Dissertations & Extended Research Projects

The final stage of your dissertation is about moving from good to finished. You’ve done the hard work of research, analysis, and drafting - now it’s time to polish your project so it’s clear, accurate, and professional. Finalising usually involves:

• Careful editing and proofreading for clarity, flow, and style.
• Checking your references and citations.
• Making sure your formatting matches guidelines.
• Giving yourself time for final adjustments before submission.

This stage is about detail and presentation, but it’s also about confidence: presenting your research in the best possible way.

Check your writing for clarity and flow. Look over your work and check that your key argument is clearly presented and explained with evidence, revising and redrafting if necessary. Your introduction and conclusion should introduce/summarise your key points. Paragraphs should be of consistent length (for an essay or dissertation between 150-250 words as a rough guideline) and each have a clear purpose or point.

Think about reading your work out loud, or use text-to-speech to catch awkward sentences or where sections don't link smoothly.

Try reading your work out loud to check sentences make sense and are not too long. It can be difficult to see your own mistakes when you are immersed in the writing - take a break of a day or so before final checks (if possible!) and/or ask a trusted friend to give feedback. Please remember that Academic Skills Advisors can provide advice on improving your writing, but they do not offer a proof-reading service.

Proofread for academic style:

• Avoid contractions (e.g. use do not instead of don’t).
• Keep tone formal (avoid slang, clichés, or overly casual phrasing).
• Use precise language (avoid vague words like thing, stuff, very).
• Check consistency of tense (e.g. past for reporting what others did; present for your analysis).
• Ensure paragraphs are focused and not too long - each should develop one clear point.

Proofread for errors:

• Spelling mistakes (watch for homophones like their/there/they’re or you're/ your).
• Grammar slips (subject–verb agreement, missing articles, plural/singular errors).
• Repetition of words or ideas - tighten sentences where possible.
• Sentence fragments or run-ons - make sure every sentence is complete and clear.
• Awkward phrasing - read aloud to check natural flow.

Look over your references and bibliography one more time to ensure that they are all correct and up to date to avoid plagiarism.

Make sure that your assignment is formatted as specified in your dissertation handbook and is as requested by your tutor and that the same font, quotation style etc is used throughout.