Frequently Asked Questions About Proofreading

What Is Proofreading?

Proofreading means “the process of making the text ready for publication by making the necessary corrections to written text” and the word derives from Latin. Proofreading services involve the elimination of errors in a previously translated text that have been evaluated under various error categories. Proofreading is performed by a different translator the translator who has done the translation, thus a "second eye" will be incorporated into the translation and any errors that the translator may have overlooked can be eliminated.

Proofreading is more than locating and correcting technical errors, such as punctuation, uppercase and lowercase letters and spelling errors. Proofreaders who perform proofreading must have full command of both the source and target language. The task of the proofreader is not only to review the translation in terms of technical errors, some of which are mentioned above, but also to make sure that the translation is error-free in terms of meaning and context.

Why Is Proofreading Needed?

Proofreading is not only performed for literary texts. Proofreading services can be provided in many fields such as academic proofreading, article proofreading for websites, and technical proofreading. Within this service, it is ensured that the translation is error-free.

While translating, translators might make various mistakes. Failure to localize a phrase in the source language and leaving it unfamiliar for the target language, abbreviations not formed in line with the rules of the target language, misspellings, and incorrectly transferring numbers and proper names to the target are examples of these errors. In these cases, the person who will make the necessary corrections is the proofreader. After the proofreading is completed, you will receive contents that have been reviewed in accordance with industry quality criteria and whose quality is guaranteed.

How To Proofread?

Proofreading compares the target text with its source text, checks it for accuracy, completeness, and consistency, and corrects the necessary elements. In this detailed process, proofreading services includes correcting translation and terminology errors, ambiguity in meaning, spelling and punctuation errors, and grammar and syntax errors, and all other errors included in the DQE (Dynamic Quality Evaluation) error typology criteria in the target text.

Who Is A Proofreader? Who Can Perform Proofreading?

A proofreader is a translator who eliminates errors in a translation and increases the quality of the translation by adhering to certain criteria. As with any task, it is essential to clearly observe how the translation quality has changed measurably after proofreading, thus proofreaders are those who are knowledgeable about all of the requirements of this task.

To be a successful proofreader, one must have a good command of rhetoric and grammar rules in both languages at an advanced level. In addition, the proofreading task is given to people who can produce high-quality translations, pay attention to the details of their work and are aware of what is expected of them in the proofreading.

How Long Does Proofreading Take Compared To the Translation?

Proofreading requires comparative reading of both the source and target text. During proofreading, the proofreader eliminates errors that are evaluated under various error categories, of the translator. If the translation quality is considered to be at a certain level, the proofreading time is half of the translation time.

Proofreading requires the translator and the proofreader to be always in communication, as errors detected by the proofreader must be resolved in consultation with the translator. In order to keep this communication at the desired level, HeliCo Translation Team includes translators called Lead Linguists.

How To Improve the Quality of the Translation?

Language, in general, is a cultural transmission tool. As a result, when translating, the translator and the proofreader should keep in mind that they are not only translating the words but also the culture. A translation carried out by a translator who has a good command of the culture of the target language will always be of higher quality.

In order to improve translation quality, it is necessary to approach this task in a more technical manner, in addition to having a good command of the languages and cultures. The most fundamental way to always maintain the desired level of translation quality is to adhere to global standards and incorporate universal, tested, and proven translation quality criteria into your internal procedures. Furthermore, making your procedures functional and enforceable, or, if you work as a team, ensuring that everyone on the team understands and implements them, will ensure high translation quality.

How Are Proofreading Fees Determined?

Proofreading service fees vary according to the source language and target language to be proofread. For example, fees differ between English proofreading and German proofreading. Moreover, different fields of proofreading (book proofreading, internet article proofreading, technical proofreading, academic proofreading, etc.) require different competencies Furthermore, the time frame you envision for the editing service you want to receive may influence the fee. Therefore, it is not possible to give a fixed proofreading fee for every situation. You can get detailed information about proofreading prices by contacting HeliCo Translation’s team of experts, which offers professional proofreading services.

Are Proofreading Fees Different From Translation Fees?

In the language services or localization industries, the proofreading fee is roughly half of the translation fee. As a result, it is generally accepted in the industry that proofreading of the same text can be completed in half the time it takes to translate it. Besides, of course, there are always exceptions. One of these exceptions is that the translation quality is unacceptably lower than expected.

When determining the proofreading fees, we consider whether the document that needs proofreading services has been previously translated by us as well as the general state of the translation. If you want to receive proofreading services from HeliCo Translation, you can get information about proofreading fees.

Author: Göksun Kocagöz

Date of Publication: 24/06/2021

Target Audience: People Who Need Proofreading Services, Translators, Proofreaders

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