Improving Your Marks in Academic Writing

What is proofreading?

Proofreading is checking over a piece of work before submission and can give you the confidence that you have hit the criteria needed to achieve your desired grade level.  It should include checking:

• Flow - The sentences flow well.
• Spelling - No spelling, punctuation or grammar errors
• Punctuation and grammar. 

What should I look out for when I proofread?

In addition, we recommend that when proofreading you check that your work addresses the following;

• Each point is linked back to the question so that they answer it.
• You have stated why each source used is relevant to the question.
• You have achieved the mark scheme criteria within the question.
• Your work uses a wide variety of sources.
• You have removed any wasted words and made each sentence efficient.
• Each key term has been defined where necessary.
• The work has a followed a logical structure.
• Each reference and citation are correct.
• The work is understandable (or suitable for the target audience).
• Your work is within the maximum word count.

To the right of the page is a proofreading checklist that adds further detail.

You will need to read and check your work several times carefully.

• To check that you have achieved criteria for a given grade, it is necessary to understand the question and to understand the key terms of the question and the mark scheme.  You can check you have hit the criteria for a given grade by highlighting where you have achieved them in different colours. 
• When checking spellings, punctuation and grammar, it is recommended to use more than a spell-checking software as these can miss misspellings such as from and for. Instead, check your work with fresh eyes the day after completing your draft (or earlier if your work is in before then).
• Leaving adequate time to proofread work is essential and if given time and effort, can give you the confidence that you have done what is expected for a particular grade. If you find that you are lacking in certain areas, proofreading can give you the tools to focus a second draft or to adapt your first draft where needed.

Proofreading Videos

Proofreading Methods - 3 mins

Proofreading is much more than just checking your spelling, punctuation and grammar. In this video Alex from the Skills Team what he checks when he proofreads his work.

Tips for Proofreading - 8 mins

Alex from the Skills Team outlines a number of key tips to bear in mind when proofreading.

Referencing and Proofreading: The Assignment Journey Podcast - 50 mins

In this episode Alex is joined by Naomi Bowers-Joseph to discuss Referencing and Proofreading. Naomi does workshops on referencing and wrote the workshop that Alex regularly uses in online sessions. Alex and Naomi discuss how proofreading is much more than checking spelling punctuation and grammar, and talk about using Cite Them Right. Their advice is supported with the voices of students.

Word Tools for Academic Writing - 12 mins

In this video from the Microsoft Word workshop, Alex from the Skills Team, showcases Word tools that are useful in writing and editing an assignment.

These tools include:

- Inserting a page break

- Inserting a new page

- Selecting text

- Find and replace tools

- Remove formatting button

- New Window