dissertation check

Dissertation Checker Online

What Dissertation Editing Difficulties Do Students Face? 

Dissertations take time and lots of effort to complete. However, before you submit the work, it is important that you edit it for correctness.  Here are a few reasons why it is important:

• ✓ It ensures clear explanation and presentations of ideas
• ✓ Ensures that all work borrowed elsewhere is properly cited
• ✓ Editing gets rid of spelling and grammar mistakes that may affect the quality of the paper

Students face several challenges when editing their dissertations, which may affect the quality of the final paper. Here are some of the problems:

• ✓ Inability to check all grammar and spelling errors in a document. Without a comprehensive grammar checker, they tend to miss some mistakes, especially the complex noun and syntax errors
• ✓ Lack of tools to check the citation errors in their work, leading to a few plagiarism strikes
• ✓ It takes time to edit a document.  Most students do not have the time and often rush in their editing process.

Our dissertation checker can help students deal with these problems by availing several tools to enhance the speed and effectiveness of the editing process.

Typical Mistakes One May Do While Writing Dissertation

Here are some of the typical mistakes that you make when writing your dissertation.

Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

In the course of writing a dissertation, you are about to make various errors that include syntax errors, poor word choice, missing punctuations, poor flow, and spelling mistakes. You need to do a dissertation grammar check to pick up some of the errors.

Wrong Formatting

 When writing a dissertation, you must keep to the instructions about spacing and font size. Most students forget to keep to these requirements.

Wrong Citations

You must cite every work quoted from other sources. Most students fail to cite some sources or use the wrong citation when doing so. In some cases, students cite too few sources, making their work look generic. It is vital that you read the instructions to determine if you are using APA, MLA, Chicago, or Turban citation method.

Academic Integrity Violations

It is important to read the campus doctoral program guideline on academic integrity and stick to them, without exception. Some of the violations that students make are related to the type of English used, the limit of the number of pages in the problem statement, and the maximum age of the old sources.

Guide on How to Find and Fix Different Kinds of Errors

If you are wondering, “How will polish my dissertation?” Here is a guideline on how to find and fix different kinds of errors:

• Pick a software tool that can offer grammar help with dissertation. It should be a tool that is able to find and detect various types of grammar and spelling errors. It should also have a way of how to check for syntax and spelling in a dissertation.
• Review your campus policies for writing dissertations and other papers. Apart from the content, your professor will check if you have met each of the regulations. Therefore, review them and check your work before submitting it.
• Review your citations. Citations make up a major part of your dissertation. Ensure that you have cited each source correctly so that your professor may take a look at them and evaluate the quality of the information. Stick to one citation method throughout the entire paper.
• Check your problem statement and ensure that your research and chapters attempt to resolve the problem. Each chapter must tackle a part of the problem conclusively so that the paper flows well to the end.
• You need to have enough time for editing dissertation. This allows you to go through all the issues discussed in the section above in detail and refine your paper.

Using the Thesis Grader for Dissertation Proofreading

Our thesis checker is your all-in-one dissertation revision helper as it comes with various features. Check some of the main features of thesis grader .

Grammar Checker

Our grammar checker is able to pick and fix different types of errors that include syntax errors, spelling mistakes, poor word choice, capitalization errors, and missing punctuations. It underlines mistakes with your writing during dissertation proofreading and suggests possible fixes. The tool is not only effective but greatly reduces your editing time.

Plagiarism Checker

 If the course of your writing, you may add content that matches information in other sources. Our dissertation paper grader checks the work against millions of websites to ensure that your work is unique. Besides, it gives a link of where the work may have been lifted and the portion that matches the site for easy editing

Chapter Checker

If you have problems revising your paper, our tools have an easy to follow guideline on how to revise dissertation chapters. Using it, you can check your problem statement, your abstract, and each chapter to the conclusion for grammar, conciseness, and flow of information.

