A 12-Point Checklist for your Dissertation Revision

​Before submitting your dissertation, it is a good idea to revise your dissertation to ensure that there are no obvious mistakes in it.
The following checklist lists 12 points to be checked and revised before submitting your dissertation:

1. Title page
   • Paragraph is centred on the title page.
   • No page number is shown.
   • The year of the conferred degree is mentioned.
2. Pagination
   • All page numbers are centred at the bottom of the page.
   • No pagination on title page, copyright, and front matter.
   • Preliminary pages use lower-case roman numeral pagination.
   • Main body of the dissertation starts with page no. 1.
3. Table of Contents
   • It must not include entries for the Table of Contents and Copyright sections.
   • Each entry includes the chapter number, chapter title, and page number.
4. Headings format
   • No heading should have only a single sub-heading.
   • Headings are capitalized properly.
   • Spacing exists on top and bottom of each heading.
   • No headings at the bottom of page, unless followed by at least 2 lines of paragraph text.
5. Reference list
   • Reference list is in the correct style (Harvard or APA), as approved by the university.
   • Entries in the reference list are ordered alphabetically.
   • Links in all the web references are working.
6. List of Tables and Figures
   • Must be included if there are 5 (or more) tables and figures.
   • Includes tables and figures from all sections, including preface or appendices.
7. Tables and Figures
   • Every table and figure are referenced in the body text using a number (example, Table 1 or Figure 1).
   • The alignment of the table and figure title and number is consistent throughout the dissertation.
8. Footnotes
   • To be included on the same page as the citation.
   • Every footnote is numbered.
   • Consistent spacing between footnotes
9. Body of the Dissertation
   • Divided into chapters with chapter numbers.
   • Body text is consistently left-aligned or justified according to the formatting guidelines.
10. Paragraph Formatting
    • No extra space included between paragraphs.
    • No paragraphs at the top (or bottom) of a page with just 2 lines of text.
    • Paragraphs are consistently indented through the dissertation.
11. Mathematics
    • All numbers below 20 are written in words.
    • All formula expression and equations are italicized.
12. Miscellaneous
    • No blank or missing pages
    • Long dashes do not have space before or after them.

This checklist contains general points to check for revision, and does not include check points specific for your university.