The Psychologist's Companion
CHECKLIST FOR CONTENT
o Have you stated the problem clearly?
o Is the article organized around the problem?
o Have you made clear on what the contribution of your paper is?
o Have you told readers why your paper is of interest to them?
o Is your literature review focused, reasonably complete, and balanced?
o Have you checked your data analyses and interpretations?
o Have you explained the meaning of the results?
o Do your conclusions follow from your data?
o Have you made the limitations of your work clear?
o Have you considered alternative interpretations of the data?
o Have you provided a take-home message?
CHECKLIST FOR STYLE
o Have you placed yourself in the background?
o Is your paper logical and organized?
o Have you given concrete examples?
o Are your sentences clear, readable, and concise?
o Are your sentences as simple as possible?
o Have you used summary statements?
o Have you used transitions?
o Have you avoided digressions?
o Have you explained abbreviations?
o Have you avoided jargon?
o Have you eliminated unnecessary redundance?
o Have you cited sources and findings?
o Have you requested a critical reading of your paper by a colleague or adviser?
CHECKLIST FOR LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR?
Whenever possible, have you
o used precise words?
o used simple words?
o used concrete words and examples?
o used the active voice?
o used affirmative constructions?
o avoided unnecessary qualifiers?
o avoided dangling constructions?
o avoided participles without referents?
o avoided pronouns without antecedents?
o avoided use of the indefinite this?
o avoided split infinitives?
o avoided gender-biased language?