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Effective Proofreading

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Tips and Techniques to Improve Your Editing Skills

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Goals of This Tutorial

Understand the importance of proofreading.

Recognize the difference between proofreading and revising.

Learn techniques for effective proofreading.

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Why Proofread?

Catch minor mistakes that might cost marks.

Improve overall writing ability.

Demonstrate application of previous feedback from professors.

Hone time management and scheduling skills.

Take pride in your work.

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Revising vs. Proofreading: �What’s the Difference?

Revising

  • Focus on developing the content, structure, and flow of the paper as a whole.
  • Address clarity, thoroughness, and precision of the overall content.
  • Add missing material (e.g., citations, references, quotes, definitions).
  • Develop a new draft for further revision.

Proofreading

  • Focus on identifying and fixing mistakes in specific parts of the paper.
  • Address grammatical, stylistic, and spelling errors in each sentence.
  • Refine material that is already there (e.g., double-check quotes, citations, layout).
  • Polish the final draft for submission.

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Proofreading Tips and Techniques

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Focus on the Right Parts of the Paper

  • Since proofreading typically occurs after you have finalized the content of the paper, focus on these aspects of writing:
    • Grammar/spelling
    • Tone
    • Layout/style

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  • When proofreading, avoid tinkering with these parts of the paper:
    • Thesis statement
    • Supporting arguments
    • Paragraphing
    • Wordiness/word choice

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Stick to One Task at a Time

  • Proofreading while rewriting a paper often causes minor (but costly) errors.

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  • Revising while proofreading can litter your paper with verbal debris from old drafts
    • The Scottish study from Scotland concurred.
    • The researchers had to two choices: abandon the project or find more funding was the other option.
    • Since he had no money, but the other students offered to help.

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  • Proofreading while revising is like . . .
    • a doctor sewing up a patient while operating on them,
    • a baker icing a cake that’s just been put in the oven,
    • or a woodworker sanding and varnishing a chair at the same time.

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  • Save proofreading till the end to avoid
    • creating more work for yourself,
    • missing small errors due to distraction,
    • and taking away time to explore your ideas without having to worry about tidying up your writing.

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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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If you must stop to revise part of the paper . . .

  • make sure to proofread that section again later on!

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Rest Your Eyes and Your Brain

  • Try not to proofread immediately after revising your work.
    • Proofreading requires intense and sustained focus.
    • To edit effectively, give your eyes and brain a break.

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  • Set the paper aside for a couple of hours (a day if possible) before proofreading.
    • A tired mind often overlooks errors that are obvious to rested eyes.
    • Taking a break can help you review the paper with a fresh perspective.

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  • If you don’t have time to set the paper aside, refresh your eyes by closing them for 5-10 minutes and letting your mind wander (to improve focus).

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  • While proofreading, follow the 20/20/20 rule to refresh your eyes.

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Avoid Relying on Spelling/Grammar Software

  1. Moira and I am going to the store.
  2. The following paper will examine the rise of globalization, the effect that the global economy has had on individual nations and analyze the future of multinational corporations.
  3. While preparing for the exam, it was difficult for me to manage my anxiety.
  4. The doctor proscribed penicillin to treat the patient’s infection.
  5. Computer software rarely spots repeated sentences. Computer software rarely spots repeated sentences.
  6. Additionally, the researchers also utilized a placebo as well.
  7. Since the beginning of recorded History, humankind has struggled with distractibility..
  8. Brutus tried to restore democracy to Rome by assassinating Julian Caesar.
  9. The patient believed that he was having a heart attack, however, the nurse did not detect any signs of a cardiac event.
  10. “Whan that April with his shoures soote, / The droghte of March hath perced to the roote”

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Search for Recurring Errors

  • Keep a checklist of recurring errors to watch out for in your writing.
    • Review that checklist while proofreading your paper.

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  • How will you know what errors to look for?

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  • Read over feedback from previous assignments to note recurring issues.

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  • If you’re not sure why you lost marks or what your instructor’s feedback means, meet with them to ask for clarification.

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Use Your Window of Peak Productivity

  • Most people have a certain window of time in which they are especially productive.

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  • Try to schedule proofreading sessions during this period as you will need maximum focus to edit your work effectively.
    • E.g., if you’re a morning person, then proofread your papers in the morning.

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  • Avoid leaving your proofreading until the end of a long and tiring day.

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Change Things Up

  • The brain’s efficiency can be detrimental to proofreading.
    • Our minds are hardwired to skip over things that we’ve seen and done before, which hinders our abilities to detect errors in something we’ve read repeatedly.
  • To overcome this challenge, review your paper in a new way:

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  1. Proofread a printed copy of the paper.
    • Looking at the same material in a new medium can help you spot mistakes.

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  • Read your paper aloud and listen for errors.
    • The ear is often a better editor than the eye.

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  • Start proofreading the last paragraph and work backward.

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