Editing is the process of cleaning up conventions. That’s it. You’re happy with everything else about the paper; now you need proofreading.
I like to tell the story of my sister getting ready for her senior prom. She took the whole day to do it: her hair in an up-do with flowers, her body sheathed in an exquisite gown, her nails done, her date kept waiting for just the right amount of time for her to make that dramatic entrance. She floated down the stairs, turned at the landing so that Dad could take the perfect picture. She smiled.
Everyone else looked a little concerned, and Dad put the camera down, and everyone made subtle little movements toward her teeth. She had a little piece of spinach between her front teeth, and it was all any of us could pay attention to.
That’s what spelling, punctuation, and other errors do to your writing. They distract us from your point, obscure your meaning, undermine the effectiveness of the paper. We can’t see the flowers in your hair, the perfect manicure, the gown. All we can look at is that little piece of spinach between your teeth.
So for goodness sake, floss. Get help flossing. I find it takes two to four effective proofreaders to rid writing of most spinach. You'll find here a list of common errors, with explanations.
Have you noticed that we haven’t been paying attention to conventions until now? What would be the point, until revision is complete? But once the paper is ready, make it as free of errors as possible, so that it can communicate clearly to your PUBLIC.