Technical Editing

by Rude, Carolyn D.; Eaton, Angela

• ISBN13: 9780321330826
• ISBN10: 032133082X
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-01
• Publisher: LONGMAN

Summary

This market-leading text has been thoroughly revised to reflect recent changes in technology, workplace practices and the global marketplace. The book progresses from concepts and basic copyediting to comprehensive editing, management and production issues. Coverage now includes a new chapter on client projects. Technical Editing takes a comprehensive approach to editing and defining editorial responsibility in terms of information design and the overall effectiveness of a document in helping readers understand and complete tasks. Expanding the concept of editing from a narrow focus on sentence-level revisions for correctness, this book encourages students to think about the effects of word choices, sentences, organization and design. Students learn that the measure of a "good" document is in part outside that document, in the document's "match" to the users' needs and the author's goals. The textbook with its supplementary Web site and instructor's manual offers a complete editing course, including materials for daily workshops and discussion and longer documents for graded assignments. In a password-protected portion of the Web site, instructors can also retrieve illustrations of edited versions as well as suggested responses to daily activities. Both focused and flexible, Technical Editing includes assignments carefully crafted to develop specific editing competencies and modular chapters that allow instructors to adapt the text to meet their own course goals and methods.

Table of Contents

Foreword By the Series Editor	xiii
Preface	xiv
PART 1 PEOPLE AND PURPOSES	1	(46)
Editing: The Big Picture	3	(16)
Scenario One: Print Document, In-House Editor	4	(3)
Scenario Two: Online Tutorial, Contract Company	7	(4)
Comment: Editing at BMC Software and SAIC	11	(1)
Editorial Functions and Responsibilities	11	(3)
Document Development and Production: Summary of the Process	14	(1)
The Technical Part of Technical Editing	15	(1)
Qualifications for Technical Editing	16	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	17	(1)
Acknowledgment	17	(1)
Further Reading	17	(1)
Discussion and Application	18	(1)
Readers, Users, Browsers, Problem Solvers	19	(16)
Texts and Contexts	20	(4)
How Readers Use Documents	24	(2)
Reading to Comprehend: Content, Signals, Noise	26	(4)
Researching Readers, Usability Testing	30	(1)
Designing Documents for Use	30	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	31	(1)
Further Reading	31	(1)
Discussion and Application	32	(3)
Collaborating with Writers	35	(12)
Who Are the Writers of Technical Documents?	35	(1)
The Editor-Writer Relationship	36	(1)
Strategies for Working with Writers	37	(4)
Correspondence with Writers	41	(3)
Using Your Knowledge	44	(1)
Further Reading	44	(1)
Discussion and Application	44	(3)
PART 2 METHODS AND TOOLS	47	(58)
Marking Paper Copy	49	(17)
The Symbols of Editorial Markup	50	(7)
Special Problems of Markup	57	(2)
Marks for Graphic Design	59	(2)
Queries to Writers	61	(2)
Using Your Knowledge	63	(1)
Further Reading	63	(1)
Discussion and Application	63	(3)
Marking Digital Copy	66	(17)
Procedural Markup versus Structural Markup	67	(1)
Styles and Templates	68	(3)
Markup Languages for Online Documents	71	(7)
Cascading Style Sheets	78	(2)
Editing and Information Management	80	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	81	(1)
Acknowledgments	81	(1)
Further Reading	81	(1)
Discussion and Application	82	(1)
Electronic Editing	83	(22)
David Dayton
How Do Technical Communicators Edit Online?	85	(2)
Benefits of Electronic Editing	87	(1)
Tradeoffs of Electronic Editing	88	(5)
An Overview of On-Screen Markup and Query Methods	93	(5)
Change Tracking in Word: Tips and Techniques	98	(3)
Using Your Knowledge	101	(1)
Acknowledgments	102	(1)
Further Reading	102	(1)
Websites for Products Mentioned	102	(1)
Discussion and Application	103	(2)
PART 3 BASIC COPYEDITING	105	(124)
Basic Copyediting: An Introduction	107	(17)
Making the Document Correct and Consistent	108	(1)
Making a Document Accurate	109	(1)
Making a Document Complete	110	(3)
Copyediting Illustrations	113	(5)
Copyediting Online Documents	118	(1)
Steps in Copyediting	119	(2)
Using Your Knowledge	121	(1)
Further Reading	121	(1)
Discussion and Application	121	(3)
Copyediting for Consistency	124	(15)
Document Consistency	125	(6)
Style Manuals	131	(6)
Using Your Knowledge	137	(1)
Further Reading	137	(1)
Discussion and Application	138	(1)
Spelling, Capitalization, and Abbreviations	139	(13)
Spelling	139	(6)
Capitalization	145	(1)
Abbreviations	146	(3)
Using Your Knowledge	149	(1)
Online Resources	149	(1)
Discussion and Application	150	(2)
Grammar and Usage	152	(21)
Parts of Speech	153	(1)
Sentence Structure	153	(5)
Relationships of Words in Sentences	158	(2)
Verb Tense and Sequence	160	(2)
Modifiers	162	(1)
Pronouns	163	(2)
Conventions of Usage	165	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	166	(1)
Further Reading	167	(1)
Online Resources	167	(1)
Discussion and Application	168	(5)
Punctuation	173	(24)
Clauses, Conjunctions, and Relative Pronouns	173	(3)
Sentence Types and Punctuation	176	(5)
Punctuating Phrases	181	(4)
Punctuation within Words	185	(3)
Marks of Punctuation	188	(2)
Using Your Knowledge	190	(1)
Further Reading	191	(1)
Online Resources	191	(1)
