1. Drafting and Revising Your Work
Introduction
Moving from notes to draft
Revising your draft
Proofreading and correcting your draft
Talk About It
Your Turn
Tech Tools in this presentation
Dictionary.com
Spellchecker and Grammar Checker

2. Introduction
The next step in the research process is drafting. It is the step that brings the pieces of the research puzzle together.
narrow topic
note taking
research question
outlining
main idea statement
sources 2

3. Introduction
narrow topic
outlining
research question
main idea statement
sources
note taking
If you’ve done a good job with each previous step of the process, fitting the pieces together into a draft should go rather quickly.

4. Moving from notes to draft
Whatever the form of your final research project—paper, presentation, podcast, Web site—you must start by getting your ideas down on paper.
Creating a draft means using your notes and outline to form well-organized paragraphs in which you present your research to your audience.

5. Moving from notes to draft
Begin with an introduction that will capture your reader’s attention and communicate your main idea statement.
attention-getting opening
Would you like to strengthen your heart and lungs, prevent diabetes and cancer, improve your emotional well-being, and potentially increase your lifespan? Recent studies in the United States confirm that including cardiovascular exercise in a daily exercise routine can do all of those things. Cardiovascular exercise is an important investment that benefits overall health.
Would you like to strengthen your heart and lungs, prevent diabetes and cancer, improve your emotional well-being, and potentially increase your lifespan? Recent studies in the United States confirm that including cardiovascular exercise in a daily exercise routine can do all of those things. Cardiovascular exercise is an important investment that benefits overall health.
main idea statement 5

6. Moving from notes to draft
Next, you’ll write the body of your paper. Write the first heading from your outline in sentence form.
Exercise and physical health
A. Strengthens heart and lungs
1. Building the muscle increases energy level
2. Muscle health leads to longer lifespan
Exercise and physical health
A. Strengthens heart and lungs
1. Building the muscle increases energy level
2. Muscle health leads to longer lifespan
Exercise and physical health
A. Strengthens heart and lungs
1. Building the muscle increases energy level
2. Muscle health leads to longer lifespan
Cardiovascular exercise can improve physical health in many ways. Most important, it strengthens the heart and lungs.
Cardiovascular exercise can improve physical health in many ways.
Cardiovascular exercise can improve physical health in many ways.
Then write your first supporting point.

7. Moving from notes to draft
Next, elaborate on your supporting point by explaining, adding details, or giving an example.
Cardiovascular exercise can improve physical health in many ways. Most important, it strengthens the heart and lungs. The heart is a muscle that beats continually to circulate blood all over your body. Exercise builds the heart muscle by allowing it to work more effectively and to work longer.
Cardiovascular exercise can improve physical health in many ways. Most important, it strengthens the heart and lungs. The heart is a muscle that beats continually to circulate blood all over your body. Exercise builds the heart muscle by allowing it to work more effectively and to work longer.
Continue in this way with all the supporting points for the first heading on your outline.

8. Moving from notes to draft
When you use an author’s ideas or exact words, give credit to that author by including the author’s name and the source in which you found the information.
Exercise builds the heart muscle by allowing it to work more effectively and to work longer. This can increase a person’s energy level and lifespan, according to Jacquelyn McClelland, author of Give Your Heart a Healthy Beat.
Exercise builds the heart muscle by allowing it to work more effectively and to work longer. This can increase a person’s energy level and lifespan, according to Jacquelyn McClelland, author of Give Your Heart a Healthy Beat.
Exercise builds the heart muscle by allowing it to work more effectively and to work longer. This can increase a person’s energy level and lifespan, according to Jacquelyn McClelland, author of Give Your Heart a Healthy Beat.
Exercise builds the heart muscle by allowing it to work more effectively and to work longer. This can increase a person’s energy level and lifespan, according to Jacquelyn McClelland, author of Give Your Heart a Healthy Beat.
author’s ideas
author’s name
source

9. Moving from notes to draft
Start a new paragraph for each heading (each Roman numeral) in your outline. This will help you stay organized.
When you have covered each heading, write a conclusion to wrap up your paper and give your final thoughts.
According to a recent study by the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association, approximately 50% of Americans don’t get enough exercise. With the physical and emotional benefits that cardiovascular exercise bring, more Americans need to get off the couch and get moving.
You might summarize your main points or state the importance of what you wrote.

