Thesis Self-Review Checklist
Four copyable checklists, in the order to run them: the argument, the consistency between chapters, the references and figures, then the formalities.
A thesis is too long to review in one read: by chapter 5 you have stopped noticing chapter 1. Run it in passes, each looking for one kind of problem, from the largest to the smallest. Paste the lists into your notes and tick each item. To decide whether the thesis is ready once you are done, see how to know if your thesis is ready.
Pass 1: the argument
Read only the abstract, the introduction, the first and last page of each chapter, and the conclusion. If these do not tell one story, fix that before anything else.
ARGUMENT [ ] I can state my research question and my answer in two sentences. [ ] The introduction states the question; the conclusion answers that same question. [ ] The abstract describes the results in the final draft, not an earlier version. [ ] Each chapter opens by saying what it adds, and closes by saying what it found. [ ] The contribution is stated in the introduction and the conclusion in the same terms. [ ] Limitations are stated in the thesis, not left for the examiner.
- Two sentences
- if you need a paragraph to state the question and the answer, the thesis likely has more than one, and the chapters may pull apart.
- Abstract last
- an abstract written early is the part of a thesis most likely to describe results you no longer have.
Pass 2: consistency between chapters
Chapters written months apart drift. Search the document rather than rereading it: your word processor's find function is the tool here.
CONSISTENCY
[ ] Each key term is defined once and used the same way in every chapter.
[ ] Every acronym is defined at first use, and written the same way throughout.
[ ] Numbers that appear twice (sample size, dates, results) match.
[ ] Cross-references ("see chapter 3", "section 4.2") point to the right place.
[ ] Tense and spelling conventions (British or American) are the same throughout.
[ ] Headings follow one hierarchy and numbering scheme.- Search each acronym
- the first hit should be its definition. If it is not, move the definition.
- Numbers twice
- a sample size in the methods and another in the results is one of the first things an examiner notices.
Pass 3: references, figures and tables
Small items, hundreds of them. Do this pass once the text is stable, since moving text moves citations and figures.
REFERENCES, FIGURES AND TABLES [ ] Every in-text citation has an entry in the bibliography. [ ] Every bibliography entry is cited at least once. [ ] One citation style is used throughout. [ ] Entries have their required fields (authors, year, title, source, DOI where there is one). [ ] Every figure and table is mentioned in the text before it appears. [ ] Figures and tables are numbered in order, with no gaps or duplicates. [ ] Every figure and table has a caption that explains it without the text. [ ] Permission is in place for any figure reproduced from another source.
- Match both ways
- citation to entry finds missing sources; entry to citation finds sources dropped during revision.
- Reference manager
- if you use one, it helps, but it only knows the sources you inserted through it. Citations typed by hand are the ones that go missing.
Pass 4: front matter and university requirements
These follow your university's thesis regulations, not general advice. Open the current version and check against it, item by item.
FORMALITIES [ ] Title page follows the template (title, name, degree, department, date). [ ] Declarations, acknowledgements and abstract are in the required order. [ ] Table of contents, list of figures and list of tables are updated. [ ] Page numbering, margins and fonts follow the template. [ ] Word or page limit is met (and I know whether appendices count). [ ] Ethics approval or other required statements are included. [ ] File format and naming match the submission instructions.
- Regenerate the table of contents and the lists last
- they go out of date with every edit.
When to ask another reader
A checklist finds what you know to look for. Your supervisor reads for the research. For a second read of the writing and the consistency of the whole document, the Thesis Review covers much of passes 2 and 3, plus the structure and the abstract, in one report (structure, language, abstract, citations and references, figures and tables, acronyms), for $99 paid before the review runs, up to 400 pages. It does not judge your argument or contribution, and it does not check pass 4: page layout against your university's template is yours to verify.
Frequently asked questions
In order: that the argument holds from introduction to conclusion, that the chapters are consistent with each other, that references, figures and tables are complete and match their mentions, and that the front matter and layout follow your university's regulations.