thesis proof reading

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to proofread your thesis

1. Review your institution's guidelines

2. take a break before you read anything, 3. determine how to proofread your thesis, 4. use online tools, 5. read your thesis in a different order, 6. read your thesis out loud, 7. reach out to your peers, frequently asked questions about proofreading your thesis, related articles.

Now that you've finished your thesis , it's time to proofread it. You'll need to do this several times to ensure that you submit a solid thesis that's free of grammatical mistakes and typos. We've put together a few tips that can help you optimize the proofreading stage of your thesis.

Your institution will likely have specific guidelines for formatting your thesis. Be sure to double-check the guidelines for layout and format issues, including:

• paper size and margins
• running head
• page numbering
• line spacing

Take time to read through the guidelines again and keep them handy as you proofread your thesis.

The proofreading stage is also a good time to check your citations or references . Whether you're using Harvard, APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association) or some other citation style, make sure that your citations are correct.

Give yourself some time off before you start proofreading your thesis. This allows you to return to your work with fresh eyes. Ideally, you should plan to take a break of several weeks before you begin proofreading; however, even a short break can help you refocus and catch more mistakes.

Some people like to proofread their thesis on screen, while others like to print it out and read it on paper. Whichever method you choose, be aware that you can't read it all at once. Rather, make a plan for how you want to approach proofreading and stick to it. You'll generally want to break up your process by chapter or section.

Consider breaking down your thesis proofreading process in one of these ways:

• by paragraph

Several online tools can help you with proofreading and some of them are even free. Use tools like Grammarly or Proofread Bot for proofreading or Readable.com or Slickwrite to critique your grammar and writing. A quick Google search will show you that there are dozens of tools out there that can help you with your thesis!

Week 1 : Read a chapter a day, watching out for major issues in argumentation, use of evidence, and organization.

Week 2 : Complete substantive revisions and check that all citations are correct. Use a reference manager like Paperpile to create accurate citations and bibliographies.

Week 3 : Re-read each chapter, checking for any additional surface errors. Double-check that your formatting aligns with your department’s thesis requirements.

Try reading your work backwards or in a random order. This approach often works better than reading your work from beginning to end.

By switching up your expectations, you will catch more errors. Plus, starting at the end allows you to keep your conclusions in mind as you read and helps you to verify that you've proven your thesis statement.

The best way to catch grammatical, stylistic, and organizational mistakes is to read your work aloud to yourself. Hearing your own words greatly increases your ability to find typos and errors.

Keep your eye out for the following common errors:

• subject-verb agreement
• faulty predication
• misplaced modifiers
• tense changes
• incorrect citations

If you have friends or peers who are also writing theses, or who have completed them, reach out for advice and help. For instance, blogger Pat Thomson suggests setting up a proofreading deal with a friend.

Also, you might find it useful to join or start a writing group. These groups build accountability and provide writers with support for all stages of the research and writing process.

The length of the proofreading process depends on the length of the thesis. Plus, you should plan to take a couple of weeks off before you start proofreading. It's also a good idea to break up longer projects by chapter or section.

Always double-check your institution's guidelines for the general layout, including:

If you know someone who is willing to proofread your thesis, then definitely ask! Friends and peers who are also working on theses, or who have recently finished, can provide you with useful insights about the grammar, style, and structure of your thesis.

As part of your proofreading plan, you should create a checklist of items that you want to watch out for while proofreading your thesis. Your checklist might include:

• Spelling and typos
• Verb tenses and subject-verb agreement
• Sentence structure
• Layout and formatting
• Citations and/or references
• Consistency of style
• Organization
• Overall flow

You should plan to proofread your thesis as many times as it takes to ensure that you submit a polished and professional work. Typically, however, most thesis writers proofread their work around three to four times.

Author First, Quality First

How to Proofread a Thesis: A Guide

Anyone who has written one knows that a thesis is a monumental task. Months or even years of research, writing, and revision go into creating a thesis. The moment you type the last word, you may feel an incredible sense of relief. But you aren’t done yet! Now it’s time to begin the second most challenging part of writing a thesis: editing and proofreading. Your thesis will no doubt go through various rounds of editing as you reread and rewrite different sections, and your advisor provides their input. But even after all that, there is one critical step left, which is thesis proofreading. Is thesis proofreading that important? How can you go about thesis proofreading anyway?

What is Thesis Proofreading? Proofreading is a separate step where you carefully review a text to ensure its technical accuracy. Thesis proofreading should be conducted after all of your major content editing has been finished. This is to save both time and effort. After all, why bother reviewing a section that will be deleted later? If you proofread before you are done editing, you may have to go back and proofread new sections that are added or changed during the editing process. Thesis proofreading should only take place once you are really, for real, finally done with editing.

In addition to technical accuracy, such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting, thesis proofreading should double-check that your word choice is correct. Proofreading your thesis will also give you the chance to check one more time for clarity and typographical errors. Finally, thesis proofreading will let you make sure that your word choices, use of abbreviations, and use of capitalization are consistent throughout your text. Thesis proofreading is a critical step because any errors in a written document make the document seem less professional and trustworthy. This is doubly true when it comes to academic circles. In this article, we talk specifically about English proofreading, but keep in mind that thesis proofreading is a critical step no matter what language you wrote your masterpiece in.

How Do You Proofread a Thesis? When it comes to performing the English proofreading of your thesis, you have a couple of options. The first option is to proofread your own thesis. This can save you some money, but it can also involve a lot of time and difficulty. Proofreading your own work is always a challenge, thesis or otherwise, because you will bring your own bias as the writer to the table. You wrote it, and you know what you wanted to say. For that reason, it can be very easy to miss your own errors. This is why many thesis writers choose to hire thesis proofreading services. If you are a non-native English speaker, hiring thesis proofreading services to perform English proofreading is often your best option. English proofreading is difficult for native speakers too, and experienced dissertation editors employed by thesis proofreading services can often provide you with a very high quality of service.

Your thesis is probably long, and so it can help to do your thesis proofreading in sections rather than all at once. More importantly, do not attempt to proofread your thesis immediately upon finishing your final draft. You need as much time and space between you and your thesis as possible before you begin the proofreading process. If you aren’t engaging the help of thesis proofreading services, put your thesis on the shelf for at least 72 hours, preferably a week, before you begin the thesis proofreading process. That way, you can look at it with fresh eyes, and you’ll be more likely to catch the errors you have made.

What Should I Look For When Proofreading? Anyone doing their own thesis proofreading should begin with a checklist of items to review. Common errors that should be looked for include:

• Inconsistent use of UK and US English (especially common among non-native speakers)
• Spelling errors (spell check is useful but will not catch everything)
• Typographical errors (abort instead of about is a nasty error but will be missed by spell check!)
• Inconsistent abbreviations (U.S. vs. US)
• Punctuation errors (improper use of apostrophes, inconsistent use of the Oxford comma, en dashes instead of em dashes)
• Grammatical errors (incorrect use of a/an/the, pluralization, etc.)

The easiest way to eliminate inconsistent use of UK vs. US English is to make sure the language of your document is set for your preferred version of English and then perform a quick spell check using the spell-check tool. This should take care of most spelling issues, but also keep a careful eye out as you read through your paper for any inconsistencies you may have missed.

One additional item you’ll want to take special care with is use of contractions (don’t vs. do not) and apostrophes. In general, academic writing is formal and use of contractions is discouraged. Some style guides (APA, for example) specifically discourage the use of contractions. Similarly, non-native speakers often have a tendency to overuse apostrophes with plural possessives. English proofreading and writing strongly advise against this, as native speakers are taught not to write this way. For example, “the dogs’ group” should be “the group of dogs” and “the publics’ opinion” should be “public opinion” or “the opinion of the public.” In addition, you should make sure that your formatting is consistent. Are headlines aligned the same way? Did you use bold for one section and italics for another? Are the margins correct? Always refer to the guide provided by your university to ensure you have properly formatted your thesis before submission.

