Proofreading vs Editing: Do you want to know the difference?
Proofreading vs Editing
If you have done a little research about language translation services, then you most likely have come across the words proofreading and editing. Both are part of the quality check on how to check the quality of translation. But what is really the difference between the two? Or more aptly, is there a difference between the two?
Proofreading vs Editing: What is proofreading?
Proofreading, simply put, is reviewing and correcting a well- written translation. The main purpose here is to catch typographical errors such as punctuation, capitalization, spelling or numerical text as well as a few glaring errors on syntax or grammar. A proofreader dives into each sentence to find stray punctuation marks or commas where they shouldn’t be. Proofreading involves careful examination of the plain text with an invisible magnifying glass to find typographical errors. Note that any text can be proofread, whether it was translated or not. For proofreading of a translation, a line by line comparison between the original document and the translation is usually not necessary. However, the original text can be provided to the proofreader as a reference.
A proofreader should always be critical of the following:
- writing style
- technical quality of the text: spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, numbers
- structure: sentence fragments, comma splices, run on sentences
- the use of British English vs American English
Proofreading vs Editing: What is editing?
Translation editing done comprehensively includes comparing the source text with the translated text line by line. Contrary to “using a magnifying glass to spot errors” in proofreading, editing is akin to looking at the big picture. The editor reviews the source document and then reviews the translation — as whole. What does that mean? It means that your editor should be critical.
Proofreading vs Editing: Who should you hire?
Generally, those who work as translators have also done some editing and proofreading in their past work. Remember to hire someone who is proficient with the target language. For example, do not hire an editor who advertises “edition services” for Spanish translations. The Spanish translation for editing is “edición” and it is often mistranslated to “edition”. You do not want your editor to be making mistakes like this.
Note that your editor will need to speak both the source and target languages fluently, while your proofreader only needs to be proficient with the target language.
If your document will only be distributed internally, then you may not need to spend extra cash on an editor. However, for marketing translations, business translations, or corporate translations with an external intended audience, or a more sensitive recipient, then hiring a professional linguist would be a good investment.
Language Direct has a team with thousands of linguists, translators, interpreters editors and proofreaders who can help you with your language needs. Call us today and we can also help you decide if you need proofreading vs editing.
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