Polishing phase
- Revising extensively
- Finalizing illustrations
- Language guidelines
- Check citation guidelines
- Evaluation criteria
Before submitting your thesis, we encourage students to go through the pre-submission checklist:
- Analytical procedures are reported with the specific procedures and software packages. For regression models, the model formulas are provided.
- Every figure and table is referenced and described in the text.
- Choose appropriate formatting for numbers that does not suggest unjustified levels of accuracy (e.g., response times of employees in ms).
- If feasible, arrange rows, columns, and bars in an order of numerical progression; always indicate what numbers are shown, including units (axes, legends).
- Provide complete reference information in the reference section (e.g., including authors, title, journal, volume, issue).
- Keep in mind that claims of significance require appropriate statistical tests.
- The writing style should be objective and neutral, particularly in the related work, methodology, and results sections. Clearly indicate when you go beyond the data and develop your own interpretation (e.g., in the form of propositions).
- References: all papers cited in the text are in the reference section, and all papers in the reference section are cited in the text.
- The declaration at the end is identical to the declaration shared by the examination office.
Additionally, at least one week before submission, ensure that your thesis meets the following criteria.
Polishing your work for submission
Revising extensively
A thorough revision process enhances the clarity and quality of your thesis. Start by ensuring that sections flow logically, then refine the content to improve coherence and depth of information. Finally, check grammar, spelling, and style consistency to ensure polished language.
Seeking feedback from peers or supervisors can help identify areas for improvement.
Finalizing illustrations
Visual elements should complement the text and maintain a consistent design style. Ensure all visuals are necessary and avoid redundant descriptions. Instead of full code listings, use diagrams for system architectures or pseudo-code to present technical concepts effectively.
Language guidelines
Use the present tense for general truths, accepted knowledge, and descriptions of the paper’s content and findings (e.g., “Figure 1 shows…”). The past tense is appropriate for describing specific methods, experiments, results, and prior research.
Check citation guidelines
Citing correctly ensures academic integrity. Consider when to cite directly or indirectly and adhere to APA formatting guidelines for references. See the following example: In-text citations can be either parenthetical, such as “Fitness trackers were found to have mixed effects on sedentary behavior (Smith et al., 2006),” or narrative, as in “Smith et al. (2006) analyzed the effectiveness of fitness trackers.” Word-for-word quotations require quotation marks and page numbers, e.g., “A substantial degree of inaccuracy in measuring sleep quality” was found (Smith et al., 2006, p. 111). Reference managers like Zotero facilitate proper citation formatting.
Evaluation criteria
While creating your thesis, keep the evaluation criteria in mind to ensure your thesis meets the required academic standards.