Where Can I Find Help with Thesis Proofreading? There are a number of helpful guides and tools out there to assist you in thesis proofreading. Google Scholar can help you double-check your citations, as can citation generators. OWL Purdue online also has many helpful writing tips. Thesis proofreading services, as mentioned above, are also a great resource. In addition to thesis proofreading services, academic proofreading services are also available. What is academic proofreading? Simply put, academic proofreading is specifically targeted to academics. Academic and thesis proofreading services employ experienced dissertation editors who are familiar with specific academic disciplines to review academic articles and thesis manuscripts. Because of their familiarity with the subject matter, they are fast and thorough.

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PhD Thesis Proofreading and Editing Services

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Through direct changes and in-text comments, our thesis editors give feedback on:

• Punctuation
• Sentence structure
• Verb tenses
• And much more…

Using Word’s Track Changes feature, you stay in control and decide which changes to accept or reject.

Feedback on academic style

Besides avoiding language mistakes, your writing should also follow academic conventions. Our editors are specialised in academic texts. They will improve and give feedback on the use of:

• Informal or imprecise language
• Inflated and redundant phrases
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Personalised language tips

To help you become a better academic writer, your thesis editor will provide an overview of your most common mistakes in grammar, punctuation and style. With our in-depth guides, you’ll learn how to recognise and correct your own errors.

Popular thesis editing add-ons

Structure check.

To avoid structural issues, your thesis editor can review the organization of your thesis. With the Structure Check , you can rest assured that:

• Sections and chapters are ordered correctly
• No sections and elements are missing
• Headings are clear and consistent
• Transitions between paragraphs are smooth

Clarity Check

A fresh pair of eyes can spot issues with your logic or clarity. Through in-text comments and two checklists , the editor’s feedback will focus on:

• Logical argumentation and conclusions
• Clear presentation of concepts and theories
• Contradictory information and arguments

Experienced thesis editors

All Scribbr editors are carefully selected through a rigorous testing and selection process called the Scribbr Academy . Only 4% of applicants succeed in becoming qualified Scribbr editors. That’s how we ensure the highest quality thesis editing!

At Scribbr we try to assign your thesis to an editor who is knowledgeable and passionate about your topic. However, our thesis editors are language specialists, not academic experts in your field.

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De bronnengenerator is mijn houvast tijdens het maken van de literatuurlijst en APA vermeldingen in de tekst. Doormiddel van DIO, hyperlinks of onderwerp kan ik eenvoudig de juiste literatuurverwijzing vinden en vermelden.

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Upload and select pages

Upload your entire thesis and only select the pages that need proofreading and editing.

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Share your guidelines

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, if your document is longer than 20,000 words, you will get a sample of approximately 2,000 words. This sample edit gives you a first impression of the editor’s editing style and a chance to ask questions and give feedback.

How does the sample edit work?

You will receive the sample edit within 24 hours after placing your order. You then have 24 hours to let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

Read more about how the sample edit works

At Scribbr, we promise to make every customer 100% happy with the service we offer. Our philosophy: Your complaint is always justified – no denial, no doubts.

Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.

Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English .

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.

Yes, you can upload your document in sections.

We try our best to ensure that the same editor checks all the different sections of your document. When you upload a new file, our system recognizes you as a returning customer, and we immediately contact the editor who helped you before.

However, we cannot guarantee that the same editor will be available. Your chances are higher if

• You send us your text as soon as possible and
• You can be flexible about the deadline.

Please note that the shorter your deadline is, the lower the chance that your previous editor is not available.

If your previous editor isn’t available, then we will inform you immediately and look for another qualified editor. Fear not! Every Scribbr editor follows the  Scribbr Improvement Model  and will deliver high-quality work.

Yes, our editors also work during the weekends and holidays.

Because we have many editors available, we can check your document 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, all year round.

If you choose a 72 hour deadline and upload your document on a Thursday evening, you’ll have your thesis back by Sunday evening!

When you place an order, you can specify your field of study and we’ll match you with an editor who has familiarity with this area.

However, our editors are language specialists, not academic experts in your field. Your editor’s job is not to comment on the content of your dissertation, but to improve your language and help you express your ideas as clearly and fluently as possible.

This means that your editor will understand your text well enough to give feedback on its clarity, logic and structure, but not on the accuracy or originality of its content.

Good academic writing should be understandable to a non-expert reader, and we believe that academic editing is a discipline in itself. The research, ideas and arguments are all yours – we’re here to make sure they shine!

Your Writing, Expertly Edited

Get your work meticulously edited and proofread by PhD-qualified academic writing specialists, who know exactly what markers want .

Your All-In-One Solution

While many providers charge for editing and proofreading separately, our service includes both . This means we’ll take care of the following:

• Fix typos, misspellings, punctuation issues and ensure consistency of your spelling format (e.g., UK or US English).
• Undertake light rewriting of poorly presented sentences, to improve readability and ease of understanding. If substantial rewriting is needed, we’ll provide suggestions.
• Highlight areas where clarification and additional explanation are needed.
• Ensure that your in-text references are in the correct style, formatted correctly and are included in the end-text reference list.
• Ensure that your reference list is correctly formatted.
• Highlight areas where additional references are needed (e.g., sweeping statements, unfounded arguments, etc.).
• Generate the table of contents page, lists of figures and tables.
• Ensure consistent style for figure and table captions.
• Insert captions where we are able to, or highlight areas where captions are needed.
• Ensure consistency of heading levels and styles.
• Ensure correct page numbering (e.g., roman numerals for pre-matter).
• Ensure that your format/page layout is in line with your institute’s requirements.

What exactly you get  

Every editing and proofreading project includes the following key deliverables:

A perfectly edited document

You’ll receive a clean, finalised version of your document, fully edited and proofread. You’ll also receive a second version with all changes tracked , as well as our comments and suggestions to improve your writing further.

A detailed plagiarism report

If you’d like, we can run a comprehensive plagiarism scan on your document and provide you with a detailed report that outlines potential plagiarism issues and provides a similarity index. This is included free of charge.

A polished conceptual framework

If your document includes a conceptual framework, we’ll polish your design into a high-quality visual to give your work a professional look. Again, this service is provided completely free of charge. 

A certificate of editing

If your university requires a formal certificate of editing or confirmation letter, we’ll draft this according to your institution’s specific requirements. We can also provide copies of invoices and receipts if required by your sponsor. 

The Grad Coach Difference  

Editors are a dime a dozen  and there’s always someone who can do it cheaper. Here’s what makes Grad Coach’s editing and proofreading service different.

Academic Writing Specialists

Our PhD-qualified editors specialise in academic writing, so they know exactly what markers want.

Combined Editing & Proofreading

Our service includes both editing and proofreading, while others charge separately for each.

Full Plagiarism Reporting

In addition to editing and proofreading, we can also provide a  plagiarism report , completely free of charge.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the most popular editing-related questions we receive.

Editing & Proofreading

How do you edit and proofread.

Our editing and proofreading process is 100% manual - in other words, it's handled by a team of highly qualified human editors, not machines . We don't use any automation software or tools, as nothing can beat the quality and accuracy of human editing.

Our editing team consists of a diverse mix of Doctoral and Master's-qualified language specialists . The team is managed by Dr Eunice Rautenbach , who holds both a Master's and Doctoral degree in language practice. All team members have extensive academic editing experience, are native English speakers (from the US, UK and SA) and have worked on numerous dissertations, theses and research projects.

Can I see an example/sample of your editing?

Certainly . You can download a sample editing and proofreading project here .

Will you sort out my references and citations?

