Dissertation Proofreading

General proofreading is the thorough examination of a document to find and correct any mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Many students and even professionals today think that their word processor’s automatic checking system will catch all potential errors. The problem is dissertation-proofreading goes far beyond general proofreading, usually encompassing copy proofing and fact verification, two topics related to proofreading, but existing as separate issues.

Fact Verification

The process of dissertation proofreading is normally conducted in what seems, at first, to be a reverse order. But when the facts are understood, the process is actually quite logical. In the first step, the facts cited within the body of the dissertation and their associated citations are reviewed for accuracy and content. The accuracy of the source is more than verifying that it says what the student has quoted, but that the student’s understanding of its meaning is also accurate. The details of the source citation is reviewed to make sure that all available citation information is complete and that the associated annotation accurately depicts the source’s nature.

Copy Proofing

Copy proofing is ensuring that the dissertation is in proper physical format and that the thoughts within the dissertation follow a logical, flowing pattern. Disruptions in the flow of presentation and/or thought are rearranged to eliminate the disruption while maintaining the overall integrity of the dissertation. One source of this type disruption is the writer suddenly realizing that a critical concept has been overlooked and needs to be explained. The best solution for this type of problem is for the disruptive text to be moved to the definitions chapter if possible or, if not, for the disruptive material to be moved to a footnote where it is readily available, but no longer disruptive of the main text’s flow.

Proofreading

In proofreading, the writer will normally start by printing a copy of the entire dissertation. He or she will then go over the dissertation line-by-line and word-by-word, seeking any errors in grammar, punctuation or spelling. Like research, this process takes a level of skill. And again like research, it is a skill that is often overlooked during the educational process.

The Reverse Order

The seemingly reverse order of this process is done due to the fact that fact verification and copy proofing often requires a rewriting of the dissertation content. When the content is rewritten, the document must be re-proofed. By conducting the verification and copy proofing first, the proofreading step ends up being done only once, saving precious time for the writer.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

It is usually ill-advised for a dissertation writer to attempt proofreading by himself or herself. Those not skilled in proofreading (and often even those who are) will overlook many glaring errors because they are too close to the associated material. Their mind tends to show them what they think the copy says, rather than what is actually there. Having an independent party proofread the dissertation reduces this effect dramatically. The less the proofreader knows of the dissertation’s content, the easier he or she will find the proofreading process. Since there are three different steps in dissertation proofreading, the writer may find it best to have three different people perform each step.

How We Can Help

Unlike most of our competitors, our company offers fact verification, copy proofing and proofreading services separately from our other services. This allows the student to prepare their own dissertation and then to have professionals proof and critique their work (yes, critiquing is a separate service that we also offer). By taking advantage of these services, the student can submit their dissertation with full confidence and honesty that it is their own work while also ensuring its adequacy in content and format.

For those who need help with the entire dissertation process (such as those who lack adequate writing skill), we also offer full support and writing services. With the level of experience and talent our writers have, each client can be assured of quality work, regardless of the subject matter or academic level required of the assignment. This has earned us one of the highest reputations in the industry. Contact us today with your dissertation preparation requirements. Regardless of your need or the project’s size, we can help you submit a dissertation worthy of acceptance and publication.