How to Become an academic proofreader

As an academic proofreader, you are expected to read someone else’s work. If you feel it needs some massive overhaul, you must dive in and correct the noted issues in the document. Typically papers meant for educational use go through several editing stages, including academic proofreading. 

The first level of editing would be a copy edit. Copy editors will edit the raw copy and work closely with the writer asking questions and negotiating changes. They will primarily look at the overall content paying attention to structure and ensuring that visual devices such as graphs and charts are appropriate.

Suppose the document has been produced for publishing in a reputable journal or academic website with a clear format and solid verbal identity. In that case, the copy editors will also check the contents on formatting and word choice depending on the precise journal or academic entity. Therefore, it would be best to be clear on a particular entity’s required formats and direction.

How to become an academic proofreader and catch more errors

The secret to doing more excellent proofreading is to be methodical to treat proofreading as a process. Some proofreading strategies may sound like they will slow you down, but they will save you time and embarrassment in the long term. Some of the strategies you can use to maximize your chances of success as an academic proofreader include:

Understand that slow is the secret to fast

If you work in a busy, fast-paced environment, it can be tempting to believe there must be some hack for proofreading quickly. When it comes to proofreading, there are no shortcuts. The secret to efficient proofreading is to take your time and be methodical. If you rush your proofreading, it will be a false economy because you will miss errors. If you must proofread a document once, make that one read really count. 

Take Regular Breaks

Proofreading requires concentration and can be very fatiguing for the eyes, which can cause you to miss errors. So, take regular breaks if you are proofreading a long academic document. 

Get a second (or third) pair of eyes on the document.

The brain’s tendency to read what it thinks is one reason to get a second, third, or fourth pair of eyes on any document, especially if it is something you have written yourself. You may only catch some things if the paper originated with you. Professional proofreaders are probably going to miss ten percent of typos. So, if it is an academic document, bring that final percentage down by getting more eyes on the thing. 

Change your environment 

Switching up your environment can help you focus on catching errors. Proofreading well takes huge amounts of concentration. So go somewhere quiet where you can proofread uninterrupted. A calm environment is essential when reading your or someone else’s work.

Read aloud

One good reason to find a quiet spot is to be able to read the document aloud. Reading work aloud is an effective way of catching errors because it helps you spot when a sentence is not quite right. It also interrupts the brain’s tendency to skip over words and miss mistakes by reading what it thinks is there rather than what is there.