Proofreading should be a step that you are aware of throughout the entire writing process. Sometimes, however, you get so caught up in the information you are trying to capture that details like spelling, punctuation and grammar are forgotten. The truth is that proofreading can be done continuously, or it can be left as the last step. Either way will produce a quality document.

Just make sure that you do proofread the paper before submission.

Here are some guidelines that will prove useful to most writers. These will help you polish your work and will help improve your skills for the next project. Keep in mind that everyone goes about this essential task in different ways. It doesn’t really matter what order you complete them.

General Approach

• Take a break! Allow yourself some time between writing and proofing. Even a five-minute break is productive. The goal is to return with a fresh eye and mind.
• Leave yourself enough time. Since many errors are made and overlooked by speeding through writing and proofreading, taking the time to carefully look over the writing will help to catch errors you might otherwise miss.
• Always read through your writing slowly. If you read at a normal speed, you won’t give your eyes sufficient time to spot errors.
• Read aloud. Reading a paper aloud encourages you to read every little word.
• Role-play. While reading, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Playing the role of the reader encourages you to see the paper as your audience might.
• Get others involved. Asking a friend to read your paper will let you get another perspective on your writing and a fresh reader will be able to help you catch mistakes that you might have overlooked.

Personalizing Proofreading

In addition to following the general guidelines above, individualizing the process to your needs will help you proofread more efficiently and effectively. You won’t be able to check for everything (and you don’t have to), so you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually. Here’s how:

• Find out what errors you typically make. Review any previous comments about your writing.
• Learn how to fix those errors. Talk with someone who can help you understand why you make the errors you do so that you can learn to avoid them.
• Use specific strategies. Use the strategies detailed above to find and correct your particular errors in usage, sentence structure, and spelling and punctuation.