How to Proofread Part 1 of 2 http://plan.lib.fl.us How to Proofread Part 1 of 2 Mic Users: You can mute your mic at anytime by pressing the mic icon on the attendees list in the control panel. Most of the time, your mic will be muted once the webinar starts. Questions: If at anytime you have a question, please type your question in the text chat box on the lower portion of your control panel. Audio: If you are having trouble with the audio portion, please exit and log in again. If you need to call in, dial +1 (571) 317-3122, access code: 943-007-325. Good morning! Welcome to the presentation of the PLAN Quick Class How to Proofread, Part 1 of 2. I am Regina Burgess, the Manager of Continuing Education Services for the Panhandle Library Access Network, and I will be presenting the webinar today. If at any time you have a question, please type your question in the text chat box on the lower right portion of your control panel. If you want to ask a question verbally, let me know by typing that into the chat box, and I will unmute your mic. So that I can have an accurate headcount, if you are viewing this webinar with someone else, please let me know by emailing me the names of the people who are viewing with you. After the webinar, I will post the recording of the webinar along with this slide presentation and my notes on the website. I’ll email you the link as well.

http://plan.lib.fl.us Now let’s get started! This Quick Class is meant to provide basic information on how to proofread. It is not a webinar on how to edit; editing refers more to content and language, while proofreading deals with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I recommend that you edit for content before you begin proofreading.

Things You Might Proofread http://plan.lib.fl.us Things You Might Proofread Depending on your responsibilities at your organization, you might proofread emails, flyers, newsletters, slide presentations, reports, and more. If you teach a course at a college or university, you might proofread your syllabus, tests, and handouts. And while I don’t want to make any document feel “less than,” some documents are more important than others, so a brief email to a co-worker does not need the same time commitment to proofreading as a report that is going out to your stakeholders.

Good Grasp of Grammar http://plan.lib.fl.us One of the most important things you can do to be a better proofreader is to have a good grasp of grammar. And a red pen.

PLAN Quick Class: Grammar Tips http://plan.lib.fl.us If you haven’t already, check out the previous Quick Class webinars on Grammar Tips. You can find the webinar recordings on our website under the training tab. PLAN Quick Class: Grammar Tips www.plan.lib.fl.us

Grammar Girl http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl http://plan.lib.fl.us Grammar Girl http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl Another thing you might want to do is to follow the Grammar Girl on Facebook or another social media platform, or add her to your blog feed. She’ll help remind you of some common grammatical errors.

Nobody’s Perfect http://plan.lib.fl.us A very important thing to remember is that nobody is perfect! Even professionals make errors, and while it can be embarrassing, it happens. So relax! But there are some things we can do to minimize errors.

It is difficult to proof your own writing. http://plan.lib.fl.us It is difficult to proof your own writing. The bad new is that it is difficult to proof your own writing. You will, for the most part, see only what you expect to see. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to have someone else proof your writing.

It is not impossible to proof your own writing. http://plan.lib.fl.us It is not impossible to proof your own writing. However, the good news is that, while it is difficult, it is not impossible to proof your own writing.

http://plan.lib.fl.us The main tip to remember when proofreading your own work is to let it sit awhile before you proofread it. The longer you wait to re-read your copy, the greater your chance for a fresh, disinterested approach. Now if you are just sending a quick email, you don’t need to let it sit. But that important proposal for the new makerspace lab you’re requesting a grant for? It needs to sit awhile, so be sure to give yourself time before the proposal is due to proofread well.

http://plan.lib.fl.us The rest of the proofreading tips I discuss are appropriate whether you are proofreading your own work or someone else’s.

Print It Out http://plan.lib.fl.us Onscreen proofreading can be more difficult than proofreading from a printout. You can easily lose your place, and lengthy onscreen reading can also be tiring. Some people recommend that you change the font before you print it, and some others go a step further and enlarge the font as well. You might also consider changing your document spacing to double-space. Do not think that printing out documents to proof them is a waste of paper or toner. Producing error-free documents is important to you and to your organization’s image.