How to Polish Your Dissertation with Our Paper Grader

The online tool is easy to use and does not require any download. To check your papers, follow the following steps:

• Visit the webpage on any connected device
• Copy and paste the part of your document that you would like to proofread on the space provided. Alternatively, you can upload the entire document into the proofreader.
• Let our tool check your dissertation using the features discussed in the part above
• Go through the paper, incorporating the fixes suggested by the dissertation helper
• When the dissertation proofreading process is over, just copy your article

There is no limit to the number of pages you can upload for dissertation proofreading. Therefore, you can check the entire document or a part of it.

Use our dissertation grammar checker to proofread your college papers today!

Privacy Overview

See EXACTLY What Your Marker Wants…

If you’re working on your dissertation or thesis, this checklist is the single most important tool you’ll have at your disposal. Simply put, this checklist shows you exactly what markers will look for when assessing your document.

Based on years of experience working with students and supervisors, this checklist gives you the insider’s perspective to help you develop the best dissertation or thesis possible. Tick the boxes as you go and submit your project with confidence.

The dissertation writing checklist covers the following core sections:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
• Section 1: Introduction 
• Section 2: Literature review 
• Section 3: Methodology
• Section 4: Findings /results
• Section 5: Discussion
• Section 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

Each section includes a list of essential to-do items, along with links to additional free resources to help you fast-track your project. In a nutshell, it’s the one document you’ll keep coming back to throughout your writing journey. 

The cleanly formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or edit it to suit your university’s specific requirements.

PS – You can also download our free dissertation template below 🙂

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• Writing Tips

Dissertation Checklist: What to Do When Your Work Is (Nearly) Due

3-minute read

• 12th December 2018

Big dissertation deadline approaching? Hopefully, you have a draft you’re happy with and it’s time to get your dissertation ready for submission. But what do you need to do in these last days? Check out our dissertation checklist for three key steps in preparing your final piece of work.

1. Check Your Style Guide

When you’ve finished redrafting , the first thing to do is reread your style guide. This should contain everything you need to know about how to present your work, including:

• What to include on a title or cover page .
• Whether to include a dedication or acknowledgements.
• The length and style of the abstract.
• How to format the table of contents .
• Whether to include a list of abbreviations.
• How to format the document (including page margins, tables, figures, illustrations, footnotes, endnotes, and the text of your dissertation itself).
• The referencing style you should use.
• The maximum word count and which sections count towards it.

You’ll then need to double check that your dissertation follows these rules as closely as possible.

2. Proofread Carefully

After making any final changes, make sure to proofread your dissertation one last time. Your focus here will be looking for typos and other minor errors to ensure that it is 100% error free.

You may want to ask someone else to check your writing for you at this point (we’re always available ). But if you do need to proofread your own work, try using the following tips:

• Read slowly and carefully, taking regular breaks as required.
• Print your dissertation out and check it on paper.
• Start at the end and work backwards through each chapter.
• Read problematic passages out loud.
• Look for different types of error individually (i.e., start out checking the punctuation, then the grammar, then the spelling, etc.).

These tips should help you keep your concentration while proofreading.

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3. Preparing to Submit

Finally, when you have an error-free manuscript you can be proud of, you need to check your college’s guidelines for submitting a dissertation. This will usually include preparing:

• One print copy of your dissertation, professionally bound.
• One digital copy of your dissertation, typically in PDF form.

Make sure to leave enough time before the deadline to get these ready. Your college should be able to recommend a local binding business for the print copy (or offer binding on campus). And you can export a document as a PDF file via Microsoft Word itself.

Summary: Dissertation Checklist

If you have a dissertation deadline coming up, make sure to tick off the steps on our dissertation checklist. These include:

• Reread your style guide to make sure that your dissertation follows it.
• Check your writing for typos (or have a professional do it for you ).
• Read your college’s guidelines on preparing your dissertation for submission (this will usually involve creating one printed and bound version and one electronic version).

And once you’ve submitted, we suggest taking a few days off to relax before preparing for your oral defense. Well done on getting this far, and let us know if we can help you over the finishing line. For more information about writing a dissertation or thesis, read our full dissertation writing guide .

