When checking a bachelor’s or master’s thesis before submission, start with its substance and completeness. First, check that you address the aim and provide material supporting your conclusions. Then review sources, language and file layout. This order avoids polishing paragraphs that still need restructuring.
A thesis audit is a structured diagnosis: what needs improvement, why and where to start. Receiving a list of comments does not mean the document has been revised. When commissioning a check, agree whether it covers assessment of specified areas, comments on the text or subsequent revisions as well.
Prepare one thesis version and a set of requirements
Keep a copy of the document. Gather the current university guidelines, approved outline, supervisor feedback and material underlying the analysis. Record the name of the file to be checked. If some chapters are in other documents, combine them or state their order unambiguously.
Note unresolved issues separately: a missing source, an unclear comment or calculations awaiting verification. These are easy to miss once draft markers have disappeared from the finished file. Also mark the sections already accepted so the revision plan respects earlier agreements.
First, check how the thesis addresses its aim
Open the introduction, contents page and conclusion side by side. Write one sentence stating what the thesis was meant to establish. Then identify the passage giving the answer. If you must search across several disconnected places, the argument may need reorganising.
- Does the introduction’s aim match what was actually done?
- Does every chapter help fulfil that aim?
- Does the conclusion summarise findings presented earlier?
- Do the conclusions stay within the limits of the material analysed?
A theoretical, review-based or design-based thesis also needs a clear outcome. Do not add a survey merely to make it resemble empirical research. Check whether your approach to comparing sources, analysing a case or evaluating a solution can answer the questions posed.
For chapters that repeat content or head in different directions, use the guide to organising your thesis structure. The final check is primarily about identifying these problems and prioritising them.
Sort comments into three priority levels
Not every problem needs the same response. The original example below illustrates how to organise comments. It does not describe an actual client’s thesis or a particular university’s procedure.
Level one: the conclusion lacks a basis
Example: the conclusion says consultations improved students’ results, but only opinions about their usefulness were collected. Results were not compared, nor was the study designed to assess change.
Action: check the questions, material and actual scope of analysis. The conclusion should concern what that basis can establish. If the mismatch involves the aim or study design, discuss it with your supervisor before further editing.
Level two: information is present but difficult to assess
Example: a table gives percentages without their calculation base, while the description refers to all participants. Some people may have skipped the question.
Action: return to the data, establish the response count and check the calculations. Explain the base used for percentages. If the analysis is uncertain, flag the need for separate verification instead of changing only the sentence’s wording.
Level three: a language or technical issue
Example: headings are formatted inconsistently, the contents page shows old page numbers and one paragraph contains a typo.
Action: correct the formatting and update document elements after resolving larger changes. These problems also need fixing, but they should not obscure gaps in the argument.
Check sources, data and citations
Work through passages containing definitions, other authors’ findings, figures and comparisons. Check that each citation identifies the correct publication and that the source actually supports the statement. A footnote beside a sentence does not by itself confirm that their contents match.
- Compare quotations with the original and check their attribution.
- Check that in-text citations have matching bibliography entries.
- Clarify bibliography entries you cannot connect with their use in the thesis.
- For tables and charts, identify the material’s origin and how it was processed.
- Ensure captions, table values and text commentary agree.
Fully checking every source or repeating the analysis may exceed a basic text review. When commissioning an audit, agree what material will be available and what checks are possible. If you have a similarity report, send it with the document. Its interpretation is covered in the separate guide to JSA and similarity reports; a text audit does not replace the university’s procedure.
Language and file checklist before submission
After substantive revisions, work through the document from beginning to end. Check one area at a time rather than changing fonts, footnotes and arguments simultaneously.
- Terms: the same terms have the same meaning, and abbreviations are explained and used consistently.
- Paragraphs: it is clear who makes the claim, what material it concerns and how it connects with the next sentence.
- Headings and contents lists: headings match the content, numbering is consistent and contents lists are up to date.
- Additional elements: appendices, abstracts and other required sections are complete under the applicable guidelines.
- Draft changes: comments and suggested changes have been resolved, not merely hidden before printing.
- Final version: the checked file has an unambiguous name and contains no older chapters inserted by mistake.
If you are submitting a PDF, open that exact file. Inspect the document’s beginning and end, page breaks, tables, charts and footnotes. Check Polish characters and that page numbers match the contents. Converting the format can reveal issues not visible in the editable document.
What should the audit findings enable you to do?
A useful comment identifies the location, problem and next step. ‘The methodology is weak’ does not yet help you plan a revision. More useful feedback would be: ‘The instrument description does not explain how the questions relate to the research problems. Add this connection and compare it with the questionnaire actually used.’
Record comments in a simple log: passage, problem type, material needed, action and completion status. Separate matters requiring your supervisor’s decision from changes you can make yourself. When time is short, start with gaps that affect the meaning of other sections.
After the audit, you may need language editing, restructuring, results verification or formatting. Agree these tasks on the basis of the diagnosis. If it identifies language issues, see the service “Bachelor’s and master’s thesis proofreading and editing”. For the document’s technical layout, see the service “Bachelor’s and master’s thesis formatting”.
A final check does not guarantee a grade or thesis acceptance. It helps identify inconsistencies, set priorities and prepare an action list before submission. If you need this diagnosis, send the current file, requirements, supervisor feedback and deadline. We will agree which areas can be checked reliably with the material provided.
From diagnosis to action: agree three things
- What was found? Identify a specific mismatch, such as a conclusion extending beyond the collected material.
- Who decides? Decide whether editing the sentence is enough or whether the study design needs discussing with the supervisor.
- What needs doing? Only after that decision should you agree the passages to change and how to check the rest of the document for consistency.
If you already have supervisor feedback and need the resulting revisions made, choose the service “Thesis revisions following supervisor feedback”. An audit identifies problems; carrying out revisions needs a separate scope agreement. Not every audit recommendation is a supervisor comment.
Frequently asked questions about checking a thesis
What is the difference between proofreading and a thesis audit?
Proofreading and editing involve correcting the text. An audit serves to evaluate the thesis and indicate problems and priorities for further changes.
Does the audit immediately include correcting the entire thesis?
The basis of the audit is reviewing the document, indicating problems and priorities for changes. Based on this, you can make corrections yourself or agree on additional help. The scope of implementing changes is determined separately.
Can an unfinished thesis be checked?
Yes. We can assess existing chapters and their layout, noting which elements cannot yet be checked. A comprehensive assessment of the link between results and conclusions requires providing those parts.
How do you check citations and sources during a thesis audit?
We compare references in the text with the bibliography, check citation markings and the way paraphrases are handled. For available publications, we also analyse the consistency of the indicated fragments with the sources. You will receive a list of comments with the location of problems and the order of corrections. Analysis of the provided JSA report and text editing can be added to the agreed order.
