 Introduction

The following four points generally summarize the concept of editing. Accordingly, editing is
 a process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, film medium to convey message.
 a process of correcting, condensing, organizing, and other modifications in various media.
 Performed with intention of producing correct, consistent, accurate, and complete output.
 a practice that includes creative skills, human relations and a precise set of methods.

The tasks in editing include

(1) Detection/identifying and removal of factual, grammatical, and typographical/typing errors
(2) Clarification of obscure/not readily understood/clearly expressed passages
(3) Elimination of parts which are not suitable for the targeted audience, and
(4) Proper sequencing to achieve a smooth, unbroken flow of narration.
This is because editors have total responsibility, authority, and accountability for the editorial
content of a material and for the arrangement that is usually referred to as "editorial
independence." material published does not represent the opinion of the publisher, sponsoring
society, or journal owner should be published regularly. Editors must be responsible and able to
solve conflicts reasonably and maintain editorial freedom.
An editor has certain view points to judge the correctness of an article or a material. These
perspectives are Cultural norms, National Political ideology, Audiences’ needs, Philosophical
views, Theoretical Basis etc. In order to achieve these objectives, building up a hint about how to
run the publication process in a balanced manner is essential.
As an editor one has to know the qualities and responsibilities of editors.
Chapter- One
Fundamental Concepts of Editing

Dear Learner: What are the differences and similarities of the following terms?
a. Editor-someone who edits especially as an occupation
b. Author- the writer of a literary work( such as a book)
b. Book, Magazine, newspaper, almanac, bulletin, leaflet, pamphlet, encyclopedia,
journal yearbook, dictionary, booklet, brochure,
c. Editing, proofreading, publishing, broadcast
2. What are the duties of an editor and the importance of editing?
3. State the challenges in editing.

1.1 Editing as a field of study

 As stated earlier this course is about defining, illustrating, and explaining. Different reason might
have lead to the development of this field of study. Primarily, perhaps the need to control and
legalize the publication industry might have contributed to the birth of this field. In fact, this area is
used in different industries. Namely, there is video editing, audio editing, and text editing. In the
modern times especially these areas are concerns of the information technology and are stll in
progress. Nowadays editors are using different kinds of soft wares to edit the different materials.
However, the major focus of this module will be text editing. The following are some of the words
commonly used in editing as synonyms to this term.
revise, rewrite, correct, alter, redact, emend, excise, delete, expunge, edit out, make up, arrange
materials for publication, prepare for the press, compose, compile, select, adapt, rearrange, set up,
censor, expurgate, bowdlerize, amplify, polish, touch up, choose, annotate, condense, abridge,
discard, strike out, write, rephrase, revamp, rework, restyle, rehash, prepare copy, correct proof,
Generally editing as a science is about improving the quality of readable materials, and video or
audio materials. This has a lot of advantages and secures the production of poor quality.
Ultimately, it helps to run a particular business profitably.

1.2 Purpose and Beneficiaries of Editing

1.2.1 Why do editors do all this? One purpose

An author has something to say. It may be a new treatment for dysentery, a better way to plant
sorghum, an improved model of a hand pump, new insights into the problems of the landless
poor. Whatever the subject, it is knowledge that will help other people. The art is one of the
important concerns of an editor. An editor beautifies the materials which reach may be health
care workers, extension agents, farmers, teachers, manufacturers, economists, policymakers.
They are the people who can take the results of research and apply them. The editor helps the
author reach those people. Editing generally aims at improving already produced materials.
Different experts may see the objectives of editing from various angles but editing commonly
targets:

 to protect writers, authors, reporters and themselves from unexpected legal accountability
 to enhance the readability of a material and boost the income of publishers,
 to enhance the reliability of a material and meet customers needs.
 to effectively implement government policy
 to avoid unexpected mess and maintain peace in the society
 to educate writers, authors, reporters and the public
 to responsibly run the media area in well organized and peaceful manner

1.2.2. Beneficiaries of Editing

 Who Benefits from Editing?
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The importance of editing cannot be underestimated in the publishing industry. Editing composes
half the business of publishing industry, the other one being writing. There cannot be writing
without editing and vice versa. In fact, other publishing businesses consider editing as more
important because it is the process where the publishing industry decides what gets published and
what goes to the garbage bin.

Publishing is defined as the process of production and dissemination of literature or information, or

making this literature or information available to the public. By this definition alone, it is clear that
editing plays a more crucial role in the publishing industry.

Writers can write on a particular topic assigned to him. But it is in the editing process where
editors decide which particular information or data in the article gets into the final version. Editing
is generally significant for different beings in the publication industry. It is useful:

a. for the writer, authors, Reporters, producers, directors, colmnists and other individuals who send
message to the press. No man is perfect and every writer is responsible for what he/she has
produced for publication.

b. for Readers: editors enhance the quality of writers or reporters so they strive to meet the need
and expectation of readers.

c. for company owners: when readers are satisfied the number of customers increases
proportionally which in turn enhances the rate of sale.

d. for the government: Government has the responsibility to lead a country peacefully. Editors
thus, play considerable role by prohibiting the publication of unwanted elements that may
potentially cause disturbance.

e. for the society: Generally the public gets ultimate benefit from the positive out puts of editorials.
Therefore, editors are very essential.

1.3 Qualities of Good Editor

 Dear Learner: Can all educated persons be editors? If NO! what are required of an
editor?
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1.3.1. Personal Qualities:

Not all persons can be editors; good editors are a treasure. Different experts may suggest different
qualities about editors, but The most common qualities of good editor can be viewed in terms of
skill, knowledge and personalities and to some extent experience. But generally, good editors:
1. Have some sense of business etiquette, so they call or email about the story pitches or edits in a
timely fashion.
2. Are organized, so they can keep track of multiple writers working on multiple stories for
multiple issues without constantly acting like the world’s about to end.
3. Have a solid grasp of their publication or their particular department, so they can explain why
a pitch is or isn’t a good fit, and if it’s the latter, make suggestions for changes that would bring it
on target.
4. Suggests sources for stories or makes themselves available for brainstorming sessions if
you’re stuck on where to find them.
5. Have solid self esteem, so they don’t feel the need to put their hands all over your copy if it’s
good enough as is.
6. Are prudent copywriter, so whatever work they do to your copy makes it even better.
7. Are not raging egotist, so they relate to writers as equals, not underlings?

8. Have firm stand on their decisions and want to a different angle for the story after it’s in and
done.
9. Follow through on promises (and contracts), so you get paid what and when you’re supposed
to.
10. Shows their appreciation, by occasionally – or in some wonderful cases – regularly giving
you assignments.
11) able to establish and communicate vision
12) dedicated to teamwork and show impeccable ethical standards
13) good sense of humor and desire to change the world

1.3.2. Desired Knowledge:

1) Awareness of current issues of wider spectrum
2) Understanding of publishing process and duties of an editor; know that an editor is part of a
larger process, whether for print or electronic publishing. Understand the stages of the process so
that the editor's work complements the work of the other team members
a. Understand the stages of a project, the typical roles of a production team, and the editor's place
in the process.
b. Understand the generally recognized stages of the editorial process and be aware that they may
overlap or unfold differently during a given project.
c. Be familiar with the terminology commonly used in editing and publishing.
d. Understand the different types of publications and media and the implications these have for
editing and production choice
3. Knowledge of different subject areas
4. Knowledge of government directions and world atmosphere
5. Knowledge of technological innovations especially computer science
7. Know the importance of the audience and the purpose of the material: Be aware of the
implications that the audience and purpose of the material have for editing and production
choices. At every stage, look ahead to the final product.
8. Know how the scope of a project affects the editorial process: Understand how editing is
influenced by the scope of a project: what the project is (its purpose, audience, and
medium); the level of editorial intervention required; the time, budget, and other resources
available; the roles of the key players in the project; and the lines of authority.
9. Knowledge of the medium:When editing any type of publication, know its parts and
understand their purposes and their usual order or placement (e.g., parts of a printed or
electronic page; parts of a book, periodical, or newsletter; conventions for government or
corporate reports; conventions for websites or other electronic publications).
10. Know the legal and ethical requirements pertaining to publishing
Understand that an editor is part of a process with legal and ethical dimensions.
a. Understand the legal dimensions of the publishing process, including the fundamental
concepts of copyright (e.g., ownership of works, public domain, moral rights), plagiarism,
libel, obscenity, privacy protection, and related matters.
b. Understand the ethical dimensions of the publishing process, including the need to
address biased, non-inclusive, and offensive material.
c. Understand the editor's role in these parts of the process, and know the importance of
 addressing any related issues that arise at any stage in the edit.
d. Know when permissions are required.
11. Know the basic elements of the design and production process

Be aware of the role that an editor plays in the design and production process and understand the
basic principles, conventions, terminology, and tools of that process.

a. Understand how design can be used to convey meaning and improve readability.

b. Understand how textual elements and the interrelationship between text, format, and design
can affect readability in different media.

c. Understand the conventions for displaying tables, figures, graphs, maps, and other visual
elements.

d. As the task requires, be familiar with typographical characteristics, including typographical

measures (e.g., pixels, points), text alignment (e.g., indentation, justification), spacing (e.g.,
hair space, em space), and typeface (e.g., serif, sans serif, weight, x-height, ascender,
descender).

e. As the task requires, be familiar with software commonly used for design, formatting,
electronic publishing, and web authoring.

f. As the task requires, be familiar with common visual elements, such as the graphic formats (e.g.,
EPS, JPEG, TIFF) and types of images (e.g., icons, photographs, video excerpts, illustrations).

1.3.3. Desired Skills

a. Excellent communication, presentation, and writing skills
c. Mark and convey changes, suggestions, and directions in a way that will be clear to the
person who needs to apply them, whether orally or in writing (e.g., paper or electronic
markup, margin notes, emails, assessments).

d. Communicate clearly and tactfully with team members at all stages.

e. Keep copies of successive drafts and proofs, identify who has made the changes, and take steps
to ensure that all parties are using the current version of a document.

f. Verify that requested changes have been made correctly and ensure that material approved in
preceding stages has not been changed unintentionally.

2) Excellent personnel management skills

3) diplomacy and conflict resolution
4) multifaceted computer proficiency and ease learning new programs

5. Skill in setting and maintaining a realistic schedule

Set realistic schedules and meet deadlines, whether working, for example, as an editor who sets
and maintains a project schedule, as a staff editor who handles one part of a larger schedule, or as a
freelance editor who balances the deadlines of various clients.

6. Skill in Defining and applying the appropriate editorial intervention

Bearing in mind the scope of the project, assess the quality of the material and determine the
editorial intervention that is appropriate.

a. Determine the extent of the edit to be applied: the stage or stages (structural, stylistic, or copy
editing; proofreading) and the level of edit (heavy, light). Ensure that others on the team are
aware of these decisions and what they entail.

b. Having determined the extent of the edit, recognize what needs to be changed and perform the
editing that is required or requested, applying the stage and level of edit consistently.

c. Ensure that the format is appropriate for the material to best meet the needs of the intended
audience, purpose, and medium.

d. Consider the implications of time, cost, production processes, and the intended audience and
purpose when suggesting changes. At the earliest opportunity, flag problems that may affect
the schedule or budget.

7. Skill to Identify and address legal and ethical problems

Bearing in mind the legal and ethical dimensions of the publishing process (see A5), at the earliest
possible opportunity, address any related issues that arise.

a. Identify and either resolve or flag possible instances of legal problems (e.g., copyright
infringement, plagiarism, libel, obscenity, privacy violations).

b. Identify potentially biased, non-inclusive, and offensive material (e.g., racist, sexist, culturally
stereotyped assumptions or content) and remove, amend, or flag it.

8. Skill of Using common editing tools competently

Use software, other electronic tools, and reference materials relevant to editing competently and
efficiently.

a. Use current electronic technology and software for working with and sharing materials with
 authors, clients, or team members.

b. Maintain proficiency in the software features relevant to editing (e.g., finding and replacing
items, marking revisions, checking spelling and language level).

c. Know where to find and how to use current, reliable reference works, both print and
electronic, including style guides, dictionaries, and other sources.

1.3.4. Required Experience:

An editor with multiple experiences is preferred to create much better production. In addition,
matured editors are expected to have better skills and knowledge. Any way the following are
indicators of good editor.

1) newsletter, newspaper, or journal publishing

2) chairing meetings
3) publication and research record
4) demonstrated commitment to community engagement, student organizing and mobilization, or
advocacy
1.4. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

 Dear Learner: what are the Duties of Editors? In groups set job descriptions to assign someone
who edits materials to be published.
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As it was discussed earlier, editing generally is applicable in different areas. For example in
video, audio, text production and some other arts. Editors in research organizations and extension
agencies may work in large departments with several other experts. More often they work in
small departments, and often they work alone. Different publications They may be involved in
many kinds of publications. These can include:

• posters •Print Ads •Invitation Cards

• newsletters •Catalog • journals
• bulletins •Door Hungers • booklets
• magazines •Post Cards • books
•Business card •Logo Designs •Modules
•Brochures •Stickers\ • manuals
•Flyers •Greeting cards
 Thus Editors, have different roles in the process of publishing materials. This responsibility,
avoids errors and mistakes that may destruct the general nature of the material.

1. Content creation
Preparation of different materials (an author's works, journals, letters, a film, tape, or recording,
etc.) for publication or presentation, by selecting, arranging, annotating, revising, and adapting.
Prepared textual content for websites (including feature articles, advertising copy, database
content, links, etc.).
Prepare textual content for e-newsletters. Design web forms. Prepare textual content for
distribution as SMS messages. Prepare scripts for audio voiceovers, for downloading from the
site (on websites) or distribution as ‘podcasts’.Specify the multimedia content needed to
support or work alongside textual content. t locate and select appropriate, existing multimedia
content, including still images, animations, music and video. It alsoliaises with multimedia
specialists in the creation of any new multimedia content. Edit copy received from additional
content contributors. Finally it clears copyright for the use of any existing content.

2. Design and development

Making editions or revise and make ready (a manuscript) for publication or presentation. In other
words, to modify or adapt so as to make suitable or acceptable for presentation to target
audience.
The Editor is unlikely to be primarily responsible for design and development. They will, however,
contribute an important user-orientated perspective to the process. Contribute to audience
research as a basis for design of the material.
Contribute to the top-level and detailed design of the Material with a particular focus on the ways
in which the goals for the institution and the needs of users can be met through the provision of
appropriate content. Contribute to the process of information design, to ensure that content is
appropriately structured to meet the goals for the site and the needs of users. Contribute to
documentation of the design. Contribute to the selection or design of appropriate content
management software.

3. Administration, Co-ordination and planning

Supervising the publication of and set the policy for (a newspaper, periodical, reference book,
etc.)
The Editor is more likely to be responsible for implementation of editorial policy than its
 formation. However, they may still have a degree of latitude in scheduling content
Creation/ acquisition, in managing the work of additional content contributors and in working
With in agreed budgets. Schedule the creation/acquisition of content in accordance with editorial
policy.
 Allocate tasks to additional content contributors.
 Manage the creation/acquisition of content in accordance with the schedule.
 Manage costs within agreed budgets.
 Revise and supply data for reports as required, e.g. the monthly production report and individual
journal annual reports.

