Editing and Proofreading

Editing and Proofreading, are they the same thing?

Although the terms are considered interchangeable and they are similar, they focus on different aspects of your work. They are two important stages in preparing your work for submission. Editing focuses on the subject content and the writing style. Proofreading focuses on minor errors which are unrelated to the topic.

Tips for both processes

• Remove all distractions, this can’t be done with a programme streaming in the background or part of your attention on your phone.

• Schedule short sessions for these tasks. One long session will not be as effective.

• Take a break - manage your workload so that there is time between finishing the writing and these processes (at least a few hours, ideally 24 hours). This space will allow you to approach the work fresh and this will improve your ability to focus.

• Use resources such as the Word 'Read Aloud' function to listen to the section that you are checking.

This is the iterative process of checking that you have done everything that is required in the assignment, making sure the writing is well organised including transitions that link the paragraph and confirming that the claims are accurate with evidence that strongly supports the arguments. Making a checklist will help you cover everything. This will include: 

Assignment structure

• Is the overall structure aligned with the specific assignment instructions?

• Do you have a clear introduction and conclusion?

• Are the paragraphs in the main body in a logical order?

• Do the transitions between paragraphs flow coherently?

Paragraph structure

• Is there a topic sentence?

• Is the paragraph about that single topic?

• Are there any sentences that are unnecessary or unrelated?

• Is anything missing?

Clarity

• Have you included definitions?

• Is each sentence complete and clear?

• Have you removed unnecessary adverbs and adjectives?

• Is the writing literal rather than figurative?

Style

•  Is the work subject focused i.e. written in the third-person? [There are some exceptions that are written in the first-person e.g. reflections. Follow the assignment guidance.]

• Are sentences succinct?

• Have you removed repetition?

• Is the writing straightforward rather than pretentious?

Citations and referencing

• Have you used APA 7th ed. for business modules and OSCOLA for law modules?

• Are quotations formatted and cited following the library guidance?

• Are all citations in the list of references?

• Was everything in the list of references cited?

• Is the reference list formatted according to the library guidance?

Develop your own checklist so that you can use it for each assignment

Edit your draft until you are happy with it.  The do some final proofreading. 

• Read it once again aloud - does it make sense? (Try Word Read Aloud or similar so you can listen to your work)

• Look for mistakes such as typing and spelling errors.  Look up doubtful spellings or ask someone

• If you used a spellchecker, check for words that are not misspellings in their own right, but which are not the words you want to use, especially homophones such as 'there' and 'their'

• When proofreading for grammar, punctuation and spellings it can help to work backwards through your writing (word by word for spelling), to avoid drifting into skim-reading

• Everyone has their own pattern of errors.  If there are certain mistakes you make repeatedly, note these down and be particularly careful in checking for them

Cottrell (2013)

Steps you can follow to edit and proofread your work

Step 1 - Take a break 

• Give your mind time to reset can help you spot mistakes more easily (ideally 24 hours)

Step 2 - Edit for structure and flow

• Introduction

Does it clearly state your main aim or argument?

• Paragraph order

Do ideas build logically?

Does each paragraph have one main idea with a topic sentence?

• Addressing the question

Have you answered all part of the task or brief?

• Conclusion

Does it clearly summarise and reflect your main points

Step 3 - Polish for clarity and style

• Concise sentences: are your sentences short and focussed

• Academic tone: is the tone formal and objective?

• Avoid jargon: have you explained key terms?

• Repetition: remove repeated points or phrases

Step 4 - Proofread for mistakes

• Check spelling manually and with a tool such as Word spellcheck

• Look for punctuation and grammar issues

• Maintain a consistent tense

• Use capital letters and abbreviations correctly

Step 5 - Review referencing and formatting

• Referencing

Use the correct citation style. Ensure all sources are cited in text and listed in the reference list

• Formatting

Check the font, spacing, margins and title page requirements

• File submission

Ensure the file type and name meet the requirements

Finally before submission, have you...

• Answered all parts of the question?

• Stayed within the word count?

• Used the correct file format?

• Named the file correctly?

• Ensured the work is your own and properly referenced?

Reference

Cottrell, S. (2013). The Study Skills Handbook (4th ed.). Palgrave, Macmillan

Obtain Turnitin similarity reports on your work during the writing process

Uses the Office 365 version of Microsoft Word: Please watch the short video and read the installation guide 

to find out how to install and use the softward

What is Turnitin used for?

• Turnitin is used to establish the degree of similarity between a piece of written work and existing text.

• It compares work against sources like books, journals and internet content.

• It also compares against other student work which has been submitted to Turnitin.

One purpose of Turnitin is to help academics to identify plagiarism. However, it is also a useful tool for students, to help improve academic writing skills, and to pick up accidental errors before submitting work. 

In the Faculty of Business and Law, we recommend you submit drafts of your work to Turnitin Draft Coach via M365 Word online and identify any issues prior to final submission. 

Does this mean I have plagiarised?

Not necessarily! There are a number of reasons why a match may be found which do not carry the risk of plagiarism (although in each case it is vital that you check you have referenced and cited your work correctly, using the Library guidance).

The following are legitimate similarity issues which may occur in your work:

• Some/all of your reference list (or bibliography) may have been identified as a match because these sources have been used in other students’ work.

• If you have been given a template to use when completing your assignment, Turnitin may identify similarities with the work of other students (because you are all using the same template).

• Small strings of words (e.g. 3 or 4 in a row) may be identified because they are technical terms (i.e. business- or law-specific words and phrases), common phrases or genuine coincidences (Turnitin uses algorithms to identify similarities, so this is a common legitimate issue).

• Quotes will be identified as these are explicitly the words of another author. This will help you to check whether you have cited and referenced these sources fully.

Similarity issues which indicate a risk of plagiarism:

• Text may be highlighted if you have paraphrased (reinterpreted the words of another author) but have not changed the words to a sufficient degree. In this case, you need to rewrite the author’s point more thoroughly. For guidance on this, see this AST paraphrasing handout.

• If there is a match to a source which is not referenced within your paper.

These issues both indicate the possibility of plagiarism (deliberate or unintentional) in your work, so it is vital that you resolve these, to avoid potentially being accused of plagiarism.

What does it mean, and what can I do about it?

For more information:

• • • Video - Avoiding plagiarism

    • Video - How to understand the Turnitin Originality Report

    • Link to Library referencing guidance

If you need help submitting a piece of work or with the technical aspects of using the system, please speak to your course team 

How to Submit your Assignments

Help and support with Moodle can also be found in the Help and Support section of the menu at the top of any Moodle page