Some writers are good at checking their work for grammatical inaccuracies while others are not. There is also the tendency to read what you know, not what you wrote, and this is often not the same thing. Writers tend to know what or who they are talking about, but to a person seeing the document for the first time, this is often not so obvious.
A proof reader checks for errors of all types; from spelling to punctuation, spacing, even fonts and font sizes. They check the work is laid out according to the brief given by the client, and that the document is correctly structured.
They ensure the finished document is readable; that it flows in a proper order, is easy to follow and understandable. In the case of transcriptions this is more difficult than for an ordinary article. The reason being, a transcription must follow what was said, and oft times this was not said in an orderly fashion. Based on whether the client wants a totally identical copy of the recording, or an easy to read document, the proof reader will correct and change accordingly.
Proof readers will also check accuracy of the content, if necessary. They verify facts, dates, values etc, and if there is any inconsistencies in these we at Singapore Transcription can then contact the client, asking if they prefer the incorrect date stated on the recording or the correct one, or an another option that states the incorrect date with a note explaining this is incorrect and citing the correct one. This ensures their document turns out exactly the way they want it.
We take our work seriously and want our clients to be 100% happy with our services so they will return to us for more work and recommend our transcriptionists to their colleagues and friends.