How to Find the Right Research Paper Proofreader

Once you’ve written, edited, and formatted your research paper, you might think you’re ready to submit. But you’d be in trouble if you skipped the final step of writing a research paper – proofreading! Proofreading your research paper after everything else has been done is vital to ensuring that your work is of the highest quality when it is submitted. But what is research paper proofreading, why is it important, and how can you ensure that you find the right research paper proofreader? Keep reading to find out.

What is Research Paper Proofreading?

Proofreading is the final step of the paper writing process. It is a final review to ensure that there are no spelling, grammatical, or formatting errors, that your paper is organized correctly, and that your references are all there and properly formatted. Proofreading is vital to ensure that you didn’t accidentally delete or alter something important during the manuscript formatting process. But a good research paper proofreader also has to be familiar with the topic of the paper, the citation style being used, and any journal manuscript formatting guidelines that need to be followed. Otherwise, your paper proofreader might erroneously change things in your paper that shouldn’t be changed, or leave in problematic portions.

Why Is Proofreading Important, and Can I Just Do It Myself?

While spelling, grammar, and formatting might seem less important to a final research paper compared to the actual substance of the research itself, the truth is journals do not want to accept research papers with mistakes in these areas. As the saying goes, people only notice formatting or spelling when it’s wrong. A research paper that has inconsistent formatting, spelling errors, improper citations, or grammatical errors indicates to the reader that the source of the information is poor or untrustworthy. It looks unprofessional and sloppy to miss minor errors. Readers are likely to think, if this person couldn’t pay attention to the simpler details, how trustworthy is their research? You need to submit a perfectly proofread paper in order to get anyone to take your work seriously.

That said, proofreading your own work should be the last resort. While finding a research paper proofreader can seem difficult and unnecessary, proofreading services are popular for a good reason. Since you know the content of your research paper well, you know what you want to say and are likely to see what you meant rather than what you wrote. The brain is great at playing tricks, and outside paper proofreaders or proofreading services bring fresh eyes to your work.

They won’t see what you wanted to say – they will see what you did say, and fix it accordingly. So don’t be your own research paper proofreader if you can possibly avoid it.

How Can I Find the Right Paper Proofreader?

So how can you find the right paper proofreader? There are a couple of tips and things you should look for in a research paper proofreader. These include, but are not limited to:

Familiarity with your research area and subject : Each academic discipline has its own quirks, specialized vocabulary, and standards. If you use a paper proofreader who isn’t familiar with your subject, they might miss problems or highlight things as being wrong that are completely fine. The ideal paper proofreader knows about your specific research subject too, but someone who has a background in your discipline will also suffice as a good paper proofreader.

Familiarity with different citation methods : Citation guides are tricky and particular. A great paper proofreader will easily notice when a date is in the wrong place or the author’s first name should be second instead of first in a footnote. Citation style also applies to headline and paragraph formatting, and a good research paper proofreader will make sure those aspects are correct too. 

A good track record. A good paper proofreader should have a host of happy clients whose papers they have proofread before. If you find a potential research paper proofreader who doesn’t have one or two references, you might want to move on. This is another reason proofreading services are a great option. Proofreading services do the work of vetting each paper proofreader for you, and they can recommend the best paper proofreader with the appropriate background and expertise.

Should I Use Proofreading Services?

There are pros and cons like anything else, but for most academics, especially new academics trying hard to publish for the first time, proofreading services are a great option. As mentioned above, proofreading services take the work out of vetting a paper proofreader for you, and make sure that you are matched with a research paper proofreader who is familiar with your topic. In addition, if you use a proofreading service and are unhappy with the results, the service can provide you with another paper proofreader right away to fix the problem. If you find your own research paper proofreader who doesn’t do a great job, you might be stuck at the last minute with a poorly proofed paper! Finally, proofreading services offer fast turnaround times, so if you’ve left the vital step of proofreading to the last minute, they can still provide you with a research paper proofreader to help you out. So don’t hesitate- the next time you’re getting ready to submit a research paper for publication or even just an assignment, try a professional research paper proofreader from a proofreading service.