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Self-Editing Checklist

Updated: Nov 9

Following a self-editing checklist can help you do a good job of self-editing major writing projects, such as your master’s thesis or PhD dissertation. Self-editing itself is an essential part of the writing process for all forms of writing, not just major writing projects.

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Even if you eventually hire a professional editor, it is still necessary to do self-editing. In some cases, you may not even need a professional editor, if your self-editing skills are good enough. This is a good option if you are a native English speaker or if you are confident in your English language ability. 


In this article, we discuss how you can use self-editing and a self-editing checklist to make sure you submit work that you can take pride in. 


What is a self-editing checklist? 


A self-editing checklist is a document that shows a list of important things that require to be completed in teh self-editing process. When working on major projects such as master’s theses or PhD dissertations. It’s best to have a reliable process in place. 


A self-editing checklist is part of that process. With this type of list, you are able to ensure that you are following a proper writing process to ensure that your document is error-free as much as possible before the final submission.  


Here is an example of a self-editing checklist.


Self-editing checklist table

Criteria 

Checklist Items

Place a check here after completing each step

Punctuation 

  • I read my written piece aloud

  • Quotation marks are correctly placed

Capitalization

  • I checked correct capitalization in the beginning of sentences and proper nouns

Grammar

  • My sentences are complete

  • I have no run-on sentences

Spelling 

  • I checked spelling using a reliable spell-checker

  • My spelling is consistent according to a style guide


Advantages of editing on your own


The main advantage of proofreading on your own is that you know or at least you should know your own research better than anyone else. This means you are more qualified than anyone else to correct yourself.


Moreover, you save money and don’t have to worry about falling foul of university rules that may prohibit certain types of editing by others. However, you may not have the time or skill to be an editor. Especially if we’re talking about the most important document in your academic or professional life. 


The table below summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of editing and proofreading your thesis by yourself. 


  • You will save money 

  • You know your work better than most so may be the best qualified to edit it

  • Your university may prohibit the substantive editing offered by professional editors


However, it is not always the perfect solution. Unfortunately, you may not be qualified to reconize your own errors. This may be the case if you’re not a native English speaker. Another thing to take into account is the general lack of objectivity when it comes to editing your own work. 


Sometimes, a writer is simply to close to their work to do a good job of editing it. This lackof objectivity can be so bad that even professional editors may need another editor to edit their work.


One solution is to get one of your friends to help you read and check your writing. Ideally, this friend will have a higher level of proficiency than you. 


Using paid software for proofreading 


Highly specialized editing software can be used in your self-editing your manuscript. Many of them have only been developed only in the past few years. However,  not all proofreading software is built equally.


Don’t be fooled by editors or businesses who offer AI-based editing services for your manuscript. Only a few proofreading software have been designed specifically for academic editing. They include but are not limited to:


  • PerfectIT

  • Sribendi AI

  • Scribbr’s proofreading AI


They are ideal for long documents such as theses and dissertations. They ensure stylistic consistency, such as using abbreviations, proper spelling, and heading/subheading formatting style throughout the article.


For example, if you are using a foreign word in a 10,000-word article that needs to be in italics as required by the APA style guide, you can simply click a button to make sure that word is italicized throughout the article.


However, proofreading software is not a replacement for a human proofreader. It would be quite difficult to achieve the best proofreading with paid proofreading software alone. This type of software is most efficient when used by a professional editor. 


Advantages of using proofreading software


Using paid editing software increases your efficiency because they are automated and make multiple corrections at the touch of a button. Also, the right proofreading software is designed specifically for academic writing. Here’s a quick list of advantages:



  • It's quick and automated

  • It is designed for academic editing 

  • It captures errors that human eyes could miss



However, such software is specialized tools that require specific experience and skill. These tools may need expert human guidance. That means you need to have good knowledge of grammar and style to make sure that your software knows what it is talking about!  


Also, although tools like Grammarly have a good free version, many of these software tools require you to pay. 


How EminentEdit can help with editing your thesis


At EminentEdit, we understand the importance of a content production process that relies on AI. Our editing and proofreading services provide the final polishing touches that make your content human and trustworthy. We also make sure that even before any work gets done we both are on the same page. Take a look at our editing SOP below.

 
EminentEdit SOP
 

Our services don't just start with proofreading the final product. It also includes help from the very start, such as editing and double-checking your thesis or academic essay proposals. Our academic editing services include:


  • Developmental editing to make sure your proposal can be transformed into a thesis that can pass your defense or committee review

  • Editing and proofreading for academic essays

  • Editing for grant proposals

  • Substantive editing to improve the quality of your writing on a sentence level

  • Extensive commentary and recommendations to improve literature review, structure, and arguments

  • Proofreading to make sure your writing is grammatically correct with proper spelling and punctuation

  • Assistance in transforming your thesis into a published scientific paper


Get in touch through our contact page here: CONTACT US AT EMINENT EDIT. Good luck with your research writing!

 

Cite this EminentEdit article

Antoine, M. (2024, November 8). Self-Editing Checklist. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/self-editing-checklist



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