4. Training and Development

1. To undertake production training with internal training officers and external sources as
required.
2. To achieve a thorough understanding of the house training manual, house style manual and all
relevant internal procedural documentation.
3. To attend nominated training courses to enhance existing skills and improve work related
knowledge and personal skills and to develop knowledge of the wider business environment

5. Promotion: Together with the manager and colleagues the editor is expected to make works of
promotion. Moreover, he/she Communicates with different bodies, in order to maximize incoming
links and the value of the products and the organization as well.
Ensure and make the product available.
6. Evaluation: to make additions, deletions, or other changes in (a computer file)
Conduct or commission ongoing audience research.
Compile and analyse product usage statistics.
Obtain and analyse user feedback.
Recommend changes in editorial policy and site design.
7. Audience Analysis: Who has the material been written for?
• scientists? fishermen? • social scientists?
• technicians? •health care • news media?
• extension workers? • general public?
workers? • nutritionists? • policymakers?
•farmers or • business people? • donors?
 • teachers? • institutional • others?
• students? staff?
• children? • visitors?
This may be the most important single question asked by an author, because so many editorial
decisions follow from the answer. An editor then has the concern to understand the text and
check whether it fits the intended audiences.

8. Duties Beyond text editing

a. Editorial Board Participation

The editor-in-chief or principal editor should define the terms and roles of the editors and editorial
board that are appointed by and report to him or her. As mentioned above, the editor-in-chief
should require disclosure of any conflicts of interest. Some journals request potential editors to
identify service on other publication boards and may consider an editor's role in the editorial and
financial decisions of a competing publication inappropriate.

The editor-in-chief or principal editor should ensure that the material’s editors and editorial board
are identified in the journal masthead; receive the necessary training and oversight to adequately
perform editorial functions; and actively perform their responsibilities, such as assigning reviewers
or reviewing manuscripts and advising on policy considerations.

b. Controlling Timeliness of the Publication Process

Editors are responsible for monitoring the turnaround time for every publishing stage from
manuscript receipt to publication or rejection. Processing data and evaluating trends can help
editors scrutinize acceptance and rejection rates of specific types of manuscripts, manage the
inventory/backlog of accepted manuscripts, track reviewers' and editors' performance, and assess
staffing needs.

Some journals publish annual editorial audits which include the total number of manuscripts
submitted, acceptance rates of solicited and unsolicited manuscripts, and the average manuscript
turnaround time. Many journals follow the practice of listing the dates of manuscript receipt and
acceptance as part of the published article. This information helps answer questions from readers
and potential authors about how long it will take to see their manuscript in print. The editor's
responsibility for timeliness extends to providing prompt responses and decisions for all journal-
related activities, including responses to authors' queries. Many journals provide an e-mail address
or an online feedback form to facilitate communication with authors and readers.
 c. Errata, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
Editors have a responsibility to maintain the integrity of the literature by publishing errata or
corrections identifying anything of significance, retractions, and expressions of concern as quickly
as possible. Errors in published articles require a published correction or erratum. These
corrections should be made in such a way that secondary publication services, such as PubMed,
will identify them and associate them with the original publication. Editors should monitor the
number and types of errors that appear in their journals. This review can be done simultaneously
with the evaluation of other journal statistics.

d. Authorship Disputes
Editors are responsible for promoting the integrity of the literature and fostering good publication
practices. Different materials should develop and define authorship or contributorship criteria to
minimize confusion about expectations
e. Considering Appeals for Reconsideration of Rejected Manuscripts
Despite editors' best efforts to solicit fair and unbiased reviews, disputes may still arise about
editorial decisions. Editors should have a policy in place to help resolve these issues, although it is
not easy to explain to an author that the research report in his or her manuscript does not compete
with the many others under consideration.

 Determine whether the decision was clearly explained to the author and whether it may have been
based on wrong or questionable information, for example, on an incorrect reading of the
manuscript or on bad advice from a reviewer.

 Reconsider rejected manuscripts if the author provides good reasons why the decision may have
been wrong and is willing to revise the manuscript in response to the valid comments of the
reviewers and editors.

 Encourage resubmission of manuscripts that are potentially acceptable but were rejected because
major revision or additional data were required, explaining precisely what is needed to make the
manuscript acceptable.

f. Addressing Allegations or Findings of Misconduct

Concerns of possible scientific misconduct are usually expressed first to the editors of a journal
about a manuscript that is under consideration or has already been published. Journals should
 develop a consistent policy to encourage the reporting of indications of misconduct, for evaluating
the allegations, and for handling the findings.

B. Responsibilities of Editors
The role of the Editor varies with the type of material he/she is charged with editing. Obviously,
the wider the circulation of the material, the greater would be the responsibilities of the Editor.
However, irrespective of the nature of the circulation/type of material , there are common areas of
responsibilities that encompasses all editors be they full-time or part-time editors and also
independent of the size of their Material. These areas are:

1. The Benefits of a Public and Media Relations Program

Public relations is vitally necessary, perhaps even critical, in today's competitive marketplace.
There are many ways a sustained public relations program can benefit your organization:

 Public relations should not be a "we will do it if we have the time and resources" kind of effort. A
sustained initiative can build your organization's profile in the news media and the local
community.

 Editorial coverage gives your organization better stakeholder attention compared to paid
advertisements.

 Editorial copy generated through effective public relations is far more believable and credible than
paid advertising, due to media objectivity. Recent studies in North America suggest that positive
editorial coverage generates up to nine times more visibility than paid advertising.

 Public relations is an economical means of promoting your organization.

 Regular and effective news releases can make your organization a "news media source" on the
state of Linux. It is critical to develop relationships with the news media in the same way it is a
good idea to develop other kinds of friendships in the community. Writers and reporters are always
looking for reliable and respected sources to quote.

 Regular media exposure legitimizes your organization's work and enhances its reputation. There is
a subtle but nonetheless real perception that mention in a newspaper or on television must be
important. Media coverage communicates to the business community that your organization's
qualifications and programs are worthy of "a serious look."
 2. Responsibilities to the Authors, writers and reporters
 Providing guidelines for preparing and submitting manuscripts
 Establishing and enforcing authorship criteria
 Treating all authors with fairness, courtesy, objectivity, and honesty
 Establishing and defining policies on conflicts of interest for all involved in the publication
process, including editors, staff (e.g., editorial and sales), authors, and reviewers

Protecting the confidentiality of every author's work

Establishing a system for effective and rapid peer review.

Making editorial decisions with reasonable speed and communicating them in a clear and
constructive manner
Establishing clear guidelines for authors regarding acceptable practices for sharing experimental
materials and information, particularly those required to replicate the research, before and after
publication
Establishing a procedure for reconsidering editorial decisions.
Describing, implementing, and regularly reviewing policies for handling ethical issues and
allegations or findings of misconduct by authors.
Informing authors of solicited manuscripts that the submission will be evaluated according to the
journal's standard procedures or outlining the decision-making process if it differs from those
procedures
Developing mechanisms to ensure timely publication of accepted manuscripts.
Clearly communicating all other editorial policies and standards.

3. Responsibilities to the Reviewers

The Editor-in-Chief has the following responsibilities to peer reviewers:

1. Assigning papers for review appropriate to the reviewers’ area of interest and expertise.

2. Allowing reviewers appropriate time to complete their reviews.

3. Providing reviewers written explicit instructions regarding the journal’s expectations

for the content, quality, and timeliness of their reviews.

4. Providing guides and standards for reviewers that promote thoughtful, constructive, and
informative reviews and facilitate the efficient, timely, handling of the papers.

Finding ways to recognize the contribution of reviewers, for example, by publicly

thanking them in the journals pages from time to time, providing letters that might be used
 in applications for academic promotion, etc.

4. Responsibilities to the Readers

Evaluating all manuscripts considered for publication to make certain that each provides the
evidence readers need to evaluate the authors' conclusions and that authors' conclusions reflect the
evidence provided in the manuscript

b. Providing literature references and author contact information so interested readers may pursue
further discourse

c. Identifying individual and group authorship clearly and developing processes to ensure that
authorship criteria are met to the best of the editor's knowledge

d. Requiring all authors to review and accept responsibility for the content of the final draft of each
paper or for those areas to which they have contributed; this may involve signatures of all authors
or of only the corresponding author on behalf of all authors. Some journals ask that one author be
the guarantor and take responsibility for the work as a whole

e. Maintaining the Material internal integrity (e.g., correcting errors; clearly identifying and
differentiating types of content, such as reports of original data, opinion pieces [e.g., editorials and
letters to the editor], corrections/errata, retractions, supplemental data, and promotional material or
advertising; and identifying published material with proper references)

f. Disclosing sources (e.g., authorship, journal ownership, and funding)

g. Creating mechanisms to determine if the journal is providing what readers need and want (e.g.,
reader surveys)
h. Disclosing all relevant potential conflicts of interest of those involved in considering a
manuscript or affirming that none exist for examples of editorial letters related to this topic.
i. Providing a mechanism for a further discussion on the scientific merits of a paper, such as by
publishing letters to the editor, inviting commentaries, or soliciting other forms of public
discourse
j. Explicitly stating journal policies regarding ethics, embargo, submission and publication fees, and
accessibility of content (freely available versus subscriber only)

5. Social Responsibilities:
Again editors have different social responsibilities. This particularly refers to the advanced
understanding of the societal values and norms and moving on the basis of these values to meet
social needs. Specifically, it includes respecting individuals, respecting groups, respecting values
 and cultures.

6. Responsibilities to owners

Journals, Newspapers, magazines books etc. may be owned by professional societies or

associations, foundations, universities, hospitals, research institutions, libraries, governmental
organizations, or commercial publishers. So, editors have such responsibilities to owners.

 Conducting peer review of submitted manuscripts

 Complying with the guidelines and procedures of the owner organization, including any terms
specified in the contract with that organization
 Making recommendations about improved evaluation and dissemination of scientific material
 Operating the journal in a fiscally responsible manner
 Adhering to the agreed-upon mission, publication practices, and schedule
Meeting all obligations, which sometimes compete against one another, and handling the demands
of other individuals and groups (such as the parent society, owners, publishers, funders and
sponsors, authors, readers, advertisers, news media, and government agencies) require that the
editor have editorial freedom, comprising both authority and autonomy.

Editor-in-Chief’s Responsibilities
1. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring that content of journal is accurate, credible,
authoritative, relevant to the Journal’s scope and mission, readable, and comprehensible. The
Editor-in-Chief is responsible for setting and communicating Journal policies regarding authorship,
conflict of interest, ethical conduct of research, and academic misconduct.
2. The Editor-in-Chief shall recognize that scientific and editorial ethics are founded upon
integrity, competence, and a responsibility to protect the communal and public interest. The Editor-
in-Chief shall strive to advance the reporting of science in ways that ensure the highest standards of
reliability, accessibility, openness, and integrity of the scientific enterprise. The Editor-in-Chief
shall promote the broader ethical and communal interests of science in the public domain.
3. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for selecting manuscripts that are new, original, and
important contributions to knowledge. Published manuscripts are expected to present valid and
reproducible results in sufficient detail for readers to assess the validity of the inferences drawn.
Published manuscripts are expected to be logically consistent, and to refer appropriately to
previous work.
4. The Editor-in-Chief is expected to utilize the expertise of the editorial board, other peer
reviewers, and editorial staff in critiquing and selecting manuscripts for publication. The Editor-in-
Chief may delegate manuscript selection to Section Editors or other members of the Editorial
Team. However, the Editor-in-Chief remains the final arbiter for all material published in the
journal.
5. The Editor-in-Chief will ensure that peer review and other related publication assignments are
undertaken by qualified specialists, and that these specialists disclose relevant conflicts of interest
as part of the regular review process.
6. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for clearly defining and implementing the Journal’s ethical
standards. The Editor-in-Chief is not responsible for investigating, judging, or punishing the
author for ethical lapses, other than deciding if authors should be barred from submission to the
Journal when academic misconduct has been documented. The Editor-in-Chief will establish the
Journal’s policy on notifying an author’s institution of failure to comply with the Journal’s ethical
standards. Additionally, the Editor-in-Chief is responsible for informing readers and secondary
services of work formally found to be plagiarized, fabricated, or falsified.
7. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for establishing procedures to help maintain journal quality,
identify errors and problems, detect trends that reflect deterioration in quality, and implement
corrective actions as needed. The Editor-in-Chief shall monitor the number and types of errors that
appear in their journals.
8. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for monitoring editorial processing and production
timelines (turn-around times for every stage from manuscript receipt to publication). This shall
include monitoring acceptance and rejection rates of specific types of manuscripts, managing the
inventory of accepted manuscripts, tracking reviewer performance, and assessing staffing needs.
9. The Editor-in-Chief will act professionally, without prejudice or conflict of interest. The Editor-
in-Chief will not allow his/her editorial judgment to be influenced by political, commercial and
other considerations that are beyond the scope of each scientific report and analysis of possible
impacts and applications
10. The Editor-in-Chief will not disclose confidential information unless authorized by the
source of that information, or there are allegations of misconduct that require access to that
confidential information for proper investigation, or the Editor-in-Chief is required by law to
disclose that information.
11. The Editor-in-Chief shall refrain from using confidential information for personal gain, and
shall take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is not used for the advantage of other
parties.
12. The Editor-in-Chief shall conduct at least one Editorial Team meeting each year, during
which the Editor-in-Chief will provide the Editorial Team with an update on the Journal, identify
and discuss areas in need of performance improvement; and explore ideas for potential
enhancements to the print and online Journal.
13. He/she will also be responsible for creating an Editorial Board of no fewer than 15-20
experts in the field. Together the new Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board will review and
select manuscripts for online publication on our site.
14. The Editor-in-Chief will present new Editorial Team appointments (including appointment of
Section Editors, Associate Editors, and Guest Editors) to the Company. Formal invitations will be
sent only after the Company has been provided an opportunity to assess the suitability of proposed
candidates.
15. The Editor-in-Chief will present any changes in the structure the editorial team (such as
creation of new sections or additional functions) to the Company. The Editor-in-Chief will not
implement such changes in Editorial Board structure until approved by the Company.

1.5 Communication Sphere

 who do you thing an editor can contact with?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Preparing manuscripts for publication may involve working with several other people:
• authors • designers
• subject specialists • typesetters
• photographers • printers
• illustrators • administrators and others

The editor, as part of the large editorial process, makes contact with different bodies. These include
writers, Authors, Reporters, Managers, Directors, producers, companies, organizations, institutions
etc. Therefore, there are different things one has to know as an editor as he/she communicates.

A. Relationship with Writers, authors, and Reporters

In the process of editing, conflict and friction is inevitable between the editor and writers,
reporters, or authors. The friction however is natural to happen. But editors need to have firm stand
because they are the responsible beings for the latter accountability. Some beginners on the other
hand consider them as their trainers and accept all their comments.

B. Relationship with Appointing Body

• Owners and editors have a common endeavor, the publishing of a reliable and readable
journal.......(but) the functions of owners and editors, however, are quite different. The owners have
the right to appoint and dismiss editors and to make important business decisions, in which editors
should be involved to the fullest extent possible”.
• “Editors MUST have full authority for determining the editorial content of the material”.
• “The concept of editorial freedom should be resolutely defended by editors even to the extent of
placing their (Editorial) position at stake”.
• “Editors should have a contract that clearly states the editor’s rights and duties in addition to the
general terms of the appointment and defines mechanisms for resolving conflict.”
• “An independent editorial advisory Board may be useful in helping the editor establish and
maintain editorial policy”.
• “All editors and editor’s organisations have the obligation to support the concept of editorial
freedom and to draw major transgressions of such freedom to the attention of the international
community”.

