 So you've done it. Your project has a clear main idea, your sections are organized effectively, and there's a consistent tone throughout the piece. You're basically done, right? Almost. The last step is to proofread and edit small mistakes and errors. You know, the polishing up bit of writing. Here's where being in a group really comes in handy. You can divide the work based on each other's grammar and punctuation knowledge. Chances are each member of your group has expertise in some area, commas, run-on sentences, verb tenses, all those fun things. Each person can be their own grammar expert and comb through the paper for their thing. Here are a few tips to make your proofreading most effective. First, find first and fix later. Do one read-through of the paper just looking for your assigned mistake. Looking for run-on sentences? Read the paper once and just highlight all the places you see run-ons. Then do another sweep and actually change those sentences. If we try to fix the mistake every time we find it in the paper, we'll get distracted, and it'll take much longer to get all the way through. Second, read out loud. Instead of just reading quietly in your head, try reading out loud or have someone else read out loud to you. Reading out loud engages multiple senses and prevents your brain from auto-correcting what you wrote. Third, read backward. To use this strategy, start at the last sentence of your paper and then read to the start. Similar to reading out loud, reading backward takes each sentence out of context and combats the auto-correct effect. If someone in your group uncomfortable with grammar, never fear. They could talk to your professor to find out what your prof's grammar pet peeves are. Trust me, all professors have them and they're usually perfectly happy to explain how to fix them if you ask. Alternatively, this person could become your citation expert. While other group members work on proofreading and editing, this person can double-check that all sources have citations and that your citations are formatted correctly. We know that none of this is super exciting, and at this point you're probably all tired of working on this project and just want a break. Luckily, taking a break can be another great proofreading strategy, so consider this permission to put your project aside for a couple of days and come back to it with a fresh set of eyes.