Yes . As part of the editing process, we will ensure that your references and citations are in the correct format (e.g., Harvard, APA, etc) as per your university's requirements (you'll need to advise us what these are).

However, keep in mind that we can't fill in incomplete references or find the relevant sources for you (as it's impossible for us to know which sources you've referenced). We also cannot check whether the references you have are accurate or suitable for the arguments you make in your writing.

Can you fix/build my table of contents?

Yes , we can create a table of contents based on the headings and subheadings throughout your dissertation or thesis. This table of contents will include the respective page number for each heading or subheading.

Can you lower my word count?

Yes - as part of the editing process, we will edit your work for concision. However, we cannot guarantee a specific word count or percentage reduction, as this would risk cutting out important content.

Can you check my work for plagiarism?

Yes - we can provide a detailed plagiarism report with every editing and proofreading project. However, please keep in mind that universities use a variety of plagiarism-checking services. Therefore, if your university provides you with a plagiarism-checking facility (as they often do), you should double-check your score on that system.

How long does the editing and proofreading process take?

It depends on the length of the document, the overall quality of the writing (i.e., the number of issues to be resolved) and our project load at the time of submission.

Generally speaking, we can complete a standard dissertation/thesis of 20,000 words within 2-3 days , but this varies depending on the factors above. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you pre-book your editing with us for a specific date. For pre-booked projects, we can provide a guaranteed timeline, which is generally shorter than that of "walk-in" projects. Please email us to pre-book your project.

Can you provide a certificate of editing?

Yes , certainly. We can issue a certificate according to your university's requirements. We can also sign any paperwork required by your university as proof of editing.

Will my document be treated as confidential?

Yes , absolutely. Your work will be treated as strictly confidential and will never be shared or published. We will gladly sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with you if you wish.

How much does editing cost?

Our fee is based on the total word count of the document. This includes the body content and the reference list (as we need to review this). You can also include the appendices if you wish, but it's generally not required.

Click here to view our pricing or book a free consultation to discuss your project.

When should I submit my document to you?

Generally, editing and proofreading should be the very last step in your writing process. This ensures that you don't "undo" any editing work, or introduce new typos or grammar issues.

However, if your supervisor has specifically instructed you to get your work edited before submitting it to them for final review, you should follow their instructions. If you're unsure which approach to take, get in touch with us.

Can you edit my dissertation/thesis as I complete each chapter?

We can, but we don't recommend it . By editing chapter by chapter, consistency is reduced and there is a strong chance that there will be conflicts between document versions in terms of references, page, table and figure numbers, and so on. As a result, a lot of the work will be "undone" and you'll need to spend a lot of time revising and checking each section.

How much time should I factor in post-edit to make corrections?

We recommend that you factor in a day or two to make your final corrections after receiving your document back from us. This is not essential (as you can just accept all our edits "as is"), but it is a good idea to have a buffer in case you want to make any additions or revisions. You might also need to fix issues highlighted by the edit, e.g., regarding clarity of meaning or problems flagged with your referencing.

Can you do a second review of my document after the first edit?

We can review your document as many times as you need , but each review is charged separately. In other words, we cannot provide a second review (after we've edited and proofread) free of charge.

Can you check that my Conclusions and Recommendations represent all my findings?

This is beyond the scope of language editing, as it involves data analysis and interpretation. If you would like assistance with this, we can assist with 1-on-1 coaching , where we review your work critically and provide in-depth feedback (you can view a sample of this here ).

Can you write my abstract (or exec summary) for me?

No , we can't. As part of the editing process, we will improve the quality of your writing, but we cannot write any section for you. Having any section written for you would constitute academic misconduct.

Can you rephrase text to reduce my plagiarism score?

No , we can’t. While we may undertake some very light rewriting of poorly constructed sentences to improve readability and ease of understanding, we cannot revise content to reduce plagiarism, as we are not familiar with the articles/sources being referenced.

Can you arrange the separate sections of my document?

No , we cannot arrange (or rearrange) sections of content on your behalf, as this may impact the core meaning and/or the thread of argument.

That said, if we feel that a section could be structured better for clarity, we will comment on this and make suggestions. Additionally, we will check that your headings and subheadings are numbered sequentially and are consistent in style.

I still have questions…

No problem. Feel free to email us or book an initial consultation to discuss.

Still have a question?  No problem – feel free to  email us  or  book a consultation .

What our clients say

We've worked 1:1 with 3000+ students . Here's what some of them have to say:

David's depth of knowledge in research methodology was truly impressive. He demonstrated a profound understanding of the nuances and complexities of my research area, offering insights that I hadn't even considered. His ability to synthesize information, identify key research gaps, and suggest research topics was truly inspiring. I felt like I had a true expert by my side, guiding me through the complexities of the proposal.

Cyntia Sacani (US)

I had been struggling with the first 3 chapters of my dissertation for over a year. I finally decided to give GradCoach a try and it made a huge difference. Alexandra provided helpful suggestions along with edits that transformed my paper. My advisor was very impressed.

Tracy Shelton (US)

Working with Kerryn has been brilliant. She has guided me through that pesky academic language that makes us all scratch our heads. I can't recommend Grad Coach highly enough; they are very professional, humble, and fun to work with. If like me, you know your subject matter but you're getting lost in the academic language, look no further, give them a go.

Tony Fogarty (UK)

So helpful! Amy assisted me with an outline for my literature review and with organizing the results for my MBA applied research project. Having a road map helped enormously and saved a lot of time. Definitely worth it.

Jennifer Hagedorn (Canada)

Everything about my experience was great, from Dr. Shaeffer’s expertise, to her patience and flexibility. I reached out to GradCoach after receiving a 78 on a midterm paper. Not only did I get a 100 on my final paper in the same class, but I haven’t received a mark less than A+ since. I recommend GradCoach for everyone who needs help with academic research.

Antonia Singleton (Qatar)

I started using Grad Coach for my dissertation and I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for them, I would have really struggled. I would strongly recommend them – worth every penny!

Richard Egenreider (South Africa)

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• Knowledge Hub

Thesis/Dissertation Writing Guide

• 35-minute read
• 12th February 2021

How to Write a Great Thesis or Dissertation

This guide will explain how to write a great undergraduate or master’s thesis or dissertation (see our Essay Writing Guide  for advice on shorter academic documents).

Use the list to the left to select an aspect of thesis writing to learn more about.

What Is a Thesis?

A thesis is a longer, in-depth paper written at the end of an undergraduate or master’s degree. It will be on a subject you choose yourself and involve self-directed research, although with some help from a tutor or advisor. The thesis may make a significant contribution towards your final grade, so it is very important. We will use the word “thesis” throughout this guide, but some also call this final project a “dissertation.” 

The idea of an undergraduate thesis (also known as a “senior project” or “senior thesis”) is to demonstrate the skills and knowledge developed during your studies. Not every undergraduate will need to do a senior thesis, but they are common in some schools and may be required if you’re planning on enrolling for a postgraduate course.

A master’s thesis is the final project on a master’s degree. It will usually be longer and more detailed than an undergraduate thesis. You may also be required to make an original contribution (i.e., put forward a new argument) as well as demonstrating your knowledge.

Depending on your subject area, your thesis may be empirical or non-empirical:

• Empirical theses are more common in the sciences. They involve collecting and analyzing data, then writing this up with your findings and conclusions.
• Non-empirical theses are more common in the humanities. They involve researching existing data, ideas, and arguments, then offering a critical analysis or making an argument of your own based on your research.

In this guide, we will discuss both types of thesis, highlighting any differences as they become relevant. We will not look at how to write a doctoral dissertation, which is usually even longer and more complex, but many of the same skills apply.

