Technical Editing in the Twenty Teens

Transcription

MODERN EDITING
Improving product quality
Linda Oestreich
27 October 2012
STC San Diego
Technical Editing Workshop
Introduction & schedule
2
Oestreich, (c) 27 Oct 2012
Who am I?
STC Fellow
 Manager, Associate Fellows Committee
 Former board member at chapter and Society level
 Strategic and business analyst
 Technical communicator: manager, editor, writer
 Instructor, trainer, instructional designer

3
Why Me?
Writer/editor for science/engineering
 Communications manager and editor for
geophysical software development company
 Policy and procedures writer/editor for corporate
offices of young software firm
 Executive of small communications consulting firm
 Editor for large software development firm
 Lots of experience in different roles—writer, editor,
and manager

4
Who are you?
Writers?
 Editors?
 Managers?
 Liberal arts? Science/tech/IT?
 Companies?
 Why here?

5
Warm-up exercise!

FOLK exercise

Do quick edit….fixing only those things that MUST be
done.
Review with the key: did you find the mistakes?
 Did you do additional things?
 Why did you choose to do what you did?

6
Schedule
9:30 – 10:30
1. Introduction and schedule
2. Definition and tools
3. Mechanics
10:30 – 12:00
4.
Hardcopy editing
5. Online editing
6. Types of edit
7. Value and quality
8. Copy and comprehensive
editing
~12:00 Lunch!
12:30 – 1:30
9.
Editorial comments
10. Tech edit career
11. Editors today & future
1:30 – 2:00
12. Final Exercise
7
Definition & tools
8
Editorial wisdom
“The work of a good editor, like the work of a
good teacher, does not reveal itself directly;
it is reflected in the accomplishments of
others.”
The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter, Vol. 19, No. 4, July/August 1998
9
Technical editing: Textbook definition
Rude: Technical documents provide information
that readers need to make decisions or complete
tasks. It is part of the process of developing
documents that solve problems or enable readers
to use products.
 Tarutz: Technical is any specialized subject that
addresses a specific audience, has its own jargon,
and whose approach is objective. Editing is a craft.
Practicing a craft means recognizing and
transcending its constraints.

10
What’s in your editorial toolbox?
On your desk
In your head
Style guides (general & industryspecific)
 Dictionaries/grammar checkers
 Checklists & style sheets
 Editing markup system
(proofreaders marks)
 Desktop publishing tools


Use of English language
 Data presentation (information
architecture)
 Typographic & layout knowledge
 Content strategy
 Editing types/levels
 Editorial commenting
 Time management
 People skills
Clements and Waite: People skills: “…one of the most important skills you can
cultivate as a technical editor is the ability to get along well with people. For technical
editing is not solitary work.”
11
Style guides (examples)

General

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


Chicago Manual of Style
Elements of Style
GPO Style Manual
Modern Language
Association
Associated Press

Industry-specific
American Psychological
Association
 Council of Biology Editors’
Style Guide
 Microsoft Manual of Style
 Read Me First!

12
Dictionaries

General
Webster’s 3rd New
International (1961)
 Merriam-Webster’s
Collegiate Dictionary
(11th ed. 2009)
 American Heritage
Dictionary (5th to be
released late in 2011)


A plethora of specialized ones
(http://www.yourdictionary.com/diction4.html)



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


Technical
Scientific
Chemical
Medical
Agricultural
Biological
Biographical
13
Checklists and style sheets

Checklists:
Each activity in the publication process could have a
checklist: doc plan, writing, editorial, publication
 Ensures consistency
 Aids collaborative and team projects


Style sheets
Addition to style guides (company or industry level)
 Document or project level
 Individual guide

14
Editorial checklist

Build your own checklist (from suite101.com,
technical writing checklists):
Base your checklist on the context (industry, industry
standards, document type, and project life cycle phase)
 Follow a logical progression of activities
 Update checklists as required to reflect new
requirements or changes in supporting documents
 Can be detailed or high-level, or both

15
Self-made editorial checklist
Description
Task
Grammar
Correct grammatical mistakes.
Passive Voice
Revise passive sentences to make them active, where appropriate.
Lists
Check that bulleted, numbered, procedure, and terminology lists are used and styled
appropriately.
Headings
Check that headings are used appropriately; check for organization, parallelism,
“orphans,” and so on.
Tables and Figures
Check that table and figure numbers are consecutive. Check that table and figure titles
and captions are title capped, are phrases (as opposed to complete sentences), and that
they accurately and concisely describe the table or figure.
Cross-References
Check that cross-references are accurate and relevant, and create links.
Terminology
Research technical terms and acronyms for consistency, accuracy, and inclusion in a
larger project’s glossary or index. Ensure that new terms are appropriately defined in the
text. Compare definitions with other book or series definitions, and ensure published
definition is consistent and the best one available.
Formatting
Check for and fix obvious formatting issues. If project doesn’t have a production
department, ensure all formatting is correct and fits style guide.
16
Company editorial checklist

A checklist can
act as a
reminder and
offer a way to
keep within the
type or level of
edit
17
Editor’s rough style sheet
18
Style sheet
template
19
Exercise: Read passage and create a rough style
sheet
20
Did you include these things?
Inches
 Feet
 Fahrenheit
 Degree signs
 Serial commas
 Hyphen use
 Number use

21
Hard skills and soft skills

Corbin:
Hard skills: writing ability, superb sensitivity to language
and communication; information design, graphic arts,
project management, time management, environmentbased (for example, programming, industry-based
jargon, basic laws of science)
 Soft skills: problem-solving, negotiating, diplomacy, tact,
learning quickly, coaching, teaching, patience, attention
to detail, sympathy, insight, breadth of view, sense
of humor, and imagination


Tarutz: empathy, restraint, good judgment,
adaptability, flexibility, persuasion, decisiveness
22
Exercise: What traits make a good editor?

