Take a break from your paper of at least one week after you have finished writing it to get some distance between yourself and your writing. Avoid becoming so familiar with your thesis that you overlook obvious errors. Print out your paper and read through it line by line with a colored pen in hand. Plan to review your thesis at least four times, giving yourself at least a two-day break between each review.
Look for flow and content ordering issues on your first read-through of your thesis. Examine your thesis statement and print an additional copy of it to keep by your side as you review your paper. Read your thesis from a big-picture standpoint, asking yourself throughout if you have fully answered or explained your thesis statement. Consider the ordering of your information and look for blocks of content that may be out of place. Think about the flow of your paper content and question whether any sections are awkward, out of place, underdiscussed or overanalyzed. Look for paragraphs or even pages of content that may need to be cut, added or thoroughly rewritten. Mark content that needs to change with a colored pen. Make the changes electronically and print out another copy.
Allow two days or more to pass and then complete a second review of your thesis paper. Have your APA (American Psychological Association) style manual or other style guide you were instructed to adhere to by your thesis committee chair at your side during this review. Examine every quotation, citation and reference carefully to ensure you are properly documenting your research. Examine charts, graphs and statistical data for formatting and clarity. Look at your Works Cited section and ensure every source is listed alphabetically and in proper format. Mark changes with a colored pen, save your draft and then make the changes electronically.
Print out a clean copy of your revised thesis and allow at least two days to pass before beginning your third review. Read through your thesis paper for grammar and punctuation. Examine your paper for wordiness and overuse of the passive voice. If a sentence seems particularly difficult to understand, or is very long, introduce the active voice and break up the sentence into two or more shorter ones. Remember that just because your paper is an academic one, it doesn't have to be cumbersome or unengaging to the reader.
Allow at least one week, preferably two, to pass between your third and fourth reviews. Print out a clean copy of your thesis paper and read it through one more time. Look for grammar and style errors or difficulties on your final read-through. Mark any edits with a colored pen and make the changes electronically. Give your paper to a colleague or classmate and ask them to read the paper for clarity and any spelling/grammar mistakes. Don't be offended when the reviewer catches things you missed.
Give your revised draft to your thesis chair to review before giving a final draft to the committee, which you will have to defend. Make all changes recommended by the chair.