How do you proofread collaboratively for complex or multidisciplinary projects?

Some projects will require a specific style guide be used, especially those being published. The Chicago Manual of Style or American Psychological Association are two common examples. To have a successful project, clearly articulate style guide expectations from the outset. Nothing is worse than having to redo all of the formatting and citations for a work, after having spent days on it already.

Before you start this work, clarify whether what you are doing is proofreading (looking at the final pages, already through lay out) or copyediting. For the purposes of this article, strike-through any mention of proofreading and replace with copyediting. Proofreading is a letter-by-letter read of final pages, ensuring that no errors were missed or introduced in typesetting. Proofreaders ensure that images are correctly placed and labeled and match textual call-outs. Copyediting, on the other hand, is where grammar, spelling, and punctuation are checked. Copyediting is also where an outside eye reads over the manuscript, ensuring that your arguments, logic, and evidence are clear, coherent, and convincing

The process described here isn't proofreading—it's collaborative revision. Proofreading is the last stage where you read the document not for content, but for typos, spacing errors, formatting, etc. Revision is what happens after the first draft is complete and before proofreading. That said, I think the most important aspect of revision, especially when doing it collaboratively, is a clear understanding of the purpose and audience of the text. Every editing decision ought to be informed by the goal of the document and for whom it's written. If you can all align on that, the whole process gets much easier. When working in a word processor (Word, Docs), I like adding that purpose and audience in the header so it's on every single page.

I have group proofreading to be impossible. The proofread should be the final read in production. What's a proofreader to do if she catches an error (say, where the style sheet wasn't followed) and fixes it, and someone comes along later and puts the error back in?

To avoid the concerns that Eloise mentioned, it might be most effective to have just one group member in charge of the final proofreading. Throughout the group process, though, everyone should be clear about the purpose and style of the project, and edit accordingly. Communication before and after the project is essential to ensure continuity.

I underscore the comments by Eloise and Natasha. (1) Indeed, one person should be in charge of the document and responsible for incorporating feedback. (2) Create specific opportunities for submitting comments, e.g., "Folks, here's draft no. 1. Please provide your comments by Friday COB. Please send your comments to the entire group." Begin draft no. 2 after Friday COB. (3) I prefer sending a PDF draft and having people use the "comment" function to provide their input. No one should be revising your document.

Again, this paragraph is a good place to remember that the word proofreading is being entirely misused in this piece. The above paragraph is a discussion of the editing process, not of proofreading.

Keeping the primary message(s) or goal(s) of the written product is important when adjudicating edits from different stakeholders. For example, edits that go into technical aspects to better explain a process may be accurate and add helpful detail, but not necessary in a piece targeted to a general audience and can distract the reader from the key points; conversely, even high level writing on less frequently discussed topics should include sufficient detail to be educate the reader.

I would add to set your work aside for a bit (at least a day, ideally 3 or more), so when you come back to it, it seems like it has been written by a stranger. This provides objectivity to the subject and style. Also, read it out loud the final time proofreading. Or even better if you have the time and resources, have someone else read it aloud to you. You hear what their interpretation of your work sounds like, and can clarify or clean up any messy or misinterpreted parts!