PROOFREADING
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Presented for the summer course in Science Editing
Texas A&M University
Susan E. Aiello, DVM, ELS
susan@words-world.net
WordsWorld Consulting
www.words-world.net
1
International
Postage Rage
Increase
The Post Office will
increase
their
international
rates,
effective 12:01 A.M. on
July 9. Letters weighing
no more than ½ oz. for
Canada and Mexico will
be
.46
and
.40
respectively, while letters
weighing no more than 1
oz. for Canada and
Mexico will be .52 and
.46. All other countries
will cost .60 for letters
that weigh no more than
½ oz., and $1 for letters
that weight no more than
1
oz.
For
more
information, call your site
Mailing Services.
Talking about a sleep
disturbance side effect:
“the low-doze response”
In an article about petroleum toxicity:
“pope dope”
Column head in a table about the
competitor’s drug:
Patient
Expiration
Date
2
3
Basic Techniques:
Comparison Proofreading
 Direct word-by-word comparison of “dead” copy
(previous version) with “live” copy (new version)
 “Live” copy should reflect any changes made to
“dead” copy
 Ensure no new errors introduced
 Can be done solo or as a team
4
Comparison Proofreading: Solo
 Most common method
 Slowest
 Cheapest
 Best for short copy or special type
(eg, mathematical formulas)
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Comparison Proofreading: Team
 Fastest
 Most expensive
 Most accurate for tables, long lists of numbers,
dead copy that is hard to read
 Must read everything – words, punctuation, type
description (caps, underline, bold, etc), changes in
spacing, changes in indentation
 Clear enunciation, steady, near-monotone, softspoken to lower fatigue
 Can use tape to do yourself, but time disadvantage
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Basic Techniques:
Noncomparison Proofreading
 No “dead” copy
 Most commonly an electronic file
 “Dead” copy is available, but only
“live” copy is read word for word
Note: Proofing on screen vs on hard copy
affects both accuracy and speed!
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Noncomparison Proofreading
 Fast
 Cheap
 Editorial questions may be unanswered
 Is document complete?
 Are data accurate?
 Are proper names spelled correctly?
 Lower accuracy
 Easy to miss mistakes, eg, “not” guilty
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Noncomparison Proofreading
 For scientific, medical, or legal material, the
proofreader should be knowledgeable in the
subject matter; if he or she is not, the material
should also be reviewed by a subject matter
expert.
 Many journals leave final responsibility for
accurate live copy with author.
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Basic Techniques:
Proofreading versus Copyediting
 Proofreaders have a limited level
of authority.
 Usually, proofreaders are not
subject matter experts.
 Authors and editors retain the
authority to decide on changes.
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Basic Techniques:
Proofreading versus Copyediting
 Copyeditors
 Correct an author’s work
 Prepare document for next stage in publication
process
 Proofreaders
 Correct keyboard operator’s work
 Correct compositor’s work
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Obstacles to Good Proofreading
 Failure to differentiate from editing
 Electronic age, the Internet, e-mail
 Track Changes
 Time constraints, ie, the need for speed
 Distractions, eg, visual, sound, etc
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Complicating Factors

Length and technical level of document
 Tables
 Figures and legends

References
 Type size, font, and quality
 Electronically regenerated copy

New copy
 Rekeyed copy
 Deleting or adding copy (resulting in more
or less space)
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Characteristics of Good Proofreaders

Excellent memory and ability to concentrate

Familiar with relevant editorial style

Exercise good judgment whether to mark, query, or
ignore

Exercise good judgment and sensitivity as to different
stages of copy, deadlines, other requirements

A proofreader who is also the copyeditor should follow
these same guidelines (with greater level of authority).
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Characteristics of Good Proofreaders
 Excellent spelling ability
 Thorough understanding of grammar,
punctuation, and sentence structure
 Understanding of typographic detail;
technical knowledge about type, page
design, printing, etc
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Approaching a Proofreading Project
 Project deadline
 Level of authority assigned or expected
 Nature of the document
 Stage of the copy
 Previous reviews
 Others involved later in the process (eg,
who will respond to queries, produce
clean copy, proofread next version)
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Proofread for ─
 Deviations from dead copy (if comparison proofread)
 Inconsistent editorial style







punctuation
capitalization
Number style
abbreviations
units of measure.
use of italics, bold, etc
references
 Sequence errors (alphabetical and numerical)
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Proofread for ─
 Typos (omissions of letters, transpositions, etc)
 Missing or repeated words or lines
 Nonstandard grammar or poor exposition (eg,