C. Relationship management
a. To liaise with editors, managing editors, authors and all external clients, recognizing the key role
the production editor has to play in customer relations management. In particular, this involves
ensuring that all concerned are kept informed of progress while actively seeking to improve service
levels where possible.
b. To liaise with external suppliers to ensure that issues/articles are produced on time,
to the agreed standard and within budget, including completion of supplier
feedback reports and contributing to supplier performance analyses.
c. To liaise with the Advertising Department to ensure that individual issues are
produced cost effectively, to achieve even workings wherever possible, and to
ensure that their attention is drawn to potential sales.
d. To liaise with the Sales Department to ensure that their attention is drawn to potential sales.
e. To liaise with the material Production Administration Team to ensure efficient and timely
dispatch of all printed issues, including notification of any inserts or special dispatch requirements.
f. To liaise with the Marketing Department to ensure the accurate dissemination of
marketing material and to check promotional material as required.
g. To contribute to the effective management of the department through participating
in team and department meetings.
h. To liaise with journal publishing managers and editorial colleagues, contributing as
appropriate to journal development through subject team meetings days and other informal
mechanisms.
i. To travel as required to attend meetings with clients, participate in training courses or
attend Company meetings.

1.6 Conflicts and Editorial Freedom

. Dear student: what conflicts do you expect in the process of editing?
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

A. Conflicts:
Conflicts of interest in publishing can be defined as conditions in which an individual holds
conflicting or competing interests that could bias editorial decisions. Conflicts of interest may be
only potential or perceived, or they may be factual. Personal, political, financial, academic, or
religious considerations can affect objectivity in numerous ways.

Editors should set and regularly monitor a conflict of interest policy for editors, reviewers, editorial
board members, editorial staff, and authors. These policies should be published with the date of
their adoption or publication and made easily accessible to all readers by a parallel online
publication (usually as part of the Instructions for Authors). Editors should strive for fairness and
impartiality in their policies.

One challenge for editors is to recognize the potential for biases arising from conflicts of interest in
the publishing process and to take appropriate action when biases are likely. Some specific types of
conflict of interest are mentioned below.

a. Financial conflicts.
Financial conflicts may include salary, consulting fees, research grants from a company with an
interest in the results, honoraria, stock or equity interests, and intellectual property rights (patents,
royalties, and copyrights). The most evident type of potential financial conflict of interest arises
when an individual or organization may benefit financially from a decision to publish or to reject a
manuscript. Some examples of potential direct and indirect financial conflicts of interest that
should be avoided are given below.

i. Direct:
 An editor, author, or reviewer is reporting or considering a study involving a specific
commercial product.
 Direct: A reviewer gains key knowledge by evaluating a competing research team's work
and uses it prior to the publication of the work but does not cite it in his/her own patent
application.
ii. Indirect:

 An individual involved in the publication process is employed by an organization that

would obtain some advantage from a favorable product-related publication or may receive
compensation if a product does well as a result of a favorable report published in the
material

 When an investigator studies the product of a commercial enterprise from which the
investigator has received monies previously (e.g., consulting fees, honoraria, or speaking
fees), the situation differs slightly.

 An author is being considered for a research grant and publication of an article favorable to
the company reviewing the grant may influence the award.

b. Non-financial conflicts:
Nonfinancial conflicts of interest include personal, political, academic, and religious conflicts.
Editors and reviewers should avoid making decisions about manuscripts that may conflict with
their own interests. Decisions in these cases should be delegated to other editors, members of the
Publications Oversight Committee, or assigned to other reviewers Examples of potential
nonfinancial conflicts that should be avoided or disclosed are listed below.

A reviewer evaluating a manuscript reporting research results similar to results he or she is

preparing to submit for publication might be tempted to delay the review until his or her
manuscript is accepted or might be unduly influenced by the concepts or hypotheses in his or her
ongoing and unpublished research.

A reviewer with strong feelings on a controversial topic might be partial to or biased against a
manuscript on the topic and want to publish or reject it regardless of scientific merit.

An author of an editorial commenting on the importance of a research article may minimize

positive findings if he or she has been a consultant to a company selling competing products.

An editor chairing a department might struggle to reach an objective decision about a manuscript
submitted by a member of his or her faculty because of his or her commitment to the academic
advancement of those researchers.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Explanation and enforcement of authorship disclosure. It is the editors' responsibility to
establish the authorship criteria guidelines for their journals.
 Journals should require disclosure of all conflicts of interest from everyone involved in the
publication process: editors, reviewers, editorial board members, editorial staff, and authors. The
intent of disclosure is to allow others to make an informed decision about the existence and impact
of potential conflicts of interest or bias, including the necessity for recusal or disqualification under
extraordinary circumstances..

 Author disclosures. Some editors and journals require authors to identify the organizations that
provided support for their research and describe the role played by these organizations in the study
and in the analysis of the results.
 Reviewer disclosures. Some journals have established policies that require reviewers to reveal any
potential personal or financial conflicts of interest with respect to the authors or content of
manuscripts they are asked to review, or to affirm that they have no conflicts.
B. Editorial Freedom
To establish and maintain high-quality journal content, an editor should, prior to accepting a
position, receive an explicit written statement from the journal's owner that defines the editor's
responsibilities and autonomy. Regardless of the scientific field, editors should be given full
responsibility for editorial decisions on individual manuscripts. The editor's right to editorial
freedom may be supported by the following and should be agreed on by both the editor and the
journal owner/publisher:

. A journal mission statement

 Written editorial priorities, objectives, and measures of success

 Written editorial policies
A written job description, specifically detailing components of editorial freedom, including the
degree of control regarding editorial content, acceptance and publication, and advertising content
(a sample job description can be found in the Appendix to this section)
An editorial board, including associate, assistant, and topic editors, that is nominated or
appointed by and reports to the editor
Sufficient support from the parent society, publisher, owner, or other journal sponsors in both
funding and staff to carry out the journal's stated mission
A mechanism for regular and objective evaluation of editor performance by the publisher or
sponsoring organization based on predetermined and agreed-upon measures of success
Direct lines of communication with the publisher, owner, and any publication oversight body
A mechanism to prevent inappropriate influence on the editor by others and to handle conflicts in
an objective and transparent manner with the goal of conflict resolution and maintenance of trust
 Exercise:
I. For Each of the following Statements say true or false.
______1.An editor has the legitimate power to modify cultural and social norms.
_____ 2. An editor never learns rather he/she teaches others.
_____ 3. Most conflicts in the editorial process are directly financial.
_____ 4. Recommending changes in editorial policy is part of duties of an editor.
_____ 5. Paper agreements have little value to maintain editorial freedom.
_____ 6. It’s better to disclose the mistakes of a writer even to others writers.
_____ 7. Ensuring conflict free atmosphere isn’t possible in the process of editing.
_____ 8. Above all an editor has to satisfy the interest of authors and authorities.

II. For questions 9-13 Choose the best answer of the following alternatives
1. ______________ is a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along
one side and bound in soft or hard covers.
a. Book b. Tabloid C. Journal d. Manual
2. All are similar except one; identify it.
a. leaflet b. pamphlet c. brochure d. tabloid
3. One of the following doesn’t signify good editor.
a. positive self esteem b. punctuality c. physical strength d. good computer skill e. none
4. One of the following is not the work/duty of an editor.
a. promotion b. evaluation c. Design development d. content creation e. none f. all
5. ______________ is a type of reference work, divided into articles or entries, which are usually
accessed alphabetically by article name often longer and more detailed than those in most
dictionaries or a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of
knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge.
a. encyclopedia b. newspaper c. Pamphlet d. book e. dictionary
6. One of the following is not the beneficiary of editing process.
a. writers b. government c. readers d. the public e. none f. all

7. Which of the following is expected know how an editor should have

a. Knowledge of different subject areas
b. Knowledge of government directions and world atmosphere
c. Knowledge of technological innovations especially computer science
d. Know the importance of the audience and the purpose of the material
e. all F.a&c
8. All are duties of an editor but one
a. Content creation d. Training and Development
b. Design and development e. Evaluation of materials
c. Offering ISO certificate
9. How can an editor maintain editorial freedom?
a. By preparing written objectives, priorities and agreements c. By devising evaluative
mechanisms

b. By having written editorial policies d. by accepting what the boss

says e. all but a f. all but d

V. Match from column B to Column A

A B___
1. Diary A . One that originates or writes reference materials
2. Almanac B. A yearly book of metrological or astrological events
3. publisher C. A person or business corporation that produce or print a material
4. Author D. A person skill in detecting errors and improve quality of materials.
5. Pamphlet E. Daily personal record book
F. Word book ( a book that offers the pronunciation and meaning of words)
G. A small flat or folded sheet distributed occasionally as advertisement means

Chapter- Two
The Practice of Editing
 Objectives: This chapter explores the practical activities of the editing tasks. Up on completion
of the this chapter students are able to:
 use the editing symbols practically
 identify the tasks in proof reading and editing
 list the target sections in proofreading different materials
 distinguish the line of the process of editing.

2.1. The Editing symbols/Marks

 Dear Learners: a. Remember how your teachers had been giving you feedback about your class
works and home works. List down the symbols they used.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

b. In your groups assume the text below is written by a freshman student; identify the errors and
edit it without noticing the symbols on the next page. You can use any means to correct.
 Liberoalizm, consid ere as the road less traveles, is becoming
more and more appealing in internationaly relations. Like realism, it’s fundamental themes
is rooted in philosofical thinks about man nature. One finded that the liberal state has a key
role to play in the theory. Foreigner relations are handled in
a utopian way, but can stil be application to the real world in some ways. The economic
ideas of free trade and the poromotion
of transnational country are essential to the liberal concept. Finally, one must answer the
question about the role liberalism is should plays in today’s international .
When analyze liberalism, one first needs to understand the philosophical assumptions that it
is based on. Unlike realism, liberals rejections the idea that human beingsare inherently bad.
Insteads, liberalism says that humans are beings of progress and strive for perfection during
life. Burchill states, “Through their faith in the power of human
reason and the capacit of human beings to realizes their inner potential, they (liberals remain
confidential that the stain of war can be removeind from human experience” (Burchill, 33).
Liberalism focuse on the intellectual capabilit off humans, and the foolishness of destroying
one another is not applicable when the intellect is emphasized. Thus, to
liberal, abolishing war is simply another steppin stone in human moral growths. Moralty is
indid the guide in liberalist thinks.

Traditionally one can use certain symbols to mark the errors in a text and point the faults.
However, editors address their corrective messages in any of the following symbols and show the
faults to the author or writer.

A. symbols used to edit different errors.

Symbol Meaning Example

insert a comma

apostrophe or single
quotation mark

insert something
 use double quotation marks

use a period here

Delete

transpose elements

close up this space

a space needed here

begin new paragraph

no paragraph break

===

___
B. Common Proofreading Abbreviations

(The abbreviation would appear in the margin, probably with a line or arrow pointing to the
offending element.)

Ab a faulty abbreviation She had earned a Phd along with her M.D.
Agr agreement problem: The piano as well as the guitar need tuning.
See subject/verb or The student lost their book.
also pronoun/antecedent
P/A
and
S/V
awkward expression The storm had the effect of causing
Awk
or construction millions of dollars in damage.
Cap faulty capitalization We spent the Fall in Southern spain.
Raoul tried his best, this time that
CS comma splice
wasn't good enough
Due to the fact that we were wondering
DICT faulty diction
as to whether it would rain, we stayed home.
Working harder than ever, this job
Dgl dangling construction
proved to be too much for him to handle.
problem with
- ed Last summer he walk all the way to Birmingham.
final –ed
Depending on the amount of snow we get this
Frag Fragment
winter and whether the towns buy new trucks.
problem in parallel
|| My income is bigger than my wife.
form
pronoun/antecedent A student in accounting would be wise to see
P/A
agreement their advisor this month.
My aunt and my mother have wrecked her car
The committee has lost their chance to change
Pron problem with pronoun
things.
You'll have to do this on one's own time.
Rep unnecessary repetition The car was blue in color.
Raoul tried his best this time
R-O run-on sentence
that wasn't good enough.
Sp spelling error This sentence is flaude with two mispellings.
-s problem with final –s He wonder what these teacher think of him.
The proofreader uses this Latin term to indicate that
proofreading marks calling for a change should be
STET Let it stand
ignored and the text as originally written should be
"let stand."
subject/verb
S/V The problem with these cities are leadership.
agreement
T verb tense problem He comes into the room, and he pulled his gun.
+++++Seldom have we perused a document so
verbose,
Wdy Wordy
so ostentatious in phrasing, so burdened with too
many words.
What affect did the movie have on Sheila?
WW wrong word
She tried to hard to analyze its conclusion.
These are the commonly used proofreading symbols.
The use of almost all proofreading symbols follows the same pattern. There is a mark in the
margin, along with specific details about the change that should be made, and a mark in the text
showing where those instructions should be implemented. The full set of proofreading marks is
defined by British Standards ( BS 5261) and further information can be obtained from the BSI.

Our experience tells us that the best way to learn the proofreading marks is to use them — that's far
better than trying to simply memorize them in the abstract. Proofread a few documents with a copy
of the marks at your side and look up the right proofreading symbol each time you need to mark up
an error. By the time you've marked up a few documents, you'll have identified those proofreading
marks that you're likely to use and will have started to memorize them without having to make a
conscious effort. Remember, when all else fails, you can simply put a circle around the text that
needs to be altered and put instructions in the margin detailing what should be done. If you find the
list below useful, why not provide a link to this page so that your visitors will benefit from this
resource?

Activity-2: Read the text below and edit the errors; apply any of the editing symbols where
necessary.

Dilla is the trade corridor city in southern part of Ethiopia. The population size and
urban activities are increasing. The through-traffic of vehicles in the city is increasing, as is
the normal
access requirement for the local population. Motorized tricycle transport has proliferated in
recent years and in all parts of the city.
The cost of asphalt concrete, double or triple surface treatment is high and in most case un
affordable for many of the city’ streets. Double surface treatment and asphalt concrete
construction requires around 8 million birr/km and 10 million birr/km respectively.
Dilla pioneered the use of cobble stone road construction techniques. Over 20 Kms of
cobble stone road have been builted and in the process many jobs have been created. One of
the draw backs of this extensive use of cobble stone is the production of considerable waste
(rubble), as a result of cobble stone chiseling. This presented a major challenge that required
proper handling and immediate response in order to minimize economical loss due to
 excessive wastage. One response towards managing the situation was to crush the wastes
and convert it in to different sized aggregate using crushers or manui9al stone crushing
methods. This crushing process is not an optimal solution and not all of the waste product
can be used in road construction. In most cases the aggregates are just stock piled and kept
for sale.

2.2 Steps of the Editing Process:

The materials we read in different times pass through several steps. Different writers may suggest
different types of procedures or steps as a pathway for material Production.

Table: Steps of the editing process

writer/author….. Editor…..............Writer/Editor…………..Publisher…… Consumers

Rewrite Publish
write Edit

Read

1………….……2……………3…………………4………………5

In fact, there is no single best step for editing. Huck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter, and game
designer. This is his suggestion for the steps of editing materials:

1. Go do some other shit for a while.

2. Make sure some other person reads it. Other human beings are essential to the editing process
because an error missed by one might be seen by another person.
3. Read and put those notes away.
4. Reread the text and take notes.
5. Think up on the solutions and apply the what if game-think of different ways and then select the
best
6. Determine validity of the notes
7. Outline the material you wrote and outline the material you want be.
8. Plan and tackle the challenging task first or sometimes you can move from the simplest to the
challenging section.
9. Tackle from the first to the end section of the material
10. Avoid unwanted parts into the waste
11. Apply the rule of three
12. Re-read again and read that sheet aloud
13. Copy-edit as you go and then keep the best qualities
14. Revise it again if you have to
15. Finally make it ready to submit back
2.3 Major Sections of Materials Edited-
what for which material
 Dear Learner: What Aspects are edited of a text or Material? Example book, Magazine,
newspaper, bulletins, pamphlet and others….?
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Not all materials have similar sections. What periodicals have is not available in common books.
Thus, an editor expects variable sections for different materials. The actions and focus of the
editor/s may also differ from material to material. For instance, The best short story writers and
editors are those who understand the art of brevity and of knowing just where a story begins and
ends. A skilled short story editor will point out material that isn’t necessary to tell the story and
help the author refine the work so that no words are wasted and everything that is required for
readers to get the full impact of the story is in its proper place. Let’s see some of the important
sections of different materials.

