Checklist of Guidelines

There are four levels of edit presented by Johnson-Sheehan (2017) that are useful in revising

scientific documents to guarantee quality. The first level of edit is revising. At this level, one

goes over the entire document, with the main focus being the paper's subject, aim, audience and

context. The first guideline is concerned with the subject. The author must ascertain if the subject

needs to be more specified or widened. The second guideline is about the purpose. The author

should ensure the document is attaining the desired goal. The third guideline is on the readers of

the document. The author should consider the attributes of the main readers and other audience

members and examine if the work is suitable for them. For the last guideline, the author should

consider the context under which the document will be utilized, then examine if the work is

appropriate for that context of use.

The second level, substantive editing, involves the author carrying out substantial editing of the

work's content, structure, and design (Johnson-Sheehan, 2017). The first guideline at this level is

to identify any deviations or omissions in the content. The second guideline refers to

organization. The author should consider whether the document possesses a detectable genre

with a recognizable pattern comprised of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The third

guideline deals with design. Here, the author considers if the structure of the page and the

graphics improve the readability of their work.

The third level of editing is copyediting. This level focuses on going over the style to ensure the

document is convincing, clear, and consistent (Johnson-Sheehan, 2017). It especially pays

attention to titles, graphics, sentences, and paragraphs. The first guideline is to ensure the

headings are simple to comprehend and are utilized consistently to assist the readers in scanning

for useful information. The second guideline is for the writer to evaluate the graphics in the work
and ensure they reinforce what is in writing. The third guideline is that the author should ensure

the paragraphs back particular claims with adequate support and have an explicit topic sentence.

The fourth guideline is that the author should reconsider the sentences to ensure they are clear

and succinct.

The fourth level of editing is proofreading, where one checks for grammatical errors, mistakes in

spelling, and problems in word usage (Johnson-Sheehan, 2017). The first guideline entails the

author checking if every sentence is grammatically accurate to enhance readability and the

readers' confidence in the document. The second guideline involves the author examining if the

document is punctuated correctly. For the third guideline, the author considers spelling errors

and typos. Some ways these errors can be avoided is by enabling the spell check on one's

personal computer and confirming spellings from a dictionary. The last guideline entails

ensuring that words are used correctly since they may seem similar but are actually employed

differently.

Application of the Guidelines

Two guidelines from the first level of editing help in developing a global focus in a report. In

considering whether the report is suitable for readers, one considers who they are, their attitudes

and values, and their needs. By considering the readers and their attributes, one can curate the

report in a way that is appropriate for these diverse readers, ensuring a global focus is

maintained. Considering the context in which the report might be utilized ensures the author

understands the economic and possible ethical challenges the readers might face, allowing them

to change the report if necessary. Since the readers are different, considering and possibly

altering the report in regards to these challenges helps in the development of a global focus.
Some guidelines presented in the chapter can help in writing a purpose statement for the report.

A purpose statement informs the reader of the scope, aim, and direction the report will take.

One useful guideline is ensuring the subject is not too limited or too wide. This helps the author

make sure the scope of the report is not extremely narrow or broad, thereby assisting them in

writing the purpose statement. The second useful guideline in this regard is ensuring the report

attains its designated purpose. Through using this guideline to edit, one can realize if the report

strays from the intended purpose, and the kind of adjustments, if any, are needed to correct this.

By following this guideline, one can refine a purpose statement.

Other key guidelines are useful in helping one to create a plan to organize their main points. First

is the guideline on organization, where authors check if their work follows a pattern with clear

points. Using this guideline, one can create a draft where they write and arrange their key points

to be used in the report. The guideline on headings being comprehensible and consistent is also

useful in coming up with a plan to organize major points. Headings are a major part of creating

the structure of the report. A plan for organization can be made where major points that support

the same claim are to be placed under the same heading. Also, in the creation of a plan, each

paragraph, as stated in the guideline on paragraphs, should include one major point. The

sentences in every such paragraph should be clear and concise, supporting the main point, as

stated in the guideline on sentences.

References

Johnson-Sheehan, R. (2017). Technical communication strategies for today. Pearson.