Checklist before submitting your diploma thesis

Check the structure of the work

Make sure that the work has all the required elements: title page, table of contents, introduction, chapters, conclusion, bibliography and any appendices.

Check whether the numbering of chapters and subchapters is logical and consistent with the table of contents.

Check the formatting

Before submitting your work, check the margins, font, line spacing, page numbering, headings, footnotes and captions under tables and charts.

It is worth comparing the document with the university's guidelines, as technical requirements may differ.

Check the bibliography and footnotes

The bibliography should be complete and coherent. Sources from footnotes should be included in the final bibliography.

It is worth checking whether all quotations have footnotes and whether the sources are consistent.

Read your work before submitting it

Final reading allows you to spot typos, repetitions, missing words and unclear sentences.

It's best to do this after a short break, as a fresh set of eyes helps you spot more mistakes.

Tables, charts, illustrations and attachments

Each table and illustration should have a number, title and source. Check that all objects are referenced in the text and that the numbering has not been interrupted when one of the elements was deleted. The signature cannot be left alone on a page other than the chart to which it relates.

It is worth viewing the attachments as a separate document. Remove identifying information about respondents, check references in the content, and make sure the order of attachments matches the list.

Language, repetition and final proofreading

During the first reading, focus on the sense: whether the conclusions follow from the analysis, whether the concepts are used consistently and whether the chapters achieve the purpose of the work. Only in the next pass should you correct punctuation, typos, repetitions and too long sentences.

Reading aloud helps detect unnatural rhythm and missing words. It is also useful to look for phrases that are often overused in academic texts, such as "worth noting" or "should be emphasized", and leave them only where they actually contribute something.

Final PDF and secure file sending

After exporting to PDF, check the title page, table of contents, first and last pages of each chapter, and places with large tables. Conversion can change the page division, move the signature or replace an unusual font.

Give the file a unique name that includes your name and document type. Before sending, open the attachment directly from the message or university system. This is an easy way to make sure you're uploading the correct, complete version.

Start with the requirements and one final version

Before checking the thesis, collect faculty guidelines, current supervisor feedback and document-submission requirements. Identify the authoritative file. Copies whose names imply successive final versions are easy to confuse, especially when revisions are made on several devices. Give the file a clear dated name and retain a copy from before the final review. Do not make independent changes in several documents simultaneously without comparing them afterwards.

Divide the pre-submission checklist into content, sources, technical elements and formalities. Assign a verification method to each item. A general instruction to check bibliography correctness is too vague; comparing every citation with the reference list is more useful. Add a responsible person and status if someone else helps with editing. This makes it clear what has actually been verified and what remains only an assumption.

Check agreement between the objective, findings and conclusion

Read the title, the objective in the introduction, the research questions, the results headings and the conclusion in sequence. They should describe the same project. A change in scope often leaves traces in older passages: a different participant count, an unused hypothesis or an analysis that was planned but never performed. These inconsistencies matter more than a slightly uneven gap. Correct them before final formatting because they may require changes in several parts of the document.

Check each research question separately. Identify where the data, interpretation and answer appear. If it cannot be answered, explain the limitation instead of adding an unsupported conclusion. Also compare the Polish abstract, its other-language version and the keywords with the final content. They are often prepared earlier and describe assumptions that subsequently changed. The consistency check should also cover the defence presentation if it already exists.

Check figures, captions and cross-references as one system

Review tables and charts in order of appearance. Verify numbering, titles, units, sources and explanations of abbreviations. Then locate every reference to them in the text. Removing a table may leave outdated numbers or a sentence introducing a non-existent display. Ensure that counts and percentages have a stated base. A minor rounding difference requires a different response from a discrepancy caused by omitted answers.

For an engineering thesis, compare notation in equations, drawings and technical documentation. The same quantity should not change symbols without explanation. Check input and output units and ensure that the description matches the project version in the appendices. Do not manually adjust a result merely to match an earlier table. Return to the data or calculations and identify the cause. The final review should expose errors, not disguise them.

Read the PDF as a separate document

Exporting to PDF does not finish the checking process. Open the file and inspect the title page, chapter beginnings, lists, tables, equations and appendices. Look for cut-off lines, isolated headings, substituted characters and shifted illustrations. Check that text can be selected and fonts display correctly on another device. The editor's layout may differ from the final file submitted to the university.

If links and bookmarks are required, test them in the finished PDF. Compare visible page numbers with the contents-page references. Also check for remaining comments, revision marks, working notes or unnecessary metadata. Remove information in a way that preserves university-required elements. Do not assume that hiding a comment on screen means it has been removed from the document you submit.

The final hour before submission

During the final check, avoid major stylistic changes if there is no time to reread the result. Check the filename, contents, complete set of appendices and correct submission channel. If uploading to a university system, read its messages and keep confirmation according to the procedure. Merely selecting a file does not prove that uploading is complete. If a technical problem occurs, record its message and contact the appropriate university office.

After submission, retain exactly the version that was submitted. Prepare for the defence using that version, not an earlier draft. If you later discover an error, establish the permitted response with your supervisor or faculty office. Do not replace the document independently outside the required procedure. A thorough final review provides a clear record of checks and reduces the risk of overlooking an important element in a rush.

Summary

The final check of your work should not involve a chaotic search for individual typos. The best effect is achieved by checking the document in stages: first the content and logic, then the language, then the footnotes and bibliography, and finally the formatting and the PDF file. A few calm passages through the checklist allow you to notice much more than one long correction made just before the deadline.