By Done with the writing part of your dissertation journey? Well, the heart of the matter is still left to discuss—-proofreading! Many dissertation writers take this aspect of research development as a mere formality. However, it is the backbone of the process that gives actual meaning to all of your hard work. In the words of the author Battaglia, ‘Why Proofreading is Important’, “Proofreading can be the determining factor between getting or not getting a job, earning an A or C on an essay, or upsetting or effectively communicating with a peer.”
The quote accurately describes the importance of proofreading in your dissertation. When you proofread, you actually enhance the impact, value and reliability of your work. However, a lot of students make mistakes here. The reasons for that are lack of knowledge and no expert guidance to follow. Therefore, our guide is to fill the gap so that you can refine your work efficiently and with confidence.
Proofreading It Right – The Steps
Start Proofreading Later
Most students make the mistake of proofreading their text immediately after writing. This will never bring the right results. This is because your eyes are too familiar with the text at that time. So, it is better if you take a break for a day at least. With fresh eyes and mind, you can achieve the results you need.
Read Your Dissertation Aloud
This may seem weird, but it is of great benefit. When you read your writing aloud, your mind better grasp the hidden mistakes. For example, you can easily catch awkward phrases, grammatical errors and other similar inconsistencies. Plus, it also helps you assess the flow of the writing.
Focus on One Type of Error at a Time
Never go all at once for proofreading errors. This will make the process haphazard, resulting in more errors than accuracy. Instead, focus on one problem at a time. For example:
- First, look for grammar and punctuation errors.
- Then, review sentence structure and clarity.
- Finally, check citations and formatting inaccuracies.
Get Help From Online Tools
The modern education system is excellently using technology to make processes efficient. And there are various online tools that can help you in this process, too. For example, you can use Grammarly to check spelling mistakes, structural errors and so on. However, one thing to be mindful of is that these tools are not to be totally relied on. Hence, use them for sure but as an assistant only.
Pay Attention to Formatting and Citations
A professional dissertation is based on a specific type of format. These formats range from APA to MLA and so on. Whatever style you use, ensure it is accurately applied throughout the writing. Plus, font size, margins, headings, sub heading and all factors are consistent.
Pay special attention to citations. Check whether all the references are cited or not and in the required format. Further, also look that all in text citations match the developed reference list.
Watch Out for General Mistakes
There are some errors found in most of the dissertation writing. Plus, they are easily ignorable, too. Hence, we are outlining them here so you pay close attention to them. These are:
- Misused homophones (their vs. there, affect vs. effect)
- Subject-verb agreement errors
- Filler words and unclear sentences
- Incorrect use of punctuation (commas, semicolons, and apostrophes)
Hire Proofreading Expertise
Another factor here is getting the help of some experts. Many students use this. This is beneficial because you can never point out your own mistakes like some others will do. Hence, students go for a professional dissertation writing service, a peer, a mentor, etc.
With the assistance of reliable expertise and third-party help, you can polish your dissertation to perfection.
A Hard Copy Is Better Proofread
Many academic tasks result better when they are done on paper rather than on screen. This is why we advise that you print the hard copy of your dissertation. This will enhance your ability to find errors, increasing accuracy. Further, it will also minimise the fatigue related to the task.
Proofread Time and Again
If you are proofreading yourself, one round may not be enough. This is why our expert guidance says to do it in multiple rounds. You can focus on each aspect in a single round. Or, after completing proofreading, verify the results in the next rounds.
The Final Word!
Proofreading is like the missing puzzle piece without which the picture of your dissertation will never be understandable accurately. Therefore, it is important that you take it seriously and responsibly. Any ignorance here may even lead to the rejection of your project as well. The reason is the presence of false references, no reliable theoretical basis and a low understanding of your writing.
You do a lot of hard work throughout your dissertation journey. Hence, letting it go all in vain just because of mere formatting and presentation errors is not wise. So, do it yourself or choose an expert for that, and ensure that your dissertation is perfect to the T when submitting.
