The #1 Dissertation Checklist

What This Checklist Covers

The A–Z checklist, organized by document section rather than by theme. It walks the full structure of a dissertation or thesis:

• Title page — required elements, formatted to spec.
• Abstract — whether it stands alone and covers the study.
• Acknowledgements — the conventions, and who belongs there.
• Contents, figures and tables — accurate, and regenerated last.
• Introduction chapter — context, focus, aims and scope.
• Literature review chapter — coverage, synthesis, a visible gap.
• Methodology chapter — design, sampling, analysis, justification.
• Results chapter — presentation, visuals, no interpretation.
• Discussion chapter — findings against literature and questions.
• Conclusion chapter — answers, implications, recommendations.
• Reference list — complete, consistent, matching every citation.
• Appendix — what belongs there, and what doesn’t.
• General issues — register, formatting, proofreading, consistency.

The checklist can be copied to your Google Drive or downloaded as a fully editable document, so you can tick items off as you go.