Do you understand the difference between “proofreading” and “proofreading” articles and columns? Both words tend to be interpreted as having the same meaning, but to put it simply, there is a difference in whether or not they go into the content of the article.
Even if the article or content is excellent, it will lose the trust of readers if there are obvious typos, inconsistencies in the text, or lack of credibility.
This time, we will explain the difference between proofreading and proofreading, the roles of each, and tips for actually proofreading and proofreading.
What is proofreading?
Proofreading is the work of checking for typographical errors, English spelling mistakes, spelling errors, sentence structure, grammar usage, and content, and correcting them correctly. Depending on the publication medium, there may be unified rules for notation, so we also check to make sure that the completed text complies with the rules.
Specifically, it is classified into “matching” and “deficit matching”. “Verification” is the process of checking character by character whether the points pointed out in the original manuscript are correctly reflected in the latest manuscript.
When doing this work, you can reduce oversights by having the mindset of checking each character individually. It’s easy to check a completed sentence while reading it, but when the human brain reads each sentence, it sometimes converts it into the correct notation and recognizes it. Among the people who specialize in proofreading, there are many who compare texts backwards. Proofreading accuracy increases by checking every character one by one.
“Red check” is the process of checking whether the corrections written in the original manuscript are correctly reflected in the latest manuscript. In order to check the correction points at each stage of the submitted manuscript, first proof, reproof, etc., we make corrections in “point by correction point”, unlike “letter by character” in matching.
By repeating this proofreading process, you will be able to complete your manuscript without any typos or omissions. Also, be sure to properly understand the uniform notation rules established for each medium to avoid oversights.
What is proofreading?
Proofreading is the process of checking and correcting materials, checking for unauthorized quotations, and expressions that may lead to discrimination, in order to prevent factual misunderstandings in the written content. Proofreading involves correcting typographical errors and grammatical problems, whereas proofreading involves going deeper into the content of the text to check whether the content is factual and whether the information is appropriate. .
There are two main steps in proofreading. One is “reading” and the other is “fact checking”.
“Bare reading” refers to the process of thoroughly reading the contents of a manuscript and looking for errors such as typos, inconsistencies in expressions, etc. in the text. We carefully check whether the endings of words are unified and whether the sentences before and after are connected correctly.
“Fact checking” is the task of digging deeper into the basic reading and checking to see if what is actually written in the manuscript (place names, proper nouns, data, etc.) is correct. After these steps, proofreading work is carried out.
Difference between proofreading and proofreading
Proofreading and proofreading are often perceived as similar tasks, but their roles and meanings are different by definition. However, in the actual work process, proofreading and proofreading are often not divided, and there are cases where the proofreader is in charge of proofreading as well.
A brief description of the work roles is as follows.
Proofreading: Compare and correct incorrect characters, notations, spelling mistakes, etc. Proofreading: Check for errors in the content and meaning of the text and confirm facts.
Below, we will explain the difference between proofreading and proofreading.
Proofreader’s work content
The person in charge of proofreading is called a “proofreader,” and while comparing articles, they discover and correct incorrect characters, spelling, and spelling errors. Specifically, we will check the contents, paying attention to the following points.
We will correct not only typos and spelling errors, but also homonyms, idioms, and phrases. We also check for misspellings of proper nouns and numbers, endings of sentences such as “desu” and “masu”, and whether or not the text is based on the regulations set by the client.
People suitable for proofreading
Proofreading is all about finding typos. This work requires a lot of patience and concentration, so it is suitable for people who are patient and persistent. A proofreader is sometimes described as a “craftsman” who deals with writing, and this position is suitable for people who can take pride in their craftsmanship.
What the reviewer does
The person in charge of proofreading is called a “proofreader,” and their primary role is to check the manuscript for errors from a variety of perspectives. This is generally referred to as fact checking, and is an important task that affects the reliability of the article in question and, by extension, the reliability of the website as a whole.
Specifically, we will check the contents, paying attention to the following points.
We check the facts to make sure that there are no mistakes in proper nouns, that data such as numbers, units, and years are based on facts, and that spot information such as locations and contact information is correct. We will also check for grammatical errors and inappropriate expressions.
People suitable for proofreading
Proofreading requires information literacy skills that allow you to select the correct information from a vast amount of information. This position is suitable for people who are willing to search for things they have questions about or don’t understand, people who like research, and people who don’t feel satisfied unless they find out the truth.
It is necessary to always obtain correct information from an objective standpoint, not subjective information.
The importance of proofreading and proofreading
Why are proofreading and proofreading important? This is only to maintain the quality of the articles. In turn, this will help maintain the quality of the website as a whole.
To do this, you need to write an article with the following points in mind:
Provide accurate information to avoid losing user trust
If you continue to send out incorrect information, you will gradually lose trust from users, and the media itself will lose credibility. The more frequently articles are updated, the more false information accumulates, and the website may be perceived as disseminating false information.
Additionally, articles with many typos, misspellings, and redundant expressions will make users think that the article is poorly written or difficult to read. Users gradually lose interest in reading these kinds of articles, increasing the rate of users leaving the website.
In turn, this may indirectly lower
your SEO
rating and may even affect your search rankings.
Take care not to cause discomfort to users
Articles that make you feel uncomfortable will gradually become harder to read. In addition to discriminatory, violent, and obscene expressions, you also need to be careful about challenging, playful, and redundant expressions.
Public opinion is particularly critical regarding expressions of discrimination, and there are notable movements around the world to regulate hate speech. Articles that make users feel uncomfortable like this will not only increase the website abandonment rate but also cause you to lose repeat users.