I. Books

A. Preliminaries:
1. Cover Pages
 Cover design
 Font sizes and font types
 Author/writers name
 Title
 Spellings
2. Inner cover
 Title
 Publishing company
 Place and date of publication
3. Preface
4. Table of content
 Chapters
 Titles
 Subtitles
 Numbers
 Page numbers
5. Headlines:
Heading:
1. The title, subtitle, or topic that stands at the top or beginning, as of a paragraph, letter, or
chapter.
2. The course or direction in which a ship or aircraft is moving.
3. a. A gallery or drift in a mine.
 b. The end of a gallery or drift.

6. Content and internal quality:

- Style format and layout ( formality, language, type of faces, spacing, Margins and indentation
a. Format: 1.A plan for the organization and arrangement of a specified production.
2. The material form or layout of a publication.
3. Computer Science
a. The arrangement of data for storage or display.
b. A method for achieving such an arrangement.
b. Style: Characteristics or elements combined and expressed in a particular (often unique)
and consistent manner. Derived from 'stilus,' the Latin word for a sharp instrument for
making relatively permanent marks on clay or wax writing tablets.

c. Page layout: Process of placing (laying out) text, graphics, pictures, and other elements of a
document to be printed. See also layout and page layout program.
d. Layout:
Master plan or blueprint of a printed or published work (such as an advertisement,book, magazine,
newspaper, or website) that lays out the arrangement of its different graphic elements (such as
body copy, colors, headlines, illustrations, scale). It establishes the overall appearance, relative
importance, and relationships between the graphic elements to achieve a smooth flow of
information (message) and eye movement for maximum effectiveness or impact. Often alternative
layouts (called roughs) are prepared to explore different arrangements before the final layout is
made for printing or production. See also page layout program Contents, general structure,
Clarity, Relevance, Coherence, Falacies etc.
When talking about materials edited we deal about two things. The first is the type of material
edited and the aspects of that material. For instance, as you edit written materials you edit A-Z
aspects of the material including factual and logical fallacies. For instance the content, font size,
organization, coherence of sections and sub-sections, difficulty level, clarity, relevance, the
language, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and other elements are the centers of your focus.
When you edit you are supposed to make changes, changes which occur at various levels It is
what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for
example;

A. Content

Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how when reading for content. Does the text
answer all the questions you think it should?

Highlight the sentences that best answer these questions, just so you can see if the facts flow in
logical order.
Do the math, do the math, and then do the math again. Somewhere between the screen and the
printer 2+2 often becomes 3.
Make a list of "bugaboo" words and do a search for them before final proof. Include every swear
word, words related to product terminology, and other words that pop up on [Link] do a
"find" for all these words.
Actually do every step in procedures to make sure they are complete, accurate, and in correct
order.
Count the number of steps a list promises to make sure they are all there.
Check that figure numbers match their references in the text and are sequential.
Check that illustrations, pictographs, and models are right-side up.
7. Columns and Special articles
8. References

9. Overall Structure

Does your paper have an appropriate introduction and conclusion? Is your thesis clearly stated in
your introduction? Is it clear how each paragraph in the body of your paper is related to your
thesis? Are the paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence? Have you made clear transitions
between paragraphs? One way to check the structure of your paper is to make an outline of the
paper after you have written the first draft. (See our handouts on introductions, conclusions,
constructing thesis statements, and transitions.)

10. Structure within paragraphs

Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph stick to one main idea? Are
there any extraneous or missing sentences in any of your paragraphs? (See our handout on
paragraph development.)

a. Clarity

Have you defined any important terms that might be unclear to your reader? Is the meaning of each
sentence clear? (One way to answer this question is to read your paper one sentence at a time,
starting at the end and working backwards so that you will not unconsciously fill in content from
previous sentences.) Is it clear what each pronoun (he, she, it, they, which, who, this, etc.) refers
to? Have you chosen the proper words to express your ideas? Avoid using words you find in the
thesaurus that aren't part of your normal vocabulary; you may misuse them.

b. Style
Have you used an appropriate tone (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)? Is your use of gendered
language (masculine and feminine pronouns like "he" or "she," words like "fireman" that contain
"man," and words that some people incorrectly assume apply to only one gender—for example,
some people assume "nurse" must refer to a woman) appropriate? Have you varied the length and
structure of your sentences? Do you tends to use the passive voice too often? Does your writing
contain a lot of unnecessary phrases like "there is," "there are," "due to the fact that," etc.? Do you
repeat a strong word (for example, a vivid main verb) unnecessarily? (For tips, see our handouts on
style and gender-sensitive language.)

c. Citations
Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases, and ideas you got from sources? Are your
citations in the correct format? As you edit at all of these levels, you will usually make significant
revisions to the content and wording of your paper. Keep an eye out for patterns of error; knowing
what kinds of problems you tend to have will be helpful, especially if you are editing a large
document like a thesis or dissertation. Once you have identified a pattern, you can develop
techniques for spotting and correcting future instances of that pattern. For example, if you notice
that you often discuss several distinct topics in each paragraph, you can go through your paper and
underline the key words in each paragraph, then break the paragraphs up so that each one focuses
on just one main idea.

It is a section of a research report following the discussion section. Here are listed alphabetically
the complete reference for all sources cited in the article, if it is in reference citation. In other
words, all citations in the manuscript must appear in the reference list. The reference list should be
succinct, not exhaustive.
There are two parts of a reference citation, first, there is the way we cite the item in the text when
we are discussing it. Second, there is a way we list the complete reference in the reference section
in the back of the report. We have to cite in the reference sections all the sources we used for our
report. Finally it avoids plagiarism
Some points about Text Citations
Reference styles vary greatly from format to format, and institution to institution etc. We have to
present our references according to the provided format or guide lines though the most common is
the American Psychological Association (APA) and MLA styles. Both advocate parenthetical
citations. The MLA uses an author -page citation, while the APA uses an author-year-page citation.
Example; MLA ……Dr. Ferguson is described as an “extravagant” (Rooney 98).
 APA……..Dr. Ferguson is described as an “extravagant “(Rooney, 1988,p.76). To cite a
source by two or three authors, the MLA uses all the authors’ last name. For works with more than
three authors; give the first author’s name followed by “et al”. But the APA uses all the authors’
last names the first time the reference occurs and the last name of the first author followed by “et
al” subsequently. This will be explained by the following examples;
MLA Rooney, Brown, and Saha identify several types of students, including the
“Authority- Rebel” (6).
APA Rooney, Brown, and Saha (2000) identify several types of students, including
the “Authority- Rebel” (p.6).
MLA The Authority- rebel “tends to see himself as superior to other students in the
class” (Rooney, brown, and Saha 6).
APA The Authority-Rebel “tends to see himself as superior to other students in the
Class” (Rooney et al., 2000, p.6).
When several works by an author are listed, the APA recommends the following principles for
arranging the list;
 Same name single author entries precede multiple author entries; Aaron, W. (1985).
Aaron, W., & Zorn, C. R. (1982).
 Entries with the same first authors and different second author should be alphabetized according to
the second author’s last name;
Aaron, W. & Charleston, W. (1975).
Aaron, W. & Zorn, C.R. (1981).
 Entries by the same authors should be arranged by year of publication, in chronological order;
Aaron, W. and Charleston, W. (1976).
Aaron, W. and Charleston, W. (1982).
 Entries by the same author (s) with the same publication year should be arranged alphabetically by
title (excluding A, An, The), and lowercase letters (a, b, c etc ) should follow the year in
parentheses;
Aaron, W. (1983a).Issues…..
Aaron, W. (1983b). Successful… ([Link] [Link]) retrieved
on August, 12, 2008).
NB. But it doesn’t mean that this is the sole or “best” referencing style.

How to cite sources in our Bibliography

Bibliography is list of texts one has used to refer when doing a kind of work such as research,
project, book and other types of texts. It has its own way of form to site a particular text in our
bibliography. Different formats may have different guidelines both in referencing and writing a
research report though they might not have basic differences in their guidelines.

Each reference must be described in detail at the end of the material. The list is usually headed
“Literature Cited,” or “References Cited,” or simply “References.” The list of references should
include only works that are 1) actually cited in the paper and 2) actually published or, if not
published, are available in libraries or from the author or an organization. Personal
communications should be referred to in the text but not in the listing of the literature. Delete any
references that are not cited. Question any that do not make it clear how they can be obtained by a
reader. There is fairly general agreement on what each reference should contain and editors should
make sure that all necessary data are present. Editors should not have to check the accuracy of the
information, but should make sure the author has double-checked it. If there is any doubt about
this, it is wise to spot-check some of the references at a library. A reference citation, which follows
APA style of citation, has the following characteristics;
A. Books
A reference to a book should contain:
• names and initials of all authors
• title and subtitle
• number of edition, if there is more than one
• name and initials of editor or translator, if any
• place c f publication
• name of publisher
• year of publication
• volume number, if more than one
• page numbers, if any need to be cited specifically

Example: Stainton, E.M. 1982. Author and editor at work. Toronto: University of Toronto
Press. p.17. However, books of different natures can have variety ways to cite. For
instance, lets see the following materials:

1. A book by a single author:

Robert, Carlos. (1984). Nervious System. New York: Harper and Row.
2. A book by more than one author,
Stunk, W. & White, E.B. (1986). The Elements of water. New York: Macmillan.
3. A book by an agency or corporation,
Association for research on Nervous and Mental Disease. (1976). The circulation of
the brain and spinal cord. New York: Heffner publishing.
4. A book by an unknown author. Here we have to write the title in the place of author
College bound seniors (1977). Princeton College Board, publications.

B. Proceedings:
For the proceedings of symposia, conferences, and workshops, references should include
• names and initials of authors
• title of paper
• names and initials of the volume editors
• title of symposium or conference
• date and place of meeting
• place of publication
• name of publisher
• year of publication
• numbers of specific pages

C. Translation
Tolstoy, Leo. (1974). War and peace. (Constance Garnett, Trans.). London: pan books
(Originally published, 1861).
D. Articles
1 An article in a Journal with continuous annual pagination.
Albert, Ronald. (1980).Law as interpretation. Critical inquiry, 8, 180- 185
2 An article in a journal that paginates each issue separately.
Ferdinand, Rio. (1969, November). Cognitive Development.
Scientific American, 3, 98-102.
E. Interview
Michael, Rakish, [interview with Grace Voutier]. (P.56-65).
F. Articles:
A reference to a Journal article should contain
• names and initials of all authors (although, if there are many authors,
• title and subtitle
 • name of the Journal (usually abbreviated)
• volume number
• first and last page numbers
• year of publication
• month or number of issue, if pages are not numbered consecutively
through a volume
Lock, S., and J. Smith. 1986. Peer review at work. Scholarly
Publishing 17:303-16

Table- Points to remember when citing sources and preparing reference list.

-Start the references list on a separate page at the end of your paper
- Include only those sources you have cited in your paper.
-Exceptions are personal communications, classical religious works such as the Bible or the
Qur’an, and classical works. These do not appear in the References list.
- Double-space the entire References list. Do not add an extra blank line after the title.
- Position the first line of each reference flush left, with subsequent lines wrapping with a ½-inch
(hanging) indent.
-Organize the list in alphabetical order according to the first letter beginning each entry.
Usually, the author’s last name
is the first piece of information in each entry. Use initials for the author’s first/middle names.

-Explanation of References Listings: Pieces of the Puzzle

- Accuracy is important! It helps the reader quickly find or get to a particular source of
information.
- For references, determine the combination of formatting from one or more examples
that are the best fit. For example, you might need to combine “one author edition stated” example
(A2) with “book with 2 to 7 authors” (A3). Work left to right through the sample reference(s)
to reproduce formatting details.
- Retrieval dates for website information are only required if material may be revised. For example,
a website that is periodically updated would require a retrieval date whereas a PDF document or
newspaper article would not.

Explanation of References Listings: Pieces of the Puzzle

- Accuracy is important! It helps the reader quickly find or get to a particular source of
information.

- For references, determine the combination of formatting from one or more examples on pages
710 that are the best fit. For example, you might need to combine “one author edition stated”
example (A2) with “book with 2 to 7 authors” (A3).
 - Retrieval dates for website information are only required if material may be revised. For example,
a website that is periodically updated would require a retrieval date whereas a PDF document or
newspaper article would not.

-Start your reference list on a new page (no extra space after title)
-Double-space between lines
-Start each new reference at the left margin
-Put references in alphabetical order, according to the first letter of the reference
-Use a ½ inch hanging indent for subsequent lines of a reference
-Include only the sources cited in your paper
-Use publisher name only: MacMillan Publishers Ltd.
-Break website URL before
-punctuation

d. Logical Fallacies
Ad Hominem Attack: This is the best logical fallacy, and occurs in different situations. Example,
If you disagree with me, well, you’re an idiot.
Appeal To Emotion: See, my mom, she had to work three jobs on account of my dad leaving and
refusing to support us, and me with my elephantitis and all, all our money went to doctor's bills so I
never was able to get proper schooling. So really, if you look deep down inside yourself, you'll see
that my fallacy here is the best.
Appeal To False Authority: Your logical fallacies aren't logical fallacies at all because Einstein
said so. Einstein also said that this one is better.
Appeal to Fear: If you don't accept Appeal to Fear as the greatest fallacy, then THE
TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON. Do you want that on your conscience, that THE
TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON because you were a pansy who didn't really think that Appeal
to Fear was worth voting for, and you wanted to vote for something else? Of course not, and
neither would the people you let die because THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON.
1 Appeal to Flattery: If you agree with me that Appeal to Flattery is the greatest fallacy, it
shows that you are intelligent and good looking and a snappy dresser.
Appeal To Force: If you don't agree that Appeal to Force is the greatest logical fallacy,
my two buddies and will simply beat the stuffing out of you.
Appeal To Majority: Most people think that
Appeal To Novelty: The Appeal to Novelty's a new fallacy, and it blows all your
crappy old fallacies out the water! All the cool kids are using it: it's OBVIOUSLY the best.
Appeal To Numbers: Millions think that this fallacy is the best, so clearly it is.
Appeal to Pity: If you don't agree that Appeal to Pity is the greatest fallacy, think
how it will hurt the feelings of me and the others who like it!
Appeal To Tradition: We've used Appeal to Tradition for centuries: how can it possibly be
wrong?
Argumentum Ad Nauseam: Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy. Argumentum ad nauseam is the best
logical fallacy. Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy. Argumentum ad
nauseam is the best logical fallacy. Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical
fallacy. Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Bandwagon: It's obvious that Bandwagon is going to win as the greatest fallacy. You
wouldn't want to be one of the losers who choose something else, would you?
Begging The Question: Circular reasoning is the best fallacy and is capable of proving
anything. Since it can prove anything, it can obviously prove the above statement. Since it
can prove the first statement, it must be true. Therefore, circular reasoning is the best fallacy and is
capable of proving anything. this fallacy is the best, so clearly it is.
Biased Sample: I just did a poll of all the people in the "Biased Sample Fan Club" and
95% of them agree that Biased Sample the best fallacy. Obviously it's going to win.
Burden Of Proof: Can you prove that Burden of Proof isn't the best logical fallacy?
Complex Question: Have you stopped beating your wife and saying Complex
Question isn't the best fallacy?
False Dilemma: I've found that either you think False Dilemma is the best fallacy, or
you're a terrorist.
False Premise: All of the other fallacies are decent, but clearly not the best as they didn't come
from my incredibly large and sexy brain.
Gambler's Fallacy: In all the previous talks about this subject, Gambler's Fallacy lost, so I just
know the Gambler's Fallacy is going to win this time because it's the Gambler's. Fallacy's turn to
win!
Guilt By Association: You know who else preferred those other logical fallacies? *(insert pictures
of Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot here)
Non Sequitur: Non Sequitur is the best fallacy because none of my meals so far today have
involved asparagus.
Post Hoc/.False Cause: Since I've started presuming that correlation equals causation, violent
crime has gone down 54%.
Red Herring: They say that to prove your fallacy is the best requires extraordinary
evidence, because it's an extraordinary claim. Well, I'd like to note that "Extraordinary claims
demand extraordinary evidence" is itself an extraordinary claim.
Relativism: Well maybe all those other fallacies are the best for you, but to me, the relativist
fallacy is the greatest logical fallacy ever.
Slippery Slope: If you don't like Slippery Slope arguments, you will do poorly in class, drop out of
school, commit crimes, go to prison, and die of AIDS.
Special Pleading: I know that everyone is posting about their favorite fallacies, but Special
Pleading is out-and-out the best, so it should just win with no contest.