Which of these traits is most important in a good
editor?





Personality?
Skills?
Talent?
Passion?
Problem solving?
23
Mechanics of technical
editing
24
What are mechanics of editing?
Rude: Spelling, capitalization, hyphenation,
abbreviations, numbers, and type styles
 Einsohn: “Mechanical editing comprises all editorial
interventions made to ensure conformity to house
style…requires sharp eye, solid grasp of a wide
range of conventions, and good judgment.”

25
Punctuation, grammar, and usage review
Colons, semicolons,
and commas
 Hyphens and dashes
 Parentheses and
brackets
 Slashes/ampersands
 Parallelism
 Lists*

Subject/verb
agreement
 Dangling and
misplaced modifiers*
 Noun strings
 Passive voice*
 Ambiguity*
 Parallelism
 Style sheets!

26
Exercise: Edit this passage:

In this workshop, we will discuss the following
topics:





The importance of location in commercial development
The elements that determine location
What about utilities?
Requirements for parking
Planing fringe space
27
Edited passage

In this workshop we will discuss commercial
development:
Location
 Utilities
 Parking
 Fringe space

28
Hardcopy editing
29
Guidelines for hardcopy editing






Use only the basic, standard proofreading symbols for your
markup
Write neatly and legibly, so that writers can quickly read your
comments
Set off your markup by using colored pens, maximizing white
space, and uniquely identifying style changes
Skim and scan TOC, tables, and entire text for organization
and consistency issues before you start marking things up
Print single-sided to use the blank back page for extra white
space for comments
Photocopy your edits (or scan them to a PDF) to keep a copy
for yourself and return the original to the writer
30
Standard proofreaders’ marks: A
necessary staple of editing on paper
Insert letter
 Insert period
 Transpose
 Delete
 Lowercase a letter
 Uppercase a letter
 Italicize a word (toggle)
 Boldface a word (toggle)
 Stet

31
(c) Oestreich/20 April 2012
Skim and scan to avoid “course-correcting”
your edits
Skim the TOC (for organization)
 Skim the figures and tables (for consistency)
 Skim the rest of information from front to back
(for consistency and continuity)

32
Exercise: Practice hardcopy editing
As a result of a Nationl Bureau of Standard’s study of the problems
associated with excavation safety, it has been concluded that there is
a need for a simple soil classification system that can be used by field
supervisors to make rapid decisions on slopping or shoring
requirements. The soil classification system should meat the following
criterion it should be comprehensive (cover essentialy all the
conditions that could be encountered; it should consider (at least
implicitly) all critical conditions; should be be usable by construction
supervisors and OSHA complience officers’ in the field with-out the
assistance of an supervisoring engineer.
33
Key to exercise
34
Sample of hardcopy edited text, with
queries
35
Another sample of hardcopy edited text
36
Why choose hardcopy editing?
Writers are local
 Might be quicker for some tasks
 Might keep you focused on editing, not rewriting
 Might find more wording errors

37
Online editing
38
Essentials for online editing (Hart)

Essential features of an online editing tool
Inserting text
 Deleting text
 Adding comments/queries


Other tools used while online editing
Research tools: search tools, research portals, etc.
 Communication tools: email, instant messaging, etc.
 File transfer tools: sharing large files


Three common methods of online editing
Plain text
 Microsoft Word track changes
 Adobe Acrobat Pro

39
Microsoft Word guidelines
Set options for track
changes
40
Microsoft Word - Track Changes –
Print Layout View
41
This text was used (with permission) from the STC Technical Editing SIG collaborative/wiki page:
http://www.stc-techedit.org/tiki-index.php?page=Understanding+the+Value+of+a+Technical+Editor
Accepting or rejecting comments & edits
42
Guidelines for editing online in Adobe
Acrobat







Set preferences to make commenting more efficient for you and your
writer
Use the commenting and markup tools consistently, and don’t
overuse them
Use the text edit tools to insert, replace, delete, and attach a
comment on selected text
Use sticky notes in place of margin comments; use sticky notes for
queries about the text
Use bubble note associated with replacement text, deleted text, or
highlighted text – insert comment explaining the edit if necessary; do
not use a sticky note in addition to the text edit tool, as they are
treated as separate comments
Use text boxes to put the editing comment directly on the page, like
hardcopy editing; use sparingly for more global comments
Encourage your writers to use the Comments tab to review and mark
off addressed comments
43
Setting comment preferences
44
Comment & markup tools

Substitute Adobe Acrobat tools for your colored pens:





Sticky notes
Text Edits tool
Text highlighter
Callout tool
Text box tool
V9
V7
45
Text Edits tools
Textual markups
 Text selection activates
all tools
 Insert, delete, replace
as needed

46
Results of using the Text Edits tools
Replace text
New text
Delete text
Insert text
47
Highlighting and sticky note tools
48
Reviewing and addressing comments
49
Exercise: Edit this paragraph online
(using either Word or Adobe)
Until recent times, doctors spoke a magic language, usually Latin, and mystery
was part of your cure. But modren doctors are rather in the situation of modern
priests; having lost their magic language, they run the risk of losing the magic
powers too.
For us, this means that the doctor may lose his ability to heal us by our faith; and
doctors, sensing powerlessness, have been casting about for new languages
in which to conceal the nature of our afflictions and the ingredients of their
cures. They have devised two dialects, but neither seems quiet to serve for
every purpose. For this is a time of transtion and trial for them, marked by
various strategies, of which the well known illegible handwriting on your
prescription is but one. For doctors themselves seem to have lost faith too, in
themsevles and in the old mysteries and arts. They have been taught to think
of themselves as scientists, and so it is first of all to the language of science
they they turn, to control, and confuse us.
50
Key to exercise (in Microsoft Word)
51
Why choose online editing?