KEY NOTE: Most colleges and universities have detailed guidelines for how students should write a thesis, including any stylistic or procedural requirements. The advice below will be designed to apply to any thesis-length project, but you still need to check what your institution requires if you are writing a thesis or dissertation.

Planning a Thesis or Dissertation

The first step in writing a thesis is making a plan. This may include several steps.

Selecting a Topic

Since a thesis is self-directed, you will need to decide what to research. This is an important decision, so don’t rush it! Tips for selecting a thesis topic include:

• Think about your interests – Try to pick something that reflects your interests. Is there something from your prior studies you wish you’d had more time with? Some subject area that you found especially engaging? Something you read about that you didn’t get the chance to study? Something relevant to your career plans? A thesis is a major project, so make sure it focuses on something you care about!
• Aim for originality – Try to find a unique issue or problem to address. This doesn’t necessarily mean conducting entirely original research (it will be hard to find something nobody has ever written about). But you can try to find a new angle on an existing idea or problem (e.g., applying an established theory in a new area). This is especially important for a master’s thesis, where originality is valued.
• Think about the scope – Try to pick a problem that you think you can answer within the word limit of your thesis. This should be something fairly in depth so you can show off your skills and hit the word count. But it should also be narrow enough that you can finish it in time and without massively overwriting!
• Do some research – If you have an idea for something you might want to write about, do a little preliminary research. This will help you focus your idea by seeing what other people have already said on the subject. It may even help you identify a new angle from which to approach the issue. And if you do a little research on a few potential topics, you can be sure you’ve picked the right one for your thesis.
• Be realistic – As with the scope of your chosen topic, you need to be realistic about what you can do with the time and resources available. Would your topic require access to specialist equipment or resources? Would it require traveling? Are there any potential costs? Think about how easy it will be to conduct your research.  
• Ask for advice – Once you have a basic idea of what you might want to write about, ask your tutor or lecturer for advice. They will have a good sense of whether it is a suitable subject for a thesis and may have suggestions for how to approach it.

And once you’ve selected a topic, you’ll want to check what your school requires for a dissertation. Usually, you will need to submit a research proposal of some kind for approval. Minimally, though, you will need to decide on a research question.

Setting a Research Question

The “ research question ” is the question you’ll seek to answer in your thesis. This should narrow the focus of your thesis down even more, giving you a distinct problem to address. To formulate a research question, try to come up with something that:

• Clearly sets out the focus of your research
• Has a limited enough scope to answer in one paper
• Is complex enough to warrant in-depth discussion and investigation
• Is relevant to your field of study (e.g. it fills a gap in the research)

For instance, you may be interested in viral marketing techniques. However, since this would be a very broad topic for a thesis, you would then need to look for a specific question to answer, such as how do social media influencers affect a viral advertising campaign? You could even narrow this down further by framing a question around a specific case study.

We can see some examples of “good” and “bad” questions below.

In this case, the “bad” question is too broad. It would take several book-length essays to even start answering! The second question is much narrower, focusing on the effect of climate change on one species in one region, making it easier to answer.

In this case, the “bad” question is too narrow. It could be answered by searching on google and simply setting out the policies you find. The second question, meanwhile, is open to debate and does not have a simple answer, so there is scope for good research.

As with your thesis topic, once you have come up with a research question, speak to your advisor or tutor. They may have some guidance on how to refine it.

Writing a Research Proposal

Some colleges will ask you to write a research proposal – i.e., a detailed description of your proposed research project – before they approve your thesis. And even if you don’t have to do this, writing a research proposal can be a useful way to organize your thoughts before you begin writing. This may include information on the following:

• A proposed title
• Your research question/ objectives
• Why your research is significant (e.g., what it contributes to your field of study or how it could be used to help solve a practical problem)
• An initial literature review (i.e., a look at existing research in the subject area)
• A thesis chapter outline (see below for tips on structure)
• Your methods (i.e., how you will conduct research or experimentation)
• A justification for why you will study the topic in the manner set out
• Logistical and ethical considerations
• Potential limitations on your research project
• A reference list or bibliography
• A research timeline breaking down when you will complete each stage of the project, including writing up and editing your thesis
• Any information on projected expenses or budget

You won’t always need all the above. This will depend on your school’s requirements, your subject area, and the scope of your thesis project. In essence, though, you need to set out what you want to achieve, why you want to do this, and how you intend to accomplish it.

One thing to note here is that your plan may change later on. Research can be difficult to predict, so you may need to adapt your plan after you start work on your thesis. You might find, for example, that your research question was too broad. Or you might encounter an obstacle that forces you to adapt your plans. This is completely normal!

As such, don’t stress too much about making your research plan “perfect.” Your real aim is to prove that you’ve thought seriously about your thesis, that you’re capable of planning a research project, and that you’re committed to producing high quality work.

Once your school has approved your plan, you will be ready to begin work on your thesis.

Conducting Research

Any thesis will require engaging with past research. This may be for a literature review before conducting your own experimental study. Or, in a more theoretical thesis (e.g., historical analysis or literary criticism), it may make up a large proportion of your work.

You will have done some research already as part of your proposal. But most of it will come after your thesis has been approved. Exactly what this will involve will depend on your subject area and research question, but we will look at a few common issues below.

Creating a Research Plan

Creating a plan will help you focus your research. To do this, break your thesis down into steps and set aside time for each task you need to complete. You’ll then know exactly how much you need to do and how long you will need to do it. This may include:

• Studying existing literature on your research topic
• Designing a study or experiment
• Conducting primary research

When creating this plan, be realistic about how long each stage will take. And make sure to leave time for writing and editing your thesis once you’ve finished the research!

Top Tip! You can actually start writing while you’re still doing research or gathering data. For example, if you’re working on your design study, you can start making notes for your methodology section. This will save time when you come to write your thesis, as you should have all the information you need in one place, ready to be written up.

Selecting Sources

Part of efficient research is selecting the best sources for your project, as reading every single book or article on a subject would take far too long. This may involve:

• Using what you know from your studies as a starting point for finding relevant sources. Asking your tutors or lecturers for recommendations is another good idea.
• Checking the reference lists in good sources for similar titles.
• Developing a strong search strategy to find sources online or in databases. This means testing keywords and using filters to narrow searches.

If you are doing research online, make sure you’re using reliable academic sources, too. For instance, a reputable journal or a university website should be trustworthy. But a blog post with no cited sources or author information will not be suitable for academic writing. Likewise, Wikipedia is not an academic source, though you can check the citations to find sources.

Top Tip! If you are writing a thesis in the humanities, the majority of your work may involve analyzing, criticizing, and comparing secondary sources or ideas from these sources. As such, it is vital to find and engage with the major thinkers in your subject area.

For instance, if you were writing about behavioral psychology, and your thesis did not acknowledge or engage with B. F. Skinner – a hugely influential figure in behaviorism – at any point, your marker may assume you haven’t done enough research or that you have missed something important. And this may affect how they assess the rest of your work.

Even if your thesis is mainly based on primary research, it is important to show that you’ve researched past work in your subject area. If you overlook a major thinker or some recent research relevant to your own study, it could end up losing you marks!

Taking and Organizing Notes

Writing a thesis will be much simpler if you have good notes to work from. So when you’re reading a paper or book relevant to your research, make sure to:

• Take notes that are neat enough to understand when you read them.
• Note all publication details for any source you might use in your thesis.
• Organize notes so you can find them when needed (e.g., using colored labels to sort paper notes visually and having a well-labeled folder system on your computer).
• Highlight important information so that you can find it later.

Other tips for efficient note taking include:

• Use abbreviations or shorthand to aid note taking (especially in lectures).
• Summarize key passages and ideas rather than writing them down verbatim. This will make note taking quicker, as well as helping you absorb the information.
• Focus on the parts of sources most relevant to your research question.
• Record page numbers and source information for anything you make notes about.
• Use an audio recording device to record lectures.

