What can I do instead of [sic]?

Answer 1

The use of [sic] is a judgment call. When I've used it in academic writing, it was only to point out spelling errors within a quotation that might confuse the reader. If the quotation contained some sort of spelling error that was nonetheless clear, use of [sic] would depend on how rigorous the editing standards are for a particular publication. Printed academic journals are, for instance, far more picky than articles for a corporate web site.

Examples:

Her father wrote, "I wan [sic] to thank everyone who has been so supportive of me and my family these past few days." ([sic] is included because "wan" is a rather odd spelling error that might not be make sense.)

She said in an email, "It was all just a big, phoney lie." ("Phoney" is misspelled, but the meaning is still clear. The use of [sic] is optional. In some publication settings, I might also simply correct the spelling within the quotation.)

Some editors use [sic] very generously, because they worry readers will assume the errors shown are due to their poor proofreading skills. I've seen editors go so far as to use [sic] not only for spelling, but for usage and grammar errors as well. The result is a mess of [sic] word word [sic] word [sic] patterns that make passages very hard to wade through.

As for what you can do instead of [sic] ... well, it's the only device we have to tell the reader that the quotation is reproduced exactly as written. It's up to you to decide if that is an important point or not within your own piece.