Writing a dissertation is a time-consuming process, and in the absence of good proofreading, all of your hard work could be added to nothing. Proofreading gives your writing the last touch it needs to become a thoughtful and clear piece of writing. 

You might have tried your best to write an error-free assignment, but since no student is perfect, you can easily make various grammatical mistakes like spelling, punctuation, wrong citation style, and poor sentence structure. Effective proofreading will help you take note of these mistakes and correct them before you submit your dissertation. 

Take a full day’s break

You might have taken an entire month to research and write your dissertation and by the time you finish, your mind can feel exhausted. When your academic work is still fresh in your mind, you might not be able to recognize any mistakes if you start proofreading and making your dissertation expressive immediately. 

The best way forward is for you to take a 24-hour break and relax your mind by listening to music, going out to eat, exercise or do any other activity. After the 24-hour break, go back and begin proofreading your work when your mind is fresh and relaxed. You will easily notice any errors or omissions in your dissertation and make necessary corrections. 

Don’t forget formatting tools

Even after proofreading your academic piece of writing twice or thrice, there can still be mistakes that easily bypass your attention. It is important to trust your judgment and confidence, but it is more important to use technology to help you achieve better results. 

There are many proofreading tools available online and you should remember to take advantage and use them to perfect your work. The tools identify errors that you could have easily overlooked and suggest the right words or phrases for replacement. Before you submit your work, scan it via a proofreader and polish your work to perfection. 

Try dissertation proofreading service 

A well proofread dissertation will make your writing presentable but many university students ignore this crucial part of the dissertation writing journey. There are many proofreading tips a student can use in their writing and present a well-researched and quality paper. However, if you want to be 100 percent certain, outsource dissertation proofreading service by Uk.EduBirdie because their proofreading services are more than perfect. Your writing shall be qualified as perfect and you shall submit an error-free dissertation. 

Be keen on formatting 

Formatting your dissertation helps your academic writing look neat and presentable. It includes various components like paragraphing, subheads, and citations. Do your citations in the correct style and in a way that sources for each point can be easily identified. Your thesis statement must be clear and every point in the entire writing must be easy to understand.

Non-paragraphed work will make your writing look disorganized and illegible. Break your paragraphs into four or five lines and let each paragraph cover a point. Your dissertation should have subheads that are consistent with the main heading.

Print it and read it

This method might look old-fashioned and irrelevant, but many students to have tried it found it useful. After proofreading your piece of writing on your computer screen, some errors can easily escape your attention. One of the well-tested alternatives is to print your dissertation and read it on hard copy. 

While reading on hard copy might seem a daunting task, it is one of the best ways to help you read out your work loudly and β€˜listen’ to yourself reading. Have a highlighter with you and mark every word or sentence with errors and then correct them on your soft-copy. 

Read back to back

It is easier to read your dissertation from the main heading and flow to the body, conclusion, and citations. However, when the flow is easy, it becomes easier to overlook mistakes or fail to notice errors. Try the harder way and read your dissertation from the last paragraph and end with the introduction paragraph. 

You will be able to pick out wrong sentence structure, citation, misleading sources, hanging paragraphs, wrong punctuation, and so on. Do not be in a rush when reading from back to front, but read slowly and reread any areas that you feel might require your attention. 

Conclusion 

Before you graduate with your undergraduate or postgraduate degree, you will be required to do extensive research and write your best dissertation. Choosing your topic carefully, following a clear structure, and understanding what you are required to do is important. However, proofreading will give your academic paper a final polish that will make it look presentable, professional, and grammatically correct. 

Author’s Bio:

Lara Donald is a content writer working for a leading publishing company and her area of interest is storybooks and research journals. She’s versatile and also works as a freelance academic writer and technology blogger. Besides her job, she likes to go hiking, spend time on the beach and read history books.