This should leave you with detailed, easy-to-use notes when you come to write your thesis.

Data Collection and Analysis

If you are conducting empirical or experimental research, part of your research will involve data collection. This is where you gather your own information to help answer your research question. The three main styles of research include:

• Quantitative – Research that depends on numerical data. This can be based on a scientific experiment, questionnaires, or many other methods.
• Qualitative – Research that focuses on the distinguishing characteristics or traits of the thing studied, such as how something is subjectively experienced. Qualitative methods include things such as interviews, focus groups, and observations.
• Mixed methods – Research that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The aim here is to get a more rounded picture of the thing being studied.

The same applies to data analysis methods, which can also be quantitative or qualitative. But the research approach you adopt will have a major influence on how you answer your research question, so you need to think about this carefully! Key factors may include:

• Past research – How have other studies in your subject area been done? Is there something about a past study you could draw on or improve upon? Is there existing data that you could use (e.g., from past studies or metastudies)?
• Practicality – How easy will it be to conduct your study with the resources available? How will you collect and store data? How will you analyze it after collection?
• Sampling – Where will you gather data? Will you be able to generalize it to a wider population? If you are working with human subjects, are there ethical concerns?
• Problem solving – What obstacles might you face when gathering data? Do you have time to run a pilot study (i.e., a test study) before you begin?

You may have decided on much of this while writing your research proposal, but these are issues you should consider throughout the study design process. You may also want to work with your thesis advisor to finalize your plans before collecting data.

From a planning perspective, the key is giving yourself enough time to carry out each stage of the data collection and analysis. If you rush, things are more likely to go wrong!

Writing Up Your Thesis

The structure of a thesis.

The structure of your thesis will depend heavily on the subject area. As such, we will look at how to structure empirical and non-empirical theses separately. However, as elsewhere, make sure to check what your school suggests about structuring your thesis.

Empirical Thesis Structure

Most empirical theses have a structure along the following lines:

• Title page – A page with key information about your thesis, typically including your name, the title, and the date of submission. Your school should have a standard template for thesis title pages, so make sure to check this.
• Abstract – A very short summary of your research and results.
• Content page(s) – A list of chapters/sections in your thesis. You may also need to include lists of charts, illustrations, or even abbreviations.
• Introduction – An opening chapter that sets out your research aims. It should provide any key information a reader would need to follow your thesis.
• Literature review – An examination of the most important and most up-to-date research and theoretical thought relevant to your thesis topic.
• Methodology – A detailed explanation of how you collected and analyzed data.
• Results and discussion – A section setting out the results you achieved, your analysis, and your findings based on the data. You may want to include charts, graphs and other visual methods to present key findings clearly.
• Conclusions – A final section summarizing your work and the conclusions drawn.
• References – A list of all sources used during your research.
• Appendices – Any additional documentation that is relevant to your study but would not fit in the main thesis (e.g. questionnaires, surveys, raw data).

We will look at some of these sections in more detail below.

Non-Empirical Thesis Structure

In the humanities and other non-experimental subject areas, your thesis may be structured more like a long essay, with each chapter/section adding to your argument. The structure will therefore depend on what you are arguing, but a common style is:

• Abstract – A very short summary of your research.
• Main chapters – A series of chapters where you address each main point in your argument. Ideally, each chapter should lead naturally to the next one.
• Appendices – Any additional documentation that is relevant to your work but would not fit in the main thesis (e.g., questionnaires, surveys, raw data).

We will look at some of these sections in more detail below. For the main chapters of your thesis, though, you will have to break your argument down into a series of points. To do this, review your notes with your research question in mind, then:

• Write down your main arguments in as few sentences as possible. Try to imagine explaining it to a friend or your advisor in simple terms.
• Expand each sentence with a series of detailed subpoints or premises.
• Look at how each subpoint contributes to the overall argument and use this as a guideline for structuring your thesis. Ideally, each chapter will address a single aspect of your argument in detail, complete with supporting evidence.

It can help to treat each chapter in a humanities thesis like an essay of its own, with an introduction (i.e., what you will address in the chapter at hand), a series of sub-points with evidence, and a short conclusion that leads on to the next chapter.

Writing Your Thesis

Next, we’ll look in detail at some of the sections most theses will include. As elsewhere, though, don’t forget to check your school’s requirements for the structure and content of a thesis, as some elements will vary (e.g., the length of the abstract, or whether to include separate “Results” and “Discussion” sections). If you cannot find this information on your college’s website or in course materials, ask your tutor or advisor for guidance.

Picking a Title

Your thesis title should give readers an immediate sense of what it is about. A good way to do this is to have a title and a subtitle based on topic and focus respectively:

• The topic is the broad subject area of your thesis (e.g., viral marketing techniques, the environmental effects of climate change, or food safety regulations).
• The focus is the specific thing that you are studying (e.g., the impact of social media, the change in polar bear populations, or whether regulations promote public health).

For instance, the following could all work as dissertation titles:

Viral marketing and social media: A case study of the role of influencer culture in the success of Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign

Environmental Effects of Climate Change: A Qualitative Study of the Factors Behind Changing Polar Bear Populations in Alaska

Food Safety in America: Are Federal Policies Promoting Public Health?

All these titles give a sense of the question the thesis will answer. The first two are quite long, which can reduce clarity in some cases, but they also include information about the type of research conducted. The key is striking a balance between detail and clarity.

You may also want to check your style guide (or ask your advisor) for advice on how to capitalize titles. You can find information on title case and sentence case capitalization here .

Writing an Abstract

An abstract is like a preview, allowing readers to see what your thesis is about. As such, it should set out the key information about your study in a clear, concise manner.

The exact length and style of an abstract can vary, but typically it will be between 100 and 500 words long and primarily written in the past or present tense. It should include:

• What you aimed to do and why
• How you did it
• What you discovered
• Recommendations (if any)

It often helps to leave writing the abstract until you’ve at least got a first draft of your full thesis, as by that point you’ll have a better sense of your research overall.

Writing an Introduction

A good thesis introduction should set the scene for the reader, telling them everything they’ll need to know to follow the rest of your thesis. It should therefore:

• Establish the subject area and specific focus of your work.
• Explain why the topic is important and your research objectives.
• Offer some background information, including current theories or research.
• Provide a thesis or hypothesis (i.e., a short statement of what you will argue).
• Outline the structure of your thesis (i.e., what each chapter will cover).

It can help to have a strong opening line that will grab the reader’s attention, but this is not necessary. Try to avoid clichéd openings such as “Webster’s Dictionary defines [THESIS TOPIC] as…,” as these will rarely add anything useful to your paper.

One good tip is to write a rough introduction first, but to revisit it once you have a draft of your full thesis. This is because the introduction and conclusion should work like “bookends” to the rest of your thesis, so the introduction needs to reflect the content that follows.

The Literature Review

The literature review provides the theoretical foundations for your thesis. The idea is not just to summarize key concepts and studies, but to set up your own work by showing how it follows from existing research to offer something new. To do this, you may need to:

• Examine key theories or ideas that provide context for your study.
• Read sources critically and assess how they relate to your research.
• Look at the current state of research in your subject area.
• Reflect on the methods and theories used by other researchers.
• Explain how your work will develop or build upon current knowledge.

You can use your research question to guide this review. But it’s also worth asking your advisor or tutor for advice on literature you should read.

When writing up your literature review, make sure it has a clear structure. This might be chronological (i.e., in order of when the studies you discuss were done), methodological (i.e., organized in terms of the research style or approach), or thematic (i.e., organized in terms of what studies focused on or discussed). But you need to give it a clear sense of development, which ultimately should lead back to your own research question.

