Week 9: Finishing Touches
Fantastic work! You’ve made remarkable progress, and it’s clearly paying off. You’re on the final stretch now! The major parts of your thesis have been drafted, and by now, you should have received at least one round of feedback from your supervisor on all sections you’ve drafted so far. This week is all about those final adjustments. If you’ve received feedback and haven’t yet incorporated it, now is the perfect time to do so. If you haven’t received any feedback, make sure to reach out to your supervisor to request it.
After spending some time away from your paper, you’re in a prime position to review these sections with fresh eyes. Taking a break allows you to return to your work with a new perspective, making it easier to spot areas that need revision.
It’s also beneficial to engage in peer feedback. By exchanging drafts with your peers and offering each other constructive criticism, you can uncover gaps in your work that you might not have noticed. Remember, being deeply involved in your project can sometimes make you overlook certain details, a challenge your supervisor might also face due to their familiarity with the topic. Fresh perspectives from your peers can be incredibly valuable. Moreover, reviewing the work of others can sharpen your analytical skills and might even introduce you to new strategies or insights on structuring your thesis. In my opinion, the peer review process is a win-win with no downsides, only advantages.
Additionally, ensure that all your sources are accurately cited. Please spend some time refining your references page to ensure it adheres to the formatting standards required by your institution or supervisor. Now is also the time to organize your thesis document for submission, including creating a cover page and finalizing your thesis title. Having a comprehensive view of your project can inspire a fitting title, and your supervisor might offer useful suggestions.
Below, we’ve included a brief guide to help you brainstorm a title for your thesis project, which you might find useful.
Finally, the last piece to tackle is the abstract. In the next section, we’ll explore what the abstract entails and guide you through the process of crafting an effective one, ensuring your thesis is presented clearly and compellingly from the start.
