Proofreading

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Proofreading

• Jessica Warrington
• September 13, 2007

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Introduction

• Differences between editing and proofreading
• How to edit
• How to proofread
• Tips for and editing and proofreading

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What is editing?

• Editing is what you do as soon as you finish your
  first draft
• Check that the paper is well organized and
  transitions are smooth
• Make sure that your evidence backs up your
  argument

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Editing - Content

• Does your paper meet the assignments
  requirements?
• Is it accurate?
• Is your argument complete and well-supported?

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Editing Overall Structure

• Does your paper have an appropriate introduction
  and conclusion?
• Is your thesis clearly stated?
• Are there clear transitions between paragraphs?

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Editing Paragraph Structure

• Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence?
• Does the paragraph stay on topic?

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Editing - Clarity

• Be sure to define any important terms that may be
  unclear to the reader
• Is each sentence clear?
• Have you chosen the proper words to express your
  ideas?

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Editing - Style

• Have you used the appropriate tone?
• Is your use of gendered language appropriate?
• Have you varied the length and structure of your
  sentences?

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Editing - Citations

• Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases,
  and ideas you got from sources?
• Are your citations in the correct format?

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Why Proofread?

• Proofreading is the final stage of the editing
  process which focuses on errors such as
  misspellings and grammar and punctuation mistakes
• Content is important, and you dont want careless
  errors to distract your readers from what you
  have to say
• Keep the editing and proofreading processes
  separate

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The Proofreading Process

• Dont rely entirely on spelling checkers they
  wont catch misspellings that form another word
• Grammar checkers work with a limited number of
  rules, so they often miss errors
• Proofread for only one kind of error at a time so
  you dont lose focus
• Read slow and read every word you may skip over
  errors if you read too quickly

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The Proofreading Process

• Separate the text into individual sentences on
  separate lines
• Learn to recognize and correct new errors
• If youre not sure about something, look it up

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Tips for Editing and Proofreading

• Get some distance from the text put the paper
  aside and come back to it
• Decide whether you should proofread at the
  computer or print your paper
• Change the formatting of your document to help
  you get a different perspective

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Tips for Editing and Proofreading

• Find a quiet place to work and avoid distractions
• Do your editing and proofreading in short blocks
  of time
• Prioritize your editing and proofreading tasks if
  youre short on time

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Conclusion

• Editing and proofreading your papers for
  structure, content, and errors ensures that your
  paper effectively conveys your arguments and that
  the reader is able to understand the meaning of
  your writing
• Any questions?

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Works Cited

• Proofreading http//www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/hand
  outs/proofread.html Accessed 9/11/07