ICT IGCSE Study Notes: Chapter 15 – Proofing Techniques

Hello future ICT expert! This chapter is incredibly important, not just for your exams, but for making sure all the practical work you produce is professional and flawless.
Proofing is essentially the art of making sure your digital work (whether it's a document, a database entry, or a presentation) is accurate, consistent, and looks perfect. Let’s dive into the two main ways we achieve this: using smart software tools and using careful manual techniques.

15.1 Software Tools for Reducing Errors

When you create an ICT product—like a report or a spreadsheet—the first line of defense against mistakes is the built-in software tools.

Automated Software Tools (Spell Check and Grammar Check)

Most modern software packages include tools that automatically identify potential errors in text. You must be able to use these tools effectively and make appropriate changes.

  • Spell Check: Looks for words that are not found in the dictionary.
  • Grammar Check: Identifies issues with sentence structure, punctuation, and tense.

! Important Warning: Automated suggestions do not always give the correct response.

Example: If you type "The cat ate there food," the spell checker won't flag "there" because it is a correctly spelled word. However, you should have used "their." This is why manual proofing is still essential!

Validation Checks: Minimising Data Entry Errors

While spell check looks at words, Validation is used to ensure that the data being entered into a field (like in a database or spreadsheet) is reasonable and sensible before it is processed.

Think of validation as a bouncer at a club: it doesn't check if the person (data) is 100% correct, but it checks if they meet the basic entry rules (e.g., "Must be over 18").

Here are the crucial characteristics and uses of different validation routines:

  • Range Check: Checks if data falls within a specified minimum and maximum value.
    Example: Age of a student must be between 11 and 18. (If you enter 100, the system flags an error.)

  • Character Check (or Alpha/Numeric Check): Checks that the data contains the correct type of characters.
    Example: A name field should only contain text (alphabetical) characters. A telephone number field should only contain numbers (numeric).

  • Length Check: Checks if the data has the correct number of characters.
    Example: A password must be at least 8 characters long.

  • Type Check: Checks if the data is the expected data type (e.g., Integer, Date, Boolean).
    Example: A 'Date of Birth' field must be entered as a date format (DD/MM/YYYY).

  • Format Check: Checks if the data matches a specific pre-defined pattern.
    Example: A UK postcode must match a pattern like LLNN NLL (e.g., SW1A 0AA).

  • Presence Check: Ensures that a field is not left blank (i.e., data must be present).
    Example: The "Surname" field on a registration form cannot be empty.

  • Check Digit: This is a numerical value (often the last digit) added to an identification code (like a product barcode or ISBN). It is calculated based on the other digits.
    Purpose: It helps detect simple transcription errors (typing mistakes).
Quick Review: Validation

Validation ensures data is reasonable. It is an automatic check performed by the software.

15.2 Proofing Techniques (Manual Checking)

No software is perfect. Once you’ve used the automated tools, you must manually check your work using specific proofing techniques. This is essential, especially in practical exams where small errors can cost marks!

A. Visual Verification (Checking Data Accuracy)

Verification is checking data against the original source to ensure accuracy. Visual verification simply means looking closely at the screen and comparing the entered data to the data source.

You need to look out for these common data entry errors:

  • Transposed numbers: When two digits are accidentally swapped (e.g., typing 1987 instead of 1897).
  • Incorrect spelling: Words that are spelled incorrectly but are still recognised as real words (like the "their/there" example above).
  • Inconsistent character spacing: Using different numbers of spaces between words or numbers.
  • Inconsistent case: Using capital letters differently (e.g., mixing 'Surname' and 'surname' in a database).
B. Proofreading (Checking Consistency and Layout)

Proofreading involves checking the entire document or presentation for presentation errors and inconsistencies in formatting and structure. This goes beyond simple spelling.

During proofreading, focus on correcting the following:

  • Inconsistent line spacing: Making sure that single, double, or 1.5 spacing is applied uniformly throughout the document where required.
  • Removing blank pages/slides: Ensuring there are no unnecessary empty pages or slides, especially before printing.
  • Removing widows/orphans:
    • Widow: A single line of a paragraph left at the top of a new page/column.
    • Orphan: A single line of a paragraph left at the bottom of a page/column.
    Memory Aid: Think of the orphan as being left behind at the bottom, and the widow as being left alone at the top.
  • Inconsistent or incorrect application of styles: Checking that all headings use the correct Heading Style (H1, H2, etc.) and that the corporate house style has been maintained.
  • Ensuring that tables and lists are not split over columns or pages/slides: Making sure that an important table or a single bulleted list item doesn't get awkwardly split across pages, ruining the flow.

Did you know? In professional publishing, proofreading is often done on a physical printout, as human eyes find it easier to spot layout mistakes on paper than on a screen.

C. Verification Techniques (Reducing Data Entry Errors)

Verification is crucial for ensuring the data entered is a true copy of the source data.

  • Visual Checking (Manual): As covered earlier, simply reading the data on the screen and checking it against the original document.

  • Double Data Entry: The data is entered twice, usually by two different people (or by the same person using two separate input interfaces). The computer then compares the two sets of data. If they don't match, the system prompts the user to verify the data again.
    Use: Often used for extremely sensitive data, such as patient records or financial figures.
The Need for Validation AS WELL AS Verification

It's vital to understand that both are needed, as they serve different purposes:

1. Validation: Checks if the data is sensible or reasonable.

2. Verification: Checks if the data is accurate and matches the source.


Example: A student's ID number is 100456.

  • If you enter 100457, a validation check might pass (it's the correct format and length), but a double data entry verification process would show it is incorrect because it doesn't match the source document.
  • If you enter "One Hundred", verification is difficult, but the validation check (character check or type check) would immediately flag the data as unreasonable.
Key Takeaways for Proofing

Proofing is about producing work with as few errors as possible.
Use Software Tools (Validation and Spell Check) first.
Perform Visual Verification to catch transposed numbers and inconsistent case.
Perform Proofreading to correct formatting issues like widows, orphans, and table splits.
Remember: Validation checks for reasonableness; Verification checks for accuracy.