Proofreading, Proof-editing and Copy-editing: What’s the Difference?
Amongst the many questions I’m asked is what I can do for a given piece of work. There are two aspects to this answer, namely, what I’m allowed to do (i.e., academic fairness/plagiarism with regard to students studying for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree award), which is generally the limiting factor, and the extent of the changes that your work needs.
To understand this better, we can refer to the tables below:
Suitability Guide and Expectations
This table describes the type of individual, document types, issues, etc., that will be addressed for each type of editing.
For those writing essays, projects, theses, etc., for a degree-type award, I am typically limited to something along the lines of proofreading, though there is some flexibility in this depending on the regulations set by your university’s/institution’s academic senate; some are relatively relaxed about formatting, structural issues, etc., whilst others are very strict.
Note that in all circumstances, I consider myself bound by your academic senates regulations as stepping outside these constitutes plagiarism. This said, I will correct language if you are not a native English speaker, though if you are aware of significant problems with your English, you must allow extra time for your work to be completed.
| Element | Proofreading | Proof-editing | Copy-editing* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typically suitable for | undergraduates, postgraduates, private individuals | postdocs, research fellows, teaching fellows, lecturers, professors, businesses, private individuals | businesses, commercial entities, private individuals |
| Typical Document Types | essays, dissertations, Master’s theses, PhD/DPhil theses | papers, grant proposals, curricula vitae, covering letters, books | manuals, general business documentation |
| Document Version | final | draft | early draft |
| Proofing Quality/Standard** | essentially error-free | significantly improved to essentially error-free | significant content added to essentially complete |
| Issues Addressed | surface issues, e.g., misspelling, grammar, punctuation, certain issues with formatting, etc. (see below) | as well as surface issues, will correct more serious issues, such as clarity, readability, smooth narration, etc. | core issues, including everything under proofreading and proof-editing as well as additional content generation*** |
| Collaboration Required | little to none | some | extensive |
| Relative Time Required | short | short to moderate | moderate to long |
| Will Further Proofing Be Needed? | extremely unlikely | possibly | likely |
| Can Emergency Work Be Undertaken? | very likely | possibly | highly unlikely |
| Acceptable File Formats | MS Word, OpenDocument, Rich Text Format, LaTeX, others | MS Word, OpenDocument, Rich Text Format, LaTeX, others | MS Word, OpenDocument, Rich Text Format, LaTeX, others |
| Custom or Bespoke Requirements | yes – include when emailing documentation | yes – include when emailing documentation | yes – include when emailing documentation |
* For reasons of academic fairness, copy-editing is never appropriate for academic work.
**I would stress that the quality of the work returned will be in proportion to the quality of that I receive (this is evident in the proofing quality/standard noted in the table above). No proofreader can be one hundred per cent accurate, and the lower the quality of your work, the less accurate or useful the corrections. See my post on expected standards of proofreading for further details on this matter.
***Note that any possible or assumed copyright to such context is waived on my part.
What I Can Do For Each Proofing Type
This table provides a general summary of the type of corrections I do for each proofing type, though for students there is some flexibility within the bounds set by your academic senate. As mentioned, though, I will never at any time break the standards of academic fairness.
You should be able to find guidance for proofreaders on your university/institution website, and it would be helpful to send the associated link to me if possible. Please note that I consider you to be entirely responsible for ensuring that your university/institution will allow external proofreading.
| Element | Proofreading | Proof-editing | Copy-editing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrections To: | |||
| Spelling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Grammar | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Punctuation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Inconsistencies | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ensure Consistency Of: | |||
| Dialect | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Spelling Variations | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Capitalisation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hyphenation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bold, Italics, Underline, etc. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Clarity Of Writing: | |||
| Advice On | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Correction Of: | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Style Sheets: | |||
| Ensure Consistency With | ? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Do From Scratch | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Formatting: | |||
| Ensure Consistency Of | ? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Do From Scratch | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Referencing: | |||
| Do From Scratch | ✖ | ✖ | n/a |
| Cross-referencing: | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Apply A Style (e.g., APA, Harvard) | ? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Correct Minor Issues(e.g., spelling, grammar) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Footnotes/Endnotes: | |||
| Basic Corrections | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Formatting Of: | ? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Creation Of: | ✖ | ? | ✔ |
| Miscellaneous Corrections: | |||
| General Commentary and Feedback | ✖ | ? | ✔ |
| Add/Create Content | ✖ | ? | ✔ |
| Check Audience Suitability | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Repetition | ? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wordiness | ? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Advice on Plagiarism Reports | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Plagiarism Check | ✖ | ✖ | ? |
| Paraphrasing | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Structural Advice | ? | ? | ✔ |
| Structural Alteration | ✖ | ? | ✔ |
| Change Argument | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
✔ : can be done for the given level of proofing
✖ : cannot be done for the given level of proofing (i.e., for reasons of academic fairness)
? : will depend on circumstances if this can be done (i.e., depending on the regulations set by your academic senate)
Concerned About the Above? Get In Contact!
As ever, if you need advice on the above then please do contact me.
