Top Ten Tips for Proofreaders
So you have to proofread a document but don't know where to start? Don't panic! Here are ten top tips to help you get the task done...
1. If you wrote the document yourself, ask another person (whose judgment you trust) to proofread it. As author, you may see what you expect to see rather than what is actually there.
2. If you have to proofread your own work, set it to one side for a while before you do so. Hopefully by that time you will have forgotten what you wrote, and can read it again with fresh eyes.
3. Print out the document on paper before proofreading it (even with web pages). It's far easier to miss errors when proofreading on screen.
4. Read through everything twice. The first time, read for sense. The second time, for technical accuracy.
5. Keep a dictionary beside you and refer it to it often. Get a full length dictionary with at least 150,000 word definitions -- concise/pocket dictionaries are not sufficient!
5.Mark all corrections clearly, using a pen with different color ink from the text you are marking. Professional proofreaders normally use a red pen.
6. Don't try and do too much at once. Proofreading is a demanding task, and you need to be fresh to do it well. With long documents, take regular short breaks.
7. Try to ensure you are not disturbed while proofreading. Take your phone off the hook and put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door.
8. Mark the corner of any page that includes corrections, so that you (or whoever else has to do it) do not overlook a correction when incorporating changes later.
9. Similarly, where a correction is required, put a mark in the margin as well as in the text itself, to draw attention to it.
10. Keep a separate query list for the document's author. When there's something you're unsure of -- a fact of doubtful accuracy, a technical term you're unfamiliar with -- put a numbered query mark in the margin, and add your question to the list.
Lastly, if you regularly proofread documents that others then have to amend, you should learn the standard proofreading marks. These can be found in writers' guides such as The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook (UK) and The Chicago Manual of Style (US), both of which can be obtained from lending libraries or the Amazon internet bookstore. You can also take courses such as the Professional Proofreading & Editing Course from Maple Academy, which will teach you the standard marks and give you practice in applying them.
About the Author: John Hamilton is Course Leader for the Professional Proofreading & Editing Course, the leading correspondence course for freelance proofreaders and editors, run by Maple Academy (UK). For full details see http://www.mapleacademy.com/maple.nsf/Courses/Professional+Proofreading+Course
More articles by John Hamilton
Print Article | Download PDF | 20 views | Jun 23 2008
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