Proofreading standards
Proofreading traditionally means reading a proof copy (i.e., a hard copy) of a text
in order to detect and correct any errors.
AA Nuncio offers two types of proofreading service:
- Traditional proofreading, where the proofreader makes
corrections in the margins of the source document. In this case, our proofreading
service complies with ISO 5776,
which establishes the symbols and other conventions for traditional proofreading.
- Electronic proofreading, where the target document is
an HTML file that contains the Proofreader's Report. The advantage of electronic
proofreading, besides the advantages that are inherent in digital systems (such
as the ability to search large documents for words and phrases), is that it allows
the proofreader to make multiple notes for a single word or phrase and keep a running
inventory of notes. Our electronic proofreading service complies with our internal
standards for writing and editing
but encompasses fewer errors.
Unlike the 25 categories of errors we address in copy editing, in proofreading (traditional
and electronic) we limit our analysis to 17 categories:
- Capitalization
- Formatting
- HTML
- Missing information
- Language
- Miscellaneous issues
- Numbers
- Outline levels
- Paragraph/sentence structure
- Punctuation
- Special issues
- Spelling
- Syntax
- Terminology
- Translation issues
- Typography
- Weights and measures