Academic Writing Checklists

As a student or academic researcher, you probably have numerous projects. Academic writing checklists help organise and edit papers, allowing you to produce flawless, high-quality work. So, it is important to understand the different checklists used for various academic tasks.

Definition: Academic writing checklists

Academic writing checklists streamline academic writing by ensuring that a research paper adheres to all academic conventions.

Academic writing checklists: College applications

• I filled in my personal information.
• I highlighted my accomplishments.
• I sent in my SAT’s scores.
• I included my admission test scores.
• I presented my recommendation letters.

• I answered the college-specific questions.
• I presented the required essays.
• I sent a portfolio of my talents.
• I paid my application fees.
• I filled in my financial aid information.

• I signed and sent in my application.
• I informed the colleges I rejected.
• I proofread my application documents.
• I created a balanced college list.
• I made copies of my application documents.

College admissions essay academic writing checklists

• Shares who I am.
• Shows my abilities.
• Demonstrates my experience.
• Answers the questions asked.

• Shows my values and accomplishments.
• Meets the desired word count.
• Is proofread.
• Is edited.

• I got a second opinion on my essay.
• Uses the correct format and structure.
• Free of grammatical errors and plagiarism.
• Uses credible sources.

Statement of purpose academic writing checklists

• Aligns with the prompt.
• Highlights my background.
• Shows my relevant experience.
• Shows my key achievements.

• Shows the correlation between my previous experience and plans.
• Centres around one idea.
• Shows the aspects of the facility that impressed me.
• Demonstrates specific aspects of the program that impressed me.

• Explains how the program will help me in my future endeavours.
• Is proofread and revised.
• I got a second opinion.
• Is tailored to the institution’s needs.

Essay topic academic writing checklists

• Reflects my passions.
• Demonstrates my academic qualifications.
• Aligns with the institution’s requirements.
• Follows the right structure.

• Was approved by a tutor or academic expert.
• Is authentic and unique.
• Reflects my interests.
• Explores a period of personal growth.

• Reflects a holistic image of the writer.
• Shows my artistic abilities.
• Has no grammatical errors.
• Demonstrates a problem I have solved.

Academic writing checklists: Source credibility

• Author is an expert in the relevant field.
• Uses technical terms.
• The author is affiliated with a recognised institution.
• Timely.

• Free of grammatical errors.
• Includes a reference list
• Based on verifiable facts.
• Shows no bias.

• Addresses a particular audience.
• Appeals to the reader’s logic.
• Has an informative general look.
• Demonstrates the author’s purpose.

Academic writing checklists: Dissertation

• Clearly-described methodology.
• The title page has university details.
• Includes an acknowledgement section
• Abstract has clear arguments and ideas.
• Has a table of contents.

• Introduction has relevant research questions.
• Has a literature review.
• Explains my theoretical framework.
• Demonstrates my data collection and analysis.
• Includes results.

• Discusses the meaning of the outcomes.
• Conclusions answer the main research question.
• Explains the implications of my conclusion.
• Has appendices.
• Includes a bibliography.

Abstract academic writing checklists

• Not longer than one page.
• Illustrates what the dissertation entails.
• Excludes references.
• Only includes text.

• Has a brief outline of the methodology.
• Demonstrates research’s implications.
• Simple.
• Specific.

Tables academic writing checklists

• Formatted consistently.
• Labeled tables.
• Relevant to research.
• All tables are discussed.
• Formatted appropriately.

Introduction checklists

• Includes research questions.
• Captivating.
• Short.
• Includes the research purpose.
• Demonstrates the importance of the dissertation.
• Precise.

Results academic writing checklists

• Data was collected, and the results analysed.
• Data was presented in graphs and tables.
• Well-labelled.
• Factual.
• Presented in the correct format.
• Results address the research questions.

Discussion academic writing checklists

• Proper discussion and interpretation of results.
• States the limitation in my results.
• I restarted my research questions.
• Results are explained logically.
• Provides a summary of the key findings.
• Includes a conclusion based on the findings.
• Free of graphs and figures.
• Justifies my approach.

Recommendations for future research academic writing checklists

• Directly connected to the research in this dissertation.
• Aligns with key findings.
• Are “SMART”.

Conclusion academic writing checklists

• All research questions are answered.
• Includes a summary of the main ideas of the dissertation.
• Has recommendations for future research.
• Reflects on my research process.
• Discusses the general findings of my research.

Appendix academic writing checklists

• Has a clear label and title.
• Has its page.
• Has a source.
• Aligns with the research findings and objectives.
• Formatted appropriately.

Academic writing checklists: Writing style

• I used appropriate connecting phrases to connect paragraphs.
• I used a consistent formatting style.
• My paragraphs begin with a topic sentence.
• All my paragraphs are connected.
• My introduction has a thesis statement.
• A list of references.

• In-text citations.
• I used active tense.
• My essay begins with a clear topic.
• My introduction is short and engaging.
• My conclusion is a summary of my research.

Academic writing checklists: Essays

• Uses formal terms.
• Doesn’t use redundant words.
• Uses simple language.
• Presents my information.
• Uses a consistent formatting style.

• Includes in-text citations.
• Includes a reference list.
• Correct number formatting.
• Has logical claims.
• Paragraphs are connected.

• Free of plagiarism.
• Zero-grammatical errors.
• Body supports my thesis statement.
• Starts paragraphs with a topic sentence.
• Every paragraph focuses on one idea.

Essay introduction academic writing checklists

• Defines important terms in the introduction.
• Introduction is engaging.
• Introduces the focus of the research in the introduction.
• Has a short and clear introduction
• Has a thesis statement in the introduction.

Academic writing checklists: Avoiding plagiarism

• In-text citations appear everywhere.
• Quotation marks used for direct quotations.
• I proofread my work.
• I used an online tool to help me detect any plagiarism.
• I used my ideas.
• I used information that was common knowledge.
• I used direct quotations for 10% of my work.

Academic writing checklists: Formal emails

• Uses proper salutations and closings.
• Has a subject line.
• Has a short and precise message.
• Observes the correct structure.
• States purpose and engages the recipient.