incomplete sentences, obvious omissions or
discrepancies)
Incorrect math
Errors in equations and formulas, including symbols
Errors in headings, captions, etc
Errors in references (eg, callout does not correspond)
Errors in tables, graphs, charts (both text and graphics)
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Proofread for ─
 Type specifications/type style errors
 Formatting
 misalignment
 spacing errors (eg, line, word, or letter
spacing; note justification)
 line breaks, word division errors
 positioning faults (eg, uneven placement
of running heads, page numbers, etc)
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Proofread for ─
 Missing material (pages, tables,
illustrations, graphics)
 Blanks in text (where items are to be
inserted)
 Mechanical faults (smudges, uneven ink
color, registration, type quality, etc)
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Proofread a Second Time
 Don’t read for sense
 Try different methods and find a system
 “Read” backward
 Read lines from bottom of page up
 Read lines from middle to the end, and then
from the beginning to the middle
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Myiasis caused by larval stages of Cochliomyia hominivorax is one of the most
important ectoparasitic problems in the New World. It affects domestic and wild
animals, including people, in the tropical and subtropical areas of Latin America. It
is found from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Economic losses are difficult
to estimate, but different authors have given annual values varying from US $100 to
US $330 million (Baumhover, 1966, Horn, 1987). Female flies lay eggs on dry
areas around fresh wounds. The eggs hatch quickly and, under proper climatic
conditions, the parasite can complete its life cycle in about 21 days (FAO). If the
parasite population is high and preventive treatment is not undertaken, most of the
castrated, dehorned or newly born calves may suffer myiasis. Untreated, the
calves may die, or weight gain will be severely depressed. In late spring/summer,
flies can be so numerous that some common practices, such as castration and
dehorning, are delayed until colder temperatures reduce the fly population.
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Myiasis caused by larval stages of Cochliomyia hominivorax is one of the most
important ectoparasitic problems in the New World. It affects domestic and wild
animals, including people, in the tropical and subtropical areas of Latin America. It
is found from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Economic losses are difficult
to estimate, but different authors have given annual values varying from US $100 to
US $330 million (Baumhover, 1966, Horn, 1987). Female flies lay eggs on dry
areas around fresh wounds. The eggs hatch quickly and, under proper climatic
conditions, the parasite can complete its life cycle in about 21 days (FAO). If the
parasite population is high and preventive treatment is not undertaken, most of the
castrated, dehorned or newly born calves may suffer myiasis. Untreated, the
calves may die, or weight gain will be severely depressed. In late spring/summer,
flies can be so numerous that some common practices, such as castration and
dehorning, are delayed until colder temperatures reduce the fly population.
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
 Universally understood
 Used to mark errors in text and format, ie,
moving type and space
 Must be legible
 Use different color ink than text on page
 No pencil!
 No red ink!
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
 Mark errors twice
 in the text to indicate the location of
the correction
 in the margin to show the correction
itself
 If multiple errors, mark from left to right,
separating marks by slashes
 Use both margins
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
 Italics vs underline
 Circle all instructions and explanations
to indicate that the instruction is not to
be typeset
 Cross out with a single line so that the
deletion can be seen and read
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
He had cute appendicitis.
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
He had a cute appendicitis.
He hada cute appendicitis.
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
The epiploic foramen is a natural opening
bounded by the caudate lobe of the liver, the
portal vein, and the interior vena cava.
Linus Pauling lived to be 93 years odd.
Einstein’s principal of equivalence states that
it is impossible to distinguish between an
inertial force and a gravitational one.
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
Gingival growths are usually relatively insensitive
and have the density of connective fibrous tissue.
Its’ associated with diffuse inflammatory infiltrates
in the lungs and a pronounced peripheral
eosinophilia.
What is it? Its pulmonary infiltration with
eosinophilia (PIE syndrome.)
30
Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
Proteolytic enzymes from the stomach
and pancreas degrade protein into shortchain oligopeptides, dipeptides, and
proteins
amino acids.
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
Proteolytic enzymes from the stomach
and pancreas degrade protein into shortchain oligopeptides, dipeptides, and
proteins
stet
amino acids.
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Standard Proofreaders’ Marks
Proteolytic enzymes from the stomach
and pancreas degrade protein into shortchain oligopeptides, dipeptides, and
proteins
stet
amino acids.
33
Queries
 Misspellings (if unsure or cannot verify)
 Incorrect arithmetic (Note: If column of
numbers does not add up, must determine
which number[s] is incorrect.)
 Blatantly bad grammar – not style (only if it
would embarrass author or editor)
 Illogical statements (eg, 33-week vacation)
 Inconsistent editorial style, including
punctuation
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Queries
 Write in margin on live copy
 Post-it™ notes – can fall off, suggest
record page number on note
 Query list – ask author whether
acceptable; list should be typed
 Don’t edit or rewrite!
35
Queries
 Specify location of problem
 Indicate nature of problem
 If necessary, explain why it is a problem.
Example: “Compare to pg 7, line 17.
Different acronym used. Should it be the
same?”
 “Is this OK?” is not a good query.
 “?” is even worse.
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Proofreading Tables