Writers are remote
Easier to read editing comments (even the best handwriting in
tight spaces is difficult to read)
Might be quicker for some tasks
Might be easier to find more structural errors (organization of
paragraphs, topics, etc.)
Can edit your edits or revisions
Can automate and mark or change things globally
(but do this carefully!)
Note: Edit a copy of the text, not the source of the text.
52
Types of edit
53
Why levels of edit?
“Levels systems are used to balance the editing depth needed
by a document against the demands to meet a deadline or a
budget target.”
“Levels of editing systems provide a framework within which
editors can choose appropriate editorial tasks for a particular
document; most levels systems are set up so that problems
of increasing depth and complexity are addressed as more
time or money becomes available.”
--David E. Nadziejka
54
(c) Oestreich, 27 October 2012
Defining what we do: “...imposing upon it a sense of
organization and rationality...”
(Van Buren and Buehler)


Types of edit (9 types)
 Categories of editorial functions
 Coordination, policy, integrity, screening, copy clarification,
format, mechanical style, language, and substantive
Levels of edit (5 levels)
 Number of specific editorial functions (types of edits)
 Level 5 contains least number of editorial functions (types
of edits); Level 1 contains most number (all)
55
Levels and types of edit
Classic
 Informal
 Negotiation

56
“Classic” levels of edit from Van Buren & Buehler

Nine types classified into five levels
Level of Edit
Type of Edit
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Coordination
X
X
X
X
X
Policy
X
X
X
X
X
Integrity
X
X
X
X
Screening
X
X
X
X
Copy Clarification
X
X
X
Format
X
X
X
Mechanical
X
X
Language
X
X
Substantive
X
57
An “informal” approach: hierarchy of tasks
(Tarutz)
Defined a hierarchy, based on task difficulty, time
on task, and skill level involved
 Typical uses: establish common language, sizing &
estimating, training new editors, scheduling

58
“Informal” levels from Tarutz






Turning pages – superficial look at text
Skimming – obvious spelling, grammar, punctuation
Skimming and comparing – internal consistency, crossreferences
Reading – writing style, such as wording, usage
Analyzing – organizational flaws, missing info,
redundancies, technical inconsistencies
Testing and using – technical errors, usability problems
59
Negotiation-based types of edits (Weber)

Rules-based editing
 Make a document correct, consistent, accurate, and complete, using
company standards and guidelines; spelling, grammar, punctuation,
capitalization, hyphenation, legal
 Not negotiable with the writer: the editor makes corrections, enforces the
rules

Analysis-based editing
 Make a document functional and appropriate for readers, focusing on
concepts, content, organization, form, and style
 Negotiable with the writer: the editor suggests improvements, identifies
possible issues
60
Content-focus instead of rules-focus (Nadziejka)



Non-sequential, independent list of 3 levels; all deal with
“traditional editorial concerns of language, grammar,
format, and style, but also with the technical content” (p. 9)
Lowest level of edit must include focus on content and
purpose, not just on grammar and style (or less); limited
time should not mean that we limit our focus on the content
Trade-off: Some typos or grammatical errors will exist
within a document (p. 7)
61
Content-focus levels of edit (Nadziejka)



Rush Edit
 Not enough time for a complete edit
 Selection of editing tasks within the limited amount of time
 “...identifying substantive problems or errors that would adversely affect the reader’s
comprehension and the author’s reputation...”
 Three types of tasks to be completed in order, and as time allows:
 Technical content considerations
 Policy considerations
 Copy editing considerations
Standard Edit
 Plenty of time to do a complete edit
 Complete editing of the document
 Includes all of the editing tasks in a Rush Edit, but in the order of the editor’s choosing:
 Technical content considerations
 Style considerations
 Language considerations
 Integrity considerations
 Policy considerations
Revision Edit
 More time-intensive edit
 Bringing several authors together
 Document is not nearing completion, is not yet ready for a Standard Edit
 Involves reorganization and major revisions to document
62
Textbook point of view: Defining editorial
functions and responsibilities (Rude)




Two primary functions:
 Preparing documents for publication
 Text editing
Two types of text editing:
 Comprehensive editing
 Copy editing
Preparing documents for publication includes document
design & production type editing
Primary purpose: Sizing, estimating, scheduling work;
“contract for editorial services”
63
Everyone does it: Simplifying or focusing the
levels (types) of edit (Baker)
Developed “editing model” based on own experiences
 Reduced complexity; simplified and clarified
 Defined three “levels” (types) of editing:

Knowledge editing (accuracy, completeness, logic)
 Language editing (grammar, punctuation)
 Layout editing (white space, formatting)

64
Evolution or revolution?




Complexity is an artifact of the environment in which one
works
 Larger corporations or teams might choose to define more
types of edits and adopt the levels as well
 Smaller companies or teams might choose to define fewer
types of edits and ignore the levels
People used “levels” to mean “types”; much confusion over
how “levels” different from “types”; some moved towards
“model”
Define each type with specific sets of editing tasks to be
completed; many editors “nest” the types of edits (for
example, a copy edit includes a legal edit)
Types of edits are most frequently used as job description,
project management tool, and training tool
65
Defining your types of edits


Must have a clear definition of the standard types of edits you
will complete
For most uses, the following types are a minimum you need:
 Legal edit – notices, trademarks, copyrights, licenses
 Copy edit – legal edit + “rules-based” errors in style guide,
especially for grammar, style, punctuation, and formatting
 Comprehensive edit – copy edit + “analysis-based” errors,
especially for organization, completeness, logic, and
accuracy
66
Characteristics that affect your choice



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
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

