Why should you proofread?
A famous saying is, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." This saying can be applied to your paper as well. You only have one chance to make a good impression on the reader. One of the ways readers evaluate the professionalism of the author, and their authority on a particular topic is if the paper is free of spelling and grammatical errors. Spell check catches some of these errors but not all. Remember that sometimes misspelled words are other valid words.
Example:
- You meant to spell while and spelled whole instead. Since whole is a real word, spell check will not sense an error.
This is even more true for grammatical errors, as spell check senses those even less. Remember in academic writing your should strive for clarity and conciseness as your ideas are the star of the show. A paper free of grammatical errors will make it easier for the reader to concentrate on these ideas instead of the errors. If you are going to publish a study, editors will expect you to proofread before submission. If you send a paper with spelling and grammatical errors, the editor might not accept the paper or ask you to revise it before acceptance. Save yourself some time and consider proofreading the final step in the composition of your paper.
Tips for Effective Proofreading
When planning out your project, leave time for proofreading
- In other words do not write your rough draft at the last minute. Ideally I like to give myself at least a week to proofread and edit my paper before it is due. Students who rush through this process may miss key errors thanks to the adrenaline felt when doing something at the last minute.
Read your paper out aloud:
- In the process of writing a paper, it is easy to get lost in the ideas, and how we see the ideas in our own heads. However the reader my process them differently. Writers often comment they are so immersed in their work, it becomes hard to see how the reader will review it. This is because we are engrossed in our own thoughts instead of what is written on the paper. One way to help you the author to see what the reader sees is to read your words aloud. Methodically reading it aloud will show you errors you may have missed or highlight passages which need revision.
Proofread your paper on a non-writing day
- Sometimes all we need to see our paper more clearly is to take a break from it. The biggest concern when you are writing is gathering your ideas. When you are proofreading, you need to switch off the focus on ideas and instead concentrate on how the physical writing is assembled. Coming back to it after a period of rest gives you a fresh perspective which may help you see your paper more clearly.
Proofread in blocks
- Don't try to proofread all at once. Proofreading an entire academic paper all in one sitting can be overwhelming. Often when students take this approach, they rush through this process which causes them to miss errors. One way to proofread in blocks is to only concentrate on one section at a time. For example one day you will only look at the Introduction, and the next day you will look at the Methodology. Or maybe one day you will only look for spelling errors in the paper, and another day you will examine your comma usage. Every section of your paper is important, so you want to give each section the attention it deserves.
Have a peer review your paper
- Sometimes even with the best intentions, a writer just does not see the errors in the paper. Once again we as writers are so wrapped up in our ideas we miss the mechanics of our writing. One strategy is to find a peer we trust to review our paper. This person will have the fresh eyes needed to spot errors or inconsistencies. If you use a peer for this purpose, remember to give them some time to review the paper so they are not rushed.
Boxer Library
