Given the time and effort you have invested in research and writing, you cannot afford to compromise your final score with poor editing. You should therefore set aside ample time to conduct thorough editing and ensure that you properly express all the ideas within your dissertation.
Ranging from structure to spelling and flow to referencing, there are multiple issues you may have to fix for an outstanding paper. This article will highlight tips for dissertation proofreading to ensure that you submit the best version of your dissertation.
Dissertation tips: how to proofread dissertation for excellent results
- Take time off
Transitioning from writing your dissertation to proofreading may result in an impaired ability to edit your work. This is often because the exhaustion from writing may limit your capacity to focus, making it harder to identify errors within your paper.
Ideally, take a break from your dissertation after you are done writing. this break will allow you to recharge and muster all your focus as you proofread your paper.
- Handle one aspect at a time
Tackling multiple errors at a go is an approach that’s bound to impair your capacity to thoroughly proofread your paper. When addressing multiple issues at once, you may assign more importance to one type of error and miss other issues affecting the coherence of your dissertation.
- Make the most of editing tools
Editing tools are a great addition to your dissertation writing arsenal. These tools are designed to tackle multiple aspects with precision, therefore, capturing issues that would have easily escaped your radar.
When planning for your proofreading phase, set aside a session to check for references, grammar, and structural issues. In each phase use a reputable tool and perform a manual analysis for the errors after running your dissertation through various software.
Be keen when using grammar editing software as it may alter the meaning you intended to communicate in various sections. Ideally, read the suggested error and only change your essay once you are comfortable that you have retained your intended meaning.
- Delegate editing
Dissertation editing help should come in handy when you are rushing against a fast-approaching deadline. This help allows you to focus on research and writing, ensuring the overall quality of your paper.
Also, letting an expert edit my dissertation allows them to identify errors that would have easily slipped my focus.
- Revisit your dissertation guidelines
The faculty guidelines are a great starting point to proofread dissertation. These guidelines may recommend the scope of your paper and outline the chapters and word count you are expected to meet.
Before submitting your paper, check it and ensure that it meets all the guidelines. This will portray to your tutor that you have adequately followed the rules and evoke a better reaction from your committee compared to a paper that defies various guidelines you are provided with.
- Take breaks
Ideally, chunk your editing into phases to reduce the burden on your brain. Long editing sessions can quickly get boring and trigger exhaustion, impairing your capacity to focus and thus resulting in unproductive editing.
Chunking your sessions allows you to proofread thesis in bursts of maximum focus, thus ensuring more productivity throughout your session. We also recommend that you plan a session for different chapters when proofreading thesis.
This approach will allow you to gauge how well the goals of each chapter have been met and gauge the flow of each section without the interference of the bigger picture.
- Develop a reverse outline
Reverse outlining is a great way to gauge the quality and flow of arguments within an academic paper. When going about the reverse outline, jot down the key ideas from each paragraph and sort the ideas into sections.
This outline can then be compared to your initial outline to gauge how well you addressed your dissertation topic. Also, analyse the ideas that require additional research and instances where a paragraph carries more than one idea.
Split these ideas into sections and trim arguments that are irrelevant to your topic. We recommend that you prepare an outline for each topic to have an easier time gauging the overall quality of your paper.
- Read your essay aloud
Reading your essay aloud gives you a better chance to gauge how each sentence captures the message you intended to communicate in your essay. After running your dissertation through various software, read it out and rectify sentences that may result in ambiguity.
Final take
Editing is often overlooked with students giving more primacy to research and writing. However, the relevance of proper editing cannot be adequately stressed. These tips should come in handy for easier editing and also to ensure the overall quality of your paper.
Feel free to reach our team for assistance with editing and custom guidance on various elements of your dissertation.
