Writing and Drafting

Having realistic expectations about writing and creating a longer piece of work is important for setting yourself up for success. Know from the start that you will not complete your dissertation, research or capstone project after one draft. Your writing and creating only improves with an investment of time and knowing this from the beginning of the project will help you to designate enough time to this process.

First Draft

When writing a first draft it is best to concentrate getting words onto the page. It might help you to organise your dissertation into chapters and thematic sections and start from there.

Sketch out your structure and any initial arguments that you wish to make. Make time to review them after completing each section. Ask yourself:

• Have you stayed on topic?
• Have you created a clear argument using and analysing evidence?
• Does your structure hold up?
• Have I established my referencing style?

Second Draft

Review the focus of your initial research question:

• Are you answering this in enough detail?
• Does each paragraph make a point?
• Does each section have a clear argument?
• Does your conclusion provide a sense of closure and summary?

Sometimes, in long-form work, it can be useful to create a brief outline of your work in which you revisit each paragraph and reduce the argument it is making to just one sentence. This can help you avoid repetition and ensures that every paragraph is advancing and developing your theory in new ways.

Formatting your work as part of drafting

Your assignment brief will give details of any specific formatting features you are expected to include for the assignment set, such as a contents page, appendices, or line spacing. If your assignment brief does not give specifics, or there are formatting questions you have that your assignment brief does not answer, our Written Assignment Style Guide factsheet helps you to choose formatting options that communicate professionally.

Key resource:

• Written Assignment Style Guide factsheet

Redrafting

Repeat the steps for your first and second draft.

Take a break. Often, people find it very useful to take a day or two away from your work. Sometimes we can get lost in the specifics of the assignment and are unable to see things holistically. Taking a break allows us space to stand bank and approach our work with a renewed sense of purpose.

Final Draft

Assess your work:

• Do you answer the question you set?
•  Is your argument and conclusion convincing?
• Check your spelling and grammar.
• Have you formatted everything correctly?
• Are your references fully completed?

Key resources:

• Editing and proofreading worksheet
  
• Revising written work factsheet