Thursday, March 19, 2009

Why do Dissertations Need Proofreading?

By Nick Sanders

Students are often unaware that submitting their dissertation paper without having it proofread and edited will mean that their work could contain a number of errors and omissions.

You will have probably taken time to plan, research and write your dissertation research paper. You may have missed social events, stayed up late through the night to finish writing a chapter and even re-read the same studies several times. You have put a lot of effort into your document and have a clear grasp of the subject.

The big question now is: are you sure every little mistakes has been ironed out? Does your work flow and is your content concise and breeds clarity? Is the tone of your paper on the right track, and have you check your spelling and grammar is correct? If you're unsure about these, then you are going to want to have your work proofread. Having an expert take a look through your work will ensure that it becomes what you wanted it to be in the first instance.

Dissertation proofreading, no matter how it is completed, whether by a friend or by a company, should always be done by someone else other than you. Remember from the above that you will no doubt have spent a lot of time on researching and writing the paper? Well, you are going to be too close to the paper to effectively proofread and edit your own work " you will just not see the mistakes that are there.

Reading over work that you have already written can become confusing and especially if this is your undergraduate dissertation - substantially large research paper that you will be completing for the first time. You will be comfortable with your own style of writing and the tone and clarity of your work will be very familiar. This means that you won't notice little mistakes that could disrupt the flow of reading.

If you decide to ask a company to proofread and edit your dissertation then you should review the experience of their editorial team and establish their understanding of academic work. You will want to make sure they have experience in your research field. You should aim to recruit a proofreader who is able to both proofread and edit your work, and review for style, clarity and tone of your argument.

If you choose to have your dissertation edited, then you will be advised what changes would be appropriate to increase the readability and style of your work. You will want to ensure that your paper is the best it can be before submission, so having the editor edit your sentences will mean that you will be able to submit your work and make maximum impact.

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