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Thesis Editing – What Every Student Should Check Before Submission

April 25, 2025

Student checking printed thesis draft with a pen, laptop, and notes

 

Thesis Editing Before Submission – A Simple Checklist for Students

Submitting your thesis is a big achievement. It reflects all the time, research, and effort you’ve put in. However, before you hand it in, one final step can make everything clearer and more professional: thesis editing.

Editing helps you improve the way your ideas are explained. It also helps you avoid mistakes that might affect your grade. In this blog, we’ll walk you through a simple, student-friendly editing checklist to follow before submission.


1. Look Out for Easy Spelling Mistakes

To begin with, check for simple word mix-ups. For example:

  • There / their / they’re

  • Its / it’s

  • Affect / effect

  • Than / then

  • Principle / principal

These words might look right but mean something different. Thesis editing helps catch these easily overlooked errors and ensures your meaning stays clear.


2. Keep Your Sentences Short and Clear

In addition, long, complex sentences are hard to follow. Instead, aim to write in a simple and direct way. For example:

  • ❌ “The experiment was conducted in order to demonstrate…”

  • ✅ “We ran the experiment to show…”

Also, vary how you begin your sentences. This keeps your writing more interesting and easier to read.


3. Use a Formal but Simple Tone

Moreover, your thesis should sound professional, but it doesn’t need to be full of difficult words. Avoid phrases like:

  • “A lot of people think…”

  • “Basically…”

  • “You know…”

Instead, try:

  • “Many believe…”

  • “This suggests…”

  • “The findings show…”

Also, avoid contractions like “doesn’t” or “can’t.” Use “does not” and “cannot” instead. It sounds more formal and fits academic writing better.


4. Stay Consistent with Your Terms

Furthermore, your terminology should remain consistent throughout the document. If you call something “climate change” in Chapter 1, don’t switch to “global warming” in Chapter 3 unless you mean something different.

In addition, always define abbreviations the first time you use them. For example: “World Health Organization (WHO)”.


5. Check All Your References

One of the most common causes of lost marks is inconsistent referencing. Therefore, double-check that:

  • Every in-text citation appears in your reference list

  • You use the correct style (APA, MLA, Harvard, etc.)

  • Page numbers and dates are included where needed

  • The punctuation is consistent

If even a few references are incorrect, your credibility may suffer. Editing helps fix this before it’s too late.


6. Follow Your University’s Formatting Rules

Each university has specific formatting guidelines. As a result, you should carefully review:

  • Font size and type

  • Line spacing

  • Page numbering

  • Heading levels

  • Table of contents accuracy

  • Proper labels for figures and tables

A thesis editor checks that all of these are done correctly, so you don’t lose marks for formatting issues.


7. Improve Flow Between Sections

In addition to structure, flow is equally important. Use transition words like:

  • “In addition…”

  • “However…”

  • “As a result…”

  • “To summarise…”

This helps the examiner follow your thoughts easily. A good editor will suggest where to add these words for better flow and clarity.


What Students Are Saying

“I felt more confident after editing. Everything read more clearly, and I got fewer comments from my supervisor.”
“British Proofreading helped me fix small mistakes I didn’t notice. The thesis looked much better after that.”

You can read more reviews from our clients here.


Final Thoughts

In conclusion, thesis editing is one of the smartest steps you can take before submission. It helps your work appear clear, well-structured, and aligned with university standards. Most importantly, it shows you care about the quality of your work.

Ready to edit your thesis with expert help? Let’s get your final draft submission-ready here!

Thesis Editing

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