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Minimize Distractions
Minimize distractions and interruptions. It's easy to
lose your place and skip over text when you're
interrupted or distracted. Turn off your phone. Close
email. Shut yourself in a quiet room.
Avoid Being the Sole
Proofreader
Don't be the sole proofreader of your own writing.
you're too close to it; you can't see mistakes others
see.
Concentrate on the Subject
Matter and Flow
Force yourself to slow down and concentrate. Focus on
each word and character -- letters, punctuation, special
characters, spaces - not on meaning. If you think about
meaning, you'll see what you expect to see, especially
in your own writing. Break large slabs of copy into
small bits to avoid slipping into automatic reading
mode.
Several Passes
Don't try to find every mistake in one pass. Read
through the material several times, looking for
different problems each time, such as:
- Typos and misspellings
- Easily confused words (e.g., to for too and your
for you're
- Ambiguity
- Inconsistencies
- Formatting problems
- Factual errors
- Missing words
Different Platforms
Proofread online on different platforms and in
different browsers. Check the text on a Mac and PC, in
Internet Explorer and Netscape. If your audience
comprises a substantial percentage of AOL users (more
than five percent), check the text in AOL, too. Do this
even if you have a QA (quality assurance) department. QA
doesn't always catch problems in the text.
Print Pages
Print out the pages for one final read-through.
Proofreading on screen and proofreading on paper
complement each other well. It's easier to catch some
errors on paper and others on screen.
Read Backwards
Read backwards. Reading backwards can help you focus
on the words and not get distracted by meaning. But
don't depend on it too much; it doesn't expose things
like incorrect homonyms and confusing word order.
All Caps
Proof any text in all caps separately and more
painstakingly. Typos and misspellings are much more
difficult to see in all caps.
Table of Contents
If There's an outline or table of contents, check it
separately. Otherwise you'll get caught up in the text
and miss errors.
Prominent Text
Proof the most prominent text separately. Ironically,
the most prominent text is often the most easily
overlooked.
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