Editing, Peer-Reviewing and Team-Writing Editing isn’t a cosmetic process. It’s a thinking process. Richard Rhodes, author Making of the Atomic Bomb

Three aspects of the writing affect the way that editors assess documents Content Style Form

Editing for content involves deciding what message to send Is the content complete? Is the content correct? Is the content appropriate?

Editing for style involves deciding how to communicate the message Focus on language Focus on illustration Focus on structure

Editing for form concerns whether the communication is properly presented Focus on grammar Focus on punctuation Focus on usage Focus on format Focus on spelling

Assessing Review Comments  Review comments are intended to be instructive and to help you succeed in getting your article published or your proposal funded.  Here are some examples of review comments. (Note that the journal article submission went through two rounds of reviews.)

Disposition of Writer Consistency of Change Importance of Change Difficulty of Change What variables determine how much change you make?

A well-done edit has three characteristics: clarity, consistency, and hierarchy hierarchy most important next most important least important consistency effect affect e clarity deletee

Strategies for peer reviewing  In a peer review process, people get together to read, comment on, and recommend improvements in each others’ work.  If you are asked to review someone else’s work, you might be uneasy about criticizing that work.

Strategies for peer reviewing  If you want others to review your work:  Tell them the details of your writing project (topic, audience, purpose, situation, type of paper).  Alert them to any problems or concerns you have or others have already identified (e.g. review comments).

When you review others’ writing…  Make sure your review is comprehensive (unless otherwise instructed).  Read the draft several times.  Be careful about making comments or criticisms that are based on your own personal style.

When you review others’ writing…  Explain the problems you find fully.  Base your comments and criticisms on accepted guidelines, concepts, principles, and rules.  Avoid rewriting the draft you are reviewing.  Find positive, encouraging things to say!

When you review others’ writing  Annotate text without destroying the original document by:  Using the strikethrough feature or a different typeface or color.  Using proofreading marks if they’re available in your software.  Using the Track Changes functions of Microsoft Word.

When editing someone’s writing, consider tone Edit one another as you would wish to be edited Lead with the positive

Reducing the friction between editors and authors calls for action on both sides Identifying pet peeves Negotiating gray areas Establishing boundaries Controlling tone Understanding authors Editors Authors Identifying constraints Submitting outlines early Allotting time for editors Mulling over criticisms

Pet peeves are those rules that you enforce more strictly than other editors do naked “this”—avoid bureaucratic nouns—avoid “however” to join two independent clauses—avoid series comma—use exclamation point—avoid

Strategies for team-writing  Team writing is a very common method of handling large writing projects in the business, government and academic worlds.  Choose your team carefully!

Strategies for team-writing  As the team leader, you need to decide or plan the following:  The content and focus  The graphics you want to include  Style and format (unless prescribed)  The project work schedule  Who will write what sections

Strategies for team-writing  Set up a schedule of key dates.  Include not only completion dates for key phases of the project, but also meeting dates to discuss project details or drafts.

Strategies for team-writing  Set up a style guide for the project to assure consistency.  A critical stage in team-writing comes when you put everyone’s sections together into one document.  Decide which changes to incorporate into the document, and have it reviewed again.

Strategies for team-writing  STOP when you notice any of the following:  You start nitpicking about insignificant words.  You revise the revisions of the revisions of the revisions.  You can’t stand to look at the document one more time.