Preparing your thesis or dissertation for proofreading

A proofread works best on a finished thesis. These steps help you get there, and keep you within your university's rules.

1. Check your university's policy first

Universities differ on third-party proofreading. Many allow it for theses with conditions, such as limiting it to spelling, grammar and punctuation. Find your institution's current policy and, if in doubt, ask your supervisor. Read our academic integrity policy.

2. Finish the content

• Your supervisor has signed off the chapters.
• Results, figures and tables are final.
• The argument will not change again.

A proofread checks wording, not ideas. Changing content afterwards can introduce new errors.

3. Tidy the file

• Combine the chapters into one Word document, so terms and styles are checked consistently across the whole thesis.
• Accept or reject old tracked changes and remove old comments.
• Use Word's heading styles, so your contents page updates correctly.
• Check figure and table numbering is in order.

4. Write clear instructions

Tell the proofreader:

• UK or US English, and any university style guide;
• your referencing style (for example Harvard or APA);
• parts to leave alone, such as quotations, interview transcripts or appendices;
• specialist terms or deliberate spellings.

5. Plan your time

This leaves time for the edit, for you to review every change, and for a revision if something was missed.

What a proofreader will not do

A proofreader corrects language. They will not rewrite your arguments, add or change references, or paraphrase sources for you. Those are your work, and your university will expect them to be.