Discussion and Application	192	(5)
Quantitative and Technical Material	197	(17)
Using Numbers	197	(1)
Measurement	198	(1)
Marking Mathematical Material	199	(5)
Statistics	204	(1)
Tables	205	(5)
Standards and Specifications	210	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	211	(1)
Further Reading	211	(1)
Discussion and Application	212	(2)
Proofreading	214	(15)
Distinguishing Proofreading from Copyediting	214	(1)
The Value and Goals of Proofreading	215	(3)
Proofreading Marks and Placement on the Page	218	(6)
Using Your Knowledge	224	(1)
Further Reading	225	(1)
Online Resource	225	(1)
Discussion and Application	225	(4)
PART 4 COMPREHENSIVE EDITING	229	(152)
Comprehensive Editing: Definition and Process	231	(19)
Example: Copyediting versus Comprehensive Editing	232	(4)
The Process of Comprehensive Editing	236	(4)
Application: The Service Call Memo	240	(5)
Determining Whether Comprehensive Editing Is Warranted	245	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	246	(1)
Further Reading	246	(1)
Discussion and Application	246	(4)
Style: Definition and Sentence Structures	250	(16)
Definition of Style	251	(1)
Example: Analysis of Style	251	(2)
Guidelines for Editing for Style	253	(1)
Context: Make Style Serve Purpose and Readers	254	(1)
Sentence Structures: Use Structure to Reinforce Meaning	254	(3)
Sentence Arrangement	257	(2)
Sentence Length and Energy	259	(3)
Using Your Knowledge	262	(1)
Further Reading	262	(1)
Discussion and Application	263	(3)
Style: Verbs and Other Words	266	(18)
Verbs: Convey the Action in the Sentence Accurately	266	(5)
Use Concrete, Accurate Nouns	271	(2)
Application: Editing for Style	273	(3)
The Language of Discrimination	276	(5)
Using Your Knowledge	281	(1)
Further Reading	281	(1)
Discussion and Application	281	(3)
Organization: The Architecture of Information	284	(20)
Organization for Performance: Task-Based Order	285	(1)
Organization for Comprehension: Content-Based Order	286	(1)
Principles of Content Organization	287	(6)
Paragraph Organization	293	(1)
Application: The Problem Statement for a Research Proposal	294	(6)
Organizing for Reuse	300	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	300	(1)
Further Reading	300	(1)
Discussion and Application	301	(3)
Visual Design	304	(19)
Definitions of Terms Related to Visual Design	305	(1)
Visual Design Options	306	(3)
Functions of Visual Design	309	(3)
Headings	312	(1)
Application: Radar Target Classification Program	313	(6)
Using Your Knowledge	319	(1)
Further Reading	320	(1)
Discussion and Application	321	(2)
Editing Illustrations	323	(24)
What Illustrations Do	323	(2)
Types of Illustrations	325	(1)
Editing Illustrations for Accuracy and Clarity: Content, Organization, and Style	325	(5)
Editing for Graphic Elements	330	(4)
Integrating Text and Illustrations	334	(1)
Application: Cassette Instructions	335	(5)
Preparing Illustrations for Print or Online Display	340	(2)
Using Your Knowledge	342	(2)
Further Reading	344	(1)
Discussion and Application	344	(3)
Editing for Global Contexts	347	(20)
Bruce Maylath
Preparing Documents for a Global Workplace	347	(1)
International Rhetorical Expectations	348	(1)
Globalization versus Localization	349	(1)
Globalization	349	(6)
Localization	355	(1)
Translation	355	(9)
Researching Social and Cultural Information	364	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	365	(1)
Further Reading	365	(1)
Discussion and Application	365	(2)
Editing Websites	367	(14)
Websites as Content Repositories and Databases	368	(1)
Reading and Searching Online	369	(1)
Planning and Developing Websites	370	(2)
Making Content Work for Readers	372	(1)
Organization	373	(1)
Navigation and Searching	374	(1)
Screen Design and Color	375	(2)
Style	377	(1)
Usability Testing and Accessibility	377	(1)
Maintenance and Updates	378	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	378	(1)
Further Reading	379	(1)
Online Resources	379	(1)
Discussion and Application	380	(1)
PART 5 MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION	381	(71)
Legal and Ethical Issues in Editing	383	(15)
Legal Issues in Editing	384	(4)
Ethical Issues in Editing	388	(6)
Establishing Policies for Legal and Ethical Conduct	394	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	395	(1)
Further Reading	395	(1)
Discussion and Application	396	(2)
Type and Production	398	(21)
Working with Type	398	(8)
Working with Illustrations	406	(2)
Choosing Paper	408	(2)
Understanding the Production Process for Print Documents	410	(5)
Working with Commercial Printers	415	(2)
Using Your Knowledge	417	(1)
Acknowledgment	417	(1)
Further Reading	418	(1)
Discussion and Application	418	(1)
Project Management	419	(19)
Heather Eisenbraun
The Case for Managing the Document Development Process	420	(1)
The Life-Cycle Model of Publications Development	421	(1)
Planning and Content Specifications	421	(1)
Estimating Time and Developing Budgets	422	(6)
Document Scheduling and Tracking	428	(6)
Evaluation	434	(1)
Setting Policy	434	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	435	(1)
Acknowledgment	435	(1)
Further Reading	435	(1)
Discussion and Application	435	(3)
Client Projects	438	(14)
Selecting a Good Project	438	(1)
Project Plans and Proposals	439	(3)
Establishing a Contract	442	(1)
Conferencing with the Writer or Client	442	(5)
Presenting the Project Orally	447	(2)
Professionalism	449	(1)
Using Your Knowledge	450	(1)
Discussion and Application	450	(2)
Glossary	452	(11)
Index	463