Writing Effectively at The World Health Organization

PROOFREADING

Proofreading is the final stage of the writing process. When you proofread, you check your document for smaller mechanical errors and correct them. Even though you may be in a hurry, or have a tight deadline, you must proofread your document to ensure correctness and consistency in the finest details.

Proofreading is not the same as just reading. Proofreading requires you to focus on the details (mechanics) of your draft— spelling, punctuation, grammar. Think of it as ‘micro-editing’, looking at the so-called ‘little’ errors.

Proofreading gives you the chance to polish your document and ensure that it reflects your own professionalism. Readers will notice mistakes and omissions, and a document of any sort with a lot of editorial mistakes creates an impression of ill-prepared or sloppy work. That can damage your credibility. Errors may also introduce avoidable noise into the communication.

© WHO 2011