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Thesis and Dissertation Resources

Here you can find resources and guidelines on how to prepare and submit your Thesis/Dissertation.

The Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide

This Guide includes everything you need to know about what should be included in your final document, samples of specific sections, formatting guidelines, and a checklist for submitting your work.

Submit your thesis or dissertation

This link directs you to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site where you will set up an account and submit your completed electronic thesis or dissertation to The Graduate School.

The Graduate School Handbook

The Handbook provides additional information on master's thesis requirements or doctoral dissertation requirements .

Thesis and dissertation formatting workshops

• Dissertation formatting workshop: PC version
• Dissertation formatting workshop: Apple/Mac version

Stages of the thesis or dissertation process

These guidelines and advice will be helpful as you consider your thesis or dissertation from preparation through final submission.

Stages of the Thesis or Dissertation Process

Although you won't submit your thesis or dissertation until your final semester of graduate study, it is recommended that you begin thinking about many aspects of your thesis or dissertation much sooner.

• Use The Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Guide to aid in preparing and submitting your thesis or dissertation. Read through the guidelines early and refer back to them as often as needed throughout the process.
• Begin discussions with your advisor and committee early, as they may have useful information to impart to you as you begin your research and writing.
• Be sure to determine which style manual is appropriate for your discipline. Formatting is often easier when applied at the beginning of the writing process rather than at the end, especially when concerning citations.
• Review and discuss how copyrighting may impact your research and writing, including decisions about publishing your own work. The University Libraries' Scholarly Communications Office is a campus resource on scholarly publishing practices.
• Take advantage of campus resources such as workshops, University Libraries, and the Writing Center.
• As you approach your defense, set up your student account in the ProQuest ETD Administrator . Review the site for useful information about the online submission process.
• After your defense has occurred and all final edits are approved by your committee, plan to submit your thesis or dissertation. Follow the checklist and submission instructions in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide to prepare your document.
• In addition to uploading a PDF of your thesis or dissertation, be prepared to provide added information (e.g., abstract, keywords, and subject headings) about your work for indexing and identification purposes. This information will help make your work more discoverable online.
• After you have submitted your thesis or dissertation, check your email regularly for updates. Make any required revisions promptly.
• You will receive a final email notifying you that your ETD has been accepted. Once your document has been approved, you cannot make any further changes. ProQuest will make the title and abstract of your thesis or dissertation available online shortly after graduation. The University Libraries will make your thesis or dissertation available within one semester.

Frequently asked questions about electronic theses and dissertations

Follow the dates posted on The Graduate School's graduation deadlines website . Submit your thesis or dissertation after your defense has occurred and all final edits are approved by your advisor and committee. Your Committee Composition and Exam Report forms (with all approval signatures) must be submitted to The Graduate School before submitting your document.

The ETD Administrator uses statuses to help students and staff keep track of what step comes next during the ETD submission process. Some statuses require action on the part of the student while others indicate that staff are responsible for taking the next step. To help you understand what each status means, visit the ProQuest help page . You can also access this page from within the ETD Administrator by clicking on the “Help ?” link on the top right corner of most pages.

You should receive an email from the ETD Administrator immediately following submission of your thesis or dissertation. If you do not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder and verify which email address you used when you set up your ETD Administrator account. You will continue to receive emails relating to time-sensitive required revisions, so it is important that you monitor the email account associated with your ETD Administrator account on a daily basis. You will receive a final email when The Graduate School has accepted the finalized document.

While you should receive emails notifying you of necessary changes, required revisions can also be viewed directly within the ProQuest ETD Administrator . To view required revisions:

• Login to your account
• Go to the “My Dissertations/Theses List”
• Click on the “View” button under the entry for your ETD
• Under “Manage this ETD” on the left margin, select “View decisions”
• A list of the decisions that have been made will be displayed in the middle of the page; on the far right of each decision is a link for “View Email”
• Click the “View Email” link to display the entire contents of the email that was sent to you, including any required revisions

Conflict of interest disclosures should be included in the Acknowledgements section of your document. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

The Thesis and Dissertation Guide has been designed as a comprehensive resource to aid you in preparing your thesis or dissertation for final acceptance and approval. If you have read the Guide and still have questions about the guidelines or submission process, email your Graduate School enrolled students specialist . Please note that Graduate School staff cannot offer formatting assistance. For technical assistance relating to the ETD Administrator submission website, contact ProQuest Tech Support or review the ETD Administrator Help pages .

