Exercise

Editing/Proof-ReadingChecklist

For effective proof-reading, make sure you've ticked off all the boxes in the following checklist.

Content - what the document says

Is the essay title appropriate for the topic and content?
Is all material included accurate, relevant, and up-to-date?
Have you used technical terminology correctly?
Have you given sufficient definition, clarification, illustration, or examples of complex concepts?
Is your argument logically sound and supported by evidence?
Have you appropriately acknowledged your sources?
Have you omitted everything that is irrelevant?

Structure - how the content is organised

Does every paragraph have clear topic and wrap sentences?
Are the main points easily identifiable to the reader?
Are paragraphs adequately developed to support main points?
Are there too many ideas in any paragraph?
Is there a new paragraph every time there is a shift in topic?
Are there adequate transition markers between paragraphs?
Does the introduction adequately prepare the reader for the middle paragraphs?
Does the conclusion draw together the main points?

Style - how the content is expressed

Can each sentence be understood on the first reading?
Are any sentences too long, complex, or awkwardly constructed?
Is your writing clear and concise?
Have you varied sentence length to add interest to your writing?
Have you used language appropriately and unambiguously?

Hint: poor style often shows up when you read your work out loud.

Mechanics - writing conventions

Is your grammar correct? Check that:

sentence subject and verb agree,
pronouns and antecedent nouns agree,
there are no ambiguous pronouns,
you have used parallel construction correctly,
there are no misrelated modifiers,
prepositions and articles are correct,
verb tenses are correct and consistent.

Is your punctuation correct? Check that:

commas serve correct structural function,
there are no comma 'splices' or run-on sentences,
commas are correctly used with 'which' and 'who',
apostrophes are used to indicate possession, not plurals,
colons (:) and semi-colons (;) are correctly used,
quotation marks (') or (") are used consistently.

Is spelling correct?
Is capitalisation correct?
Does the syntax (word order) follow English conventions?

Format - how the document looks

Have you followed academic guidelines? Check for consistency in:

type font and size,
spacing,
margin width,
page numbering.

Have I picked up all typographical, word spacing, etc. errors?

Referencing - acknowledging sources

Have you acknowledged everything that has to be acknowledged?
Where you have quoted directly, have you done so accurately?
Have you applied you citation system (Chicago, Harvard, APA, etc). correctly?
Have you included all texts cited in your Reference List?
Have you included all texts consulted in your Bibliography?