PRACTICAL GUIDE · 4 OCTOBER 2026
A practical final submission checklist
Give the small details a separate review after you finish writing. Start with the instructions for your actual submission, then check the file you intend to send.
Keep the requirement and its source together
Copy the exact instruction beside each check. Include who issued it and when you last checked it. “PDF only” is a file-format rule; “discuss the method” needs a human reading. Do not turn a suggested length into a hard limit unless the brief says it is one.
Confirm how words and pages are counted
A 2,000-word limit may exclude references, tables or an abstract. Decide those options before running a count. For a PDF, page count refers to the pages in that file. DOCX page metadata can be stale because pagination depends on the application, fonts and paper size. Check the exported PDF when exact pagination matters.
Check the final file, not an earlier draft
Open the actual file you will submit. Check its extension, size and name against the portal instructions. A correct filename does not prove that the contents are readable. Open the file in its normal viewer and inspect the first and last pages, tables and figures.
Treat identity and reference checks as clues
Search for the names or identifiers you need to remove. Review comments, revision marks, headers and file properties where the format exposes them. Compare supported citation patterns with the reference list. These checks can point to text; they cannot verify that a source is real or that every identifying detail is gone.
Resolve findings and keep a record
For each issue, keep the observed value, requirement and next step together. Fix your original document, export it again if needed, and rerun the checks on that new file. A review report records what was checked; it is not proof of institutional approval.
Turn a short brief into explicit checks
Suppose your instructions say: PDF, at most 10 pages, filename starts with the course code. Add three separate requirements. Confirm the page limit includes the title page, enter the exact filename pattern, and inspect the final PDF. Leave any unknown rule unconfirmed instead of guessing.