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Importance of project or release to the business
Importance of project or release to the customer
Importance of the information
Type of information
Amount of new and changed information
Quality of existing information
Experience of the writer
Availability of resources (editor, writer, SMEs)
Availability of time
Globalization and translation of the information
67
What type of edit would you choose?
(legal, copy, comprehensive?)
Characteristic of the information
Choose this type of editing
Information is critical to customer
Information is important to customer
Information is mostly guidance
Information is mostly conceptual
Information is mostly reference
Information contains known issues
Information is accurate/complete
Writer of information is experienced
Writer of information is new
Schedule allows ample time
Schedule allows minimal time
68
Develop a “decision tree”



Time and resources are gating factor
Choose most comprehensive type of all characteristics in decision tree
Document decisions in editing plan, which should be part of a doc plan
Characteristic of the information
Choose this type of editing
Information is critical to customer
Comprehensive edit
Information is important to customer
Copy edit
Information is mostly guidance
Comprehensive edit
Information is mostly conceptual
Comprehensive edit
Information is mostly reference
Copy edit
Information contains known issues
Comprehensive edit
Information is accurate/complete
Legal edit
Writer of information is experienced
Copy edit
Writer of information is new
Comprehensive edit
Schedule allows ample time
Comprehensive edit
Schedule allows minimal time
Legal edit
69
Developing a “triage” system (Tarutz)



Triage = Deciding on the desired quality of the product, and
then how much effort is required to attain that level of quality
Evaluate a project by rating on a scale of 1 (low) to 3 (high)
the following variables:
 Importance of the project
 Rapport with the writer
 Difficulty of the project
Add the total points, books with the highest points need more
comprehensive editing
70
Final determination…




Determine what your levels of edit and triage system are for
your work.
Edit at the optimum type/level for the time and resources.
Pay attention to content.
Remember that the organization, the author, and YOU--the
technical editor--are all striving for the same thing: CLARITY.
71
, (c) 27 Oct 2012
Value & quality
72
The value of technical editing,
as defined by STC Technical Editing SIG








Improves document readability and usability
Increases the writers’ overall productivity
Increases writers’ product knowledge
Reduces translation costs
Protects the company from legal oversights by helping keep
copyright information and other legal lingo that is current and
consistent
Reduces calls to Customer Support by frustrated clients
Increases sales
Eliminates lost revenue and the costs involved in saving face
after a poor, negative, or offensive message has been sent
out
73
The who, what, where, when, and why of
technical editing
Whom do we edit for?
 What do we edit?
 Where do we edit?
 When is the best time to edit?
 Why do we edit?

74
The who of technical editing: Audience

In technical writing classes, we learn that end users
(audiences) fall into one of four categories:
Layperson
 Technical
 Expert
 Administrator


In technical editing, you must consider these folks as well as
the end user:
Writers (technical writers, subject matter experts,
administrators)
 Managers (yours and others’)
 Fellow editors

75
The what of technical editing: Media

Computer-based training
materials


Tutorials
 Data sheets
 Procedures
 Animation


Multimedia
Videos
 Podcasts (audio)
 Screencasts
 User interfaces

Printed materials





Books
White papers
Reports
Pamphlets
Quick reference cards
Electronic materials
PDF files
 Online help files
 Online documentation
 Web pages

76
The where of technical editing: Industries
Computer software and hardware
 Website development
 Engineering
 Medicine
 Sciences
 Government
 Legal, banking, and brokerage services
 Wherever clear technical information is needed

77
The when of technical editing: Timing

When in the cycle
Design (edit in internal documents, storyboards)
 Development (edit drafts)
 Production (edit actual deliverables)


Ownership can determine the “when”
Writer owns information, provide markup early
 Editor owns information, modify files directly before
release

78
The why of technical editing: Quality

Editing is quality control for written communication


“Quality control (QC) is a planned and systematic
pattern of all actions necessary to provide adequate
confidence that the product optimally fulfills customer's
expectations.”
(http://csqa.blogspot.com/2006/12/kc-141-quality-assurance-quality.html)
Definitions of quality for technical information
Linda’s list: clear, concise, consistent, correct, concrete
 Michelle’s list: accuracy, clarity, completeness,
concreteness, organization, retrievability, style, task
orientation, visual effectiveness

79
Defining quality and value

Before you can measure anything, you must know
what the end goal is:






Adhering to guidelines
Meeting defined criteria
Exhibiting quality characteristics
Satisfying customers
Improving usability testing
Increasing productivity
80
Measuring quality and value

After you know what your goals are, you have to
“quantify” them in order to measure them:
Most involve numbers, ratings, rankings
 Any metric or measurement is valid, if applied
consistently and appropriately
 Perform baseline measurements to start, then use the
same metrics over time to show quality improvement

81
Quantify your measurements
Any metric is valid: if consistent and applied
appropriately!
 Begin with baselines, then use same metrics over
time






Track # of hours spent on various edits
Develop metric for average # of pages per hour
Track editing of new vs. changed pages
Track percentage of deliverable edited
Caveats: Some industry standards exist, but those based on
your context and your productivity are best (for example,
what is a page or a topic? what is the markup style?)
82
Value-add resources

Articles and information about adding value as technical
communicators:
Adding Value as a Professional Technical Communicator:
http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/2463/2522777/
docs/teLayoutTutorialFinal.pdf
 Adding Value: Using Technical Communications to Cut Costs
and Build Sales:
http://www.impactonthenet.com/addvalue.html,
http://www.impactonthenet.com/addvalue.pdf
 Defining "Value-Adding Work" of In-house Information
Development Groups, William O. Coggins,
http://www.ocstc.org/ana_conf/we6r/value-added.html