10. Tech Tool: Dictionary.com
Writers often use dictionaries to define words as they write or to help with spelling as they revise and edit.
You might find it easier to use an online dictionary, such as Dictionary.com, than one in book form.
To use Dictionary.com, just type the word you want defined into the search box and hit Search.

11. Tech Tool: Dictionary.com
Like a traditional dictionary, Dictionary.com gives each word’s part of speech and definition.
In fact, it will give several different definitions of the word from different online dictionaries.
For an extra fee, Dictionary.com will even allow you to hear words’ pronunciation.

12. Tech Tool: Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com also includes a thesaurus to help you find just the right word to communicate your meaning.
Always use a thesaurus carefully, though. Make sure the word you choose means exactly what you intend.

13. Revising your draft Completing your draft is just the beginning.
The next step is to revise and edit your work.
Revision is more than fixing small mistakes.
It means taking a serious look at your ideas and how you present them.

14. Revising your draft
Begin your revision by carefully reading your work and answering these questions:
Topic sentences connect to main idea statement?
Does each paragraph begin with a topic sentence that connects to the main idea statement?
Paragraphs have enough support?
Do the paragraphs have enough support—facts, details, examples, and explanations?
Have you given proper credit to each author whose words or ideas you used?
Proper credit to each author used?
All direct quotations within quotation marks? Direct quotations not overused?
Are all direct quotations within quotation marks? Are there too many direct quotations?
Order of paragraphs makes sense? Transitions used to connect ideas?
Does the order of the paragraphs make sense? Do transitions connect ideas within and between paragraphs?

15. Revising your draft If you find that you need to
add support to your main idea statement
give more elaboration within a paragraph
or make any information clearer
go back to check your notes or return to your original sources.
One reason it is important to take good notes and keep track of your sources is so you can return to them easily if needed.

16. Proofreading and correcting your draft
When you are satisfied that your ideas, support, and organization are what you want, you are ready to proofread and correct your draft. Check the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in your paper.
Have you used complete sentences throughout the paper?
Are all words spelled correctly?
Do your subjects and verbs agree?
Are commas, quotation marks, and other punctuation correct?

17. Tech Tool: Spellchecker and Grammar Checker
During the revision phase, a spellchecker and a grammar checker might help you find some of your mistakes.
Used carefully, these can be valuable tools.

18. Tech Tool: Spellchecker and Grammar Checker
Most word processing programs have a spellchecker that will check spelling automatically as you work.
You can also check spelling and grammar after you finish your document.

19. Tech Tool: Spellchecker and Grammar Checker
Here are some cautions to keep in mind:
A spellchecker doesn’t know how to spell many proper nouns.
Jeremiah State Park
If your misspelling creates a different word that is spelled correctly, the spellchecker won’t catch the mistake.
Take you time.
If you don’t know how a word is spelled, you might not choose the correct spelling from the list of options that the spellchecker provides.
picture
pitcher
pincher
picturer
You might benefit from using an online dictionary in combination with a spellchecker when you edit your spelling.

20. Tech Tool: Spellchecker and Grammar Checker
Because the English language is so complex, a grammar checker will help you catch only some of your grammar mistakes.
Possible problems are usually underlined in green.
Read those sentences carefully. Sometimes a grammar checker will find an error in a correct sentence or fail to find an error where there is one.

21. Talk About It
Discuss the answers to these questions with your classmates.
How do earlier steps of the research process prepare the writer for drafting?
What happens during drafting if the earlier steps aren’t done well?
Student writers often don’t like to revise. Why do you think that is?
How might drafting and revision change if the final product is something other than a paper—such as a Web site or a speech?

22. Your Turn
Use the outline below and the notecards on the next slide to create a paragraph for a paper on the benefits of cardiovascular exercise.
B. Controls weight
1. Body burns more calories during exercise
2. Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you take in
3. Weight management important; obesity can increase risk of serious disease

23. Your Turn 1
When the body burns more calories than it takes in, the result is weight loss. page 24 4
More than 60% of Americans are overweight.
--Dulce Zamora, WebMD 2
Weight control is important because obesity is a risk factor for many serious diseases. page 76 7
Body continues to burn calories at a higher rate for a short time after exercise stops. page 98

24. Your Turn Paragraph starter:
Another physical health benefit cardiovascular exercise provides is weight control. A person who burns more calories than he or she takes in from eating will lose weight. The body also burns . . . 26

25. The End 28