Receipt of a submitted and approved thesis or dissertation in The Graduate School results in the publication of the document by the University Library at UNC-Chapel Hill. As such, each student grants the University a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce the student's work, in whole or in part, in electronic form to be posted in the University Library database and made available to the general public at no charge. As a public institution, UNC-Chapel Hill is committed to disseminating research widely and furthering the free exchange of intellectual information, including approved theses and dissertations completed by graduating students. See the Thesis and Dissertation Guide Copyrighting section for information about the campus copyright policy.

Most students will not need to request an embargo. In certain circumstances (e.g., pending patent application, publisher requirements) it may be advisable to request one. If you would like to delay release of your thesis or dissertation, please discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an embargo with your advisor or academic program.

UNC-Chapel Hill only permits the request of a one or two year embargo – regardless of options and documentation displayed in ProQuest. If your request for an embargo is accepted by The Graduate School, online publishing of your thesis or dissertation will be delayed for one or two years. Please note that the title of your work, as well as your abstract, will be available through ProQuest Dissertations & Theses shortly after your work has been approved by The Graduate School and submitted to ProQuest. Please review the Thesis and Dissertation Guide Embargo section for more information.

The Open Access, full text of your thesis or dissertation will be available online through the UNC Libraries . There is an approximately one semester delay for processing and uploading electronic theses and dissertations to the Library's digital collections.

Shortly after graduation, your thesis or dissertation title and abstract will be available through several ProQuest databases that can be accessed through the UNC Libraries.

If you chose to order optional printed copies of your thesis or dissertation in the ETD Administrator as part of the submission process, your order will be filled by ProQuest. Your order summary and manuscript ID are in your submission confirmation email. For questions about your order, you will need to contact ProQuest directly. Neither The Graduate School nor the University Libraries can offer information about past orders or requests for print copies.

Center for Digital Scholarship

Dissertation Checklist

• Defend dissertation and complete revisions
• Apply to graduate
• Receive permission for previously copyrighted material included beyond fair use
• Discuss dissertation  embargo  with faculty and research collaborators
• Matches name in ETD Administrator and on title page (ROBERT REDFIELD)
• Uses  headline style  as does the  convocation program  (Plan for a Study of Tepoztlan, Mexico)
• Matches title on PDF title page but uses upper and lower case
• Publishing information  (traditional or open access, search engines, delayed release, institutional repository options, Creative Commons, permanent contact information including 8-digit student ID starting with 10 or 12)
• About my dissertation/thesis (all sections, including keywords, abstract no more than 350-500 words, etc.)
• Submission & payment ( U.S. copyright , author copies)
• line spacing
• page numbers
• parts of the dissertation
• table of contents
• list of tables, figures, other lists
• tables, figures, other images
• references and footnotes
• bibliography
• supplemental files
• Proofread PDF and supplemental files
• Complete  Survey of Earned Doctorates and upload certificate of completion
• Complete the University of Chicago Doctoral Graduate Survey
• Notify graduate program administrator that submission is ready for departmental approval
• Upload signed and completed copy of Departmental Approval Form
• Submit final version of dissertation
• Correct formatting and provide additional material as requested by Dissertation Office
• Retain copy of ProQuest and IR agreements, permission letters, and information regarding options selected or paid for

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• Dissertation

What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started

Published on 26 March 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 5 May 2022.

A dissertation is a large research project undertaken at the end of a degree. It involves in-depth consideration of a problem or question chosen by the student. It is usually the largest (and final) piece of written work produced during a degree.

The length and structure of a dissertation vary widely depending on the level and field of study. However, there are some key questions that can help you understand the requirements and get started on your dissertation project.

