Dissertation Editing: Advice for Writing a Successful Thesis

A dissertation is one of the most important papers you will ever write in your academic life. It shows your readiness to work in the field and helps you hone your research and communication skills. The importance of a dissertation means you have to go to all lengths to write an excellent paper. One of the most important, albeit overlooked, steps in the dissertation writing process is the editing phase. If you want to submit the best-finished paper, you need all the dissertation editing help you can get.  

After investing a lot of time researching and writing, you need to refine your paper and ensure it meets the highest standards. Here, you will learn how to ensure your paper is superb through excellent editing.

1. Take Time Away After Writing

Most students want to complete their dissertation and submit it as fast as possible. It is understandable that this project is stressful and you want to get it out of the way. However, you have to give yourself a break after writing before commencing on the editing phase. You need a fresh mind to pinpoint any errors and this is why stepping away for some time is a great idea.

2. Go through the Paper Guidelines Again

By the time you complete writing your dissertation, you will have referred to the guidelines countless times, but still, it is advisable to have another look before you start editing. There’s no room for error when working on this crucial academic paper and checking the paper guidelines one more time is not too much to ask.

3. Check the Overall Structure

You need to check your outline once again and counter check it with the paper you have completed. Make sure you have all the sections including the title page, abstract, introduction, thesis, methodology, literature review, research findings and analysis, conclusion and recommendations and references.

It is important to ensure the structure conforms to the formatting style recommended such as MAL, APA, Harvard or Chicago. At this point, you should also look at the headings, section numbering, footnotes where required, and uniformity in citation style among other things.

4. Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

It is advisable to go beyond your spell checker and read through your dissertation keenly. These editing apps can miss out some embarrassing errors which can lead to penalties. You have to do the hard lifting in editing to ensure you pick all spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes.

5. Check For Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a big concern in academia today, and you have to ensure you attribute all sources to the right authors. A report published on Academic Integrity highlights plagiarism as a threat to scholarly works, and you should avoid it at all costs.

6. Get Professional Editing Help

While it is true you can edit your thesis and refine it; many professional writers will emphasize the importance of using a professional editor for the perfect job. A professional editor brings in a fresh set of eyes and objectivity to ensure your dissertation meets the required standards.

These six tips should help you fine-tune your dissertation by eliminating all structural and grammatical problems.