Editing Checklist
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Mechanics and Punctuation q Abbreviations: Follow style guidelines, use consistently, explain clearly. Example (if this is what you had decided): “3.5in.” rather than “3.5-inch” or “3.5".” q Acronyms: Check for consistent use, explain unusual terms used for the first time. Example: Use “DOS” but spell out newer terms to avoid confusion, as in “Virtual instruments (VIs) have three main parts . . .” q Capitalization: Check all trademarks and product names for consistency and conformity to style guidelines (“eHelp,” “Microsoft Corporation”). q Cues: Check all cues such as glossary terms, key-press sequences, and menu choices for consistency and conformity to style guidelines. q Hyphens: Check all compound adjectives preceding the word modified for proper hyphenation. Example: “end user documentation” should be “end-user documentation,” but “documentation for the end user” is correct. q In-text definitions: Follow style guidelines for use of bold and/or italics, and (possibly) explanations in parentheses. q Quotation marks: Follow style guidelines for usage around words or Chapter titles, to name two possibilities. Example: “… see Chapter 3, ‘Program Manager.’” q Spelling: Use a spell checker, spell special terms according to style guidelines. q Steps: Number/bullets consistently and consecutively. q Trademarks: Check with the trademark owner for legal restrictions on the use of trademarks and names. Always say “Use the ExcelTM spreadsheet program to . . . ” rather than “Use ExcelTM to . . . ” Language and Usage q Consistency of voice: Use active and passive voice consistently. Example: “You need to check the results of this step to be sure the stream network has been thinned to one pixel width. Once this has been accomplished, continue to the next step.” The second sentence should begin “Once you have accomplished this” to keep it parallel with the active voice in the first sentence. q Fragments: Check for sentence fragments where they would be inappropriate. q Paragraph length: Check for unusually long paragraphs. You can probably subdivide any paragraph longer than 1.5 inches into subtopics. q Parallelism: Check for parallel grammatical structures in all lists. Example: The options described below allow you to do the following: · Choose a logarithmic scale. · Scale limits defined. (Should be “Define the scale limits.”) · Set the minimum step of the scale to be an integer. q Performance orientation: Make sure all instructions and explanations indicate performance of a task in the workplace. Example: “Grass 4.0TM has a number of tools provided to help find and solve problems that can occur in digitizing.” (should be “Grass 4.0 TM provides you with a number of tools to help you find and solve problems . . . ” or “Grass 4.0 TM provides a number of tools to help you find and solve problems . . . ”). q Unbiased gender references: Check for appropriate gender representation in language and examples. If names are used, for example, include women’s names and men’s names in approximately equal proportion, even if the activity has traditionally been performed more commonly by one gender than the other. q Precision of diction: Check for precise technical terms. Don’t say “use” when you mean “install.” Don’t say “boot” when “start” would be clearer to the uninitiated user. Whenever you use jargon you should do so with proper explanation. Other jargon terms include “download,” “site,” “hub,” “black box,” “tower,” “fiber,” “backbone,” and “log.” This is doubly important when you’re writing for translation or cross-cultural communication. q Sentence length. Check for unusually long sentences and rewrite as two or more sentences. q Un-clutter cluttered sentences. Example: “Do not install other desk accessories either in the system file in the Server Folder on the startup volume or in the System file in the System folder on the AppleShare Server Installation disk.” This should be rewritten as more than one sentence to separate similar-sounding terms. Organization Completeness: Check for the following parts (does not apply to all manuals):
Organization: Check for the following overall organizational schemes for manuals and sections: q Degree of difficulty (beginning, intermediate, advanced) q Sequence of use (starting, processing, analyzing, printing) q Tasks (task a, task b, task c) q Job-related topics (topic a, topic b, topic c) q User types (novice, experienced, expert) q Program areas (area a, area b, area c) q Alphabetical (a, b, c) q Order of menus (menu a, menu b, menu c) Format q Lists: Follow style guidelines established for the project. Example: “Colon preceding list, no periods for fragments; square 10-pt. filled bullets align with left text margin; ¼" indent to text; text returns wrap to same ¼" point.” q Tables: Follow table guidelines established for the project. Example: Nmbered titles above in bold, rules above and below first column heads, column heads left justified, rule below last row, initial caps in row heads. q Page consistency: Check that all pages have the same top, right, bottom, and left margins. q Headers and footers: Check that headers and footers reflect the information in the sections and contain the correct text. q Pagination and page breaks: Check for correct right/left pagination and page breaks above individual tasks and sections. q Page numbering: Check front material (“i, ii, iii,” etc.) and main section pages for consistency, correct sequences, and format. q Vertical spacing: Check for consistent spacing between the lines and paragraphs, and between rows in tables. q Horizontal spacing: Check for consistent spacing before lines, between words; check centering of figures and lateral alignment of headings and marginal icons. q Type styles and fonts: Check for the correct type styles and fonts for body text, cued text, information users type in, figure and table titles, callouts, header and footer text, and headings. q Orphans and widows: Check for orphans (abandoned at the bottom of a page) and widows (isolated at the tops of pages). q Rules: Check line thickness and length of rules in tables, headers, footers, columns, and section breaks. Illustrations q General: Check for presence of all titles. q Unnecessary elements: Check for clutter in screens, too many arrows and lines. q Cross-references: Check for clear, consistent references to visuals in the text. q Appropriateness: Check that screens and cropped screens reflect the appropriate elements discussed in the text. q Elements correctly identified. q Aligned correctly with text. q Accurate figure numbers. q Accurate and complete captions. q Legibility: make sure all screens are legible. Tables q Units of measurement in column heads. q Placement appropriately in the text. q Accurate table numbers. q Punctuation of elements consistent. |
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