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Table of contents

When and why do you have to write a dissertation, who will supervise your dissertation, what type of research will you do, how should your dissertation be structured, what formatting and referencing rules do you have to follow, frequently asked questions about dissertations.

A dissertation, sometimes called a thesis, comes at the end of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. It is a larger project than the other essays you’ve written, requiring a higher word count and a greater depth of research.

You’ll generally work on your dissertation during the final year of your degree, over a longer period than you would take for a standard essay . For example, the dissertation might be your main focus for the last six months of your degree.

Why is the dissertation important?

The dissertation is a test of your capacity for independent research. You are given a lot of autonomy in writing your dissertation: you come up with your own ideas, conduct your own research, and write and structure the text by yourself.

This means that it is an important preparation for your future, whether you continue in academia or not: it teaches you to manage your own time, generate original ideas, and work independently.

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During the planning and writing of your dissertation, you’ll work with a supervisor from your department. The supervisor’s job is to give you feedback and advice throughout the process.

The dissertation supervisor is often assigned by the department, but you might be allowed to indicate preferences or approach potential supervisors. If so, try to pick someone who is familiar with your chosen topic, whom you get along with on a personal level, and whose feedback you’ve found useful in the past.

How will your supervisor help you?

Your supervisor is there to guide you through the dissertation project, but you’re still working independently. They can give feedback on your ideas, but not come up with ideas for you.

You may need to take the initiative to request an initial meeting with your supervisor. Then you can plan out your future meetings and set reasonable deadlines for things like completion of data collection, a structure outline, a first chapter, a first draft, and so on.

Make sure to prepare in advance for your meetings. Formulate your ideas as fully as you can, and determine where exactly you’re having difficulties so you can ask your supervisor for specific advice.

Your approach to your dissertation will vary depending on your field of study. The first thing to consider is whether you will do empirical research , which involves collecting original data, or non-empirical research , which involves analysing sources.

Empirical dissertations (sciences)

An empirical dissertation focuses on collecting and analysing original data. You’ll usually write this type of dissertation if you are studying a subject in the sciences or social sciences.

• What are airline workers’ attitudes towards the challenges posed for their industry by climate change?
• How effective is cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in young adults?
• What are the short-term health effects of switching from smoking cigarettes to e-cigarettes?

There are many different empirical research methods you can use to answer these questions – for example, experiments , observations, surveys , and interviews.

When doing empirical research, you need to consider things like the variables you will investigate, the reliability and validity of your measurements, and your sampling method . The aim is to produce robust, reproducible scientific knowledge.

Non-empirical dissertations (arts and humanities)

A non-empirical dissertation works with existing research or other texts, presenting original analysis, critique and argumentation, but no original data. This approach is typical of arts and humanities subjects.

• What attitudes did commentators in the British press take towards the French Revolution in 1789–1792?
• How do the themes of gender and inheritance intersect in Shakespeare’s Macbeth ?
• How did Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia influence nineteenth century utopian socialist thought?

The first steps in this type of dissertation are to decide on your topic and begin collecting your primary and secondary sources .

Primary sources are the direct objects of your research. They give you first-hand evidence about your subject. Examples of primary sources include novels, artworks and historical documents.

Secondary sources provide information that informs your analysis. They describe, interpret, or evaluate information from primary sources. For example, you might consider previous analyses of the novel or author you are working on, or theoretical texts that you plan to apply to your primary sources.

Dissertations are divided into chapters and sections. Empirical dissertations usually follow a standard structure, while non-empirical dissertations are more flexible.

Structure of an empirical dissertation

Empirical dissertations generally include these chapters:

• Introduction : An explanation of your topic and the research question(s) you want to answer.
• Literature review : A survey and evaluation of previous research on your topic.
• Methodology : An explanation of how you collected and analysed your data.
• Results : A brief description of what you found.
• Discussion : Interpretation of what these results reveal.
• Conclusion : Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your findings contribute to knowledge in your field.