83
83
True definition of value-add

“Value-add means whatever clients say it means -to them and to their organization. In addition,
value-add means incorporating new technologies
and social media research when time and budget
allows.”
What 'Value-Added Deliverables' Means Today, Angela
Kangiser, Jan/Feb 2011 Online, a division of Information
Today, Inc.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3328/is_201101/
ai_n56829584/
84
84
The value of editors
http://www.ftrain.com/editors-ship-dammit.html


Paul Ford, in Real Editors Ship, says some things I’ve (Jean
Weber) been trying to tell people for years. Other editors will
understand what he’s talking about; many of the people who
need us most won’t get it. Here’s a quote:
Editors are really valuable, and, the way things are going,
undervalued. These are people who are good at process.
They think about calendars, schedules, checklists, and get
freaked out when schedules slip. Their jobs are to aggregate
information, parse it, restructure it, and make sure it meets
standards. They are basically QA for language and meaning.
85
Copy &
comprehensive
editing
86
Copy editing defined (from Technical
Editing Fundamentals course)
Markup of language
 Looking at grammar, punctuation, style
 Focusing at sentence-level, word-level
 Rules-based, or rules-focused
 Focus more on these quality characteristics: clarity,
style, visual effectiveness (adhering to style guide and
to rules)
 Can do a copy edit separate from a comprehensive
edit (but a comprehensive edit often includes the copy
edit)

87
Copy editing – Center of the universe
(Weber)
S = Substantive editing
D = Development editing
C = Copy editing
P = Production editing
Pr = Proofreading
U = Usability editing

Copy editing is interrelated with
all other types of edits

Focus on clear communication,
not just rules, rules, rules:
 Essential rules – required
for clear, unambiguous
communication
 Nonessential rules – not
required for clarity or
unambiguous
communication
 Fake rules – matter of
choice, our own little
bugaboos
88
Copy editing, “bridge from writing to
production” (Rude)
Correct: spelling, grammar, punctuation
 Consistent: spelling, capitalization, terminology,
visual design
 Accurate: dates, numbers, links, references
 Complete: all parts are present
 Attention to detail, reading closely
 Queries content, but directs on style and form

89
Copy editing steps, a la Rude
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Gather information about the project
Survey the document overall
Run all computer checks (spell checker, grammar
checker)
Edit paragraphs and headings for correctness,
consistency, and accuracy
Edit illustrations, equations, reference list, table of
contents, front matter, and back matter
Prepare the document for production
90
An editor’s objective findings











Grammatical mistakes
Misspellings, typos
Incorrect punctuation
Inconsistent usage
Ambiguous technical information
Ambiguous titles, index entries
Wrong scientific terms, conflicting with general scientific
knowledge
Wrong units and dimensions
Inconsistent significant figures
Improper data or chart presentation
Citation errors
91
Exercise: Copy edit this text
A Jewel Of An Idea
My nomination for dumbest invention of the late 20th century: the
plastic case or “jewel-box," that most Cds come in. There fragile
(ever drop one?), and take up to much space. Which is why I am
so enamored of CD Project's (www.cdprojects.com), a line of
products, which lets you chuck your jewel boxes for ever. All CD
Projects' wares feature a system of long wearing plastic sleeves
just big enough for two cds or a CD and the booklet, that comes
with it. The sleeves keep your disks clean and can be
interchanged easily into a variety of storage cases and binders,
include the sharp looking aluminum Roladisc (think Rolodex) that
holds up to one hundred discs. The roladesk is available in most
U.S. States (not in Mary., Delaw., or Vir.) and throughout
Canada. Call 1/800-555-1234 or fax (1-800) 555-9876 to place
your order, or go on-line to order and receive complementary
free-shipping.
92
One solution…
A Jewel of an Idea
My nomination for dumbest invention of the late 20th century is the
plastic case or “jewel box," that most CDs come in. They are fragile
(ever drop one?) and take up too much space. That is why I am so
enamored of CD Projects (www.cdprojects.com), a line of products
that lets you chuck your jewel boxes forever.
All CD Projects' wares feature a system of long-wearing plastic
sleeves just big enough for two CDs or a CD and the booklet that
comes with it. The sleeves keep your disks clean and can
interchange easily into a variety of storage cases and binders,
including the sharp-looking aluminum Roladisc (think Rolodex) that
holds up to 100 disks. The Roladisc is available in most states
(except MD, DE, and VA) and throughout Canada. Call 1-800-5551234 or fax 1-800-555-9876 to place your order. If you go online to
order, you receive complimentary shipping.
93
Comprehensive editing defined (also from
TEF course)
Insert comments about the content
 Check and comment on organization, usability,
logic
 Focus at topic-level, paragraph-level
 Task is more analysis-focused
 Focus more on quality characteristics such as
accuracy, completeness, concreteness,
organization, retrievability, task orientation
 Include copy edit, which might be done by a
separate person

94
Comprehensive editing, “systematic process of analysis
and applies principles of good writing” (Rude)
A rose by any other name: substantive editing,
development editing, macro editing, analysis-based
editing
 Analyze the purpose of the document, understand
the readers and their tasks
 Usability – anticipate the user’s needs by imagining
the information in use
 Comprehension – focus on the content,
organization, visual design, and overall style
 Comprehensive editing precedes copy editing, does
not include copy editing (according to Rude, but not
according to us!)

