This document provides a checklist for writing a research paper. It includes questions to ensure the paper has a clear thesis in the introduction, engaging topic sentences in each paragraph that relate back to the thesis, logical flow and organization of ideas, use of transitions between paragraphs, varied sentence structure and word choice, minimal weak language, correct formatting of quotes and citations, proper grammar and spelling, and an engaging title. The checklist aims to help writers structure their paper in a clear, coherent, and compelling manner.

1. Research Paper Checklist

2. • Is my thesis clearly written in the first paragraph
of the paper? Does my first paragraph stimulate
interest in my topic?
• Dive right into your topic. Grab the readers’
attention with an intriguing fact or quotation
related to your argument.
• Do not mention the assignment in the paragraph
(“for this assignment I will compare and
contrast…”), just respond to the assignment.
• Don’t tell readers what you plan to tell them (“in
this paper I will compare/contrast…”), just tell
them.

3. • Does my first paragraph make a clear, explicit,
coherent, forceful, definitive, comprehensible
thesis statement? Let readers know what you
plan to show in your paper. Let your thesis be a
general outline of the discussion to come. No
fluff.
• Does each of the paragraphs in the body of my
paper have one controlling idea? Is their
connection to my thesis explicitly made? Look for
topic sentences to correspond with your outline.
• Are these paragraphs in an optimum order? Does
my argument flow logically? Follow your writing
plan.

4. • Have I used transitions between my main
ideas/paragraphs to highlight the links between my
ideas and to guide my reader’s understanding of the
flow of my ideas?
• Have I varied my sentence structure to make my
writing interesting?
• Have I varied my word choices (especially verbs, is and
are get very repetitive) to make my writing interesting?
Eliminate “being” verbs wherever possible.
• Have I eliminated words that weaken my research like
perhaps, seems, possibly, appears, etc. unless they are
truly relevant? Have I carefully considered words
which may be too emphatic
(obviously, undoubtedly, always, etc) and the
generalizations which are frequently attached to these
words?

5. • Have I eliminated phrases which added little or nothing
to my writing “it is very important that” (of course it is
or you would not be writing about it), “it is very
interesting that,” etc? In general any sentence which
begins “It is…,” “There is/are…,” “This is…” can usually
be reworked advantageously.
• Have I looked at all sentences which contain “the fact
that” to see if they could be rephrased to be more
clear and concise?
• Have I limited my use of passive voice to places where I
need some variance in sentence structure? Passive
tends to make an argument less forceful.
• Have I checked to see that I don’t have too many
prepositional phrases in each sentence? (Try for 3
maximum and consolidate where possible.)

6. • Have I checked that all my subjects and verbs agree?
Do my pronouns agree with their antecedents?
• Have I kept consistent in my tenses? Generally use
past tense.
• Have I indented quotations of more than 3 sentences?
• Is my “Works Cited” page in correct MLA format?
• Have I run spell check or looked up words that I am not
sure of?
• Have I chosen a stimulating, relevant title?
• Have I read my paper out loud as I proofread, edit and
look for phrasing and punctuation errors?
• Have I checked details from start to finish (engaging
title, vivid verbs, correct structure, etc.)?