Have a sense of improving the overall website with each article
A website becomes a large medium by accumulating “articles = content.” In other words, improving the quality of each article will improve the overall quality of your website.
Articles that are easy for users to read and have a high completion rate are those that have been thoroughly proofread and proofread, and are often designed to be easy for users to read. It is important to take this kind of consideration into each article and always maintain a sense of improving the quality of the website as a whole.
Points to check during calibration
Points to check during calibration include the following.
numbers
You especially want to avoid making mistakes in numbers such as phone numbers, amounts, product specifications, and data. Overlooking this could lead to major complaints.
For example, if the same number continues like “0000000777”, if you treat the numbers as a group, you will not notice the mistake and will overlook it. Instead of reading these numbers as “zero, zero, zero…”, break down the numbers one by one to see “seven zeros, three sevens”, etc.
Typo/Misconversion
Since text is often entered using a keyboard, it is easy to make simple typos. When checking, be sure to read through it with the expectation that there will be typos and mistranslations.
Notation fluctuation
Orthographic variation is when the same expression is written in different characters. For example, if the words “our company” and “our company” are mixed together in a sentence, you should basically use one of them.
You want to avoid clutter that readers find difficult to read. In addition, there are many cases where words are written in two or more ways.
- Wrong writing due to okurikana
Example: Application/Application/Application
- Spelling variations depending on the type of character
Example: apple/apple/apple
- Wrong writing in kanji
Example: “meet” and “meet” / “smell” and “smell”
homophone
Homophones often have similar meanings or words that are familiar to us, so they may be read without any sense of incongruity.
Example) Features/Features, Requirements/Summary, Answers/Answers, etc.
It is recommended that you take the following measures in advance.
- Pick out words and phrases that are easily confused in advance
- Categorize it in an easy-to-understand manner
- Share it with the manuscript creator and the corrector.
Points to check when proofreading
During proofreading, we check whether there are any discrepancies between the content of the text and the facts, and after reading the text, we judge whether there are any discriminatory expressions or whether the text is appropriate.
Having text that is easy to understand for readers is also important for SEO.
proper noun error
Check for errors in proper nouns such as people’s names, company names, building names, product names, and place names.
For example, “Canon Inc.” is pronounced “Canon,” but it is written as “Canon.” In addition, old fonts are sometimes used to write people’s names in kanji. Please make sure to check the following:
- Is it written in kanji or hiragana?
- Is it alphabetical or katakana?
- Is it uppercase or lowercase?
historical facts and causal relationships
If you are writing about historical facts or causal relationships, check to see if you have written anything that is different from the facts. If a quotation is made, check the source and check whether the same text is reproduced accurately.
Also, since it is not always possible to say that the cited source is correct, we will investigate and select several cited sources for a single fact.
Inconsistency in content
Be careful of errors that undermine the credibility of the article, such as changes in the argument as the text progresses or the settings of the characters being disjointed.
Check for discriminatory expressions
In addition to clearly discriminatory words, there are cases in which there are discriminatory expressions that do not appear at all. Awareness of human rights is changing socially, and it is necessary to proofread from a multifaceted perspective, including sexual minorities.
Tips to improve the accuracy of proofreading and proofreading
By keeping the following points in mind, you can improve the accuracy of proofreading and proofreading.
1. Output and check
2. Third party perspective
3. Give it some time
4. Narrow down the check items
5. Leverage tools
1. Output and check
If you are writing in Word, etc., it is said that it is easier to spot errors if you look at it from a different perspective, such as exporting it to
PDF
and then printing it out on paper.
2. Third party perspective
It is difficult for the person who created the article to proofread and proofread it, so if possible, it is better to have someone look at it from a different perspective. This is because you can’t be objective when writing your own writing, so it’s hard to notice strange phrasing or mistakes.
3. Give it some time
If you need to proofread or proofread an article you’ve written, it’s best to take some time after writing it so you can look at it objectively.
4. Narrow down the check items
It is also recommended that you narrow down your checks to either proofreading or proofreading. Proofreading involves correcting text, proofreading involves checking facts, and each type of work is different.
Also, the points of focus and tools used are different, so it would be very inefficient if you tried to do it all together. It will be much easier if you complete one and then do the other.
5. Utilize tools
For example, using tools to standardize the notation in articles and prevent spelling mistakes in foreign words is one way to improve the accuracy of proofreading. Free tools are perfectly usable, but paid tools with advanced functions can point out inappropriate expressions, out-of-character kanji, omissions or omissions of particles, and even refine sentences. there is.
Another option is to use AI chatbots for proofreading. If you ask the AI chatbot what you want to know, the AI will select the most appropriate answer and respond immediately. However, it often returns incorrect answers, and ultimately requires information literacy on the part of the user.
summary
This time, we explained about “proofreading” and “proofreading” which are connected to the quality of articles and content.
Articles that are not proofread and have a lot of typos will cause the number of page views to drop, and if you fail to check the facts during proofreading and send out incorrect information, the site as a whole will lose its credibility. In particular, articles related to people’s health, such as those in the medical field, can cause health damage due to factual misunderstandings.
There is not necessarily a correct answer when it comes to written expression, but proofreading and proofreading is about determining whether the expression of the text written in the manuscript is appropriate, keeping in mind the target readership of the medium. It’s work.
Articles that have been properly proofread and proofread will have a higher quality, making them “reliable articles” that accurately convey the facts to readers. Please refer to the points explained in this article when proofreading or proofreading your text.