95
Comprehensive editing steps, a la Rude
1.
2.
3.
4.
Analyze the purpose, readers, and uses for the
document
Evaluate the content, organization, visual design,
style, and reader accommodations
Establish editing objectives and document them in
a specific plan for editing
Review the plan with the writer, and work toward
consensus on changes to make
96
Exercise: Comprehensively edit this text
A Jewel Of An Idea
My nomination for dumbest invention of the late 20th century: the
plastic case or “jewel-box," that most Cds come in. There fragile
(ever drop one?), and take up to much space. Which is why I am
so enamored of CD Project's (www.cdprojects.com), a line of
products, which lets you chuck your jewel boxes for ever. All CD
Projects' wares feature a system of long wearing plastic sleeves
just big enough for two cds or a CD and the booklet, that comes
with it. The sleeves keep your disks clean and can be
interchanged easily into a variety of storage cases and binders,
include the sharp looking aluminum Roladisc (think Rolodex) that
holds up to one hundred discs. The roladesk is available in most
U.S. States (not in Mary., Delaw., or Vir.) and throughout
Canada. Call 1/800-555-1234 or fax (1-800) 555-9876 to place
your order, or go on-line to order and receive complementary
free-shipping.
97
What things would you do differently?
What might you ask the writer?
Copy edit tasks
 Comprehensive edit tasks

98
Comparing copy and comprehensive editing

Copy Editing

Comprehensive Editing

Scope:
Language:
Grammar
Punctuation
Style
Content:
Organization
Usability
Logic

Focus:
Word-level
Paragraph-level
Sentence-level
Topic-level
Entire deliverable



Based on:
Rules-based
Analysis-based
Types of
comments:
Imperatives
Queries
Suggestions
Queries
Imperatives
Opinions (few)
Clarity
Accuracy
Style
Completeness
Visual Effectiveness
Concreteness
DQTI quality
characteristic
s:
Organization
Retrievability
Review these articles from
Jean Weber on her site,
Technical Editors’ Eyrie:
Escape from the grammar trap:
http://www.jeanweber.com/newsite
/?page_id=23
Classifying editorial tasks:
/?page_id=27
What is substantive editing:
/?page_id=28
Task Orientation
Includes
other edits:

Includes legal editing
Includes some copy editing
(some rules-based copy editing,
more analysis-based copy editing
99
Editorial
comments
100
Editorial commenting
Comments are statements that an editor makes to
improve the information.
 Types of comments:

Imperative - an editing comment based on facts, guidelines,
standards, or requirements and that must be addressed in some
way
 Suggestion - An editing comment that presents an alternative way
to address a problem and that the writer can choose to implement
 Opinion - An editing comment that represents the opinion of the
editor and does not reflect a specific guideline, standard, or
requirement.
 Query - An editing comment that aims at pointing out ambiguity of
information, or that expresses a need for the editor’s enlightenment.


Tone, style, and content
101
Tone of comments
Can set the stage for your relationship with the
writer and affect the outcome of the edit.
 Affects how well you and the writer collaborate to
produce quality information.

102
Exercise: Rewrite these comments to
ensure they are appropriate in tone

Comment: This can’t be right. Didn’t you read the spec? Try
again.

Comment: Awkward. Rewrite.

Comment: You really need to avoid passive voice. This is
very difficult to understand!
103
Possible rewrites with better tone

Comment: This can’t be right. Didn’t you read the spec? Try
again.


Comment: Awkward. Rewrite.


Rewrite: This information is not logically consistent with
information in the previous section. Review the spec and
ensure both sections state things accurately.
Rewrite: This is awkward because the adverb is in the
wrong place.
Comment: You really need to avoid passive voice. This is
very difficult to understand!

Rewrite: Avoid passive voice. Our users will understand
these steps more quickly if we use imperative statements
that use active voice.
104
Content of comments
Include helpful information and details that ensure
that the writer understands what change is needed.
 Use positive reinforcement to build confidence and
ensure that the writer continues doing the things
that are well done.

105
Content of comments—scope
Cover all levels of errors, from grammar and
punctuation to overall organization and logic
(depending on type of edit).
 Ensure that the quality of your comments is
consistent throughout—try not to fade out toward
the end.

106
Exercise: Rewrite these comments to
ensure they are appropriate in content

Comments: Why did you organize these topics in categories?

Comments: Don’t use so much italics.
107
Rewritten with better content

Comments: Why did you organize these topics in categories?


Rewrite: Better to organize these reference topics
alphabetically, instead of in these categories.
Comments: Don’t use so much italics.

Rewrite: Italics is difficult to read online. Use italics to identify
new terms in concept topics only.
108
Style of comments
The manner in which you present your comments to
the writer can affect how they are received and
whether they are incorporated.
109
Follow your own guidelines
Instead of this:
don’t forget to check prod names etc
Say this:
Verify that you are using the latest, accurate
product names and versions in this list of
requirements.
110
Summarize and prioritize your comments
When you are done marking up the draft, write an
editing report or summary of general comments.
 Meet with the writer to discuss the comments.

111
Include a global assessment when
possible

For example, list the highlights and summarize the
good, the bad, and if necessary, the ugly:
“This set of topics is well-organized and includes all
the necessary tasks. The majority of my comments
address clarity and style issues, including many
typos.”
112
List the global comments
For example, include a separate section in your editing report for
the global comments. Tell the writer if you marked every
occurrence of the issue. Provide explicit instructions about
how to handle the global comments.
“Throughout the task topics, search for the word menu, and
make sure that you follow our style guide to format and
highlight menu selections. For example, use ‘From the File
menu, select Preferences > User Preferences.’ I marked the
first few occurrences, but only circled the word menu from
then on.”
113
Prioritize the comments
For example, describe what absolutely must be done,
what should be done, and then what can be done, time
permitting.
“You must address the following comments: Trademarks,
copyrights, and notices; product names; and
terminology issues related to our new line items. Of the
other comments, I’d strongly encourage you to focus on
the separation of concept and task information. This
reorganization will greatly enhance the usability of the
content.”
114
When you have only a few comments,
consider these options…

Make a list of the pages that have comments in the
editing report so that the writer does not have to
search for the comments in the document.

Return only the pages that contain comments.
115
When editing…

Develop your own standard or style


Fixing it yourself
Suggesting how they can fix it
Be consistent with how you present your edits
 Familiarize your writers with your style, ask for their
feedback on what works or doesn’t work
 Establish personal contact
 Process is important!

