I began my revision process by first focusing on a key component that was missing from my assignment: backing. I completely failed to mention backing which Professor Hays pointed out through the comments. In order to fix this, I found separate examples of backing from my article that supported the two warrants I discussed in my paper. I made sure to cite where these backings came from and added my own analysis to further bring both new and hidden ideas into light.
Another issue I addressed within my paper was fixing my source boundaries. There were areas in my paper where I paraphrased or used signal phrases to introduce the author’s ideas but failed to cite where it came from. This is plagiarism in essence. I corrected this by going back to my article and finding the exact location where I found these ideas and citing it appropriately. My last major problem I fixed within my paper was adding relevant analysis after citing an idea from the article. For example, at the end of my first paragraph, I paraphrased the author’s statement; however, I failed to add my own analysis. I fixed this by adding a concise sentence that further explores the meaning of the statement I cited.
One minor problem I fixed within my paper was improving the title. Although my title made sense with respect to the topic I was addressing, it was a little vague. My title was “A Passion Rooted at Heart”, which doesn’t exactly hint at what the passion is. I fixed this by making the title “A Passionate Movement: Urban-Farming”. This title describes what the passionate movement is, thus, setting the stage for my paper. Another minor error I corrected was improving my works cited. My original citation failed to include the editor of the book that the article was featured on. I fixed this by adding the editor’s name to the correct area in the citation. A final minor error I fixed was grammatical/mechanical errors. These errors were placing commas and periods after the quotation when they should be inside, comma errors, and sentence structuring.
Completing this assignment helped me realize the importance of separating my own thoughts from the author’s. Maintaining your source’s boundaries is very crucial to prevent plagiarism and to prevent confusion in whose idea is being expressed. I also learned the important of adding proper analysis when citing the article. By adding your own analysis, you’re adding substance to the quote/paraphrase and making it more meaningful for your audience. Moving forward, my goal is to incorporate original ideas with citations as well as maintaining a clear line between my ideas and the author’s.