How to revise a research paper based on professor feedback.

[Aseko]

My professor just returned our drafts with feedback. It's... a lot. There are comments everywhere. Some are big ("this argument needs more evidence"), some are medium ("reorganize this section"), and some are tiny ("comma splice").

I'm totally overwhelmed. I don't know where to start, and I'm worried I'm going to miss something important or just make things worse. Do I start with the big structural stuff or the little grammar fixes? If I move a whole paragraph, do I have to redo all the citations?

I need a revision strategy. Here's what I'm thinking, based on some Googling:

1. Step 1: Just read. Don't fix anything yet. Just read all the comments and let them sink in. Try not to get defensive. (Harder than it sounds.)
2. Step 2: Categorize. Go through and mark each comment as "big" (argument, structure, evidence) or "small" (grammar, wording, citation). Maybe use different colored highlighters.
3. Step 3: Big fixes first. Ignore the small stuff for now. If I need to add a new section or move things around, doing that first means I won't waste time perfecting sentences that might get deleted.
4. Step 4: Then, line edits. Once the structure is solid, go through and fix the grammar and wording.
5. Step 5: One last read. Print it out and read it aloud to catch anything I missed.

Does this order make sense? How do you handle feedback that you don't fully understand or disagree with? Do you just do what they say, or do you schedule a meeting to ask questions? I don't want to annoy my professor, but I also don't want to make changes that ruin my argument.

 

[Lester]

I hate that overwhelmed feeling. Like opening a document and seeing "needs work" in like twelve different places.

Your five-step plan is actually perfect. That's exactly what I do. One thing I'd add: after Step 1, make a separate document with just the professor's comments listed out. Then you can check them off one by one as you fix them. So satisfying, and you won't miss anything.

And yes, meeting with professors is fine! They'd rather answer questions than read a revision that misunderstood everything. Just come prepared with specific questions.