Hello everyone,
It's Elizabeth again, this time to give an update at 8 week mark. I think we all deserve a pat on the back for marking it to the 2 month mark of this internship (and uni in general). Draft proposals were submitted a few weeks ago and peer review was released last night. That means it's time to begin the process of editing.
Going back a couple of weeks ago when we submitted our draft, I felt a huge relief. I knew it was far from perfect and I was definitely missing bits and pieces since I was still unsure of my experiment. But I thought hey at least the most stressful part of writing is over and now all that needs to be done is editing which can't be too bad ..... can it?
A couple of days after submitting my proposal, we made a couple of changes to my experiment so I had to rewrite a few things in my rationale and method. So after three days of not touching or even thinking of my proposal, I opened with the plan to make some minor adjustments. But as soon as I read the opening paragraph of my literature review, I knew that a LOT of changes were going to be made. I read my proposal again and started panicking about all these things that I needed to change and how my peer reviewer was going not going to understand anything (and think I'm an idiot).
But then I reminded myself that it's just a draft and there is still heaps of time to add things and to fix it up. And that peer review will help you to pick out the things to fix up. When I first wrote my proposal, it was hard to pick up on my mistakes or thing that didn't quite work. When I read the same thing over and over, I started to forget the purpose of the paragraph. And it certainly cannot be good to stare at your proposal on the screen for 8 hours straight.
So from my experiences so far, here are some tips on editing your own work.
It's Elizabeth again, this time to give an update at 8 week mark. I think we all deserve a pat on the back for marking it to the 2 month mark of this internship (and uni in general). Draft proposals were submitted a few weeks ago and peer review was released last night. That means it's time to begin the process of editing.
Going back a couple of weeks ago when we submitted our draft, I felt a huge relief. I knew it was far from perfect and I was definitely missing bits and pieces since I was still unsure of my experiment. But I thought hey at least the most stressful part of writing is over and now all that needs to be done is editing which can't be too bad ..... can it?
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| There's always a spelling or grammar mistake hiding somewhere. |
A couple of days after submitting my proposal, we made a couple of changes to my experiment so I had to rewrite a few things in my rationale and method. So after three days of not touching or even thinking of my proposal, I opened with the plan to make some minor adjustments. But as soon as I read the opening paragraph of my literature review, I knew that a LOT of changes were going to be made. I read my proposal again and started panicking about all these things that I needed to change and how my peer reviewer was going not going to understand anything (and think I'm an idiot).
But then I reminded myself that it's just a draft and there is still heaps of time to add things and to fix it up. And that peer review will help you to pick out the things to fix up. When I first wrote my proposal, it was hard to pick up on my mistakes or thing that didn't quite work. When I read the same thing over and over, I started to forget the purpose of the paragraph. And it certainly cannot be good to stare at your proposal on the screen for 8 hours straight.
So from my experiences so far, here are some tips on editing your own work.
- Take a break
You start forgetting your point and aim when you read the same thing over and over again. It helps to get a fresh perspective on it. So I would suggest not touching or even thinking of your proposal for a day or so and then coming back to it. That way you sort of have fresh eyes reading it again. - Get your friends or classmates to read it
It helps to get a new perspective. Sometimes you know you're work too well and when you explain the topic or method, you don't realise what you have missed.
Peer review will help flag areas that need editing. Sometimes you may think that the feedback is complete rubbish but if they're saying that they are getting confused or lost, it's probably a sign you need to break down your explanation more or that you need to add more information. - Read it out loud
I find that by reading my work aloud, it helps me process my work a bit more and helps pick out mistakes or grammatical issues. If I run out of breath mid way through a sentence, then I know that it's way too long. - Print it out and edit it using Colourful pens and highlighters
I know I've been staring at my laptop for too long if I look up to my clock, which is about an arms length away, and find that it's all blurry. I find that editing on paper helps me keep track of what I've changed as well. Sometimes I'll edit my work and forget what it was originally or why i even changed it. So I find it helpful to use pens and highlighters to edit my work and it makes it a lot more enjoyable and colourful too.
Thats it from me. Wishing everyone the best of luck with editing their proposal!
Elizabeth :)
Hey Elizabeth, sounds like you had quite a ride with editing the proposal! I definitely agree with letting your peers reading your work. I often find myself reading and editing my work checking off mental boxes in my head and skimming through it rather than scrutinising at a more critical level. Having fresh eyes read it can give you a very good idea whether your ideas are actually getting across to someone else and the feedback can be very helpful on what is working and what isn't.
ReplyDeleteEven after submission, the editing process still isn't over since we still have a chance to get feedback from a marker and take it on board or not. Jenny was not kidding that we have so many opportunities to get feedback in the internship and it is up to us to make use of it.
One thing is for sure is that all that time editing your proposal won't be in vain and it should form a clearer basis of structuring and creating your presentation. All the best with that in the meantime!