The More the Merrier http://plan.lib.fl.us The more people who proof the copy, the more errors will be caught. This is not feasible for most day-to-day communications, but documents such as annual reports, strategic plans, grant proposals, etc., should be read by as many people as possible. If you can, identify some of your co-workers who are exceptionally good at proofreading. At my previous job, I found a great proofreader, and all she asked in return was my undying thanks. And a red pen.

Concentrate http://plan.lib.fl.us As far as possible, get rid of any distractions or interruptions. Close your email, turn off your cell phone, and ask your co-workers for some peace. You cannot be sociable and proofread at the same time. A quiet place to work is essential to good proofreading. No quiet place in the library? Maybe you can go sit in your car. Another issue related to concentration is fatigue. Fatigue or boredom creates distractions. And, let’s face it, some of the documents we have to read are not very exciting. If you find your attention drifting, take a break. Dividing your work into segments is a much more productive approach. If possible, read something else between the segments. This will help clear your head of what you expect to read and allows you to read what is really on the page.

Read It Out Loud http://plan.lib.fl.us By reading aloud, you will often hear mistakes that you might miss during a silent reading. Hearing the words produces a sharper mental image of them and how they are used. If you have an extra person, you might ask them to read to you, while you follow along on the document. Some people also recommend using the text-to-speech function of your word processor. To learn how to enable this feature in Word, click on the help question mark in Word, and search for “text to speech.” [Demonstrate] Another tip some people recommend is to record yourself reading your document, and then listening to it afterward. I would only recommend this for an extremely important document; recording it and then listening to it again is time-consuming.

Read Slowly and Methodically http://plan.lib.fl.us Read Slowly and Methodically Proofreading is not the time to demonstrate your speed-reading skills. Read at a comfortable, deliberate pace. Don’t allow a tight schedule or impatient coworker to rush you. Some people use a blank piece of paper as a screen to cover material not yet proofed. This will force your eyes to focus on one line at a time and will increase your chances of finding errors. Other people read backwards, one sentence at a time.

Common Errors Incorrectedly spelled names Transposed numbers http://plan.lib.fl.us Common Errors Incorrectedly spelled names Transposed numbers Incorrect dates Incorrect capitalization Duplicate words or phrases Omissions of words Incorrect or missing punctuation Subject and verb disagreement Misspelled words Here are some common errors. Watching for incorrect dates is especially important at this time of year because we sometimes like to write “2016” instead of “2017.” Also, when we re-use reports or other documents from the previous year, we sometimes forget to change the date.

Watch Out! Page numbers Footer/header material consistency http://plan.lib.fl.us Watch Out! Page numbers Footer/header material consistency Proofread headings Double-check boiler-plate text Check for extra spaces Check for fonts and font sizes Do the math and then do it again Check figure numbers Don’t just proofread for spelling and grammatical errors. Go back and double-check your page numbers. Make sure your footers and headers are consistent. Numbers are easy to enter incorrectly, so check them again. When I’m proofreading for someone else, I like to ask them to provide the source for their numbers so that I can check them thoroughly.

http://plan.lib.fl.us This is a recent blog post from the “Annoyed Librarian” (Library Journal, dated January 16, 2017). I must say that I usually find at least one error in each blog post. Which, of course, I find annoying.

http://plan.lib.fl.us Even CNN.com is not immune to typos. In this article (“Saudi Women Afraid to Go Home,” by Donie O’Sullivan, published online January 17, 2017), the claim is that between 2011 and 2005, more than 250,000 asylum applications were made to the US. It should have stated “between 2011 and 2015.” When you see an error such as this, does it make you question the other facts and figures detailed in the article? I find that I begin to question everything in the article.

How to Proofread Part 2 of 2 http://plan.lib.fl.us How to Proofread Part 2 of 2 February 13, 2017 10 a.m. CST (11 a.m. EST) Does anyone have any questions? I will send everyone a link to the recording of this webinar as well as a link to a survey so you can provide feedback. Our next Quick Class is scheduled for February 13, 2017 at 10 a.m. CST. The webinar is completely booked, but you can register to receive a link to the recording afterwards. Next time I’ll discuss more tips and tricks, including some tools available in common software programs that might help you make fewer errors. Thank you for attending! rburgess@plan.lib.fl.us