How to Proofread a Dissertation: 10 Vital Hints
Proofreading is a part of academic life, and nothing is more daunting than proofreading a dissertation. There are bound to be errors, but it is often a big, complicated work, and there are some specific rules that matter for proofreading one.
- Take regular breaks. If you do not do this then you will not be able to stay at peak performance, and it can be easy to miss little errors. So make sure that for a long proofreading session, make sure to take five minutes off every so often.
- Have multiple people go through the dissertation. What one person sees another might miss, and vice versa. So many people are different types of writers who recognize different types of mistakes, so try to take advantage of this.
- Do not try to edit your dissertation on the computer; it can be easy to miss things. Instead, print it out and edit by hand. This saves you a lot of time because you do not fail to see certain errors and you do not strain your eyes against a computer screen.
- Wait a day in between each edit. It is much easier to review material if you do not have it fresh in your mind. If you look over it with new eyes, you may see something you missed.
- Kill your darlings! This is ancient writing advice. Sometimes, your favorite piece of writing that is needed, and it must be cut. Do not feel bad for your writing, and put it out of its misery. Editing is just as much about what you remove as what you put in.
- Do not feel as if you cannot make stylistic changes. Sometimes the grammar is incorrect, so double check it using an english grammar checker. It also is about style, and you should keep this in mind.
- Because a dissertation is so long, it is acceptable to break it up into smaller parts and edit each part at a different time. It is difficult to keep going after the same thing over and over, so be sure to calm down and take breaks whenever you can. This allows you to edit well.
- When editing for grammar, read the paper backwards, sentence by sentence. This lets you see when sentences do not flow correctly, and your brain is not as likely to fill in errors subconsciously and let them escape your notice.
- Get enough sleep! Without enough sleep, you can hardly expect to edit a paper properly.
- Do not listen to music while editing. It only distracts you.
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