DOCX vs PDF

Word vs PDF thesis formatting

DOCX is the safest source for final thesis formatting because it contains styles, headings, captions, footnotes, fields, and section breaks. PDF is useful for auditing and visual comparison, but full repair often needs the Word file.

Use DOCX when possible

DOCX lets us preserve real footnotes, images, tables, captions, table of contents entries, and page-numbering sections while applying university formatting rules.

Use PDF for audit or comparison

A PDF can show what the final thesis looks like and expose broken links, empty lists, missing figures, or page-number issues. Unless rebuilt, it remains audit-only.

When OCR is needed

If the PDF is scanned or the original DOCX is missing, OCR may recover text. The result still needs QA because academic text, tables, and footnotes must not be damaged.

Not sure which file to send?

Upload the best file you have. If the PDF is audit-only, we will ask for DOCX or explain the rebuild path.

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