Proofreading is the final check before a document is sent for printing, and after a copy-edit has taken place and amendments made.
For PhD theses, or dissertations, proofreading only is done (no editing) and university guidelines are strictly adhered to. Having your thesis or dissertation proofread can make a big difference.
When proofreading your document some of the things I will do are:
- Identify spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.
- Check for consistency in spelling and hyphenation, using a style guide if one is supplied.
- Read for clarity and sense and check for inconsistencies in the text.
- Look for inconsistencies in the use of fonts, headings, paragraphs and layout.
- Check and correct uneven spacing.
- Check cross-references, and check chapter headings with the table of contents.
- Check references in the text against footnotes, endnotes, etc.
- Make sure that illustrations or tables and their captions match with each other and the text.
- Mark any queries I cannot resolve for further consultation.
Never take your eye off the ball!
WiSH Editing and Proofreading 