Checklist for Research Paper Draft

A. Content

1. Personal section

a) Is a personal narrative or description included?

b) Is it specific, vivid and compact?

c) Is it tightly and smoothly connected to the expository structure?

2. Sustainability topic

a) Is topic narrow enough to be treated in five pages?

b) Is enough content provided?

c) Is the Cal Poly program clearly and fully described?

d) Are key terms that are not familiar to a general reader defined?

3. Issue

a) Are both sides of the issue fairly stated?

b) Are relevant counter arguments presented and rebutted?

c) Is the writer’s position persuasively presented?

B. Research

1. Is a credible selection of sources included?

2. Are quotations and paraphrases adequately distinguished and documented?

3. Does the writer sound authoritative on the topic?

C. Organization

1. Does introductory paragraph draw the reader into the topic and lead to a thesis?

2. Is the thesis strong, focused and concise?

3. Does each paragraph have a single topic? Is each topic provided with adequate development in a paragraph? Do the sentences in each paragraph flow in a coherent sequence?

4. Can the reader understand why each paragraph follows the preceding one and leads to the next? Are transitions located at the beginning rather than the end of paragraphs?

5. Does final paragraph provide a sense of conclusion without repeating what’s earlier been stated?

D. Style

1. Are unnecessary words eliminated?

2. Is the paper free of sentence fragments, run-on sentences and comma splices?

3. Do most sentences center meaning on a core subject and verb? Is the use of “there is” and “there are” held to a minimum?