In the age of electronic everything, proofreading remains a painstaking, low-tech job that requires a precise and alert human brain capable of retaining detail. Lacking in both charisma and prestige, proofreading is not perceived to be a glamorous job. In most workplaces, it is, unfortunately, not even a distinct job; it is, rather, part of an "entry-level" position or a stepping stone to more substantial editorial functions that pay more and look better on one's resume. At worst, it is merely a task, an afterthought, handled by anyone available who passed English 101.

In addition, proofreaders tend to be invisible in the overall publicaton process, rarely receiving credit or recognition for a job well done. If a proofreader does a terrific job, there's really no way to tell! The document will be perfect, but no one will say, "Wow! Someone did a superb job of proofreading this article!" If a typo is found, however, the proofreader may suddenly become the focus of much attention. If a more serious error appears in a printed piece, such as a reversed key in a bar chart or an upside-down picture, the proofreader may be in serious trouble, regardless of who else may have overlooked the transgression while reading the document.

According to AMWA members who have taken a course on proofreading, two other problems frequently influence an intelligent person's eagerness to perform the task of proofreading: (1) the failure of managers, authors, and other assorted personnel to differentiate the task of proofreading from that of editing, and (2) the resulting tendency to "dump" the job at zero hour onto an already overburdened editor, secretary, editorial assistant, or intern. Therefore, because the job is misunderstood, it is frequently performed by the wrong person at the wrong time under the wrong circumstances. This is not a good formula for career success, let alone for document accuracy.

Finally, the qualifications for proofreading are fuzzy. A general publishing house may require English as a major; however, many scientific and technical publishers require an advanced degree in a specific scientific discipline. Although knowledge in the subject area is important and sometimes critical, it is difficult to locate people with, say, doctorates in biochemistry or engineering who want to proofread for a living. Likewise, it is probably not a good idea to assume that a person who has a degree and who can read can also proofread. My own experience in a pharmaceutical company suggests that aptitude and talent are infinitely more important than is degree level or even familiarity with the subject matter. Subject-specific vocabulary can always be learned; many of the qualities of a good proofreader cannot. This fact is, unfortunately, contrary to popular opinion in the degree-conscious scientific community and is, therefore, the source of many problems.

So, in this era of spell-checking, grammar-checking, corporate downsizing, and outsourcing, does it make sense to employ (or be) a proofreader? The answer is, it depends. It depends on the tolerance level in your workplace for embarrassing, misleading, confusing, and indecipherable written language. It depends on your company's (or your) ability to accept the consequences of language that fails to hit its target. It depends on your company's need for precision in its communications and its willingness to institute a document-review system that emphasizes quality control Why proofread? Here's why:

• Principles
  1. There are different types of proofreading.
  2. Proofreading is not copyediting.
  3. Proofreaders function within relatively strict limits.
  4. Proofreaders must know their authority level on each job.
  5. Good proofreaders have certain qualities in common.
• Methods
  1. Solo
  2. Team
  3. Machine-Assisted
• Procedure
  1. Understand key information.
  2. Mark the page correctly and consistently.
     • Standard proofmarks
     • Slashes
     • Circles
     • Printing or Writing
  3. Use a checklist if necessary.
  4. Be aware of things that complicate proofreading.
  5. Know when to correct and when to query.
     • Necessary vs Unnecessary Corrections
     • Mandatory Queries
     • Content of Queries
     • Form of Queries
  6. Make several passes for each document.
  7. Be prepared to back up every correction or query with a rule or reference.
• Conclusion