PR Standard Operating Procedure

Overview of the Proofreading Process

Retrieving Jobs

To retrieve proofreading work, log in to TypeEasy using your login I.D. and password, and select 'At Work' as you normally would when your scheduled shift begins.

Once you are logged in, the system will assign proofreader-appropriate jobs to you when they are available. If no proofreading jobs are available, the system will assign you any available typing jobs.

New job types you will receive as a Proofreader will consist of:

Scheduled Reviews (Work completed by typists which needs to be proofed.)
Partials (Jobs submitted as partially complete by typists, which need to be finished.)
Group conversations

Proofreading a Completed Document

1. Upon assignment of a job, the Proofreader will first review the Job Information screen.

This includes:

The type of job: Scheduled Proofreading, Partial, or Group Conversation
Document History: This will show who completed the job (a legal or general typist, or sometimes a PR)
Client Instructions] and Job Instructions
Client Word List
Comments to proof left by previous typist
Check for help tickets that the typist may have opened

If there is a Help Ticket associated with the job, there will be a button to the right of the "Reason for Proofing" section of the Job Information screen. Remember, never rate on anything a typist was told to do by the Help Desk, so always check for tickets.

2. Once all of these elements have been reviewed, open the Word Document and the Rating Sheet.

3. Listen to the first few minutes of audio.

Listen for the client instructions including custom file names, justification or indentation instructions, requests for a template, etc.
Ensure the typist seems to have properly transcribed the first couple minutes of the audio.
If everything seems accurate, it may not be necessary to listen to the entire audio. Please use your best judgment when determining how much audio is necessary to listen to.
If there are quite a few errors within the first few minutes of the audio, consider whether the job should be rejected.

4. Check document formatting.

Ensure all formatting instructions have been followed. If none are given, ensure SpeakWrite defaults are used appropriately for things like indentation, headings, pagination, etc.
Ensure the font is correct according to the client's default or the template.
If a template was used, open the blank template and compare the formatting and font to ensure that the typist applied it correctly.

5. Proofread and Record Errors on Comment Sheet.

Read through the entire document and look for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.
Spot check the audio at various points to ensure the typist transcribed all audio in the job.
If there seem to be multiple transcription errors, it may be necessary to listen to the entire audio to correct errors throughout the document, following the Procedure for Marking Errors.
If you have to make a change to the custom file name, word processing format, or additional email address fields in the Job Submission screen, type or copy/paste the incorrect custom file name, WP format, or additional email address into the appropriate line of the rating form, so that management will be able to answer typist inquiries. (Once you make the change, we cannot access what the typist originally entered.)
Determine the final rating (using the process and guidelines outlined below) and enter it on the rating sheet.

Run SpellCheck and ensure the document is ready for the client. Submit the job as complete. A box will pop up to input the job rating.

Corrections that Shouldn't Be Rated

If a document has errors that stem from unclear audio, confusing instructions, etc., or if the typist has left a comment to proof with a reason for a specific decision they made (even if they were incorrect), PRs are encouraged to leave explanatory comments on the rating sheet, but don't hold these against the typist when determining the overall rating.

Typists are counseled to follow client instructions over SpeakWrite defaults. Be sure to check the audio for Client Instructions, and do not rate the typist for "errors" that the client dictated or for formatting that client requested.

Did you know?

Typists should never be rated for errors that may be the result of a help ticket response. You may make corrections to the document as necessary, but the typist should not be rated on those.

Email for Clarification

If you do not agree with the help ticket response, or feel that it may have been wrong, you may email typist.supervisor@speakwrite.com with a description of the problem and the related job number.

Calculating a Rating

Because you will not be counting individual errors, we have developed a system to objectively rate jobs. Follow the rubric below when determining how to assign the appropriate category on the rating sheet, and corresponding numerical rating in TypeEasy. (Remember, typists will NOT see the numerical rating. They will only see the category selected.)

Category and Numerical Rating	Description
5 Great Work!	Very few or no errors present No high priority errors
4 Satisfactory	No high priority errors Limited moderate priority or other errors Few or minor errors
3 Satisfactory	If any high priority errors are present, this is the highest possible rating. No more than 1 or 2 high priority errors with few/no other errors. A few moderate priority errors with few/no other errors. Overall, decent work.
2 Needs Improvement	If multiple different moderate priority errors, this is the highest possible rating. More numerous or significant errors.
1 Needs Improvement	Significant errors or multiple high priority errors If multiple different types of high priority errors or multiple instances of the same highest priority error, this is the highest possible rating. Extensive errors, especially careless ones

Rating Policies

Only rate once for each error:

One error should not be counted in multiple places on the rating sheet. Proofreaders are responsible for determining the most appropriate type of error to mark.

Example: If a typist uses "than" instead of "then", this should be marked as a grammatical error, rather than as a misspelled word.

All proofreaders must be completely familiar with each type of error on the rating sheet so as to appropriately and correctly rate each type of error as they occur.

Rate the higher-weighted error.

If a Moderate Priority or Additional Error occurs and affects a higher-weighted error, mark the higher error.

Example: If a typist does not modify a template header, when the client orally instructs them to, mark this as an oral instruction error rather than not modifying a header appropriately.

Professional Courtesy

Proofreaders should avoid being overzealous in marking errors.
If a typist misses minor words such as the, a, etc. (especially if the audio isn't perfect), give them the benefit of the doubt. No more than one error should be marked for these minor words, especially if the meaning of the sentence isn't altered.

No Change/No Comment

A proofreader's personal preference should not come into play at all when rating a typist's work. Do not mark errors or make comments that are not based on OLH standards.

Example: If a typist uses P.M., do not change it to p.m. simply because it is your preference. Both versions are correct and acceptable.

One exception to this is the spelling of proper names or certain terminology. If a proofreader has personal knowledge of the spelling of a certain place/company/etc., it is fine to change the typist's version. No error should be assessed, and a comment should be left to let the typist know that the change was made.
If a typist's phonetic spelling doesn't match the client's pronunciation, the proofreader can and should correct it. No errors should ever be marked for this, and a comment should be left to let the typist know why it was changed.