Proofreading

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What is proofreading?

Traditionally, the process for publishing (for example) a book, is:

1. The author writes the text (manuscript);
2. The manuscript is copy-edited by a copy-editor;
3. The copy-edited text (and any accompanying illustrations) is typeset by a typesetter;
4. The book is printed.

In this scenario, 'proofreading' is checking the proof produced by the typesetter (see Step 3) against the edited manuscript (see Step 2), and is typically performed as a line-by-line comparison of two hardcopy documents. Proofreading here is a check that (1) the copy-editor didn’t miss anything, and (2) the corrections identified by the editor have been made correctly by the typesetter. Nowadays, it is more common for proofreading to be done against the proof, without access to the copy-editor’s copy (or the original manuscript). Additionally, the proof may be an electronic document (especially for on-line communications, PDFs, or Web pages) and the proofread is performed on-screen. Increasingly (and especially for in-house technical publications), there is no separate copy-editing step, and the proofreader is providing the only review of the document. In either case, the proofreader is checking for:

• Consistency in usage and layout;
• Accuracy in the text and references;
• Typesetting errors.

Page proofs (or draft web pages or, increasingly, PDFs) represent the first, and often the only, chance for authors and others involved in the work to see the words integrated with the other elements – e.g. design, illustrations, graphs – to become a coherent whole before publication (or before 'going live'). From the relatively 'fluid' state of raw copy, where changes can be made easily by the copy-editor, the work is now relatively 'fixed' and production is well-advanced. Any required changes should be noted (typically, on a hardcopy, and using standard proofreading marks) and communicated to the original author for changing. For on-line documents, the proofreader may make the changes themselves, directly into the document. This is typically done in the interests of efficiency, for changes where it would take longer to recycle the document to the author than it would take to just make the changes directly, there and then. Therefore, changes by the copy-editor should be limited to corrections to typographical errors and misspellings, minor adjustments to grammar, and resolving inconsistencies. Any need for restructuring or rewriting should be passed to the author.

What does a proofreader do?

The proofreader should perform the following tasks:

• Check that navigational elements such as page numbers and headings are correct;
• Ensure adherence to the style guide;
• Check for typographical and design inconsistencies;
• Check chapter titles against the table of contents (not normally necessary where the table of contents is generated by the application in which the document is written);
• Check that the index is correct (again, may not be necessary);
• Check for 'widows' and 'orphans' (inelegant or confusing word, column and page breaks);
• Ensure that illustrations and their captions and labels correspond with each other and with the text;
• Check that each page is aesthetically pleasing and logically arranged.

See also

• For additional information, refer to The Society for Editors and Proofreaders.
• A guide to proofreading symbols can be found on Merriam-Webster's website [1], although the definitive reference is BS 5261 Proofreading Symbols. A useful quick reference, showing examples of the use of many of these symbols can be found at www.journalismcareers.com/articles/downloads/proofreadingsymbols.pdf.