Latest revision as of 09:00, 3 May 2013

This chart offers an example of how to proofread your documents.

Proofreading is essential for all writing. Proofreading involves reviewing and rereading a document to look for errors and aids a college blogger in creating a more seamless document. When proofreading, look for typos, misspelled words, punctuation and grammar mistakes, and any other problems within the document. Having a flawless, error free document gives a blog credibility and is easier for the audience to read and understand.

Why Proofreading is Important

While content is important, readers base their judgment on the document's appearance. Careless errors are distracting. It is important to pay attention to details because it helps make a good overall impression. It is better to work with a definite plan that helps search for specific kinds of errors rather than quickly glancing over the document. When quickly glancing over a document, it is easy to overlook many errors.

Checklist

When proofreading, first put the document aside for a few hours, days, or weeks. This allows for a fresh look at the document to see what is really on the page. Find a quite place to work. Read slow, and read every word. Read aloud. By following a proofreading checklist, it is easier to find common errors. Proofread for only one kind of error at a time.

Spelling

Look for misspelled words. Using a spell checker will find most errors and typos, but not all. It is important to review and reread your document instead of solely relying on a spell checker. Spell checkers do not always correct homophones (i.e. their, they're, there), words used incorrectly, or contractions (i.e. don't, won't, can't).

Punctuation

Punctuation is not always checked with the spell checker. When rereading your document, look for punctuation errors. This includes periods, commas, colons, semicolons, quotations, and the correct punctuation when citing sources^[1].

Content

When proofreading, be sure to also pay attention to the content. Check for clarity, organization, variation of sentence structure, and word choice. Also, check for correct grammar. Check your document to make sure your tenses [1] are consistent (past, first-person, present). Be sure to stay within the same format throughout (MLA, APA, etc.). Also, pay close attention to the way the document is laid out (margins and fonts).

Proofread Again

It does not hurt to reread your document many times looking for errors and for ways to improve it. It is easy to overlook an error or mistake. However, close reexamination ensures that fewer errors will make it to the final text, lending more credibility to the author. Consider having a peer or professor look over the document, as well.