2.4. Strategies and techniques in editing

The specific strategies and techniques used in editing can vary from material to material. However,
editors in common do similar tasks. The following are among the points one has to remind while
editing:

i. Preparing yourself to proofread or edit

Write at the end of the day; edit first thing in the morning. (Usually, getting some sleep in
between helps.)
Listen to music or chew gum. Proofing can be boring business and it doesn't require much
critical thinking, though it does require extreme focus and concentration. Anything that
can relieve your mind of some of the pressure, while allowing you to still keep focused,
is a benefit.
Don't use fluorescent lighting when proofing. The flicker rate is actually slower than
standard lighting. Your eyes can't pick up inconsistencies as easily under fluorescent
lighting.
Spend a half-hour a month reviewing grammar rules.
Read something else between edits. This helps clear your head of what you expect to read
and allows you to read what really is on the page.
Make a list of things to watch for—a kind of "to do" list—as you edit.
ii. Specific tasks
 Don't rely entirely on spelling checkers.
 Grammar checkers can be even more problematic.
 Proofread for only one kind of error at a time.
 Circle every punctuation mark.
 Read slow, and read every word.
 Separate the text into individual sentences.
 Proofreading is a learning process.
 Read the paper backwards.
 The proofreading process becomes more efficient as you develop and practice a systematic
strategy.
 Ignorance may be bliss, but it won't make you a better proofreader

iii. General Tips For Proofreading

Read it out loud and also silently.
Read it backwards to focus on the spelling of words.
Read it upside down to focus on typology.
Use a spell checker and grammar checker as a first screening, but don't depend on them.
Have others read it.
Read it slowly.
Use a screen (a blank sheet of paper to cover the material not yet proofed).
Point with your finger to read one word at a time.
Don't proof for every type of mistake at once—do one proof for spelling, another for
missing/additional spaces, consistency of word usage, font sizes, etc.
Keep a list of your most common errors (or of the writers you are proofing) and proof for
those on separate "trips."
If you are editing within Word, use the "track changes" or "mark changes" function to
make your comments apparent to other reviewers (additions and deletions can be set to
appear in different colors).
Print it out and read it.
Read down columns in a table, even if you're supposed to read across the table to use the
information. Columns may be easier to deal with than rows.
Use editor's flags. Put #s in the document where reviewers need to pay special attention,
or next to items that need to be double-checked before the final proof print. Do a final
search for all # flags and remove them.
Give a copy of the document to another person and keep a copy yourself. Take turns
reading it out loud to each other. While one of you reads, the other one follows along to
 catch any errors and awkward-sounding phrases. This method also works well when
proofing numbers and codes.
First, proof the body of the text. Then go back and proof the headings. Headings are prone
to error because copy editors often don't focus on them.
Double check fonts that are unusual (italic, bold, or otherwise different).
Carefully read type in very tiny font.
Be careful that your eyes don't skip from one error to the next obvious error, missing
subtle errors in between.
Double check proper names.
Double check little words: "or," "of," "it," and "is" are often interchanged.
Double check boilerplate text, like the company letterhead. Just because it's frequently
used doesn't mean it's been carefully checked.
Double check whenever you're sure something is right—certainty is dangerous.
Closely review page numbers and other footer/header material for accuracy and correct
order.

2.5 Checklist of coverage: What is missed& covered?

When you Edit, You need to have some basic criteria to comprehensively cover all the points
which need to be included. The points that will be listed next can give you a guideline to edit
effectively. These checklists have been created from information shared by a helpful group of
writers and editors from around the world working at private companies, universities, and their
own businesses. While sorting and compiling the information, it’s tried to group information into
four basic categories:
a• a substantive edit for content
b• a production edit for format topics before final production
c• an index edit
d• an online edit for online documents and compiled help.
In addition, several people included a list of items that you should consider and decide on in
advance. Here a separate section for documentation Standards Considerations have been added.
These are questions specific to your company’s policies that should be included in your
documentation standards guidelines, such as using formal vs. informal tone, punctuation inside or
outside quote marks, and document conventions such as using bold initial caps when referring to
another book in your library, italics for a chapter title, and bold small caps for key sequences like
“Crtl + F4”. Making these decisions early and communicating them to all people in your company
who are writing documents will help standardize the process, give you editing guidelines to follow,
and hopefully reduce the editing effort by making everyone aware of what they should be doing.
Throughout the editing checklists, be sure to customize the items to meet your corporation’s or
organization’s specific policies, such as indicating the heading sizes and fonts. Use the information
listed here as a starting point. Items that I know need to be customized are marked with angle
brackets. If you come up with additional items that you would like to share, send them to me at my
corporate email address. I will post a note to the list every few months if I have additions and
updates to share with everyone. I am hoping to create my own Web site in August and have this
document and my documentation standards manual outline on that site. Internationalization NOTE:
Writing for future internationalization or localization (both in documentation and help and the on-
screen labels and entry field length) takes special preparation. STC has Two companies that have
created booklets that will give you information to start with:

I. Substantive Edit
The substantive edit focuses in detail on the content and organization of a document. A
substantive edit is most effective when the document is at least 75% complete; that is, when
all topics are substantially developed. A substantive edit provides the most robust and
thorough feedback of all types of edits; therefore, it requires the most effort.
• The document addresses any developmental edit comments.
• Information is complete and reflects an appropriate level of detail for the audience.
• Section overviews define terms and concepts and provide a high-level summary of the
chapters and tasks within the section.
• Chapter overviews provide a high-level summary of the tasks within a chapter.
• Task summaries identify the business purpose for the task, where the task takes place in the
overall process, and the consequences of performing the task.
• New material is integrated appropriately with existing material.
Organization
• Information is chunked logically.
• Headings in the table of contents reflect appropriate hierarchy.
• High-level components provide a map to their sub-components.
• The order of standard chapter elements and topic headings is correct.
• Information maps match the correct components.

Usability and Comprehensibility

• The order of tasks is logical.
• New concepts and terms are fully explained in context.
• Information is easy to read and assimilate.
• The document does not contain unnecessary jargon.
• Titles and headings clearly identify content.
• Similar topics are presented in a similar manner.
• Graphics enhance and clarify textual information.
Writing Style
• Both the tone and level of information are appropriate for the audience.
• Terminology is consistent; new terms are defined when they are introduced, each term has
one meaning, and the same
term is used throughout the document. <All terms should be defined in the glossary.>
• Paragraphs are complete, organized units of information. Transitions between paragraphs
are smooth.
• Voice is active.
• Sentences are well structured and clear.
• Lists are parallel.
• Introductory sentences and punctuation should be correct for the type of numbered,
alphabetical, on bulleted list as
described in the <published style guidelines>.
• Writing style is economical and concise and does not contain throw-away words and
phrases.
• Word choices and phrases are appropriate for international audiences.
• Acronyms and abbreviations are spelled out the first time that they are used in a section.
<Appropriate letters in spelled-out acronyms should be in caps. All acronyms and
abbreviations should be defined in the glossary.

Standards
• The document contains all required elements, as described in the <published style
guidelines>.
• The document reflects adherence to <published style guidelines>:
• Standard content
• Grammar and punctuation
• Spelling
• Approved terminology
• Approved verbs
• Field names are accurate, match the <forms/screens/application/pages>, <and match the
data dictionary entries>.
• Document elements are used for their intended purpose as described in the <published
style guidelines>.

II. Production Edit

The production edit (or "page turn") focuses on consistency in presentation and style,
punctuation, pagination, completeness, and conformity to published style guidelines.
A production edit is the look at the document before it is published, after all writing and
editing activities are complete. The editor must see the document as a whole, completed
work. The editor does not read the document word-for-word (which is a copy edit), but
instead focuses on page layout, pagination, graphical, and other gross errors.

Organization
• Copyright page is included and is accurate. All appropriate trademark symbols are attached
to the respective company or application names. All external applications/products named in
the document are credited appropriately.
• Table of Contents exists and is accurate (headings in the table of contents reflect headings
in guide).
• Index exists and is accurate (has been regenerated for the release).
• The order of standard chapter elements and topic headings is correct.

Standards
a. The title page reflects the correct information:
• Product name correct and in <all caps/initial caps>.
• Release date
• Release/project number
• File name, if applicable
• Is title centered with no orphaned words?

b. Headers reflect the correct information

• Book, section, and chapter titles
• Headings should be according to <published style guide>, such as using the same form of
verb, and have the specific format for font and point size.
• Must have at least two sub-headings under a heading.
c. Footers reflect the correct information:
• Release date
• Release number
• Page numbers
• Document status: Draft, Confidential, Proprietary, etc.

d. Pagination:
• For duplex documents, chapters and sections begin on odd-numbered pages.
• For duplex documents, mirror margins.
• For documents to be place in binders, appropriate margins for 3-hole punch.
• Page breaks are appropriate and the document is free of widows and orphans. <NOTE: In
Word documents:
When possible, use Keep With Next Paragraph format to keep headings with the following
paragraphs or lists. Turn it off to break pages automatically before headings or paragraphs
you need to keep together. Using this automatic formatting reduces the need to check for
and change manual page breaks. To aid in turning this on and off, you can add the Keep
With Next Paragraph formatting button to your tool bar. If you don’t know how, contact
Frost@[Link].
• Blank pages are handled appropriately (left blank, headers and footers only, notation that
the page is intentionally left blank).
• Footnotes
• Footnote numbers are superscript.
• Footnote numbers not boldface and are ‘10-point lightface type’.
• Footnote numbers are “bumped” (no space between the footnote number and the word or
number being footnoted)
against the text or number.
• In the body, text is separated from footnotes with a 2-inch line’.
• The 2-inch line is omitted from footnotes in a table, figure, and appendices.
• Footnote text is ‘10-point lightface type’.
• Unless footnotes are short, leave a blank line between footnotes.
• Screen captures are in correct place, contain demo data, are the most current, and are
readable.
• Field names are accurate, match ‘form/screen/application/page’, and are formatted
correctly.
• Dates on screen captures and reports are or later.
• Graphics are high quality; lines, arrows, and text align properly, all text is readable.
Graphics of ‘screens/forms/pages’ are correct for the final software version.
• Tables are formatted complete, no blank cells, point size and fonts are correct for headers
and body, math adds up.
• Check all manually created page references. Update all auto-generated page references.

Formatting
• Numbered steps begin with “1” and reflect correct sequence. NOTE: Interspersed bullets
or paragraphs can cause
sequential numbering to start over.
• Verify alphabetical order in alphabetical lists.
• Update auto-generated table of contents and indexes. If manually created, verify TOC and
spot check index (see Index. Editing section for additional information).
• Verify the document is complete, with no unfinished sections, no “to be determined”
sections, no “notes to developers” or review comments, no missing graphics or forms. If a
template was used, verify all blank paragraphs or sample text from the template have been
removed.
• Run a spelling and grammar check. If new terms have been used, be sure the terms are
included in the glossary and verify other team members are informed of the spelling of new
or unusual names.
• Delete extra blank lines, especially at the end of a section.
• After updating all fields, check for any occurrences of "Error! Reference source not
found!" by going to the Edit menu, selecting Find, and searching for that phrase.
• If the word “Draft” was used on the cover page, header or footer, or as a watermark for
review versions, be sure it is removed in the final version.
• Print a final copy and verify all text, graphics, headers and footers printed as expected. In
duplex documents, check start of new chapters and section, left and right headers and footers
and sectional page numbering.
• Check alignment of margins and justification.
• Check headings and subheadings for consistency in appearance.
• Check headings for spelling and accuracy.
• Check spelling and consistency in appearance of anything emphasized (bold, italics, fancy
font, size, etc.)
• Check lists for consistency (use of periods, use of initial caps, spacing between
bullet/number and text, etc.).
• Scan text for spacing pr96oblems (extra spaces, spacing larger than an em-dash [width of
M] in full-justified text).

• Check hyphenation:
• for bad breaks.
• for ladders (no more than three hyphens in a row).
• avoid hyphenation in left-justified text.

• Check for widows and orphans:

• for less than three lines standing alone (e.g., at the top or bottom of a page).
• for less than two lines following a heading at the bottom of a page.
• for less than five characters on a line (at end of paragraph); a minimum of eight characters
is preferred.
• for less than two bullets on a page.
• for headings not kept with following text.
• Read text with focus on spelling, grammar, and consistency in style.
• Check accuracy of names, numbers, and addresses against a reliable directory.
• Check web addresses and e-mail addresses.
• Check any math (e.g., tables with percentages that amount to 100).
• Check opening and closing quotation marks and opening and closing parentheses.
• Check that brackets are used correctly (e.g., in normal text [like this] they are only used
within parentheses).
• Check end marks on stories/copy (if applicable).

• Bulleted lists:
• Minimum of one line of text on a page before the introduction of bullets. Note: Avoid
starting bullets by themselves on the page after the introductory sentence.
• A list must have a minimum of two bullets.
• Lists must be one of the following.
• Introduction (call out) to the bullets is a complete sentence, followed by a period.
Bullets are complete sentences ending with periods.
• Introduction (call out) to the bullets is a sentence fragment or a complete sentence,
followed by a colon. Bullets may be single words, phrases, or sentence fragments.
If each bullet completes a sentence started by the introduction, each ends in a period. If
the bullets are all incomplete phrases, only the last bullet ends with a period.

For Event Programs:

• Check for presence and accuracy of time, date, location, and title of event.
For Books and Booklets:
• Check folios (page numbers) and running heads.
• Check table of contents against text for accuracy in page numbers.
• Check page spreads for alignment.

