How easy it is to do one’s own proof reading? It is easy to revise but surely the final checks to do independently aren’t easy. Proofreading is not one of the easiest things to do. A lot of writers do end up giving them a benefit of doubt and check what they think they must have written rather than what they actually have. The main trick to effective proofreading is to attempt to check the text in a way it appears unfamiliar and strange. So much so that for that while you believe as if someone else has written it.
Here are some of the tricks that may help:
Take a break before you begin: Give yourself a break before you start proof reading. Stay away from the work at least for a week. That helps to bring in some distance between your work and you, helps you to look back at it with an objective eye and find out mistakes that you may overlook otherwise.
Work on a Hard Copy: More often than not, a printout gives a better view than a soft copy. At times changing the mode in which you look at the text helps to give it a new dimension. Try to even change the font style and size. It may sound like a bizarre thought to you, but text with a new look gets a new feel.
Read out loud: sometimes syntax errors or misspelled words or grammatical miss outs get left over. Reading it aloud helps to identify these and also the punctuations, you might not focus at otherwise.
Make another person read it: It is a good idea to make another person read it, it is simpler to apply this trick for a co-authored paper
Make use of a scale/ruler: a reading rick we practiced as children is more effective than anything else. The ruler does the indirect imposition to go line by line rather than allowing you to skip lines
Specifically focus on the punctuations: While reading the text, circle on the punctuations, the full stops and the commas. Rechecking the circles helps to be sure about their placing.
Above all, let’s not forget to stay away from the usual pitfall of rushing with things. It is imperative and necessary to find out the time to proofread your paper before submitting. Proof reading does matter as it helps to not create a slack impression about your work.