Before you submit your final dissertation to your university, you will want to both edit and proofread the document. For a dissertation level paper, another (qualified) person should help do the proofreading. Proofreading is checking for proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence assembly. Proofreading should also include the referencing (checking the accuracy or reliability and style) and fluent language usage. Your thesis, if written in English, should not contain writing locale differences (between the United Kingdom and United States, for example). Proofreading includes reading through passages for clarity and construction.
Dissertation proofreading guidelines for a dissertation do not include altering or rewriting statements that lack clearness, only identifying them. Revising and rewriting is part of the editing process that the student should accomplish and finalize, not the proofreader. Having your thesis checked by a proofreader does not mean your document will be written for you; rather they will adjust your sentences to be grammatically proper and influence consistency of all aspects in your dissertation.
Dissertation proofreading should include checking the font for legibility, and consistency (size, style). A proofreading should also include checking charts, graphs, and other illustrations in your dissertation for proper labels, and are contained within the required margins. Proofread every page of the dissertation for correct page numbering, blank pages, missing pages, duplicate page numbers, or odd page breaks. Another tip to check the dissertation is to change the view (or Zoom) to multiple pages – usually about six pages per view. This helps you identify missing indentations or have too many (or not enough) spaces between lines.
To write a good dissertation for Undergraduate, Master’s or Ph.D. degree, check to ensure your document has a contents page, introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, discussion, conclusion, bibliography, and appendices, in that order. Most universities will have tips, samples, and guidelines on how to prepare your dissertation according to the writing style enforced.
