A List Of Proofreading Techniques You May Use To Make A Perfect Research Paper

You have just reached the end of your research paper and feel absolutely exhausted. Anything you read right now just makes no sense whatsoever. But you really need the energy and motivation to do some proofreading and editing.

You may choose to get someone else to read your paper and make some constructive criticism or you can hire the help of a professional proof-reader or you can learn a few techniques to do the job yourself.

When you start your research paper make sure that you schedule enough time at the end to devote to proofreading as this can make or break your score. If possible before you begin work on your paper try these techniques out on something you have already written.

1. Don't start proofreading the very second that you have finished your paper. Ideally give yourself a day or two away from your paper. The reasoning behind this is that you have become so used to any of the errors that you may have made that you actually will not be able to spot them. If a day or two is not possible then it has to be a few hours, but do go and read something else or go for a walk or watch TV for a time, just get away.
2. Start off with running the document through the spell checker again. Remember that the spell checker will not pick up everything. It may not pick up typos such as 'fro' instead of 'for'. Check that you have not repeated words.
3. Now read through your document as a proof-reader. Preferably print out your document, but if that does not work for you, highlight any glaring mistakes. Note also any words that are only 'almost right' as you may need to consider a more appropriate word. Remember that you will not get all the errors in one reading. A spell checker will only check your spelling not your application of a word.
4. Read your text aloud, or even better get a friend or colleague to read it to you. You may find that in your initial reading you have missed out a word or used a verb incorrectly.
5. Read your paper backwards and from right to left. It’s another way of finding spelling errors.
6. Make a checklist - by devising your own checklist you can pick out your most common errors and use that list when you proofread your next paper. Be aware of errors that may occur in subject-verb agreement; verb tense and commonly confused words.