III. Index Edit

Of the total time spent producing an index, editing your preliminary attempts for consistency
frequently takes as much time as initially indexing the entries. Here are some tips on editing
an index:
• Verify that you included all required items.
• Manual Indexes - Check for proper indentation of subentries.
• Manual Indexes - Verify the sort sequence.
• Check and correct for slight variations in wording.
• Check for consistency of singular or plural usage.
• Use prepositions consistently.
• Use -ing verbs or imperatives consistently.
• Check for meaningful transformations of primary entries:
Cash flow table/ Tables, cash flow
• Check each subentry to decide if it should also be a primary entry.
• Check to ensure that there are no more than four pages of references for any individual
index entry.
• Check each occurrence of a topic to ensure that each has the same page references.
• Check the number of subentries under each transformation and verify that they are the
same.
• Check each See and See also reference to ensure they are necessary.
• Check all text references for changes in wording that occurred during a revision.
• Check the total number of pages. (Average of one two-column page of entries for every 20
pages of text.)
IV. Online Documents and Help
In addition to the substantive edit, there are special concerns for online edits. Documentation
Standards should include a section on online documents and help with special reference to
heading and text size, length of help topics, Internet terms and usage considerations.
• Length of information appropriate for online display, especially in online help.
• Information grouped and sub-divided appropriately for the content.
• Presentation is consistent throughout all pages.
• Scrollable and non-scrollable areas are according to ‘published style guidelines’.
• Reference to and use of buttons and icons is consistent.
• Internal and external links working and changing focus to the correct location or data.
• Links have return navigation capability.
• Document or help is appropriate for the platform, system, etc. of the intended audience.
• Fonts and styles are used according to <published style guidelines>.
• Check HTML code, if appropriate.
• Check CSS (cascading style sheet), if appropriate.

Suggestions for Standards Manuals;

The following pages are not part of an editing checklist, but items from different sources
that should be considered when setting up your company or organization’s writing
standards. Some items are simply questions and options that you will need to choose from.
Other sections can be adjusted to match your group’s writing style and moved into your
standards document. Once set, the suggestions here can then be used as the standard by
which you judge a document during editing. Feel free to use the following information as
suggestions or use your existing style guidelines.

Source 1
This is a list of style issues on which clients and copyeditors occasionally disagree. These
are items that should be agreed upon before the document is written.
Usage:
• Use of "as" or "since" in the sense of "because" ok?
• Use of "prior to" or "previous to" to mean "before" ok?
• Use of "between" for more than two items ok?
• Use of "either" for more than two items ok?
• Use of "which" to refer to clauses ok?
• Use of "where" as a relative pronoun ok?
• Passive with reflexive instrumental, i.e., "was X-ed by using Y," ok?
 Punctuation:
• Serial comma?
• Always use quotes for introducing terms (not italics)?
• Cap after colon only when beginning a group of relevant sentences?
• Commas and periods inside quotation marks (American style)?
• Use period for all table captions?
Spelling/hyphenation/capitalization:
• Follow dictionary (or style book), not author, for hyphenation?
• Follow dictionary (or style book), not author, for capitalization?
• Is your preferred plural formation for symbol X "Xs"?

Sentence construction:
• "And" at beginning of sentence ok?
• Split infinitives ok?
• Change all nonrestrictive relative pronouns to "which", restrictive ones to "that"?
• Change sentences of the form "The thing was done by using [...]" to "The thing was done
by the use of [...]" (or another form, depending on context)?
• Leave writer's phraseology alone as much as possible (i.e., do not recast wordy or hard-to-
understand sentences if they are grammatically correct)?
Layout:
• Mark inconsistent vertical or horizontal spacing?
• Mark inconsistent fonts?
• Mark unindented paragraphs?
General:
• Treat abstract as separate from body for purposes of abbreviation definition and term
introduction (define twice)?
• Treat figures as separate from body for purposes of abbreviation definition and term
introduction (define twice)?
• If figures are not treated as separate from body, always place figure before term definition
in text?
• Use of first person ok?
• Abbreviations/numerals
• Abbreviate all scientific units?
• Abbreviate "Figure", "Section", "Equation" to "Fig.", "Sect.", "Eq."?
• Spell out only numerals over one hundred (Chicago, nonscientific style)? If "no", please
elaborate.
• Accept author's defined abbreviations or change to the field's standard ones (e.g., API Style
Manual for physics text)?

2.6 Paper Check Vs Grammar Checker

Grammar checker is program which checks certain grammatical and mechanical aspects of writing
(see MECHANICS) such as the use of passive forms, active forms, and punctuation. Though
useful for native speakers, these programs are often less beneficial for second language users, due
to the bewildering array of options they provide.

Paper check provides much more than a simple grammar check. We know that
our job also involves methodically reading each document to determine whether the thesis statement is
clear and concise, whether the body of the document addresses the issue or problem that has been
presented, and whether the conclusion logically flows from the information that appears in the body of
the document. This surpasses a mere grammar check, and improves the quality and coherence of the
document. A well-written document must adhere to the rules of English usage, and it must clearly
communicate its thesis. Papercheck editors perform the following tasks:

[Link] read the thesis statement to make sure that the body of the document flows from that
statement, and that the paper ends in a logical conclusion.

[Link] a thorough grammar check.

3. Check for punctuation errors.

[Link] the choice of vocabulary and make changes or suggestions.

5. Carefully spell check.

6. Perform a style check, including in-text citations and ending reference lists.

7. Examine the paper to ensure that the sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly and have
appropriate transitions.

Besides grammar checking and the other mechanical corrections listed above, our editors also
concentrate on style and flow. If a sentence or a paragraph is correctly written but does not flow
smoothly from what preceded it, we will make suggestions that will improve the flow, or we will
edit the sentences and paragraphs. We will, on occasion, make suggestions about how to improve
the arrangement of the paper so that it is more eye-appealing. If errors involving facts are
identified, we will make note of that, often citing sources to which you can refer.

Our editors are skilled in the various citation styles: MLA, APA, ASA, Chicago, CSE, Turabian,
AP and others. In-text citations and end-of-paper reference lists are checked and corrected. Each
document that is submitted to Papercheck is meticulously read and corrected.

2.7 Types of text problems and measures taken

What measure is taken for which problem? Keep the ABCs of proposal writing in mind: accuracy,
brevity, and clarity. The following table presents common writing problems and suggestions.

# Problem Solution
1 Misuse of the Use the following corporate standards in using the company name:
corporate logo XXXXXX is shown in text as all upper case, XXXXXX. Use
XXXXXX, not XXXXXX Equipment Corporation, in all but the most
 formal text. XXXXXX does use the apostrophe in the possessive form:
XXXXXX’s assets for 1999 were… XXXXXX does not take a hyphen
when it is part of a compound modifier: XXXXXX certified products.
2 Active voice Use the active voice. It is more positive, more dynamic, and stronger
present tense than the passive. For example, say “We have installed and tested a voice
call and tracking system,” rather than “A voice call and tracking system
has been installed and tested.”
Use the first person plural. For example, “we” and “our” are more
forthright and informal and help simplify sentences. Use the present
tense to describe how a system or procedure currently works, regardless
of the fact that the client may not use it until the future. Using the present
tense reflects our confidence that we have already successfully
performed on a similar effort—“here is how we handle problems like
yours.” Use the future tense to refer to a system not yet in operation—or
to describe enhancements, to help highlight them positively, as a sign of
progress and strength.
3 Numbers Write out numbers from zero to nine(such as there will be six people on
the team), except when used as:
• units of measure (ex., 4km),
• time (ex., 7 a.m.)
• dates (4 January 1996)
• page numbers (see page 2-7)
• percentages (ex., 5 percent of the code…)
• money (ex. A $5 surcharge…)
• proportions (ex. 4 of 50)
Write numbers greater than nine as numerals. Use the word percent in
the body
4 Acronyms Write our the words of acronyms the first time they are used any section.
Follow the first usage with the acronym in parenthesis. Use the acronym
consistently throughout the remainder of the section.
5 Period and Insert two spaces after a period at the end of the sentence.
spaces
6 Abbreviations Avoid abbreviations.
Using a company Incorrect (subject and pronoun disagree): XXXXXX provides their
as a collective clients with solutions that help their customers. Correct (subject and
noun pronoun agree) XXXXXX provides its clients with solutions to help their
customers.
7 Its Do not add an apostrophe to its to make it possessive.
Incorrect: XXXXXX serves it’s (or its’) clients with complete solutions.
Correct: XXXXXX serves its clients with complete solutions.
8 Words to avoid Avoid words ending in .ly,” (such as “extremely,” and “truly”)
Avoid the words “all”, “every,” and “each,” because such words over
commit or overstate. Avoid the use of .etc.” or incomplete lists because
these words imply additional unstated things.
9 Misplaced Do not use a comma when two phrases are connected by and.
commas Incorrect (misplaced comma):
If the switch is Y, add 1 to the instruction set, and set the switch back to
N Correct ( correct punctuation) If the switch is Y, add one to the
 instruction set and set the switch setting back to N.
10 Subject and verb Avoid long complicated sentences with many phrases and clauses.
agreement Otherwise, you can mistake the work closet to the verb for the subject.
Incorrect (subject and verb disagree):
The extract of sample screens what will be incorporated in then new
system to accomplish these functions are Correct (Subject and verb
agree):
The client’s expectations, as a result of the new system are,
11 hyphenating numbers Use a hyphen for digit and character. Example: 4-digit key
block 2-character field Use a hyphen for numbers over 10 that are unit
modifiers. Example: 24-hour turnaround time
12 and/or Avoid this whenever possible. It is a clumsy way of saying that either
both circumstances are possible or that only one of two circumstances is
possible. Rephrase to say …and..or.. or both.
13 that/which/who That defines and restricts; which is explanatory and nonrestrictive
(always set off in commas); who stands for people and can be restrictive
or nonrestrictive. Example: A law that is not supported by the public
cannot be enforced. The law, which was enacted in 1955, soon came
under challenge to the courts.
14 Latin Use the following English equivalents: that is, for example, by way of,
abbreviations and so forth. A series followed by either or so forth should not be
i.e./e.g./via etc. introduced by such as. The phrases so forth and such as, used together,
are redundant.
15 Wordiness Use the following shorter equivalents: About, concerning, or regarding
To before enough. Eg. With regard to in order to prior to sufficient
number of
16 Internal Is it clearly stated? Does the text carry out the purpose of the thesis
qualities
statement? If not, does the body of the paper need some paring down or
elaboration or does the thesis statement need to be refined to reflect an
improved text?
Are the ideas in the essay clearly ordered? If the reader had to, could
he or she devise an Outline that would reveal the order of development in
your argument? Is there any part of the essay that could be left out to good
effect? (If so, could a revised organization "save" that part?)
Are there any serious fallacies in the Logic of your argument?
Are paragraphs adequately developed and is there a clear Transition from one
idea to the next?
Is the Introduction clear and adequately developed? Does the Conclusion do
what you want it to? Does the conclusion remind us of what the Thesis
Statement told us (but not too simplistically).
Is the Tone consistent and appropriate for the audience you want to reach
and the subject you're treating? Have you avoided slang and being overly
 casual; at the other extreme, have you avoided sounding pretentious and
stuffy?
Personal Grammatical Issues: Circle those elements below that might
be something you need to pay special attention to in your own writing.
Fragments
Run-ons
Comma Usage
Other Punctuation Marks
Articles
Plurals and Possessives
Pronouns…..Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement
Subject/Verb Agreement
Tense Sequence
Capitalization
Italics and Underlining
Using Numbers
Wordiness
Parallelism
Confusion
Spelling

Exercise
I. Choose the right answer of the following questions
1. ________ is unique Characteristics or elements combined and expressed consistently;
sometimes considered as signifying mark/s of writer/s or author/s.
a. format b. style c. layout d. font
2. Teacher: Why are you cheating?
Student: Why are other students cheating. What kind of fallacy do you see from the student
a. Appeal to force b. Appeal to numbers c. begging the question d. relativism
3. The reality of the current propaganda indicates the flourishing few capitalists at the
expense of the 80 million citizens. The fallacy we see in this statement is.
a. Appeal to numbers b. Burden of proof c. Appeal to tradition d. Appeal to fear
4. Missing punctuation marks from a text is termed as _________________
a. fragmentation b. wordiness c. faulty agreement d. Run on
5. “our country have many beautiful places for visitors” what problem is observed in this
sentence
 a. faulty agreement b. wordiness c. fragmentation d. Run on

II. Fill the table below using the appropriate symbols and give examples for each. (10%)
Symbol Meaning Example
e.g / or Delete Remove the end fitting.
1 Space -
2 Move to a new -
position
3 Capitalize -
4 Center -
5 Close up -

III. Proof read the following article and find out some of the errors.

‘Determine Validdity of note ‘

Heat up a copper wire and dip it into the petri dish of blood, and if it’s the blood of The Thing, then
the human meatbag will suddenly metamorphose — *is handed a note* — okay, that’s from a
movie. You know, I was sitting here saying, I think this is from a movie, and sure enough: it’s from
a movie. Okay. Deep breaths. Refocus. THERE. Okay, not every note you took or every note you
received is going to be gold plucked from a leprechaun’s rectal rainbow stash. Some notes are
gonna be great. Some are worth keeping just in case. And others? Ennnh. Meh. Neh. Not so much.
Some notes may also disagree with one another (“MORE COWBELL.” “FEWER COWBELLS”).
How to determine? Outside, say, a game of chance? Listen: this isn’t math. Gotta go with your gut.
Cultivate instinct. Poll the jury of your intestinal flora….
 Chapter three

Ethical Issues

up on completing this chapter students will be able to

 have the basic concepts about the role of ethics in editing

 identify the do’s and don’ts in editing

 Why do we need to talk about ethics in editing?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

3.1 Ethics in Editing

As stated earlier editors are responsible for what they have assured as right and argued as wrong.
They shoulder legal accountability directly or indirectly as they allow an article or part of it to be
published. Authors may write on something perhaps sensitive to alert certain social groups which
potentially can result in a mess.

Filtering out all such inflammable ingredients would be part of editorial ethics. Actually, the
responsibility and curiosity of different editors, based on the type of material and area of concern
vary but the basics remain unchanged. Thus, concerning ethics and legal issues different editors
work under different legal frames maintaining the basic editorial principles.

Ones responsibility, as text editor for instance, include the vetting and reviewing of articles
submitted by authors. In most cases this process will be straight forward. However, in some cases,
ethical issues may emerge either during the vetting and reviewing process or after
publication when a complaint is made. The common ethical problems we may encounter in
research and other areas include:3

a. Plagiarism
b. Research results not being original to purported author
c. Allegations about authorship of contributions
d. Double submission
e. Logical Fallacies
f. Deliberate/ Intended Faults
These guidelines are intended as a general guide to the legal aspects of misconduct claims,
prepared by notaries who specialize in issues of publishing law. Some journals may have
somewhat different individual policies suitable for their disciplines or in accordance with the
governing society procedures, for such matters as identification of authors and contributors, and
the like. You may also want to refer to Else viewer’s.

3.1.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is committed when an author uses another’s work without permission, credit, or
acknowledgment. Plagiarism takes different forms, from literal copying to paraphrasing the work
of another. In judging whether an author has plagiarized, the following definitions may be
instructive:

A. Literal copying:
Literal copying is reproducing a work word for word, in whole or in part, without permission and
acknowledgment of the original source. Literal copying is obvious plagiarism and is easy to detect
by comparing the papers in question.

B. Substantial copying:
On the other hand substantial copying is reproducing part of a work, without permission and
acknowledgment of the original source. In determining what is “substantial,” both the quantity and
the quality of the copied content are relevant. Quality refers to the relative value of the copied
text in proportion to the work as a whole. Where the essence of a work has been reproduced,
even if only a small part of the original work, plagiarism may have occurred.

For example, a relatively short extract from a piece of music may be instantly recognizable and
may constitute a substantial part. In addition to judging the quantity and quality of the copied
content, you should consider the following question: Has the author benefited from the skill and
judgment of the original author? The degree to which the answer to this question is “yes” will
indicate whether substantial copying has taken place.

C. Paraphrasing:
Paraphrasing is copying without literal or substantial copying. Sometimes copying may take place
without reprodu cing the exact words used in the original work. This type of copying is known
as paraphrasing, and it can be the most difficult type of plagiarism to detect.