Sometimes the order or naming of chapters might be slightly different, but all of the above information must be included in order to produce thorough, valid scientific research.

Other dissertation structures

If your dissertation doesn’t involve data collection, your structure is more flexible. You can think of it like an extended essay – the text should be logically organised in a way that serves your argument:

• Introduction: An explanation of your topic and the question(s) you want to answer.
• Main body: The development of your analysis, usually divided into 2–4 chapters.
• Conclusion: Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your analysis contributes to knowledge in your field.

The chapters of the main body can be organised around different themes, time periods, or texts. Below you can see some example structures for dissertations in different subjects.

• Political philosophy

This example, on the topic of the British press’s coverage of the French Revolution, shows how you might structure each chapter around a specific theme.

This example, on the topic of Plato’s and More’s influences on utopian socialist thought, shows a different approach to dividing the chapters by theme.

This example, a master’s dissertation on the topic of how writers respond to persecution, shows how you can also use section headings within each chapter. Each of the three chapters deals with a specific text, while the sections are organised thematically.

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Like other academic texts, it’s important that your dissertation follows the formatting guidelines set out by your university. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

Formatting guidelines concern things like:

• line spacing
• page numbers
• punctuation
• title pages
• presentation of tables and figures

If you’re unsure about the formatting requirements, check with your supervisor or department. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

How will you reference your sources?

Referencing means properly listing the sources you cite and refer to in your dissertation, so that the reader can find them. This avoids plagiarism by acknowledging where you’ve used the work of others.

Keep track of everything you read as you prepare your dissertation. The key information to note down for a reference is:

• The publication date
• Page numbers for the parts you refer to (especially when using direct quotes)

Different referencing styles each have their own specific rules for how to reference. The most commonly used styles in UK universities are listed below.

You can use the free APA Reference Generator to automatically create and store your references.

APA Reference Generator

The words ‘ dissertation ’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:

• In the UK, you write a dissertation at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a thesis to complete a PhD.
• In the US, it’s the other way around: you may write a thesis at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a dissertation to complete a PhD.

The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.

Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic , and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

• An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
• A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
• A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.

A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.

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Dissertation Guidelines and Checklist

A message from Associate Dean Candace Hetzner:

Congratulations on nearing the end of your doctoral work at Boston College. If you would like to schedule an optional Exit Interview please contact me at candace.hetzner@bc.edu . This is an opportunity for you to share your experiences and assist us in formulating objectives for future change.

Submit your dissertation online

eTD@BC website

University Academic Calendar

Dissertation Checklist

Elements of your dissertation, 1. submit your dissertation online, university-wide policy on dissertation submission requirements to be used across all doctoral programs at bc.

Management of dissertations at Boston College is online-only. The public dissemination of research fits with university social justice values supporting global access to scholarship. The University policy with regard to dissertations is as follows:

All final dissertations must be submitted and published online through ProQuest/UMI, as well as BC’s open access institutional repository, by the University required deadline.

The ProQuest ETD Administrator system is used for student submission, school administration approval, and library management of the process, as it is at the vast majority of Carnegie Tier 1 schools. BC also supports an institutional repository (IR) as its system of record, in which we are legally obligated to preserve all dissertations, and where materials are made available Open Access online according to Creative Commons licensing of the student’s choosing. For both repositories, embargoes may be placed for up to two years. Embargoes can be extended up to five years with school approval. Each system carries its own set of licenses, terms and options (e.g. ProQuest license, BC IR license.)

Exceptions to the requirement to submit digitally will be based on decisions made by individual schools or by the Provost. BC Libraries provide support, instruction, and infrastructure to enable the collection, approval, description, security, access and preservation of all Boston College dissertations and theses.

(February 2021)

Submit your Thesis Electronically via eTD@BC

ProQuest ETD Administrator System

BC Institutional Repository

2. Signature Page

Signature page.

