What do our proofreading services offer?

Proofreading is the final polish that will make your writing shine. It is critical to the success of a thesis, essay or dissertation – or any piece of writing. It is the final and most important step in preparing a manuscript. A manuscript that has not been thoroughly proofread is one whose ideas do not come across well. This is where proofreading is so valuable.  

Proofreading a thesis or dissertation is a special kind of reading. It means searching for, and correcting, basic but significant mistakes in the text. We will proofread your writing for grammar errors, spelling mistakes, typos and formatting errors. We will advise you on word choice, sentence structure, style, omitted words or word endings, consistency and overall readability. On their own, these mistakes are relatively minor. But when there are many of them, it makes for a difficult read. 

The absence of quality proofreading in a piece of writing reduces the reader’s ability to appreciate the content. Recurring errors, even when minor on their own, combine to interfere substantially with the content. The way the paper looks affects how the reader judges it and can make the ideas it presents seem incoherent. Errors throughout a thesis show a lack of care on the writer’s part for his/her writing.

The more proofreading services help to eliminate these weaknesses, the stronger the writing becomes. A good proofreader will find these mistakes, correct them and improve word choice. The result is a significant improvement in quality, clarity and readability. It means less work – and a far more pleasant experience – for the reader. A well-proofread thesis sends out a positive message that the writer values the reader as much as the writing.     

 

Proofreading services in Ireland

There is a relative lack of academic proofreading services in Ireland, where most essays, theses and assignments are not proofread. A proofread thesis therefore stands out from the crowd and gains a higher mark than it would have gained otherwise. The more problems the proofreader identifies and resolves, the greater the improvement in the mark. 

 

What we do (not just quality proofreading!)

So you have written your manuscript. It is important to you that it looks the part. In that case, you need a fresh pair of eyes. That means a proofreader who is not just sufficiently experienced, but competent enough to see any  weaknesses and eliminate them. You have come to the right place! 

Quality proofreading services are not all that we offer. Irish Writing Services also provide you with a critical analysis of the content of your manuscript. Let’s say there is a sentence or paragraph whose meaning is unclear or contradictory. Or perhaps a point in the text needs to be made more clearly. We will always draw your attention to these important issues.

Our proofreading services will also point to where a sentence or paragraph would be better included in a different part of the document. And we will draw attention to places where a point needs to be developed or elaborated upon to strengthen the argument. Together these changes will greatly improve the overall flow of the document and make it far more readable than the original version.  

Contact us here for a quote, a free consultation and some practical advice!

 

Proofreading tips

 

Start by not proofreading it. 

Before you do any proofreading at all, start by checking your formatting. Are your paragraphs correct? Make sure your spacing and fonts are consistent. Are your margins justified? What about your numbers, headings and sub-headings–are they in the right order? 

Starting by ordering your work allows you to ease gently into the action. It gives you a quick, visual overview of what you have written. Once you have completed the formatting, you will have the motivation to focus on the proofreading itself. If you don’t, or you are too tired, there’s no need to worry – there is always tomorrow! 

 

Be fresh when you start 

Proofreading when you’re tired is never a good idea. That’s because effective proofreading of any document one has written is an intense endeavour. You have to focus on every word as you go through it, and if you are not attentive enough, you will miss numerous small but essential mistakes. When you are fresh and calm, it is far easier to get into ‘flow’, and the task seems far less burdensome than it would otherwise. Although mornings usually work best for proofreading a thesis or other document, if you’re a nocturnal type, you may find the late hours work better for you. Whatever time you choose to proofread it, make sure you give your project the time and energy it deserves. If it is a large project, such as PhD thesis proofreading, take your time. Rushing will only make it a half-baked effort. 

Similarly, never try to start proofreading on the same day you finish writing – the creative side of the project needs time to rest before the critical eye of thorough proofreading takes over. 

 

Avoid interruptions

Concentration is, like many things in life, a question of momentum. Anything that distracts or interrupts you while you are proofreading will make it harder to re-focus and do the job properly. The most persistent source of distraction is your mobile, with its blizzard of messages and notifications. Turn it off while you are proofreading and you will eliminate a large number of likely distractions. Avoid the temptation of checking your emails, too.

 

Print it out 

Proofreading from a printed copy of what you have written is always a good idea. You will spot mistakes far more quickly than by working on screen. The printed version is easier to read, and you can add comments and observations with greater ease while you proofread it. 

 

Read it aloud

A useful way to get a much clearer perspective on your thesis or project is to read it out loud. The reason is that the brain processes sound in a very different way to how it does words. Reading something aloud is a formidable proofreading technique that gives you a fresh pair of eyes–or, in this case, ears. 

Reading your work aloud enables you to quickly focus on aspects of what you have written, such as proofreading for spelling mistakes, essay structure, issues regarding sequence, overly long sentences, and the need for better development of your ideas. Read it aloud slowly, and pay attention to the words. You are likely to get a sense of how the words and sentences blend and, sometimes, collide. Furthermore, you can take short, specific notes so that you can go back later and make whatever changes you have noticed are necessary. You will see a radical improvement on your previous draft. 

Alternatively, if you want a second opinion while you proofread it, read your thesis or project aloud to someone else. That person will not be as close to the work as you are and will, therefore, have a fresher perspective. They will notice errors that you haven’t, as well as sentences or arguments that are not as clear as they should be.

 

Keep an eye out for homonyms

A homonym is a word that is pronounced the same as, or similarly to, another word, but has a different meaning. Usually a spellchecker won’t pick them up, so you have to look out for them. Examples include “compliment,” which has a different meaning to “complement;” “aloud,” which is not the same thing as “allowed;” and “altar,” which is part of a church, as opposed to “alter,” meaning to change. Other homonym-related mistakes that we frequently come across include:

there/their

bear/bare

vane/vein

been/bean

principle/principal

discrete/discreet

great/grate

hear/here

waste/waist

hoard/horde

insight/incite

knew/new

lesson/lessen

weather/whether

loan/lone

passed/past

whose/who’s

plane/plain

right/write

role/roll

 

Reverse your thinking

How do you proofread each word as a single unit, without being distracted by the context? By reading your thesis or project backwards! It’s surprising how many more errors you will find when you are undistracted by meaning and context. Admittedly, this method takes a lot of patience, so it’s not to everyone’s taste. Nonetheless, as proofreading tips go, it’s pretty useful, particularly for a final proofreading. 

 

Reduce the layout size

As we have seen, one of the keys to carrying out thorough proofreading is looking at what you have written in a different light or situation. So why not proofread it as if it was a newspaper article? Studies have proved that the best line-lengths for reading are 3.6 to 4 inches. Lines that are longer entail greater movement of the eyes, causing concentration to waver. Shorter lines can help you to see errors more easily. We have found this very helpful for a final proofreading, especially for a long document such as a PhD or Master’s thesis. 

 

Avoid the grocer’s apostrophe

Don’t forget that the apostrophe is never used to form plurals. This very common mistake is known as “the grocer’s apostrophe” from its frequent occurrence in grocers’ pricing signs. It is an apostrophe oddly inserted just before the final s and meant to indicate a plural but instead making a possessive. Examples include ‘apple’s,’ ‘orange’s,’ and any number of other fruits and vegetables. And that’s just the grocers’ mistakes!        

 

Check your facts, figures, dates and names 

If it’s been many months since you wrote your thesis, time will have moved on – but the writing won’t. References to last year, next year or this year may now be out of date. So, it’s important to keep an eye on time-sensitive events. Also, double-check that the facts, figures and statistics you have included are correct. You should also double-check the spelling of any names you have added.