When to stop editing an academic research project or thesis

A student may ask us:

How do I know when to stop editing an academic research project or thesis?

We might reply:

It is good that the student is reading through what has been written, as this always provides a good opportunity for improving the project. But if the subject matter has begun to seem a little too familiar, then it may be time to hand in the project.

It is helpful for students to remember that researching and writing an academic research project should be interesting.

Sometimes, when we are assigned work that we must do, we forget that the point of academic research is that it fascinates the people who care about it most.

So if we no longer feel committed to the subject matter, it may be a sign that we have worked on it enough and it is time to present it to the thesis supervisor.

If the student asks us:

How can I know if the text of my academic research project is good enough?

We might say:

Nothing we write is perfect, and everything can always be improved. But if students have a feeling that they are just changing things for the sake of changing things, without making them better, it is another sign that they have worked enough on a project. The writing will benefit from taking some time away from the project.

If the student tells us:

I keep deleting sentences and then replacing them in the thesis. I’m not sure if what I deleted was important.

When this happens, we can advise the student:

Just deleting and restoring text is not the best use of time, especially if we are not sure whether it is improving the quality of the research project. It may be time to hand it in to the academic advisor for some helpful feedback.

Students sometimes state:

I have looked at this thesis for so long that I am not sure it makes sense any more.

We may reply:

This is another sign that it would be useful to have someone else look at the project for a while, since we can no longer objectively evaluate the material.

If students admit that they are editing and reediting the same text, with no idea of whether adding or deleting material is appropriate, then this is another indication that it is time to pause in the editing process.

The student might say:

I have now spent more time editing my thesis than I did researching and writing it.

Our answer:

If the editing job has become so overwhelming that it seems more important than other aspects of the thesis, then it is likely time to call a halt, at least temporarily, and allow your faculty supervisor an opportunity to evaluate what has been done so far.

The student may add:

If I send in my project, I am afraid I will suddenly remember things I should have put in it that might have made it better.

We can console the student with these words:

As mentioned, nothing written by humans can be perfect, so there are always things that might be added or parts of a thesis that can be improved. But since editing and reediting is not really a definitive way to improve things, it is good to make sure that we are not damaging our research by constantly changing it.

It is useful to accept at some point that we have done our best with a project, and be prepared to submit it, without worrying if somehow we could have improved it.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)