Final Draft Checklist for Students
by iSophist · 12 things on Twos
- Though these are not necessarily strict rules, each item is important to consider before completing a final draft of any document. Exceptions are possible, but rare.
- Cite your sources with a usable citation system. I recommend MLA or APA. I would also consider hyperlinking any online text. Your reader should be able to find your source.
- Label any image or visual and keep it near relevant text. Be sure to cite any visual that is not public domain or creative commons. If it is creative commons, be sure to label it so. If it is your own asset, label it with your name.
- Use readable fonts for the specific context. Serif works best for print. Sans serif works best for digital. In most cases, you should not use more than two different fonts. Try to keep the fonts you use from clashing too much.
- Don’t underline text. In the old days, underlining was meant to indicate italics. Now it can be confused with hyperlinks. Also, don’t put colons after section headings. Colons are only used when there is text proceeding them.
- Use recognizable formatting. This will usually mean block format, modified block format, or semi-block. Block format is the most common. Never use MLA format (double-spaced, indented), unless asked. Do not indent block paragraphs (unless asked); it's old-fashioned.
- Be sure to chunk your information and use relevant section headings. Large blocks of text should be rare and usually difficult to read.
- Consider using section headings to help your reader follow your organization. If you have sub-sections, always introduce them. In other words, don’t go straight from a section heading to a sub-section heading.
- Only use right-alignment, left-alignment, or justified alignment. Centered text inhibits readability in most cases and should only be used for effect. Almost never center anything. If you don't believe me, check out this website.
- Cut out at least 10%-20% of your word count. Most people use too many words! This link will help you out. The Hemmingway app is a useful tool for doing this. I also like Prowritingaid, but it does cost money.
- Be sure to perform a spelling and grammar check. I also recommend that you read your text out loud (or have someone read your text out loud). If you or someone else stumbles when reading your text, you likely need to rewrite that sentence.
- Export your Word document as a PDF, and be sure all your comments are closed. This is like printing your document digitally. This will make sure that your formatting is retained and no one makes changes to your final copy. You should not send someone a Word doc, unless you expect them to edit it.