Check everything checked in regular text
Try different methods and find a system
Proof column heads
Proof stub
Proof columns
Proof rows
Spacing and alignment
 align columns according to content
 left, center, decimal points, en-dashes
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Proofreading Tables
 Use of rules and straddle rules
 Arithmetic
 verify calculations
 transposition
 slide errors, ie, numerals mistakenly
added or omitted
 Consistency in editorial style
 Footnotes – callouts in tables go left to
right and top to bottom
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Frequent Errors
 Omissions and repetitions, esp at beginning and end of
of lines
 Headlines, titles, headings, etc
 Not using a spell checker
 Depending on a spell checker
 errors that spell other words (eg, food/foot, its/it’s)
 words that sound alike, but are spelled differently and have a
different meaning (eg, there, their)
 two-letter words (eg, in, it, if, is)
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Proofreading Method
Proof separate items separately and use a checklist!
 Much easier and much faster to proof for a specific item on
all pages than it is to proof for all items on each page.
 Combining tasks leads to errors.
 Make a list of each item and check off as you complete.
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Proofreading Method





Headings and subheadings
Running heads
Table of contents – sequence, accurate page numbers
Text
Tables, figures, references – sequence and format
consistency
 Graphic elements
 Page numbers (folios) – sequence, accuracy in
references
 Consistency of styles (specification [spec] sheet)
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Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
 Line breaks: hyphenation
 Page breaks: watch for subheads at bottom
of page
 Orphans: single word on a new line
 Widows: single line on a new page (or
column)
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Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
Long ladders (stacks of line-end hyphens) and knotholes (identical characters stacked up on consecutive lines) are never desirable. How many stacked hyphens are acceptable varies among publishers and type shops and depends on the width of the line measure.
Standards for blocks vary with the number of characters and lines
involved. They also vary with the typographic factors such as line width
and line spacing and are often a matter of judgment rather than of rule.
43
Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
 Rivers: vertical white spaces that meander
vertically down the page
 Lakes: “pools” of white space interspersed
throughout text
44
Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
The Crime Crime Control Act of 1973
(Public Law 93-83). This Act further
refined
L.F.A.A.’s
administrative
structure, revised block and discretionary
funding require-ments, expanded the role
of the National Institute of Law
Enforcement and Criminal Justice, and
added security and privacy guidelines to
safeguard criminal history information.
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Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
The commission, an independent agency of
12 members of Congress and 3 executive
branch officials who evaluate and
encourage compliance
with the 1975
agreement signed by 35 nations, held
hearings Wednesday and yesterday on the
human rights guarantees of individual
“freedom
to practice and profess…
religion
or
belief” and “of equality
before the law” for minorities.
46
Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
Letterspacing
 letters within words generally separated from
each other by the same amount of space
 watch especially for large display type in all
caps (headlines, titles, etc)
 certain combinations of letters need kerning
(eg, AV)
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Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
Letterspacing
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Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
Letterspacing
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Proofreading Other Typeset Elements
Tracking: space between words
 normal word spacing is about one-third of an em
 all word spacing in a single line should be the same
 watch especially when text is justified
Leading: space between lines of type
 measured in points
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Specific Proofreading Tips
 Read aloud (or whisper) to yourself. Improves accuracy
because it forces you to look at every word.
 Place your finger on each word to slow yourself down.
 Concentrate on one line at a time (use a ruler or index
card).
 Put it away, and try again later.
 Adjust the effort to the job (coffee-machine memo vs
annual report).
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More Tips for the Serious Proofreader
 Ensure you have adequate room (enough for four
stacks of paper) and good lighting.
 Eliminate distractions (eg, people traffic, talking, radio,
TV, children, spouses…).
 Proof on an inclined surface – much less fatiguing.
 Invest in a good sleep pillow.
 Break every hour and look into the distance; take a
walk.
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More Tips for the Serious Proofreader
An Exercise to Reduce Eyestrain – “The Distant Night Exercise”



Cup your hands and place your palms over your eyes.
Position your hands so that no light is coming through.
Your palm can touch your eyelashes, but do not put
pressure on your eyes.
As long there is no light coming in, you can keep your eyes
open or closed. Now, relax and imagine that you're looking
into the distant night sky.
After 30-60 sec, the eyestrain should be less.
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More Tips for the Serious Proofreader
 Keep words and lines aligned – move the paper as
needed to accommodate.
 Tack copy on wall and stand back to look at
headlines, titles, spacing, etc.
 Look at copy upside down and sideways to find
spacing errors and misalignments.
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More Tips for the Serious Proofreader
 If possible, ask someone else to proof also,
especially if it’s your own copy. With our own
copy, we tend to see what we “know” is there,
rather than what really is there.
 Print copy in a different font, a different line length,
or on a different color paper (good for text only, not
page layout or spacing).
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Proofreading
Producing quality documents/publications takes
a lot of time, effort, and expense.
 Key step in review process
 Proofreader may be last person to see
document before publication
 Quality and credibility
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