Methodology

The methodology chapter is where you explain, in detail, how you performed your research. This may be a relatively simple section of your thesis, but make sure to:

• Include something about your research approach (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative) and why it was the best choice for your study.
• Be descriptive! Make sure to detail each step of how you gathered and analyzed data. This includes any equipment or techniques used, as well as the conditions under which you gathered your data. Ideally, a reader should be able to replicate your research from reading your methodology section.
• Justify your choices. From equipment to analysis, you should have a reason for every decision you make about the methodology of your study.
• Mention any obstacles you faced or any limitations of your chosen methods.
• Consider ethical concerns. If you had to seek approval from an ethics panel to conduct your research, make sure to detail it here.

The appendices can be useful here, as you can use them for information that is relevant but not essential for explaining your methodology (e.g., survey templates, consent forms). If you do include anything like this in your appendices, though, make sure to reference it clearly in your methodology chapter (e.g., “For more information, see Appendix C…”).

Results and Discussion

This is where you set out the results of your research, including data, analysis, and findings. 

This can vary a lot depending on your subject area and school. Some use a combined “ Results and Discussion ” section, where results are presented alongside analysis. Some prefer to separate the results and the discussion into separate chapters. As such, you will want to check with your advisor about the best way to present your results.

Generally, though, reliable tips for presenting results in a thesis include:

• Offer context – Raw data may be difficult to follow, so make sure to include enough text to guide the reader through your findings. Ideally, it should be clear how everything in this section helps you to answer your initial research question.
• Focus on the most relevant data – If you’ve collected lots of data, make sure to focus on the parts that are most relevant to your research question. If you try to include everything, key findings may get lost among the information overload.
• Use visuals – If appropriate, consider using charts, graphs, tables, or figures to present results, as these can make complex data easier to visualize. However, make sure to label all charts and figures carefully so their relevance is clear.

The “Discussion” part should focus on the significance of your results. Think about:

• How the data supports (or disproves) your initial hypothesis. 
• How your results compare to those of the studies in your literature review.
• Whether any problems encountered during the research, or the previously outlined limitations of your methods, affect the validity of your results.
• The implications of your study for future theory, research, and practice.

Since this is where you really dig into the value of your research, the “Results and Discussion” section may be the most important part of your thesis. As such, you should take time to make sure it thoroughly addresses your chosen research question.

Writing a Conclusion

The conclusion is where you tie everything up together. As mentioned earlier, it should work with the introduction to “bookend” your thesis. As such, it should:

• Start by briefly recapping the thesis topic and your research question.
• Summarize the main points of your argument/your results.
• Draw conclusions and explain how your research supports them.
• Consider the implications of your research (e.g., its significance for your field of study or real-life applications of your results).

Your overall aim is to briefly explain how you have answered your research question. However, make sure not to introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion. If you need these to support your point, they should be included in the main body of the thesis.

Referencing and Quoting Sources

In any academic document, you will need to cite sources. This typically means:

• Citing sources in the main text of your thesis.
• Adding a reference list or bibliography at the end of the document.

The details of how to do this will depend on the referencing style or system  you’re using, so remember to check your style guide . However, we will offer some general tips here.

Why Cite Sources?

Referencing involves identifying the sources you’ve used in your research, usually with some kind of in-text citations and full publication information for all sources in a reference list.

There are several reasons to take referencing seriously in your thesis:

• You get to show off your research skills and ability to find relevant information.
• It is good practice to credit other thinkers for their ideas.
• It provides vital context for your own work.
• Failing to cite sources will be treated as plagiarism (i.e., using someone else’s words or ideas without crediting them), which could have negative consequences.

This last point is the most important as plagiarism is considered academic fraud. And if you’re found to have plagiarized someone else’s work in your thesis, you will lose marks.

You will need to cite a source whenever you:

• Quote or paraphrase another person’s words.
• Refer to facts or figures that aren’t common public knowledge.
• Refer to an idea or theory you found published somewhere.
• Use an image or illustration that you did not create yourself.

This should protect you from unfair accusations of plagiarism.

In-Text Citations

In-text citations come in three main types, each used by different referencing systems:

• Parenthetical Citations – This involves giving citations in brackets in the main body of your thesis. Often, this will be the author’s surname, the year of publication, and page numbers (e.g., Harvard, APA). However, some systems differ, such as MLA, which only gives the author’s surname and page number(s).
• Number–Footnote Citations – Some referencing systems indicate citations with a number in the text, then give source information in footnotes (e.g., Oxford, MHRA).
• Number–Endnote Citations – Similar to the above, number–endnote systems use numbered citations in the main text (e.g., Vancouver, IEEE). However, in this case the numbers point to an entry in a reference list at the end of the document.

And while these citation styles differ, there are some tips that apply in all cases:

• Always check your school’s style guide to find their preferred citation style.
• Make sure every source used in the main text is cited.
• Make sure that all cited sources are included in a reference list.
• Apply a consistent citation style throughout each essay.

As above, this will help ensure you don’t accidentally commit plagiarism in your writing.

Quoting Sources

Quoting sources is a great way of supporting your arguments in a thesis. However, if you are going to quote a source in your writing, you need to do it right.

The first step is knowing when to quote a source. Generally, this is most useful when:

• Your point depends on the exact wording (e.g., if you are discussing why an author used a specific term in their work).
• The original text is especially well expressed and rephrasing it would detract from this.

If you do quote a source, make sure to place the borrowed text in “quotation marks.” This shows the reader that you have taken it from somewhere else. The accompanying citation should then identify the source and the page(s) where the quote can be found.

In many cases, it is better to paraphrase a source than quote it. This means rewriting the passage in your own words, which shows that you have understood it. However, remember that you still need to cite sources when paraphrasing something.

Reference Lists and Bibliographies

Every academic document that cites sources should include a reference list or bibliography. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but the general difference is:

• A reference list is a list of every source cited in your thesis.
• A bibliography should include any source you used while researching your thesis (even the ones that you did not cite directly in your work).

As with citations, this may depend on the system you’re using and different referencing systems will have different rules for creating a reference list. In all cases, though:

• Make sure to check your school’s style guide for advice on whether to create a reference list or a bibliography (and what to include in it).
• Check that you know the reference formats for every source type you have used (e.g., a print book will have a different format to an online journal article).
• Make sure all references are clear and consistent.

One helpful tip for drawing up your reference list/bibliography is to keep a running list of sources as you work. In other words, whenever you find something useful during research, note down the publication details. You will then have all the information required if you need to reference it later (plus, you’ll be able to find the same source quickly if you need it).

Reference Management Software

Finally, you may want to look at using reference management software when writing a thesis. This refers to programs that store and organize your references, such as:

• EndNote – EndNote works with all major referencing systems, source types and word processors. The full version is paid, but there is a limited free version.
• Mendeley – This is a free tool for managing and citing PDF documents. It is therefore most useful when the majority of your sources are in this format.
• Zotero – This package has an internet browser plugin that can automatically import source information from websites and add citations to your work.
• RefWorks – This web-based system provides a simple way of collating sources that can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection.

Whether you use reference management software or not, you should always double check citations and the reference list before submitting your work. That way, you can be sure that the referencing in your thesis is clear, consistent, and error free.

Additional Resources

For more information on referencing in different systems, see our blog posts on:

Not every thesis will include an appendix or appendices. However, as mentioned above, you can put useful but non-essential information in an appendix.

Common examples of things that you might put in an appendix include:

• Raw test data
• Technical figures, graphs and tables
• Maps, charts and illustrations
• Letters and emails
• Sample questionnaires and surveys
• Interview transcripts

You will need to check your style guide for advice on appendices, such as whether they count towards the word limit, but standard rules for adding appendices include:

• Place appendices at the end of your document after the reference list.
• Divide appendices by topic so that each appendix contains one type of information (e.g., separate sections for test results, illustrations and transcripts).
• Start each appendix on a new page and label it with a letter or number, along with a title clarifying content (Appendix A: Instrument Diagrams, Appendix B: Test Results).
• List appendices in the table of contents at the beginning of your document.

