You're an online student. You've typed, proofread, and edited your paper. You're ready to upload it to your professor's drop box. Now what?

Let a UWF virtual paper reader take a look at it. In our online paper reading service, the face of the paper reader is absent, but the paper reader is not. Feel free to call the paper reader at 474-2129 anytime during the Lab's hours of operation.

First, you must be a UWF student.

Next, you must have an eLearning account at UWF.

If you don't qualify, please return to the page for on-campus services.

Now, you're ready to use this OWL (Online Writing Lab) service.

Online paper reading is a service provided by the University of West Florida’s Writing Lab and is available for UWF students enrolled in eLearning classes.

As an online student, you were automatically given an eLearning account and can register for this online service by clicking the widget or button that appears on your own eLearning main page.

The virtual paper readers offer the same service as the Writing Lab’s in-Lab paper readers. Like the in-Lab paper readers, virtual paper readers will not write your paper for you, but will help you to write it better.

Virtual paper readers do not grade your paper. Like in-Lab paper readers, OWL readers read, thus supplying that second reader that all writers need. (Don’t let the paper reader be the first person to read your paper. You read the paper first; then send it to us!)

The OWL Paper Reading staff generally reads papers for the following features: content, mechanics (grammar and punctuation), documentation style, and manuscript format.

However, if you’re submitting a paper in a specialized field, we may not be able to read the paper for either content or some of the other features mentioned above. For papers in specialized fields, we will read for mechanics only.

The OWL Paper Reader will not provide line-by line corrections or detailed directive commentary. Instead, the reader will either highlight any features of your paper that need revising or answer any specific questions you have about the conventions of writing (grammar, punctuation, etc.). Any highlighted features will be identified by name or with standard correction symbols. Go to the Standard Correction Symbols link for the explanation of these symbols and abbreviations or call the Writing Lab at (850) 474-2129.

The paper is yours, so you may accept or reject the virtual paper reader’s recommended changes.

Click on the OWL to register for these services!