Nine Strategies for Successful Proofreading

Give yourself enough time.
Always try to set your paper aside for a while before you begin proofreading. Allowing some time to elapse after you finish writing will help you take a fresh view of the paper as you proofread.

Print a hard copy of your paper for proofreading.
It is easier to identify errors on a printed page than on a computer screen.

Don't rely only on spell-check and grammar-check programs.
Spell-check and grammar-check programs like those included with Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect can help you eliminate certain errors, but computer programs can't help with every problem. You should definitely run spell-checks and grammar-checks, but always double-check the paper yourself, or ask a friend or Writing Center tutor for help.

Know your error patterns.
Most writers make one or two particular mistakes on a regular basis; these common mistakes are called an "error pattern." To identify your error patterns, check papers that your professors have returned to you to see if there is a common error that you usually make. You can also work with a Writing Center tutor to identify error patterns in your writing.

Proofread for one type of error at a time.
It is easy to get distracted while proofreading. To minimize the distraction, read through your paper for each error pattern separately. For instance, if you commonly struggle with comma splices and tense shifts, you should read through your paper once to find and fix any comma splices and once to find and fix any tense shifts.

Check all proper names and special terminology.
Proper names and relevant terminology are too important to risk misspelling, and spell-checkers usually cannot recognize correct and incorrect spellings.

Try some helpful proofreading techniques.
To help you focus on each line of your paper individually, so that you will be more likely to notice mistakes, you can use a ruler to move slowly from line to line. You could also try reading your paper backwards one line at a time. Both of these techniques force you to focus on each individual line rather than the overall argument and organization of the paper. Another good suggestion is to read your paper aloud; it may sound silly, but you will be able to catch many mistakes that you might otherwise overlook.

Ask a friend to take a look at your paper.
Ask a friend whom you trust to read your paper and give you feedback. You and your can friend read the paper independently and then compare notes. Or, you can read your paper aloud and correct mistakes as you go, while your friend notes the corrections on another copy.

Work with a Writing Center tutor.
Writing Center tutors can't fix your paper for you, but they can help you practice these techniques.