Editing and Proofreading

Reviewing your work

What is editing?

Editing corrects issues at the core of writing like sentence construction, paragraph structure and language clarity. Editing is best carried out a few days after you have completed your first draft. This allows time for you to forget the essay to a certain extent, and brings fresh eyes to the editing process. Consider if :

your essay has a clear introduction, body and conclusion
are all your main points covered
is your argument convincing
is there a logical flow
did you answer the question.

What is proofreading?

Proofreading is fixing errors within the final draft of your writing to make sure the grammar, spelling, punctuation and format are consistent and accurate. Read your work aloud, and look for one type of error at a time. Reading the work aloud will help identify issues in the flow, comprehension and clarity of your text

Tools to support editing and proofreading

Before your submission deadline you can use Turnitin to provide formative feedback. Pre- deadline ,Turnitin, will flag issues with paraphrasing, and where edits are required to make your writing more coherent and consistent. Studiosity is a free proofreading service provided by the university where students can get feedback on grammar, punctuation and referencing.

Resolving Issues

Reviewing your structure & content

An essay is a long piece of academic writing, so in order for it our reader to engage with it, it needs be structured adequately.

Your paragraphs should organise your main ideas into manageable chunks to help your reader navigate your writing and sharpen your syntax.

Good Practice For Paragraph Development
Every paragraph should.....	How to achieve this....
Have a clear central point	Often this main point is expressed in the topic sentence
Be uniform in the subject matter	Each paragraph should just have one main focus
Contain only relevant information	Do not clutter your paragraphs with excess, irrelevant information. The information within the paragraph should only illustrate your main point.
Paragraphs should be clearly linked to show continuity and development	Use transitional words or phrases ( However/consequently) Use sequencing language (Firstly, Secondly, Lastly...) Reiterate key points or phrases from the previous paragraph and build on it
Paragraphs have a simple, clear structure	Point= topic sentence clarifies the main point of the paragraph Evidence= evidence to support your main point Expansion= explanation & analysis of your evidence & point Link= springboard comment to next paragraph or back to question
Maintain clarity in longer sentences	Long, rambling sentences confuse your reader. Consider breaking your sentence into shorter units and use recap or summary words instead of repetition.
Improve emphasis by relocating the key point	Sometimes by moving your key point to the end of the sentence, the sense of the point is emphasised and the focus of greater attention.
Fully developed introduction	Have I presented my aim clearly? Is my argument clearly presented?
Fully developed conclusion	Does my conclusion summarise my key points? Does it link back to my introduction? Are there no new ideas or references?

Checking spelling, grammar & referencing
Proofreading refers to the process of reading written work for "surface errors."
These are errors involving spelling, punctuation, grammar and word choice. Proofreading can be difficult because your mind already sees the paper as you wrote it.
However, there are some ways to shake up your perception so you can see your paper with fresh eyes and spot any errors.
Use this checklist to review your proofreading and check for mistakes pre-submission:
Checklist
- Check for commonly confused words such as their, there, and they're
- Use a ruler. Place a ruler or blank piece of paper under each line as you read down the paper. This is a good technique if you find a whole page of text overwhelming
- Circle your suspects. If you’re prone to run-on sentences, circle every comma in the paper. This will help you look at each one and decide if it’s being used correctly. This also works for verb or pronoun problems.
- Read from the bottom up. Using a ruler as a guide, start reading from the bottom of your paper. Read the last sentence, then the next to last. Reading your sentences out of order will help you look at what you've actually written instead of remembering what you meant to say.
- Check that every intext citation has a corresponding reference in your reference list.
- Check homophones (their, they're and there) and consistency in UK spellings
Use Studiosity, the University's proof reading service, to get formative feedback on your spelling, grammar and referencing.

Common Issues & How to improve

Clear writing is inextricably linked to clear thinking, so by improving the clarity of your writing, you will also be refining your ideas. Reading your work aloud will help detect errors and illustrate what is not working.

Avoid using overly complicated language in a bid to sound 'academic' and concentrate on what you know and how to concisely and simply convey it. Do not solely rely on your computer's spell checking.

Look at the common issues identified below and consider how you can resolve issues in your own writing.

Common Issues with Academic Style and Suggested Fixes
Issue	Example
Cut out meaningless words	Basically Actually Sort of...
Cut out repeated words	due to the fact that= because in the event that=if at this moment in time=now concerning the matter of=now carry out an analyse of= analyse until such as time= until
Vary recurring words and phrases	Especially when paraphrasing The author or the study points out says states suggests proposes shows demonstrates .....
Be aware of misusing similar sounding words	There= is that place Their= belonging to them They're= They are Affect= have an influence on Effect= bring about Principle= a firm belief Principal= Main
Avoid contractions	You're= You are Won't= will not Didn't= did not ....

Editing and Reviewing

Self Paced Guide

Aims of the Guide:

Know how to check the content of your essay to ensure your argument and evidence are sound.
How to review the structure and organisation of your essay to make sure it flows logically.
How to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar for any mistakes.
Make sure your references are correct.

How to access the guide

Use the back and next buttons at the bottom right of the screen below to navigate through the guide. Alternatively, use the contents button to jump to a specific page.

Accessibility options are available at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.