Use the provided Signature Page Template. Complete the form by choosing the appropriate drop-down choice and typing in the required information, including the names of your advisor and readers as designated beside the signature line. This form allows for electronic signatures; this is the preferred method. Please follow  the instructions provided to the right. If someone in your committee cannot sign the document electronically, you must print out two copies for original ink signatures—both copies must be original, not photocopies; print only AFTER any electronic signatures have been applied. Do not include a copy of the signature page in the electronic-submission copy of your dissertation. Send electronic signature pages to the dean's office as instructed; hard copies should be sent to Gason 108.

N.B., digital images of signatures should never be included in the electronic version of the dissertation, e.g., on signature pages, IRB forms, copyright permissions, etc.

Signature Page Template

Signature Page Instructions

3. Information Form

Please fill out this information form .

4. Survey of Earned Doctorates

Please fill out the Survey of Earned Doctorates

Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates

Dissertation Template

The following should be submitted in this order:

Traditional Title Page

Copyright page.

• Dissertation

If you have any questions about the format of your dissertation contact the Dean's Office, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Gasson 108, at 617-552-3268. Dissertations not conforming to the minimum standards described here in may be returned to the candidate and the awarding of the degree delayed.

The title page must conform to this sample; otherwise, the Graduate School reserves the right to require the page to be redone. The dissertation title should be concise and meaningful, and the title on the signature page and title page should match.

Regardless of which option you select with UMI, this page is required and must conform to this sample; otherwise, the Graduate School reserves the right to require the page to be redone. The copyright year should match the date of defense.

The abstract must include the title of your dissertation, your name, and that of your dissertation advisor as the heading. The abstract must be double-spaced in the same type font as the dissertation text.

Dissertation Form and Style

The signature page, traditional title page, copyright page, and the abstract must not be numbered.

The Graduate School does not require use of one particular style manual; however, make sure that you consistently follow one method of reference and bibliographic notation throughout your dissertation.

The typing of all textual material must be double-spaced; notes, bibliographic references, and long quotations may be single-spaced. The font size must be minimum (10) point. While the font size and style should be consistent throughout your text, the notes, bibliographic references, and long quotations may be in a size smaller than your text, but must still be at least (10) point.

Dissertations should ordinarily be written in English. In exceptional cases where there are substantial academic reasons for doing so, departments—with the approval of the associate dean for academic affairs—may accept dissertations in a language other than English.

Margins and Page Numbers

Left and right margins must be 1.25 inches. Top and bottom margins must be (1) inch. Page numbers must be 1 inch from paper edge on top or bottom of page.These margins must be strictly maintained throughout your work.

The traditional title page, copyright page and abstract cannot be numbered and should be submitted in that order. Table of contents, acknowledgments (optional), lists of tables, etc. are considered the introductory material of the manuscript; therefore, the pages should be numbered in lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, etc.). Every page of the dissertation body, i.e., after the introductory material, must be sequentially numbered in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.).

Charts, Graphs, Tables

Illustrative material may be included (in color, greyscale, or black and white).

Dissertation Submission

Dissertation submission.

• To qualify for graduation you must deposit your completed dissertation with the University by the date indicated on the University Academic Calendar.
• In order to graduate your graduation date must match your graduation date listed in Agora. If not, you must contact the Dean's Office at 617-552-3268 or  gsasinfo@bc.edu  to have this corrected.
• Follow the Dissertation Checklist to ensure you have completed all requirements.

All elements on the following checklist must be completed by the deadline for dissertation submission printed on the University Academic Calendar. 

Email the Dean's Office

Capstone Documents: Doctoral Capstone and Project Resources

• Supplemental Resources for the PhD Social Work
• DBA Capstone: Traditional Capstone Options
• DBA Capstone: Portfolio Project Options
• DBA Capstone: Consulting Capstone Option
• DHA Doctoral Study (Summer 2021 or before)
• DIT Doctoral Study
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• Next Page: Supplemental Resources for the PhD Social Work

PhD Documents

• Dissertation Process Worksheet (Word)
• Dissertation Premise Guide (PDF) 04/15/2019
• Introduction to the Premise YouTube video
• Transcript: Introduction to the Premise (PDF)
• PhD Prospectus Form
• PhD in Health Education Prospectus Form
• PhD in Public Health Prospectus Form

