Introduction

Regardless of writers’ levels of experience or areas of expertise, many struggle with revision, a component of the writing process that encompasses everything from transformative changes in content and argumentation to minor corrections in grammar and punctuation. Perhaps because revision involves so many forms of modification, it is the focus of most scientific writing guides and handbooks. Revision can be daunting; how does one progress from initial drafts (called “rough drafts” for good reason) to a polished piece of scholarly writing?

Developing a process for revision can help writers produce thoughtful, polished texts and increase their written communication skills. Consider, then, a systematic approach to revision, including strategies to employ at every step of the process.

A System for Approaching Revision

Generally, revision should be approached in a top-down manner by addressing higher-order concerns before moving on to lower-order concerns. In writing studies, the term “higher order” is used to denote major or global issues such as thesis, argumentation, and organization, whereas “lower order” is used to denote minor or local issues such as grammar and mechanics.^[1] The more analytical work of revising higher-order concerns often has ramifications for the entire piece. Perhaps in refining the argument, a writer will realize that the discussion section does not fully consider the study’s implications. Or, a writer will try a new organizational scheme and find that a paragraph no longer fits and should be cut. Such revisions may have far-reaching implications for the text.

Dedicating time to tweaking wording or correcting grammatical errors is unproductive if the sentence will be changed or deleted. Focusing on higher-order concerns before lower-order concerns allows writers to revise more effectively and efficiently. 

Revision Strategies

Bearing in mind the general system of revising from higher- to lower-order concerns, you can employ several revision strategies.

• Begin by evaluating how your argument addresses your rhetorical situation—that is, the specific context surrounding your writing, including the audience, purpose, and author, as well as any constraints (the assignment)).^[2] 
  • For example, you might one day write a medical article describing a new treatment. If the target journal’s audience comes from a variety of disciplines, you might need to include substantial background explanation, consider the implications for practitioners and scholars in multiple fields, and define technical terms. By contrast, if you are addressing a highly specialized audience, you may be able to dispense with many of the background explanations and definitions because of your shared knowledge base. You may consider the implications only for specialists, as they are your primary audience. Because this sort of revision affects the entire text, beginning by analyzing your rhetorical situation is effective.
• Analyze your thesis or main argument for clarity and global coherence. Do all the key terms you used in your topic sentences appear in your introduction – at least in a suggestive form that means that no paragraph will seem to a reader to come out of the blue? Between the intro and the body, you should be reiterating the key terms of your specific topic, your claim about that topic, and the kinds of evidence you’ll employ. Did you say anything as you wrote the paragraphs that has altered your draft thesis in ways that you now need to reflect? Welcome such nuance and complexity: the point of your thesis is to seem insightful, not simple, so develop your thesis rather than cutting complexity—or evidence!
• Evaluate the global organization of your text by writing a reverse outline. Unlike traditional outlines, which are written before drafting, reverse outlines reflect the content of written drafts.
  • In a separate document or in your text’s margins, record the main idea of each paragraph. Then, consider whether the order of your ideas is logical. This method also will help you identify ideas that are out of place or digressive. You may also evaluate organization by printing the text and cutting it up so that each paragraph appears on a separate piece of paper. You may then easily reorder the paragraphs to test different organizational schemes.
• Find another reader. At Geneseo, the Writing Learning Center (WLC) is staffed by students who will, for free, read and discuss your essay with you, one-on-one, for thirty minutes at a time. Those tutors have been employed because of their excellent writing skills, and they are trained to look for all the tips and techniques you are asked to consider in INTD 106. They not only have the advantage of deep familiarity with college-level writing both in practice and in theory, but they also provide for you something no writers can provide for themselves: a brain that isn’t your own. WLC tutors can tell you when they can’t follow your logic or were surprised by a term that you didn’t prepare them to expect, even though you thought the links or scaffolding were clear. Tutors use other tutors to help them revise their own work; professors use other professors to help them revise their own work. No serious academic at any level submits written work that no one else has helped them revise. That’s why you practice peer review in class. You can achieve something of the same effect by writing your paper a few days in advance of the deadline, forgetting about it, then pulling it back out and seeing if it still makes sense to you. Or you can bother your friends in the dorm to read what you’ve written. And also hope that they will take thirty minutes and then give you honest and constructive feedback. Or you can visit your professor’s office hours with your draft and some specific questions or issues you would like to discuss. Or you can do all of the above. Just remember that the WLC is open till 11 o’clock most weeknights, and the tutors are friendly and welcoming, and you really should make their acquaintance at the start of your time at Geneseo.

Completing a Post-Draft Outline

The reverse outline mentioned above is also known as a post-draft outline. Guidance for how to complete one for an entire essay draft, as well as for an individual problematic paragraph, is found in this presentation.