To determine whether unacceptable paraphrasing has occurred, you should apply a test similar to
that for substantial copying: Look at the quantity and quality of what has been taken and also at
whether the sec ond author has benefited from the skill and judgment of the first author. If it seems
clear, on a balance of probabilities, that the second author has taken without permission or
acknowledgment all or a substantial part of the original work and used it to create a second work,
albeit expressed in different words, then such use amounts to plagiarism.

3.1.2 Research results not being original to purported or identified authors

Authorship of research results is generally a verifiable question of fact. If there is any question as
to whether research results reported in a submitted article are original to the purported author or
authors, you should make inquiries of the authors and/or their institutions. You, as the editor, are
well positioned to know what research is being carried out at any particular time, at any particular
place, and by whom. This knowledge should assist you in directing inquiries to the appropriate
individuals and institutions to verify whether a research claim is genuine. In addition, you may
want to seek guidance from other specialists in the field of research.

3.1.3 Allegation about authorship

It is important that every author of a contribution be credited as such. It is equally as important that
a person not be named as an author when he or she is not. Authorship is not a clearly defined
concept. To be an “author” one must have responsibility for a particular aspect (that is not
minimal) of the research or preparation of the work, that is, must have made a significant
contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study, and must
have approved the final form of the work. Fundamentally, an author must be prepared and have the
ability and responsibility to publicly defend the work. You may wish to use the following standard
as a test for authorship: All Authors of a paper have the responsibility to publicly defend that
paper.

A trivial contribution would not be sufficient to confer the status of author. Lesser contributions to
a work can be recognized by clearly crediting such person as a “contributor,” rather than an
“author.” An author submitting an article is required to identify all co-authors and any other
contributors (and to obtain consent from them for the publication of the article). Where necessary,
you should seek clarification from authors and contributors to establish exactly who has done what
in relation to the article and the research. You should require that all those who satisfy the test of
authorship outlined above are in fact credited as co-authors.

3.1.4 Duplicate submission

Sometimes authors knowingly or unknowingly may work for two or more publishers. This results
in conflict of ownership. So, articles submitted for publication must be original and must not have
been submitted to any other publication. Except in very unusual circumstances (and then only with
your agreement as the editor), authors are expected to submit articles that are original and have not
been submitted to any other publication. Occasionally, authors may disregard this requirement,
submitting the same paper to multiple journals or submitting multiple papers based on the same
research. As with plagiarism, duplicate submission may take several forms: literal duplication,
partial but substantial duplication, or even duplication by paraphrasing. Some journals have
editorial policies that prohibit or discourage the publication of numerous papers based on the same
research.

Cases of literal or substantial literal duplication should be reasonably easy to detect and remedy.
Cases closer to paraphrasing or involving the same research are much more difficult to detect or
analyze. This is particularly so when an author writes about his or her own research in two or more
articles from different angles or on different aspects of the research. In such cases, an objective
judgment of whether duplicate submission has taken place based on your knowledge of the area of
research must be made. In difficult cases, you may need to seek guidance from other specialists in
that field of research.

An author may publish a paper in a language other than English in a journal of local circulation and
may then submit an English-language version to an Elsevier journal. You may decline to publish a
paper of this kind. If it is the journal’s policy is to publish some papers of this kind, and you feel it
is appropriate to do so, you may agree to publish the paper provided that the proper procedure has
been followed.
• Full disclosure has been made to the editor of all previous publications of the paper in any
language.

• A full and reasonably prominent note, usually in the form of a footnote on the title page that
records the prior publication, accompanies the English-language version of the paper.

• All necessary consents have been obtained from the previous publisher of the paper in any other
language and from any other person who might own rights in the paper.

3.2 How to deal with issues if they occur

 Activity:
Imagine currently a doctor in Dilla University is accused of plagiarizing a research result published
7 years ago by an Indian professor. Provided that their topic is the same and the abstract
paraphrased with more than 60% similarity. As a committee that received this allegation what will
you do? Show the procedures and your final decision.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

In different countries different actions might be taken depending on the nature of the bigger
national law and other working ground rules. However, we can propose common concepts about
how to treat such incidences. When suspicion or allegations arise regarding any of these issues,
you should follow the guidelines listed below.

3.2.1. General guidelines:

Ideally, such issues should be addressed after submission and prior to publication. It is crucial that
you play the leading role and be the central point for all communications. Although you should
inform and coordinate with the publisher of any issue that arises and all subsequent developments,
it is primarily your responsibility to investigate suspicions and any allegations made and to reach a
conclusion on the basis of those investigations. When necessary and useful, the publisher will
provide further support and assistance. When you suspect that an ethics violation may exist in
relation to an article submitted or when you receive an allegation concerning a submitted article,
please take the following steps:

1. It is essential as a matter of due process that you raise the issue with the corresponding author
and in some cases with a specific co-author whose actions are complained about—in some
circumstances all co-authors of the article in question may need to be contacted. You should seek
an explanation and, where necessary, the provision of evidence supporting that explanation.

2. You should also seek an explanation from and the views of any complainant, together, where
necessary, with evidence supporting that explanation.

3. You should seek the complainant’s views on any explanation and evidence provided by the
author. Similarly, you should seek the views of the author on any explanation and evidence
provided by the complainant.
At this point in the investigation, you may be satisfied that there has been no ethical violation. If
not, however, you should continue to investigate the matter:
4. If the authors are unable to satisfy you on a balance of probabilities that there has been no
violation, then you must carry out further investigation. The depth of the investigation will vary
from case to case, but may include the following steps:

• Further investigating any allegations made by third parties

• Speaking to colleagues of any author
• Speaking to officials at any institutions where the research in question was carried out
• Speaking to officials at any professional body or institution of which any author is a member
• Speaking to other leading experts in the field of research in question
• Speaking to members of the editorial advisory board of the journal
• Working with any professional body with an investigative mission.

Caution regarding defamation claims

In carrying out any investigation, you should take great care to act fairly and objectively and not
to defame any author (or complainant) in any way, which could give rise to legal liabilities,
including damages. To avoid defamation claims by authors, you should bear in mind the
following guidelines in your investigation

• Make any inquiries of an author’s institution in terms of an “alleged” or “apparent” violation.

The inquiries should clearly state the facts and the allegation without premature judgment of the
author’s culpability.

• Be careful to gather information while imparting as little information as possible about the
suspicion or accusation. To assist with information gathering, Elsevier will provide you, upon
your request, sample letters to use in investigating claims of unethical behavior.

Please remember that your role is not to make a final definitive finding of whether a violation has
occurred. You need only investigate to a point sufficient to satisfy yourself that, on a balance of
probabilities, after having made reasonable and diligent inquiries, there either is or is not, prima
facie, an issue.

3.2.2. Ethical Obligations of Editors of Scientific Journals

1. An editor should give unbiased consideration to all manuscripts offered for publication,
judging each on its merits without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, seniority, or
institutional affiliation of the author(s).
2. An editor should consider manuscripts submitted for publication with all reasonable speed and
attention.
3. The sole responsibility for acceptance or rejection of a manuscript rests with the editor.
Manuscripts may be rejected without review if considered inappropriate for the journal.
4. The editor and members of the editorial team should not disclose information about a
manuscript under consideration to anyone other than those from whom professional
advice is sought. After a decision the editor may disclose manuscript titles and authors’
names of papers that have been accepted for publication.
5. An editor should respect the intellectual independence of authors.
6. Editorial responsibility and authority for any manuscript authored by an editor and submitted
to the editor’s journal should be delegated to some other qualified person. Editorial
 consideration of the manuscript in any way or form by the author-editor would
constitute a conflict of interest.
7. Unpublished information, or interpretations disclosed in a submitted manuscript should not be
used in an editor’s own research except with the consent of the author. When a
manuscript is so closely related to the research of an editor as to create a conflict of
interest, the editor should arrange for some other qualified person to take editorial
responsibility for that manuscript.
8. If an editor is presented with convincing evidence that the main substance or conclusions of a
report published in an editor’s journal are erroneous, the editor should facilitate
publication of an appropriate report or note pointing out the error and, if possible,
correcting it.
9. An author may request the editor not use certain reviewers in consideration of a manuscript.
10. An Editor should ideally send a PDF rather than Microsoft Word or other electronic file to
reviewers and request that comments not be made to the electronic copy of the
manuscript.

3.2.3. Ethical Obligations of Authors/Contributors

1. An author’s obligation is to present an accurate account of research performed and an objective
discussion of its significance. OBJECTIVITY
2. A primary research report should contain sufficient DETAILS and reference to public sources
of information to permit the author’s peers to repeat the work.
3. An author should cite those publications that have been INFLUENTIAL in determining the
nature of the reported work and that will guide the reader quickly to the earlier
work that is essential for understanding the present investigation.
4. Laboratory and clinical research should be driven by protocol; pilot studies should have a
written rationale.
5. Formal and documented ethical approval from appropriate research ethics committees are
required for all studies using people, medical records and anonymised human tissues. A
letter of consent must accompany the photographs of patients in which a possibility of
identification exists.
6. Contributors are required to follow the procedures in force in their countries which govern the
ethics of work done with human or animal subjects, such as the Helsinki Declaration,
representing minimal requirement.
 7. When describing surgical procedures on animals, identify the pre anaesthetic and anaesthetic
agents used and state the amount of concentration and the route and frequency of
administration for each. When reporting studies on unanaesthetized animals or on
humans, indicate that the procedures followed were in accordance with institutional
guidelines.
8. Fragmentation of research reports must be avoided.
9. In submitting a manuscript for publication, an author should inform the editor of related
manuscripts that the author has under editorial consideration or in press.
10. It is improper for an author to submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to
more than one journal of primary publication, unless it is a resubmission of a manuscript
rejected for or withdrawn from publication.
11. An author should identify the source of all information quoted or offered, except that which is
common knowledge. Information obtained privately, as in conversation,
correspondence, or discussion with third parties, should not be used or reported in the
author’s work.
12., At no time is personal criticism ever considered to be appropriate in a written piece of work.
13. The co-authors of a paper should be all those persons who have made significant scientific
contributions to the work reported. Deceased persons who meet the criterion for
inclusion as co-authors should be so included, with a footnote reporting date of death
14. The authors should reveal to the editor any potential conflict of interest that might be affected
by publication of the results contained in a manuscript.

3.2.4. Ethical Obligations of Reviewers of Manuscripts

1. Every scientist has a moral obligation to do a fair share of reviewing.
2. A chosen reviewer who feels inadequately qualified to judge the research reported in a
manuscript should return it promptly to the editor.
3. A reviewer of a manuscript should judge objectively the quality of the manuscript. A reviewer
should respect the intellectual independence of the authors.
4. A reviewer should be sensitive to the appearance of a conflict of interest when the manuscript
under review is related to the reviewer’s work in progress or published.
5. A reviewer should not evaluate a manuscript authored or co-authored by a person with whom
the reviewer has a personal or professional connection if the relationship would bias
judgment of the manuscript.
6. A reviewer should treat a manuscript as a confidential document.
7. Reviewers should explain and support their judgments adequately so that editors and authors
may understand the basis of their comments. Any statement that an observation,
 derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the
relevant citation.
8. A reviewer should be alert to the failure of authors to cite relevant work by other scientists. A
reviewer should call to the editor’s attention any significant similarity between the
manuscript under consideration and any published paper or any manuscript submitted
concurrently to another journal.
9. A reviewer should act promptly, submitting a report in a timely manner.
10. Reviewers should not use or disclose unpublished information, arguments, or interpretations
contained in a manuscript under consideration, except with the consent of the author.
11. At no time is personal criticism of the author ever considered to be appropriate when reviewing
their work.
12. A reviewer should not make their comments on the appropriateness of publication of a
manuscript on the electronic copy of the work.

3.2.5. Ethical Obligations of Scientists

1. A scientist publishing in popular literature has the same basic obligation to be accurate in
reporting observations and unbiased in interpreting them as when publishing in a
scientific journal.
2. The scientist may find it necessary to use common words of lesser precision to increase public
comprehension of their work. In view of the importance of scientists’ communicating
with the general public, some loss of accuracy in that sense can be condoned.
3. A scientist should not proclaim a discovery to the public unless the experimental, statistical, or
theoretical support for it is of sufficient strength to warrant publication in the scientific
literature.

3.3 Practical Consequences of findings

If you decide that, prima facie, there is no issue, publication may take place or continue (as the
case may be) in the normal way. If you decide that there has been unethical practice, you may
reject the paper. If unethical practice is discovered after the article has been published, you,
together with Elsevier, should consider whether retraction of the article or, in very exceptional
cases, removal is appropriate. Elsevier’s Retraction and Removal procedures can be found on the
publisher. There are a number of alternatives to retraction as well, such as the publication of
'notes of concern', corrigendum, letters to the editor, editorial statements, and the like.

a. Legal consequences of findings

In the case of plagiarism, there may be an infringement of copyright and, possibly, also moral
rights. Moral rights include the right of an author of a work to be identified as such, as well as the
right of an author to prevent changes to his or her work that are of derogatory.

In the case of research results not being original to the purported author and allegations about
authorship of contributions, there may be an infringement of the moral rights outlined above, but
also infringement of a person’s moral right not to have a work attributed to him or her.
In all cases of ethical misconduct, there is likely to be a breach of contract by the author, who
will have contravened the terms of his or her publishing agreement with the publisher or the
relevan instructions to authors.
You should keep the publisher promptly and regularly updated if any ethics violations are
suspected. If necessary, and particularly where there may be legal liability, the publisher may
wish to seek legal advice internally or externally. The publisher will always have the right to take
over the conduct of an investigation from an editor if the publisher considers it advisable to do so.

Taylor & Francis serves the scientific profession and societies at large. Every editor of a journal
or Society journal has the responsibility to establish and maintain guidelines for selecting and
accepting papers submitted to that journal. An essential feature of a profession is the acceptance
by its members of a code that outlines desirable behaviour and specifies obligations of members
to each other and to the public. Taylor & Francis believe that most of the guidelines offered are
already understood and subscribed to by experienced researchers and academics. They may,
however, be of substantial help to those who are relatively new to research.
 Summary:

Editing means checking, identifying and correcting errors. This important task in the publication
process is applied in video, audio, photo and text productions. The objective of editing is to improve
the quality and meet the expected standards. Editors have different responsibilities and are independent.
To be an editor one has to have different personalities, knowledge, skills and experience. They have
indispensable role to safeguard all the participants in the media and publication industry. This area is
full of conflicts resulting from various directions; however, editors are committed to the principles of
the work. They improve the materials, avoid conflicts, and satisfy the audience/readers. This
profession is subjected to different problems, particularly plagiarism. Therefore, the potential risks as
well as the freedom of the editing process can be secured by setting different guidelines and written
regulations.

