Proof reading(fine-tuning of the draft)peer

review and feedback(providing and

receiving critique
 Def. Proofreading
• Proofreading is the final stage of the
editing process, focusing on surface errors
such as misspellings and mistakes in
grammar and punctuation. You should
proofread only after you have finished all
of your other editing revisions.
 The proofreading process

• You probably already use some of the

strategies discussed below. Experiment
with different tactics until you find a system
that works well for you. The important
thing is to make the process systematic
and focused so that you catch as many
errors as possible in the least amount of
time.
• Don’t rely entirely on spelling checkers. These can be useful
tools but they are far from foolproof. Spell checkers have a limited
dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may really
just not be in their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not
catch misspellings that form another valid word. For example, if
you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there”
instead of “their,” the spell checker won’t catch the error.
• Grammar checkers can be even more problematic. These
programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can’t
identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to
give thorough explanations to help you understand why a
sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar
checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-
frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to
evaluate the feedback it provides.
• Proofread for only one kind of error at a time. If you try to identify
and revise too many things at once, you risk losing focus, and your
proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammar errors if
you aren’t checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In
addition, some of the techniques that work well for spotting one kind of
mistake won’t catch others.
• Read slow, and read every word. Try reading out loud, which forces
you to say each word and also lets you hear how the words sound
together. When you read silently or too quickly, you may skip over
errors or make unconscious corrections.
• Separate the text into individual sentences. This is another
technique to help you to read every sentence carefully. Simply press the
return key after every period so that every line begins a new sentence.
Then read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation,
or spelling errors. If you’re working with a printed copy, try using an
opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re
working on.
• Circle every punctuation mark. This forces you to look at
each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the punctuation is
correct.
• Read the paper backwards. This technique is helpful for
checking spelling. Start with the last word on the last page
and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word
separately. Because content, punctuation, and grammar won’t
make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of
each word. You can also read backwards sentence by
sentence to check grammar; this will help you avoid becoming
distracted by content issues.
• Proofreading is a learning process. You’re not just looking
for errors that you recognize; you’re also learning to recognize
and correct new errors. This is where handbooks and
dictionaries come in. Keep the ones you find helpful close at
hand as you proofread.
• The proofreading process becomes more efficient as
you develop and practice a systematic strategy. You’ll
learn to identify the specific areas of your own writing that
need careful attention, and knowing that you have a sound
method for finding errors will help you to focus more on
developing your ideas while you are drafting the paper.
• Ignorance may be bliss, but it won’t make you a better
proofreader. You’ll often find things that don’t seem quite
right to you, but you may not be quite sure what’s wrong
either. A word looks like it might be misspelled, but the spell
checker didn’t catch it. You think you need a comma
between two words, but you’re not sure why. Should you
use “that” instead of “which”? If you’re not sure about
something, look it up.
• paper.
 Giving and Receiving Feedback

In many writing classes, students are expected to learn

how to give feedback to their peers. This task is
usually called peer review, a concept you will also
learn about when you begin to use academic
research. At first, this may seem intimidating. Writers
may think, “I’m not a teacher–how can I give useful
feedback to another writer?” What writers CAN do is
give their peers an honest reaction as a reader and
give advice based on their own experience. It is
ultimately up to the writer to decide if they want to
make sure of the feedback given. If you feel unsure of
your ability to give feedback, remember that you are
learning from the process. In a class, the other
students will also receive feedback from the instructor.
 Giving Peer Feedback

• When your role in peer review is to give feedback,

your job is to help the writer by giving your reaction
as a reader to the writing. Think about the kind of
feedback you would like to get and also how you
would like that feedback to be given. What follows
here are some basic rules to follow for responding to
someone else’s writing.
• First, listen to the writer. What kind of feedback
are they asking for? Do they want to know if their
thesis is clear? Do they have questions about citing
sources? Make a note about what kind of feedback
the writer has requested and keep that in mind as
you respond.
• Be kind. When you are receiving criticism, isn’t it
easier to hear if the person giving the criticism is kind
and respectful to you? Do the same for your peer.
• Comment on the higher order concerns first. That
means asking questions about anything that confuses
you, checking to see if the writing did what the
assignment called for, and considering if the order of
the paper makes sense. Sometimes your instructor will
give you specific things they want you to comment on;
if so, be sure you do so.
• Use “I” statements to help stay focused on your
reaction to the writing. For example, instead of saying,
“You aren’t clear in this paragraph,” try saying, “I’m
confused in this paragraph. Did you mean X or Y?”
• Be specific. Never say “I liked it” or “It was good”
unless you follow up with an explanation of exactly
what you liked or thought was good. The same goes
for criticism; say exactly what confused you or what
was missing.
• Ask questions. Use questions to clarify what the
writer means, what the resources given are saying,
and what the writer is trying to do.
• Offer advice based on your own experience. For
example, you could say “if this were my paper, the two
things I would do next are A and B.” Provide options
such as, “If you wanted to expand this, you could do A,
B, or C.”
• Don’t try to make the writer sound like you. If a word is the
wrong word, note that, but if you just think of a word you like
better, that’s just a matter of style and voice.
• Don’t edit your peer’s writing for them. Only comment on
editing when the writing is a final draft or when your instructor
has included checking for errors in the instructions for peer
review. Correcting errors is important at some point, but it
makes no sense to spend time editing a paragraph if that
paragraph may needs to be deleted or changed. It’s okay to
remind the writer to run spell check and grammar check if you
notice minor errors. Otherwise, only ask about editing errors if
you have trouble understanding the sentence because of the
mistakes. If your instructor does want you to comment on
editing, be sure to follow the instructions.
 Giving and receiving constructive
criticism
• Criticism is difficult from either side of the table. No
matter how you are delivering criticism it can be
stressful. The person giving the criticism likely
doesn’t want to hurt your feelings or lose your
trust. When you are the person receiving the
criticism, your mind tends to want to go into fight
or flight mode.
• Constructive criticism is the feedback that is
intended to help a person grow in their role. If your
manager is providing this feedback to you, they
are attempting to help you understand
improvements to make for a particular task.
 constructive Criticism is a Two-
Way Conversation
• Ideally, constructive criticism is given one-on-
one in an in-person setting. A manager will take
their employee aside to provide this feedback.
He or she will not point out an employee’s error
in front of a group. This could embarrass the
employee, leading to the degradation of the
intended message.
• When given one-on-one, the manager can
provide the employee with constructive criticism
in a space where the employee is open and
listening. This will also allow the employee
receiving the feedback to ask questions.
Giving Constructive Criticism for
the Right Reasons
• Feedback can be mutually beneficial when given for
the right reasons. Constructive criticism should be
given to show concern for an employee, guide a
subordinate, or coach an employee for their overall
growth.
• When giving constructive criticism, the manager
needs to ensure they are giving this feedback to
show concern for the employee. Giving criticism
while the manager is in a bad mood is inappropriate
and may lead to the manager losing employee
respect. You wouldn’t want your manager to fly off
the handle just because the CEO gave them some
bad news a few minutes prior.
Thank You