Dissertation Development and Evaluation

• Dissertation Guidebook (PDF) 09/27/2021

Dissertation Checklists

• Qualitative Checklist (Word) 09.12.2023
• Quantitative Checklist (Word) 07.10.2023
• Mixed Methods Checklist (Word) 07.10.2023

Dissertation Rubrics

• Dissertation Quality Rubric (Word) Faculty Use Only
• Dissertation Minimum Standards Rubric (Word) 8/20/2023

Additional Documents and Resources by Program

• PhD Dissertation Writing Resources

Questions?  [email protected]

Professional Doctorate Documents

• DBA Capstone Studies
• DHA Doctoral Study

Learn about the Doctoral Degree Coach

MyDR Information

Oral Defense Information

University Doctoral Resources

• Capstone Document Templates
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• Doctoral Committee Updates

Doctoral Capstone Resources

• Preparing for Capstone Success
• Doctoral Capstone Development | Stages & Milestones
• Doctoral Capstone Stage Completion Goals, Term Goals, and Support Resources
• Research Design Alignment Table

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• Dissertation Submission Checklist
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

• Application for Degree
• Credit for Completed Graduate Work
• Ad Hoc Degree Programs
• Acknowledging the Work of Others
• Advanced Planning
• Formatting Your Dissertation
• Publishing Options
• Submitting Your Dissertation
• English Language Proficiency
• PhD Program Requirements
• Secondary Fields
• Year of Graduate Study (G-Year)
• Master's Degrees
• Grade and Examination Requirements
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• Is every page of the dissertation correctly numbered?
• Does the body of the text begin with Page 1?
• Is the pagination continuous? Are all pages included?
• Is the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate unnumbered and positioned as the first page?
• Is the placement of page numbers centered throughout the manuscript?
• Is the title page formatted correctly?
• Is the author’s name, in full, the same on the title page and the abstract?
• Does the author’s name and date on the title page match the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate?
• Does the copyright page follow the title page?
• Is the abstract included after the copyright page, and is it formatted correctly?
• Does the abstract include the title of the dissertation, the author’s name, and the dissertation advisor’s name?
• Is the title on the abstract the same as that on the title page?
• Are the margins at least 1” on all sides?
• Is the font size 10–12 point?
• Are all fonts embedded?
• Are references in the form of footnotes (or endnotes if customary in your field)?
• Are all charts, graphs, and other illustrative materials legible?
• Do lengthy figures and tables include the “(Continued)” notation?
• If appropriate, have you filed for a patent?
• All formatting is checked before submitting the dissertation (review  Top 10 Formatting Errors ).
• Submit dissertation through ProQuest ETD .
• If you are requesting an embargo of longer than two years, you will need a signed approval  from the DGS.

Explore Events

Electronic Thesis & Dissertations

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long will the review process take?

A: A typical review can take 1-2 weeks from start to finish but it can vary depending on when you submit and how many corrections are needed.

Q: Can I run the Turnitin report or does my Chair need to do it?

A: Students do not have direct access to Turnitin software so your committee Chair will need to help facilitate the running of the report.  Please check with your committee Chair for further details.  How the report is run may be unique to your Chair and/or your department.

Q: How do I filter my Turnitin results and how do I send them electronically?

A: Click here for instructions.

Q: My Turnitin file is too large, how do I send it electronically?

A: Use ETSU's Dropbox:  https://www.etsu.edu/dropbox/

Q: How do I close my study with the IRB?

Q: Can I submit my thesis or dissertation before the deadline?

A:  Yes!  As long as your thesis or dissertation has been completely approved by your committee, you may submit to the Graduate School for review at any time.

Q:  Do the forms need to be turned in by the initial submission deadline?

A:  The Turnitin report does.  All others can come in after we begin the review process, but you will not receive final approval until all needed forms have been turned in.

Q:  What is the Style Manual adopted by my department?

A:  Click here for a list.