1. Guided self review: Local revision
Synthesis
Guided self review: Local revision

2. First, some global points:
You synthesized, and didn’t argue, right?
You synthesized Just Mercy, “The Lockdown,” “Poor Teeth,” and “U.S. Education: Still Separate and Unequal,” right? And not the ones we worked on together?
You didn’t dwell on the introduction and chapter 6 of Just Mercy in your synthesis? That would likely show you’d not really worked yourself, but just depended on our class discussion for material.

3. APA Layout Title page, Running header and pagination, Title,
Text of essay,
References list

4. Introduction
“Hook” used to get the reader’s attention in the introduction?
Avoided “In today’s society,” “Webster’s defines ____ as,” and “Since the dawn of time” intros?
Did you provide the subject matter of sources to be synthesized, and indicate the purpose of your paper was to synthesize these 4 sources?
Have you noted the author and complete title of each of the 4 texts?
Thesis statement provided, representing the basic understanding or conclusion you’ve come to by comparatively analyzing the 4 sources? How clear and specific is it?

5. Source summaries 2-3 sentence summaries of each source?
Each source clearly indicated with author and date?

6. Synthesis/body paragraphs
Arranged by category/ commonality? Topic sentence introduces each categorical section? How clear is it that each topic sentence relates back to, develops the thesis?
Do you make comparisons among sources? How closely do these comparisons of sources relate to and develop their topic sentences? Do at least 3 sources compare in each paragraph?
Check the flow of material, from sentence to sentence, from paragraph to paragraph. Transitions made?
Are you happy with the organization of paragraphs? Will it make sense for the reader?

7. Can readers tell when you are quoting or paraphrasing
Can readers tell when you are quoting or paraphrasing? Do they know exactly what source is being quoted, paraphrased, or summarized by your accompanying the material with the author last name-(date) notation system? For all quotations and paraphrases, did you give parenthetical citation of page number, if a paginated source? For example: (p. 47) or (pp )

8. Penultimate, “understanding” section
How developed? Details how readers would come to the answer/thesis based on the synthesis done?
In explaining your sources and how they led you to your understanding, did you perform some basic rhetorical analysis and/or evaluation of the sources and authors—not just putting together WHAT they say, but also covering briefly HOW they say it? (This could be in the body paragraphs and/or the penultimate section.)

9. Concluding paragraph
Includes the “what next?” phase? What you can do with this understanding, what questions remain, and/or what further research might be needed?

10. References List (See APA guides—links in A.L.I.C.E., Purdue OWL, etc.)
Titled “References?”
Alphabetized by primary author’s last name?
Indented properly?
Each entry is proper APA layout for a:
Book by a single author? book-chapters-what-to-cite.html
Book chapter reprinted in an anthology? collected-works.html
News magazine article, online version?

11. Grammar check! Common problems of grammar, mechanics, and wording
Using it’s (contraction of it is) when you mean its (possessive), mixing up “their” and “they’re,” “your” and “you’re,” getting possessive case right (apostrophe use)
Failing to capitalize where needed.
Calling Just Mercy a “novel.” Novels are fiction; Just Mercy is nonfiction
Referring to authors by their first names. You don’t know them personally; so don’t call them by first names. Use last names.
What are other common errors?