the final stages of your paper and presentation!

Comment by Danette Jewell:

Hi Mary,

I thought you gave some great tips. I think making revisions as you look at the rubric is a good way to check your writing and make sure you are meeting all the requirements. I definitely struggled with the cost-benefit analysis portion of my draft because I was so focused on the overall topic of the paper that I didn’t spend enough time researching that section. If I would have made subsections from the beginning, as you suggested, I may have focused more on that area as I was writing my draft.

I also think it can be helpful to try to keep the tone consistent the entire time you’re writing. I often get into a flow when I’m writing and don’t want to stop to put in citations or double-check things because I’m afraid that I’ll lose my train of thought. In some ways, it helps keep my tone consistent but then I always have to spend a lot more time doing revisions and checking citations are correct later. It’s difficult to find a balance for everything, especially for a longer paper.