Checklist
Final review before you submit.
A simple pre-submission checklist that catches the issues markers and reviewers raise most often: so you submit work that is genuinely ready.
- Title page and declarations match institution template
- Abstract within word limit and reflects the final document
- Table of contents auto-generated and consistent
- Figures and tables numbered, captioned and referenced in text
- All references cited in text appear in the bibliography (and vice versa)
- Reference style consistent throughout
- Ethics approval letter(s) attached as appendix
- Consent forms and instruments included as appendices
- Plagiarism / similarity report under threshold
- Supervisor sign-off and submission letter ready
- Final PDF opens correctly and prints cleanly
Frequently asked
Questions researchers ask
- How early should I run this checklist?
- Two to four weeks before your deadline. Earlier if you have multiple authors or co-supervisors.
- Do I need to include a turnitin or plagiarism report?
- Most universities require one. Run it early so you can address borderline matches.
- What about reference formatting?
- Match your department's required style (APA, Vancouver, Harvard). Use a reference manager rather than typing entries by hand.
- Should I do a final read-through?
- Yes: preferably out loud or with text-to-speech. It catches phrasing problems your eye skips.
- What if I find a problem at the last minute?
- Fix only what threatens compliance (formatting, ethics, citations). Stylistic edits at this stage usually introduce errors.
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