How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Why proofs are sent to authors
The publishing process (How to deal with proofs)—and after publication
Publishing the paper

Some authors seem to forget their manuscripts as soon as they are accepted for publication, paying little attention to the proofs when they arrive and assuming that their papers will magically appear in the journals without error.

Why are proofs sent to authors? Authors are provided with proofs of their papers for one main reason: to check the accuracy of the type composition. In other words, you should examine the proofs carefully for typographical errors. Even if you carefully proofread and spell-checked your paper before submitting it, errors can remain or can be introduced when editorial changes are input. And sometimes the typesetting process mysteriously converts Greek letters into squiggles or corrupt characters, cuts off lines of text, or causes other mischief. No matter how perfect your manuscript might be, it is only the printed version in the journal that counts. If the printed article contains serious errors, all kinds of later problems can develop, not the least of which may be serious damage to your reputation.

The damage can be real, in that many errors can destroy comprehension. Something as minor as a misplaced decimal point can make a published paper almost useless. In this world, we can be sure of only three things: death, taxes, and typos.