Editors often ask us how far we can go when proofreading academic papers. The simple answer is that we must be careful not to alter the content of any academic essay. ‘Content’ means the arguments put forward, any facts presented, or positions taken by the writer. These are no-go areas for proofreaders. The actual writing is what concerns us.
EAL students can be disadvantaged by limited English language skills. Often their tutors will ask them to get their work proofread before it can be marked. Therefore, it’s our job to help the writer say what they want to say in a way that is clear for the reader. We don’t need to query what they are saying or advise them to review facts (unless they are the subject of very obvious typos or misuse of words). Our aim is just to make sure they are able to say what they want to say, whatever it may be.
By the same token, we cannot always know what they mean to say ourselves, so we have to take care. If a writer has used a jumble of words, but you can pretty much see what they are driving at, you can rewrite that sentence and add a comment asking if that’s what they meant. If, on the other hand, you are really unsure, or if there could be different interpretations, you should leave a comment asking them to revise it, as their meaning is unclear.
Ultimately, it is still the writer’s document and they have to decide whether or not to accept our changes and suggestions.
NB for Proofed editors: If the customer has only paid for proofreading but the document really needs editing, please contact Editor Support at the earliest juncture so that they can see if the customer can upgrade to the editing service.
Below are some examples indicating how far you can legitimately go when proofreading EAL academic papers. We show the original text and three different approaches to proofreading it.
* This still does not read well.
** You might doubt the point being made, but it’s now clear what the writer is trying to say, and it is in reasonable English.
*** You may have changed the meaning.
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