Establish it
 Communicate it
 Stick to it

116
The technical
editor career
117
Tech Editing Fundamentals: Session 4 - Your Career--Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
117
Two main editorial career tracks

Media




Journalism
Publishing houses
Magazines
Technical
IT (software, hardware)
Medical, pharmaceutical
Science, research
Government
 Wherever technical writers are?




118
Technical/business editors





Editor as manager (Dayton study: 10%)
Full time editor (Dayton study: 4%)
Writer-editor (Dayton study: 33%)
Peer editor (Dayton study: 26%)
Self editor (Dayton study: 18%)
119
Software or hardware company career
path (Corbin, p. 74)

Senior position, later in career
Gather core and soft skills
 Gather technical expertise
 Gain a view of “authority”


Transition from
Writer
 Teacher
 Other areas?

120
Job outlook for technical editors


Government’s take on our future: Recognition in all
the right places--definition of technical writer
(communicator)
The future looks bright USNWR expects our
profession to grow by more than 18 percent in the
next decade.
121
Technical editor as part of technical
communicator


US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) definition of
Technical Writer:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos319.htm
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (employment
trends & wages) for authors, writers, & editors:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos320.htm
122
http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc273041.htm
123
Employment outlook from BLS
(www.bls.gov)


Expected 10% increase in job opportunities from 2006-2016
for technical copy editors. As web-based publications gain
larger readership, the demand for technical copy editors will
increase. This means that web-literate copy editors will have
the best chance of finding employment.
The rapid growth of technological advancements
necessitates that writers and editors translate technical terms
into plain English so that the general public can understand
what they are reading. According to the BLS, in the U.S., the
median annual income for a technical copy editor is $46,990,
and the highest 10% earn more than $87,4000,
124
Top paying industries for editors (including
technical editors) (BLS)
Industry
Employment
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage
Accounting, tax
preparation,
bookkeeping, and
payroll services
130
$51.59
$107,320
Aerospace
Product and Parts
manufacturing
250
$46.73
$97,200
Computer and
Peripheral
Equipment
Manufacturing
40
$43.91
$91,330
125
Writer-editor job announcement for government position
http://hr.od.nih.gov/performance/perfmgmt/documents/sampleplans/Sample1083TechWrite.doc

Develops and completes writing assignments on complex scientific topics. Writes clearly, logically, and persuasively
for a diverse range of scientific, non-scientific, and administrative audiences. The written products may include, but
are not limited to: review articles and summaries of research findings; booklets, fact sheets, pamphlets, and
brochures; speeches and presentations; public service announcements and health education campaign materials;
press releases and media advisories; correspondence; content for websites; and routine and special reports.
Demonstrates effective skills through the following: <sub-bullets removed>

Employs high-quality editorial skills in the review of written materials developed by
research program officials and senior administrators. Demonstrates effective skills
through the following:








Proofreads written products with minimal errors within specified deadlines.
Demonstrates familiarity with, and uses, standard proofreading symbols.
Maintains strict control over all versions of products under development.
Recommends edits and modifications to avoid misinterpretation by the target audience.
Rewrites scientific and administrative information for new audiences while maintaining
accuracy.
Follows the editorial style and format requirements specified for a given written product.
Employs high-quality visual presentation skills in page design and layout.
Demonstrates familiarity with key scientific subjects of importance to the IC. Participates in activities that promote
the understanding of important scientific concepts and current research advances, as well as those that expand
important writing and editing capabilities. Demonstrates effective skills through the following: Written
communication skills: one meeting attended to record minutes; one Standard Operating Procedure, paper, article
and/or announcement written <sub-bullets removed>
126
127
Job description: CDC writers and editors
http://www.cdc.gov/about/opportunities/careers/writer.htm
CDC has about 85 writer-editors throughout the agency. They perform a
wide variety of tasks typically associated with the profession: editing,
copy-editing, and proofreading authors’ manuscripts. Some writereditors are also involved in research, writing, design, layout, and
printing; they produce brochures, flyers, manuals, journals, and
websites for the agency. However, regardless of their job descriptions,
all writer-editors have one common goal: to ensure that CDC
disseminates health messages—both internally and externally—that are
clearly written, scientifically accurate, and effective for the target
audience.
Note: great site—includes testimonials from real people!
128
Editors today &
in the future
129
129
Editor-Slash Roles


Taking on additional responsibilities, not just more
editing
Most common:
Writer/editor (33% + 26% = 59%)
 Editor/manager (10%)
 Editor/information architect (none reported by Dayton)

130
Editor/information architect–A perfect fit

Editor:
Development editing
 Usability editing
 Terminology management


Information Architect:
Organizing and structuring
 Navigation
 Classifying


Why a perfect fit?
Knowledge of users, acting as a user
 Knowledge of entire information set

131
Editors in tomorrow’s world

Corbin:
“A fluidity of how information is delivered, including
modular or single-sourcing writing environments”
 “A fluidity of how frequently our information is
published, adopting and adapting to iterative and agile
development processes”
 “Collaborative writing environments, where information
is influenced by the latest Web technologies, allowing
users themselves to add and edit information in
knowledge base, wikis, and blogs.”