If you then needed to point the reader to something in an appendix in the main body of your thesis, you would simply have to cite the relevant appendix label. For instance:

The interviews show that most people like ice cream (see Appendix C for full transcripts).

This lets you keep the main text of your thesis focused on the research question.

Word Count Advice

Most theses come with a suggested word count. Ideally, you will get as close to this as you can (within 10% either way is usually acceptable). Exceeding or being significantly below the word limit may lose you marks, so make sure you know what to aim for.

If you are struggling to stay within the word limit on an essay:

• Look for and cut out any repetition in your work.
• Consider whether non-essential information may fit better in an appendix (but make sure to check whether appendices count towards the word limit).
• Remove redundant pairs (i.e., terms like “each and every” or “final outcome”).
• Edit out unnecessary modifiers and qualifying terms (e.g., you can often cut words like “quite,” “very,” and “really” without losing anything of substance).
• Replace phrases with a word (e.g., “due to the fact that” = “because”).
• Cut down long or unnecessary quotations.
• Use the active voice instead of the passive voice.

If you are struggling to reach the suggested word count, you can:

• Do more research to develop your argument further.
• Add quotes or examples to support your arguments.
• Introduce alternative points of view for comparison.

The key is that anything you add to increase the word count should also add to your argument. Do not try to pad out your writing by simply adding extra words and phrases.

Editing and Proofreading a Thesis

Before submitting an essay, you will want it to be perfect. This means that you shouldn’t just submit the first draft you write. Instead, you’ll want to go over your work and refine it.

We’ve touched upon this above in our tips on staying within the word count. In this last section, though, we’ll look at editing and proofreading an essay in more detail.

The Drafting Process

A “draft” is a version of a document, with the “final draft” the finished version. And writing a good thesis will require redrafting. This might be because the focus of your thesis shifts part way through, meaning you need to tweak what you’ve already written. Or it may simply be that you wrote your introduction first and want to adjust it after finishing your conclusion.

In any case, redrafting is a good way to polish your writing and pick up extra marks (as well as to avoid embarrassing errors and typos). Typically, the process looks like this:

• First Draft – An initial version based on your thesis plan. It doesn’t matter if this isn’t perfect right away, as you’ll have a chance to improve it by redrafting.
• Second Draft – After finishing the first draft of your full thesis, go back over each chapter and make sure it fits within the document as a whole. This may include making changes to fix errors, to highlight connections between different parts of your thesis, or to make sure each section flows smoothly into the next one.
• Third Draft Onwards – Repeat the step above as required. This is vital in a thesis-length document, as it is easy to overlook typos when dealing with large amounts of text. Each time you redraft, you should need to make fewer revisions.
• Final Draft – This is the finished thesis. However, you’ll still want to do one final check to eliminate remaining typos. This final check is often known as “proofreading.”

The key to a truly great thesis is giving yourself enough time to redraft at least once or twice. Keep this in mind when working out your schedule before you begin writing.

Another point to note here is that some online companies offer to redraft your thesis for you. However, using an editing service may count as plagiarism if your work is being marked. 

But it is a good idea to seek professional proofreading for your thesis.

Proofreading Your Thesis

Proofreading differs from editing because it focuses on technical errors, such as spelling and grammar mistakes, while preserving the meaning and content of your writing. As such, you can have your work proofread without falling foul of plagiarism rules.

Proofreading your own work can be difficult as it’s easy to miss errors when you’re already familiar with a document. If you do plan to proofread your own thesis, though:

• Take some time off before you begin. This will help you spot errors that you might otherwise miss from being too familiar.
• Print it out and proofread on paper instead of on the screen.
• Try reading problem sections out loud or in reverse (i.e., starting from the end of the part you’re having trouble with and working backwards).
• If you are reading it on screen, make sure to set the proofing language. In Microsoft Word, you can do this via Review > Language > Set Proofing Language .

It is almost always best to have someone else proofread your work, though. If you would like one of Proofed’s academic writing experts to check your thesis, why not upload a document  today?

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11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services in 2024

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Written by  Scribendi

As a writer, it's not always easy to find typos or spelling errors in your own work. 

However, online editing services make error-free writing easy so you can focus on writing, not editing.

Below, we've listed the top 11 best editing and proofreading services for 2024 while considering years of experience, turnaround times, pricing, and quality. 

What Is the Difference Between Editing and Proofreading? 

Many people will hire a proofreader when they are really looking for an editor, and vice versa. However, editing and proofreading have different functions, and you will need one or the other depending on the requirements of your document. 

With editing services , your editor will: 

• Focus on improving the flow of language
• Check the overall readability
• Verify the accuracy of language
• Ensure the content follows a logical order
• Make sure your transitions are clear
• Verify that every paragraph is relevant to the overall argument
• Determine whether the tone fits the audience
• Ensure gendered language is used properly

With proofreading services , your proofreader will: 

• Check for grammatical errors
• Point out mechanical mistakes, such as misspelled words
• Correct missing or incorrect punctuation
• Verify correct and consistent capitalization 
• Fix sentence structure errors, such as run-on sentences or fragments

If you want in-depth feedback and revisions to improve your writing, editing is what you need.

If you need a final check to ensure your document is error free, proofreading is what you need.

What to Look for When Hiring an Editing or Proofreading Service

When hiring an editing or proofreading service, there are a few things to keep in mind!

Editor Qualifications

Experience and education play a large role in selecting the right editor or proofreader. You want to work with someone who is qualified, who has expertise doing the type of editing you're looking for, and who has had satisfied customers in the past. 

Check each service's ratings on review sites to ensure their customer satisfaction levels match what the service promises.

An editing or proofreading sample can give you an excellent idea of what to expect from your editor. Samples may be free or paid and allow you to evaluate the quality of an editing or proofreading service.

Communication

Good communication is also crucial. Will you be able to ask your editor questions during or after the process? 

The goal of any editor is to help you develop your best work, so clear communication throughout the process is key.

You might be wondering what is a fair price to pay for proofreading. Professional proofreading rates vary, and so does quality. To get the best-value proofreading, you will need to find a reputable proofreading company.

Read More: How Much Does Proofreading Cost?

11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services for 2024

1. scribendi.

Since 1997, Scribendi has been providing high-quality editing and proofreading services to students, academics, and authors from around the world. 

An ISO-certified industry leader in editing and proofreading services, Scribendi has a global team of hand-picked editors, many of whom hold master's degrees and PhDs. The onboarding process for new editors at Scribendi is intentionally rigorous so that only the highest-quality editors are selected—around 5% of all applicants. 

With Scribendi, you can expect affordable services and turnarounds in as little as 2 hours. The type of content Scribendi edits ranges from websites and blogs to essays and personal documents, with many other document types in between. Scribendi offers extensive feedback to its clients to help them develop their best work.

On the Scribendi website, you can also find case studies and reviews , along with a breakdown of how Scribendi customizes each service to specific clients. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours

Number of years in business: 25+

Free sample: Yes, 1,000-word free sample for editing or proofreading

ISO certified: Yes

Account deposit feature: Yes

Competitive Advantages

When it comes to fast turnaround times, affordable services, and professional, high-quality revisions, Scribendi has a competitive advantage over many other editing services.

With 25+ years' experience, their 480+ editors are available to proofread academic essays, novels, business materials, personal documents, or student essays 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Polish Your Writing with Our Book Proofreading Service

2. proof-reading-service.com.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers high-quality English editing and proofreading services exclusively for professionals in science and academia. 

