Directions: Be sure to save an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct English, spelling, and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be double?spaced; refer to the “Format Requirements? page for specific format requirements.

1. Copy the Final Checklist from the Lecture Notes page into a Word Document.

1. Answer every question in the checklist (including checklist from Ashworth College).

1. Submit your answered checklist.

1. Submit your Final Paper.

Grading Rubric

Please refer to the rubric on the next page for the grading criteria for this assignment

A Practical Guide to Preparing Your Final Draft

Have you carefully proof-read your paper for spelling and punctuation? Have you used your computer’s spell-checker and then checked your paper over yourself for anything the computer might have missed?

Are there paragraphs that seem to be too long (say, a page or more), or which seem to deal with two distinctly different ideas? If so, find a way to split such paragraphs into smaller paragraphs.

Are there paragraphs which seem to short (say, a sentence or two) for no recognizable purpose? If so, join the short paragraph with another nearby paragraph or move it to another part of the paper.

Have you looked at your transitions? Look at the first and last sentence of each paragraph. Do you lead your reader through the paper, preparing him or her for what is to come and making clear connections and distinctions between one paragraph/section and the next?

Have you examined your paper for excess repetition? Does any particular word appear too often? If you find that you are using very similar thoughts, ideas, or sentences over and over, can you group them together or add a new spin the second or third time around?

Have you varied your sentence length and structure? Do you avoid using the same word to begin several sentences within the same paragraph?

Does your conclusion do more than simply repeat the introduction? Have you used material in your conclusion that might work better if it were moved to the introduction?

Does your conclusion leave the reader something to think about?

Have you provided dates and place names and other details where they would be helpful?

Have you accurately and consistently cited your sources, using APA style? Have you been sure to cite quotes, paraphrased material, and summaries?

Have you used a sufficient variety of sources, according to the wishes of your instructor? Have you mixed those sources instead of using just one for several pages at a time?

Do you use signal phrases (or “lead-ins”) to prepare your reader for quoted material?

Will your reader fully understand why you’re using each particular quote?

Have you checked to be sure that your quotations are not unnecessarily long? Can you delete portions of the quote or use ellipses to shorten any overly long quotes and still make the same point?

Have you set off (correctly indented) any quotes longer than three full lines?

Have you underlined (or italicized) book titles? Have you used quotation marks for article titles?

Have you given your paper a unique and helpful title?

Have you numbered your pages?

(Reproduced from: George Mason University Writing Center, A Practical Guide to Preparing Your Final Draft http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/a-practical-guide-to-preparing-your-final-draft/)

And from Ashworth College:

Does the number of pages meet the requirements (minimum of 15 total pages and maximum of 20 total pages of written material)?

Will you remember to include a cover page?

Will you remember to include 1-3 pages of references/bibliography, using proper APA style formatting?

Will you remember to follow the guidelines for using proper format (double-spaced line spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and 1” margins) for your paper?

Will you remember to attach your research proposal to your final paper for submission?