Notes

↑ Olson, Gary

References

Carrol, Brian. (2010).Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
Lucas, Gerald. (1997)."Editor's Checklist". http://litmuse.net/resources/writing/editors-checklist. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
"Macon State College Library's Guide to Citing Sources" Retrieved 28 March 2013.
Olson, Gary. (1999)."Punctuation Made Simple". http://lilt.ilstu.edu/golson/punctuation/. College of the Arts and Sciences at Illinois State University. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2013)."The Purdue Online Writing Lab".http://owl.english.purdue.edu/. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
"Proofreaders' Marks". (2013). Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online.http://www.merriam-webster.com/mw/table/proofrea.htm. Retrieved 28 March 2013.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Proofreading''' is essential for all writing. It creates a seamless document by correcting all errors. Proofreading is reviewing and rereading a document for errors. When proofreading look for typos, misspelled words, punctuation or grammar mistakes, and any other problems with the document. Having a flawless, error free, document gives creditably and is easier for the audience to read and understand.
+[[Blog_Writing_for_College_Students|Home]]
+[[File:clip_image002_001.jpg|thumb|upright=2| This chart offers an example of how to proofread your documents.]]
+Proofreading is essential for all writing. Proofreading involves reviewing and rereading a document to look for errors and aids a college blogger in creating a more seamless document. When proofreading, look for typos, misspelled words, punctuation and grammar mistakes, and any other problems within the document. Having a flawless, error free document gives a blog credibility and is easier for the audience to read and understand.
+= Why Proofreading is Important =
-== Why Proofreading is Important ==
+While content is important, readers base their judgment on the document's appearance. Careless errors are distracting. It is important to pay attention to details because it helps make a good overall impression. It is better to work with a definite plan that helps search for specific kinds of errors rather than quickly glancing over the document. When quickly glancing over a document, it is easy to overlook many errors.
-Content is important but the way a document looks affects the way others judge it. Careless errors are distracting to your reader. It is  important to pay attention to details because that help make a good impression overall. It is better to work with a definite plan that helps search for specific kinds of errors than quickly glancing over the document.
+= Checklist =
+When proofreading, first put the document aside for a few hours, days, or weeks. This allows for a fresh look at the document to see what is really on the page. Find a quite place to work. Read slow, and read every word. Read aloud. By following a [http://litmuse.net/resources/writing/editors-checklist proofreading checklist], it is easier to find  [http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/02/ common errors]. Proofread for only one kind of error at a time.
+==Spelling==
+Look for misspelled words. Using a spell checker will find most errors and typos, but not all. It is important to review and reread your document instead of solely relying on a spell checker. Spell checkers do not always correct homophones (i.e. their, they're, there), words used incorrectly, or contractions (i.e. don't, won't, can't).
-== Checklist ==
+==Punctuation==
-'''Spelling:'''
+Punctuation is not always checked with the spell checker. When rereading your document, look for punctuation errors. This includes periods, commas, colons, semicolons, quotations, and the correct punctuation when citing sources<ref>Olson, Gary</ref>.
-Look for misspelled words. Using the spell checker will find most errors and typos, but not all. It is important not to only rely on spell checker but to also review and reread your document. Spell checkers almost always do not correct homophones(there, their, they're), words used incorrectly, and contractions(don't, won't, can't).
-'''Punctuation:'''
+==Content==
-Punctuation is not checked with the spell checker. When rereading your document look for punctuation errors. This includes periods, commas, colons, semicolons, quotations, and the correct punctuation with citing sources.
+When proofreading, be sure to also pay attention to the content. Check for clarity, organization, variation of sentence structure, and word choice. Also, check for correct grammar. Check your document to make sure your tenses [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenses] are consistent (past, first-person, present). Be sure to stay within the same format throughout (MLA, APA, etc.). Also, pay close attention to the way the document is laid out (margins and fonts).
-'''Content'''
+=Proofread Again=
-When proofreading be sure to also pay attention to the content. Check for clarity, organization, variation of sentence structure and word choice. Check that your document to make sure your tense stays the same throughout (past, first-person, present). Also pay close attention to the way the document looks (margins and fonts).
+It does not hurt to reread your document many times looking for errors and for ways to improve it. It is easy to overlook an error or mistake. However, close reexamination ensures that fewer errors will make it to the final text, lending more credibility to the author. Consider having a peer or professor look over the document, as well.
-'''Proofread Again'''
+= Notes =
-It does not hurt to reread your document many times looking for errors and ways to improve it. It is easy to look over an error or mistake but the more close a document has been proofread there will be less or no problems. Also, consider having a peer or professor look over the document as well.
+<references/>
+= References =
+#Carrol, Brian. (2010).[http://bookmoving.com/book/writing-digital-media_3430.html ''Writing for Digital Media'']. New York: Routledge. Retrieved  28 March 2013.
+#Lucas, Gerald. (1997).[http://litmuse.net/resources/writing/editors-checklist  "Editor's Checklist"]. http://litmuse.net/resources/writing/editors-checklist. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
+#[http://www.maconstate.edu/library/citing.aspx "Macon State College Library's Guide to Citing Sources"] Retrieved 28 March 2013.
+#Olson, Gary. (1999).[http://lilt.ilstu.edu/golson/punctuation/  "Punctuation Made Simple"]. http://lilt.ilstu.edu/golson/punctuation/. College of the Arts and Sciences at Illinois State University. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
+#Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2013).[http://owl.english.purdue.edu/  "The Purdue Online Writing Lab"].http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.  Retrieved 28 March 2013.
+#[http://www.merriam-webster.com/mw/table/proofrea.htm "Proofreaders' Marks"]. (2013). Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online.http://www.merriam-webster.com/mw/table/proofrea.htm. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
+==See Also==
+*[[Foundational Writing Skills|Foundational Writing Skills]]
+*[[Scan-ability|Scan-ability]]
+*[[Brevity|Brevity]]
+*[[Inverted Pyramid|Inverted Pyramid]]
-== External Links ==
+[[Category:New Media]]
-[[The Purdue Online Writing Lab]] [http://owl.english.purdue.edu/]
-[[Webster's Proofreader's Marks]] [http://www.merriam-webster.com/mw/table/proofrea.htm]
-[[Punctuation Made Simple]] [http://lilt.ilstu.edu/golson/punctuation/]
-[[Macon State College Library's Guide to Citing Sources]] [http://www.maconstate.edu/library/citing.aspx]