Creating a draft of your research paper in PDF format allows you to share your work with others in a readable and organized digital format while still being able to easily edit and refine your content. Here are some tips for creating, sharing, and refining a research paper draft PDF:
Start with an Outline – Before writing your first draft, take time to carefully plan the structure and flow of your paper with a detailed outline. An outline helps organize your main ideas and arguments as well as keep your paper well structured as you write. With a solid outline to reference as you draft, you can stay focused on properly developing each section.
Write Your Draft – With your outline completed, begin writing the first draft of your paper section by section. Work to thoroughly explain and support each point with credible sources and evidence. Remember, the goal of the first draft is to get your main ideas and arguments down on paper, not to polish your writing. Focus on content over style.
Format for PDF – As you write, format your paper with consistent margins, font, line spacing, headings etc. that will carry over nicely when converted to PDF. Single spaced paragraphs with double spacing between are standard. Use a common sans serif font like Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman size 12.
Insert References – Be sure to properly cite all sources within the text of your paper and include a reference list at the end formatted according to your selected style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago etc.). References allow readers to evaluate your sources and support your credibility. Cite as you write to avoid having to go back and insert citations later.
Check Formatting – Before converting to PDF, double check your formatting for consistency and compliance with any assignment requirements for document setup like page numbers, title pages, headers etc. Fix any mistakes now to avoid cluttering up your PDF with unnecessary formatting marks.
Convert to PDF – Most word processors offer an easy “Save or Export as PDF” option. Convert your entire paper including any images, tables or appendices. Make sure to properly name your file with your last name, assignment, and draft (e.g. “Smith_ResearchPaperDraft1.pdf”).
Proofread on Screen – Now open up your freshly minted PDF and carefully proofread on screen at 100% zoom, checking for typos, formatting issues, missing words/lines and other errors that may have slipped by in word processing view. The static PDF format often reveals mistakes better.
Get Feedback – Email your draft PDF to your instructor and peers for feedback. Others can easily read, comment on and annotate your paper in PDF form without access to the original word processing file. Collect input to strengthen your argument and presentation.
Incorporate Feedback – Review all comments and suggestions, then open your word processor file to make the appropriate edits and revisions directly to the content. Reformat, rewrite and strengthen weak sections based on the feedback.
Update and Recirculate Draft – Repeat the PDF creation, proofreading and feedback process as needed, updating drafts with each round of comments received. Circulate revised drafts for additional review until reaching a polished final version ready for submission.
By creating research paper drafts in PDF format, you take advantage of the convenience and readability of digital documents while retaining full editing power in your word processor. Sharing drafts as PDFs allows for efficient collaborative review and feedback integration to improve your work prior to final submission. Careful drafting, proofing and revision based on comments ultimately results in a high quality final paper.