An England-based company, the proofreaders at Proof-Reading-Service.com are native English speakers with experience in various academic disciplines. Each proofreader on their team is personally selected and holds at least a master's degree, so their academic clients are fully supported.

The types of editing they help with range from journal and scientific editing to PhD thesis and manuscript editing. Since their specialty is in science and academia, this service would be most helpful to professors, lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, and research students.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers a flat rate per 1,000 words. This rate does not change based on the type of content, so you always know how much proofreading will cost you.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: No instant quote

Number of years in business: 16

Free sample: No

ISO certified: No

An affordable option for academics and scientists, Proof-Reading-Services.com offers highly educated editors with expertise in many fields. 

Fiverr is a marketplace for digital services that allows buyers and sellers to work with each other through Fiverr's transactional platform. 

Through Fiverr, many freelance proofreaders offer their services at different rates and turnaround times. Within the platform, editing services can be filtered by budget, delivery time, and content type.

You can also sift through the profiles of freelance editors, read their reviews, and learn about their history with editing and with Fiverr itself. Each editor offers different rates depending on their experience and turnaround time.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: N/A

Number of years in business: 12

Account deposit feature: Yes (for Fiverr Business users)

With Fiverr, you have the flexibility to choose a specific editor, and many niche options are available. The process is simple and easy, and each transaction is made through the Fiverr platform.

4. True Editors

True Editors offers professional editing services for academics, business owners, authors, and job applicants.

Their editing team is composed of engineers, research scholars, postgraduates, physicians, and even journal peer reviewers. Each editor on the True Editors team receives specialized training in academic editing and must take a language proficiency exam to qualify for their editing team.

To use True Editors' services, you can upload a file or enter your word count and choose your turnaround time. Their pricing varies by word count, and their website provides editing samples so you can get a feel for their editing style. If you're ever unhappy with their work, they also offer a free revision of your document.   

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 4 hours

Number of years in business: 10+

Free sample: 300 words or less for editing

True Editors has editors with specific subject-matter expertise.

5. ProofreadingPal

Operating out of Iowa City, IA, ProofreadingPal is an editing service that utilizes a two-proofreader model. This means that two proofreaders work on every piece of content ordered through their service.

ProofreadingPal offers editing services for students, professionals, and authors, including academic editing for writing styles such as APA, Chicago, MLA, or CSE. Their services are available 24/7, 365 days per year, with turnaround times ranging from 30 minutes to 7 days.

What also makes this service unique is that they accept orders both online and by phone, and their customer service team is available every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. They offer free sample edits of up to 400 words, and they don't have a minimum word requirement if you'd like to submit a small document for review.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 1.5 hours

Free sample: 400 words or less for editing

With ProofreadingPal, you get two proofreaders reviewing every submission instead of one and quick turnaround times. 

6. PaperTrue

PaperTrue started in 2014 as an editing service but has since expanded its services to include essay writing, formatting, and plagiarism checking for students, as well as cover design, typesetting, and online distribution for authors.

Operating with the belief that language shouldn't be a barrier to success, PaperTrue helps a global audience of businesses, authors, and researchers edit their writing so they're able to reach their full potential. To date, they've served over 52,000 clients and have 4.5+ stars on review sites, including Google Reviews and Sitejabber. 

PaperTrue also offers a three-step quality checking process and hand-picked, qualified editors for each document reviewed. With locations in the US, Singapore, the UK, and India, they offer round-the-clock editing services with a turnaround time of 12 hours for documents up to 6,000 words. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 12 hours

Number of years in business: 8

With PaperTrue, you get not only editing and proofreading services but publication services as well, including typesetting, cover design, and online distribution.

Proofed is an editing and formatting service that helps students, businesses, authors, academics, researchers, and other professionals communicate effectively. Its mission is to provide the highest quality proofreading and editing services in the world.

With a diverse group of editors, the team at Proofed offers extensive knowledge on nearly every subject. All editors have undergone Proofreading Academy training, a course developed by Proofed, to ensure the highest standard of editing possible. 

Proofed offers speedy delivery (up to 10,000 edited words within 24 hours), with express and rapid turnaround times that range from 2 to 12 hours for select word counts. Their system supports over 15 different document formats, which makes the submission process easy, and their team offers 24-hour support.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours  

Free sample: 500 words for proofreading only

ISO certified: Yes 

Account deposit feature: No

Proofed offers proofreading expertise in many fields, as well as formatting services.

Enago provides 24/7 editing services for the global research community. More than just a team of editors, Enago works with researchers in over 125 countries to help them publish their work in international journals. 

With end-to-end publication support services, such as pre-submission peer review, journal selection, and post-submission review, Enago also offers competitive quality assurance with unlimited edits and a money-back guarantee for manuscripts that are rejected due to language issues.  

Enago's editors all hold a PhD or master's degree, and they have an average of 19.4 years of academic editing experience. Each manuscript is assigned to an editor with similar subject area expertise, assuring high-level accuracy. 

Like ProofreadingPal, Enago also operates on a two-editor model, where all manuscripts are reviewed by no fewer than two native English-speaking editors. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 24 hours

Number of years in business: 17

Enago offers highly educated editors in the fields of science, academia, and business, along with help and support during the academic publication process. 

American Journal Experts (AJE) offers in-depth scientific and academic editing services, in addition to translation and manuscript formatting services, to help researchers publish their best work. Its mission is to improve the exchange of discoveries in the international research community by identifying opportunities to improve the research, publishing, and discovery cycle.  

In addition to providing quality editing services, their team of PhDs supports researchers when they have questions regarding manuscript submission and publishing. AJE also matches each manuscript with an editor who is a subject-matter expert. 

Prices and turnaround times, as well as more in-depth information regarding the details of each type of editing offered (standard, advanced, or premium), can be found on the AJE website. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours  

Number of years in business: 18

Free sample: Editing of up to 500 words for an abstract

AJE's editors have subject-matter expertise, and the service also offers translation and formatting services. 

10. Editage

Editage partners with researchers to offer advanced and premium editing as well as publication support and translation services. Their goal is to assure the publication success of hopeful researchers, scholars, and students. 

Each document submitted to Editage is assigned to an editor who best matches the content subject matter. Editage even offers the option to select your expert, price, deadline, and style, so researchers have full control of the service they receive. Researchers can also collaborate with their editing expert to ensure the paper follows their vision. 

Editage also has local language support, turnaround times of as little as eight hours, and a two-step revision process for quality. Their team of over 2,000 native English editors has publication expertise and covers over 1,000 subjects.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 8 hours

Number of years in business: 20

At Editage, two editors review every submission. They also offer client-to-editor Q&A interaction and translation services.

LetPub offers editorial services for researchers in the scholarly publishing community. In addition to editing, LetPub offers scientific illustration services, plain language summaries, and graphic and video abstracts. 

The LetPub team is composed of experts and senior editors who come from a wide range of disciplines, each one a native English speaker with experience editing both scientific and technical documents. The types of editing included in LetPub's services range from grant and language editing to response letter and scientific editing. 

Because many of LetPub's editors and staff have research backgrounds, they're familiar with the level of effort it takes to write a paper for publication, and they will reedit a paper at no cost if it is rejected for language reasons.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours

ISO certified: Yes (for translation services)

Competitive Advantages 

LetPub offers expertise in science for scientists and academics, as well as translation and formatting services. 

Perfect Your Writing with High-Quality Academic Proofreading

There's a lot to consider when choosing an editing service. Save our table as a quick reference for your next document.

As long as you understand the important factors that go into choosing a great editing service, like experience, customer satisfaction, and quality, you'll be well equipped to choose the right one for you.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

Achieve Perfect Writing with High-Quality Proofreading

Try our essay proofreading service.

Have You Read?

"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

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