132
Editing in single-sourcing/modular
environments






Editing for multiple contexts: print, online, multimedia, social,
etc.
Editing to ensure information can be reused; more focus on
topic-based writing
Editing across multiple writers, making it sound like it all
came from just one writer
More focus on content and language, less on layout and
formatting, because XML and tooling taking care of it
Creating templates
Editor/architect plays a key role in putting the parts and
pieces together
133
Editing in agile/iterative environments






More focus on topic-based writing
More focus on minimalist writing (don’t have time to
write about it ALL)
Automating the editing tasks, via spell-checkers,
grammar checkers, or language checkers
Getting involved earlier and earlier
Doing more developmental editing, less and less
copy editing
More writer/editor roles likely, because can’t cover
multiple projects
134
Editing in collaborative/social environments




Anyone can be a writer/editor/publisher
Certain types of information lend themselves more
to this environment: reference, knowledge base,
etc. – less likely to require editing by formal editor?
Others becoming editors, who care about the
quality of this user-generated content: support
personnel, developers, or marketing
Editor/architect needed to help structure, navigate,
and find the most relevant information
135
The reality
Expectation exists that professionally produced
documentation will be edited
 International outsourcing increases the need
 Clear communication is a valued skill or is it?

136
Writer acting as editor

Ad hoc appointment


If editor moves to another group or quits
Stopgap measure imposed by management
Political consequences within the group
 Sink or swim for an inexperienced editor
 Opportunity for professional development
 Skills not necessarily the same

137
Manager as editor

Can work in some situations



If manager is experienced editor
If group is new and uncongealed
If group is small
Blurs distinction between two very
different roles
 Difficult to allocate time

138
Editors and writers
Typical editor traits:
 Generalist
 Wide focus (“forest”)
 Short project cycles
 Multiple projects
 General familiarity
with many products
or services
 Likes stability
Typical writer traits:
 Specialist
 Narrow focus
(“trees”)
 Long project cycles
 One project at a time
 Intimate familiarity
with a few products
or services
 Likes “cutting edge”
139
Editing skill is not enough (Zook)




Realize that your work is not an end in itself but is
part of a system
Learn to work, consciously, at many different levels
Develop a sense of perspective on your own work
Know that things are not as simple as they may
seem
140
Editor’s relationship to writing
“An editor’s relationship to writing should be the same as a
bartender’s relationship to drinking . . .
s/he should be fond of an occasional drink,
but it shouldn’t be a regular habit.”
(Gordon van Gelder, Night Shade Books discussion area:
http://www.nightshadebooks.com/
discus/messages/378/3395.html?1099195815)
141
From Lola Zook,
one of my favorite mentors:
“A good way to improve editorial skills is to teach
someone else in a one-to-one, tutorial relationship.
With a bright, assertive apprentice who questions
and challenges every aspect of the work, you’ll find
yourself reviewing rules you’ve grown careless
about, looking up items you’ve taken for granted,
sharpening style—all because you had to take a
fresh look at things that had become so familiar you
didn’t even see them any more.”
“Lessons from 50 years Editorial Experience,” Lola Zook, Substance & Style, 1996, EEI
Press
142
References
143
143
References














Adobe Acrobat User Community. http://www.acrobatusers.com/
Baker, Donna L. Adobe Acrobat 9: How-Tos, 125 Essential Techniques. Adobe Press, 2009.
Baker, Justin. (2008). “Clarity for Editing.” Direction: The Newsletter for the STC Policies &
Procedures Special Interest Group, 2nd/3rd Quarters, 2-3.
Clements, W. & Waite, R.G. (1983). Guide for Beginning Technical Editors.
STC-112-83. Arlington, Virginia: Society for Technical Communication.
Corbin, M. and Oestreich, L., Technical Editing Fundamentals. STC Online Certificate
Course. (2011/2012)
Corbin, M., “The Editor within the Modern Organization,” in A. J. Murphy. (ed.) (2010). New
Perspectives in Technical Editing (pp. 67-83). Amityville, NY, Baywood Publishing Company,
Inc.
Crystal Clear Proofing: http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/crystal_clear_proofing/
Corbin, M., Moell, P., & Boyd, M. (2002). “Technical Editing As Quality Assurance: Adding
Value to Content.” Technical Communication, 49 (3): 286-300.
Corbin, Michelle. “Effective Editing Comments” Webinar presented to TE SIG in 2009.
Crognale, Heather. “Long-distance editing: Tips for editors on managing the writer/editor
relationship.” Intercom, July/August 2008, pp. 17-19.
http://archive.stc.org/intercom/PDFs/2008/20080708_17-19.pdf
Dayton, D. (2003). “Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: A Survey of Practices and
Attitudes.” Technical Communication, 50 (2), pp. 192-205.
Doumont, Jean-luc. “Gentle Feedback That Encourages Learning.” Intercom. February 2002.
pp. 39-40.
Doumont, Jean-luc. “Running Group Critique.” Intercom. January 2003. pp. 40-41.
Dragga, Sam and Gong, Gwendolyn. Editing: The Design of Rhetoric, Baywood's Technical
144
Communication Series (Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, Inc., 1989).
References (p. 2)










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147
Final exercise
148
148
Summary exercise: Your body’s many cries
for water
1.
2.
Use the handout that contains this paragraph. Comprehensively edit
the text. Query the author where needed, but move ahead and make
changes as needed. Assume that you have ultimate responsibility for
making the paragraph readable.
EEI (Editorial Experts, Inc.) used this paragraph as a sample to show
how different editors would edit the same paragraph. We’ll review
their comments along with yours. You have up to 20 minutes—
depending on how long the majority of the class needs!
Because of a gradually failing thirst sensation, our body becomes chronically and
increasingly dehydrated from an early adult age. With increase in age, the
water content of the cells of the body decreases, to the point that the ratio of
the volume of body water that is inside the cells to that which is outside the
cells changes from a figure of 1.1 to almost 0.8. This is a very drastic change.
Since the 'water' that we drink provides for the cell function and volume
requirements, the decrease in our daily water intake affects the efficiency of
cell activity. As a result, chronic dehydration causes symptoms that equal
disease when the other signals of dehydration are not understood — as they
are not at present, since these signals are treated as abnormal and dealt with
by the use of medications.
149

Technical Editing in the Twenty Teens

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