Exercise
I. Give Short Answer
1. Write three important mechanism that improve the readability of news release
a. ______________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
 c. ________________________________________________________________

2. What important questions should one answer when he/she sells a story.
______________, ________________, ______________, _______________, _____________

II. Define and elaborate the following issues

 Plagiarism
 Originality
 Duplicate submission
 Guidelines
 Ethical Obligations
III. What ethical obligation do
 Authors/Contributors
 Reviewers of Manuscripts
 Scientists
 Reporters
 Camera men
 Publishers

Chapter- Four
Editing Scientific papers and related materials
Learning outcome
At the end of this Chapter students are expected to
 Identify scientific and non-scientific materials.
 Explain the qualities among the different types of written materials.
 Identify the various sections of scientific papers.
. What is the difference between creative and technical writing?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____
. What makes scientific papers different from other materials?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____
4.1 What is scientific paper?
Writing, generally, can be classified into two major areas. These are creative writings and
technical writings. Creative writings include the texts generated in the art area like drama, short
stories, novels, and other materials in the art concerns. On the other hand technical manuscripts
refer to the various texts with nearly uniform formats and similar area of concern in their way.
Scientific papers are among the technical writings of multiple coverage. Scientific papers and
reports unlike other materials have their own distinctive features. The variation may be due to
their purpose/ contents and formats. These papers generally refer to:

. Senior essays, Masters thesis, Ph D dissertation

 • books (by a single author, or by several authors),
• journals
• conference proceedings
• bibliographies, indexes, and other reference works
• abstract journals (containing abstracts of articles and publications)
• synoptic journals (containing summaries longer than abstracts)
• reviews and review articles (reviewing new publications or trends in
• institutional publications (annual reports, books, research papers)
• technical bulletins
• papers given at conferences
• conference poster sessions
• letters
• conversations

Scientific research must begin with a defined research question, which results in a well designed
research protocol that plans the overall approach. This foundation should lead to a set of data from
which the manuscript can be constructed.

and other materials developed for addressing scientifically compiled set of information. These
manuscripts in common have the following components.

• Title Page
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References
• Tables and Table Captions
• Figure and Figure Captions

Activity:

In groups discuss about the following points.

1. What are teaching materials?
2. Are text books scientific papers or not?
3. What are the important qualities of textbooks which makes them different from other
books?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4.2 Editorial Writing

Dear Learner: Have you ever written any text to a media? If yes, what were the important
sections you have included? If no, find a newspaper which has an editorial text and analyze
the main eppoints it has.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________

4.2.1. What is an editorial?

Editorials are often opinions on certain issue written by recognized individuals. The
oxford dictionary defines the term editorial as the process of or relating to the
commissioning or praring of material for publication. Besides it may mean a newspaper
article giving an opinion on a topical issue. Editorials may reflect ideas on democracy,
politics, future predictions These opinions might be presented in different forms. They are
written in text or cartoons or other forms on a space dedicated to the editorial writers.
An editorial can have a different connotation in some contexts. An editorial, leading article
(UK), or leader (UK) is an opinion piece written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of
a newspaper or magazine. Editorials are usually unsigned and may be supposed to reflect the
opinion of the periodical. In Australian and major United States newspapers, such as the
NewYork Times, and the Boston Globe,[2] editorials are often classified under the heading
"opinion". Editorials may also be in the form of editorial cartoons.[3] Typically, a
newspaper's editorial board evaluates which issues are important for their readership to
know the newspaper's opinion.[4] Editorials are typically published on a special page
dedicated to them, called the editorial page, which often also features letters to the editor
from members of the public; the page opposite this page is called the op-ed page and
frequently contains opinion pieces by writers not directly affiliated with the publication.
However, a newspaper may choose to publish an editorial on the front page. In most English
language press, this is done only rarely and on topics considered especially important;
however, it is more common in some European countries such as Italy and France.[5] In the
field of fashion publishing especially, the term has been adapted to usually refer to photo-
editorials in particular – features with often full-page photographs on a particular theme,
designer, model or other single topic, with or (as a photo-essay) without accompanying text.
[citation needed] . A good deal of confusion exists when it comes to defining what exactly
constitutes an editorial. Editorials usually come in three varieties:
1· Articles: written by a newspaper's editorial board members expressing the paper's
position on a local, national, or international issue currently in the news. Since these pieces
are written by a group, a by-line indicating author is not included.

2· Syndicated: or locally written columns written by individuals, again expressing a

position on a local, national, or international issue in the news. The author's name, and in
some cases, a picture, are included in the column. In the case of The Courier- Journal,
another example is the local issue-oriented "Your View" column, which appears in
Wednesday's "Neighborhoods" section. The articles are written by readers and are typically
of an editorial nature.

3· Letters: written by readers of the newspaper. In the case of Louisville's The Courier-
Journal, this section is titled "Readers' Forum." The newspaper is providing a forum through
which readers may comment on an issue or the way the paper has covered an issue

Activity: Write an article or a letter to any of the media in our country. And then list the
main sections.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
 __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
______

Table: Components of Editorials

a. Important points to cover as editorial

1 Background information
2 Opinion statement
3 BODY/Second strongest reason
4 Counterargument addressed
5 Facts and statistics
6 Ethical appeal
7 Strongest reason with examples
8 CONCLUSION

b. Letters to the Editor

Check that it contains the following:
 Contact details
 Date
 Name and address of recipient
 Salutation
 Opening paragraph—introduction to the topic of the letter
 second paragraph—your qualifications and skills
 Third paragraph—your interests and Personal qualities
 fourth paragraph—conclusion
 Closing On page 2 you can see an example.
 What are the challenges while sending letters to the media and editors?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

4.2.2 Sending to the Media:

When contacting an editor for the first time, you should take pains to get your relationship
off to a good start. This is best accomplished by sending a well-crafted letter (or email) of
introduction prior to issuing your first news release.

Even if you have been involved in media relations in another capacity, a letter of
introduction can help establish a "new era" of cooperation between you (in your new public
relations role) and the editor. After all, a successful public and media relations program is all
about relationships—successful ones. What must your letter accomplish? Consider your
goals carefully, because this letter can do a great deal for your organization and you.

First, reaching the right editor or reporter is extremely important. Then, you will want to get
that editor's help in identifying other professionals who may be interested in receiving and
conveying Linux news. These professionals include freelance writers (who write
speculatively or on assignment, then sell specific stories to publications), editors in related
areas (business and feature editors), industry spokespeople, and so on. Your letter also needs
to articulate why this editor will likely be interested in your organization's story and why his
or her audience will be interested.

The primary purpose for the letter of introduction is to open the lines of communication and
to make yourself or your designated spokesperson available. Be sure to give your full name
and contact information. Most importantly, do not forget to include your email and website
addresses. Email is the preferred method of communication in the journalistic community.
Make corresponding and dealing with you easy for your media contacts. This is critical to
the success of any media and public relations program.

If you include broadcast in your public relations program, you will need to adjust the
terminology accordingly. Instead of editors, you will be corresponding with news directors
and producers; instead of readers, you will be referring to listeners, viewers, or an audience.
 No matter what their job description is, remember that you are dealing with actual people.
The more personable you are in your correspondence, the more likely you are to see results.

Table: Pathways of an editorial

writer/author….. Editor/s…........................................ Editor in chief…………..Publisher

writer Editor-in Chief

Editor-1, 2, 3… Publish

Send/submit-------------------Edit----------------------Re-Edit& Decide-------------publish
1………….…………….…2…………………………………..3……………………4

Using the Phone

Regardless of the size and scope of your media relations program, look for an opportunity to
directly contact at least some of the editors and journalists important to your organization.
The telephone is a tremendous ally in any public relations program. A phone call establishes
person-to-person contact, lends credibility to your public relations effort, and helps your
contact to associate a name to the news releases you subsequently send to them. A few
moments on the phone, either as a prelude or a follow-up to a news release, not only draws
attention to your organization but can also impart a sense of immediacy and urgency that
may provide the edge you need to acquire editorial coverage of your story.

When calling an editor, always immediately identify yourself and your organization. Next,
ask if the editor is on deadline. If their answer is "Yes," don't tie up their time but offer to
call back in a day or two and then do so. Editors are known for their extraordinary memory
—they never forget a nuisance or a courtesy. If the editor is not on deadline, then state
immediately why you are calling, saying something like this:

"Hello, I'm (name) with (my organization), and I'm calling to alert you to our announcement
of (news topic). I want you to know that I'm available to you for any additional information
or an interview, now or any time in the future. Give me a call at (phone number) or email me
at (email address)."

Look what the dialogue above accomplishes. You have identified yourself and your
organization, stated your business succinctly, and offered your services as a liaison. Now let
the editor decide what to do. If they seem to want to get off the phone quickly, don't worry.
They may have something urgent demanding their attention or a story that needs to be filed
immediately. You can always call back or have the editor return your call later. Listen
carefully to the editor's recommendations for calling them at another time.

While most editors and reporters are busy, they are seldom rude (in fact, the contrary) and
usually cooperative. If the editor asks why you are calling, or has other questions, be
prepared to answer. As in any business situation, always do your homework. If necessary,
write down potential questions and answers and rehearse beforehand. Nothing irritates a
busy editor or reporter more than dealing with a public relations representative who is
unprepared to answer basic questions.

If you cannot answer all the questions, promise to find the answers and send the information
by email. Be sure to do this in a timely fashion. Editors appreciate quick responses and will
give more attention to people who can give them the information they are seeking in a
timely manner. This is a very important consideration.

If the editor gives you a "No thanks, not interested" response—which may happen quite
frequently at the beginning—you should ask if there is someone else on staff who would be
interested in your information. If there is time, and the editor seems receptive to sharing
information (listen carefully to their tone of voice and phone manner), you might also ask if
there is anything special about Linux they are looking for, now or in the future. After all, the
less you waste of each other's time, the more productive your relationship will be.

Once editors know of you and your organization, there may be times when they contact you
directly. For example, the publications you have targeted may occasionally feature an
editorial focus on Linux. Check the editorial calendars of these publications on a regular
basis. Periodicals plan their issues two to three months in advance of the publication date, so
you need to be proactive in pitching (telling) your organization's story ahead of time.
Editorial calendars are often made available on the publication's website. They are also
usually available free of charge from the publication's advertising department. If all else
fails, contacting the publication's editorial assistant and making a polite request should yield
positive results.

Another important way to use the phone is to find out who you should be contacting at a
 specific publication. The receptionist is usually cooperative and very knowledgeable about
this. You may end up talking to a lot of different people before you get the answers you
need, but public relations is far more effective when you deliver your news to the right
people.

Targeting Other Medias

In television and radio news shows, news editors, some reporters, and even anchors have
input on the news to be aired. In other types of shows, often the producer decides which
stories to cover in future broadcasts. Segment producers will produce the individual stories
for a broadcast, while assistant producers may perform specialized functions, such as finding
interview subjects.

A. Television
The same considerations of "newsworthiness" discussed for newspapers apply to television
broadcast news, with the added element of visuals. There are several types of TV
programming you will want to consider. These include educational and informational
programs, local and community news programs, and perhaps a business program.
Understand the types of shows being produced and aired in your regional area, and then
pitch your story for an in-studio interview or a feature. Ensuring that you are pitching the
right story to the right TV program staffer will be discussed later in this guide.
B. Radio
Radio time for news stories is very limited. Usually there is only enough time for headlines
and summaries of the day's top stories, but radio still has great opportunities for your
organization.
Some radio stations offer expanded news coverage and features (this is sometimes called
"foreground programming"). Most Linux news has a better chance of getting coverage or an
interview in news programming than in regular programming. The best chance of all lies in
targeting an all-news station. Approximately 45 minutes of each hour are devoted to news,
sports, weather, special reports, and features. (The remaining 15 minutes are for
commercials.) All-news radio stations operate more like a magazine or newspaper, with
specific departments and editors, more producers, more reporters, and therefore, more
available resources. Stories that interest a significant portion of their listening community or
that appeal to deep-pocketed sponsors will be given the most attention. You could pitch a
"Linux for business" type of story. Even if your underlying goal is to promote your
organization, the story or interview must avoid advertising or commercial overtones of any
kind. Nothing kills the news media's credibility faster or turns off listeners more than
inappropriate jingoism.
C. Talk Shows
Talk shows, whether on television or radio, are excellent vehicles for covering a wide
variety of topics. Talk shows often invite industry experts to be commentators or
participants in a panel discussion. In addition, these shows often have phone-in segments,
inviting listeners to ask questions or make comments. These characteristics make the talk
show an ideal forum for raising your organization's visibility.
For these programs, there is usually an assistant producer responsible for lining up
interesting guests, as well as a producer who coordinates the overall process. Both email and
telephone contact with the assistant producer can prove rewarding. The host, interviewer, or
moderator of the show does not usually choose the guests or have final say in who appears.
Unless instructed otherwise, contacting the assistant producer or producer is est.

4.2.3 "Selling" Your Story to the Media

Clearly, editors and producers have to know the interests of their audiences. Often this
knowledge comes from the editors' strong identification with their readers, which can
develop into an almost paternal attitude. Editors are constantly making decisions about what
their readers will and won't see—any editor would correctly say that is their job. Part of this
judgment is based on what the editor feels the readers are currently interested in, and part is
based on what the editor feels the readers should or will be interested in. An astute editor
keeps their sights as much on the future as on the present.
Keep in mind that the role of the news media has never been confined to just reporting the
news, but also includes analysis and interpretation. Analysis and interpretation are
considered the domain of "experts," which presents a perfect opportunity for specialists in
your organization to share their knowledge and bring visibility to your organization.
Editors, being journalists, abide by the five Ws tradition of reporting: who, what, where,
when, and why (with an unofficial "how"tagging along). Always include clear, engaging
answers to the five Ws in all news releases. Also, you can use the five Ws as a guideline for
how to most effectively catch the attention of editors. The way in which you present this
information is crucial to being accepted by an editor as newsworthy for their audience. You
have to "tell a story," make the news interesting and relevant, and choose an appropriate
time and place to present the story.
A. Who
"Who" usually consists of your organization, spokespersons, and authorities quoted in your
news releases. Your organization and those speaking as representatives must be presented as
professional, authoritative, influential, and with strong credentials for speaking on matters
related to your industry. By positioning your organization in this way, you have a much
better chance of generating visibility and prestige. The goal is to make your organization a
recognized authority in your field. With this distinction, any time you issue a statement, your
news will draw the attention of editors whose readers are interested in the specific work you
do. All things being equal, the more influential your spokesperson, the better the chance
your news has of being selected.

B. What
The "what" is the subject of your release—a new application, a new appointment, or any
interesting event you choose to announce. Naturally, unusual or exciting announcements
have a better chance of being covered. Anything you can do to make your story stand out
from the ordinary will be viewed as a refreshing change and will increase the chance of your
story being published.
If the "what" in your story is a personnel appointment (either paid or volunteer), look for
some human interest in either the person or the job at hand. If this person is a well-known
Linux expert or a pillar of their local community, all the better. The more noteworthy the
individual, the more newsworthy the story. If the "what" is an event such as a Linux trade
show, that is a plus. Editors regard events as more urgent and newsworthy than other
announcements.

C. Where
The "where" of your release plays a key role. As you begin to understand public relations,
you will appreciate the role of staging events to generate news. Since the media appreciates
visuals, try to produce events with images as well as a pertinent story. In planning a pitch or
a release, ensure that you clearly indicate the address of every event you hope to have
reporters attend. Reporters' time is wasted if they have to call for directions to every event.
A special media contact person is a good idea to have at all events. This person can prevent
reporters from missing important or visual parts of events. Be aware of upcoming events or
activities that you might be able to capitalize on or borrow interest from. Again, the goal is
promote the unusual, the unique, the unexpected that will pique the editor's curiosity or
sense of humor—and get your story into print.

D. When
Remember that for most organizations, "when" can be just about any time. There is no need
to wait for once-a-year events (like trade shows) to provide news. With creative thinking,
you can come up with news stories that capitalize on current events. For example, news
about the economy and what proprietary operating systems cost organizations to run can
provide a background for Linux news. New computer applications running on Linux also
present rich opportunities. "When" is extremely important in terms of releasing the news.
For instance, if you are publicizing special events or trade show appearances, you want to
allow ample time for an editor to assign a reporter to cover the story (if the news is deemed
of interest). If the editor doesn't have enough time to assign a reporter to cover your event,
you can count on no reporters being available.
Fortunately, though, while timing is critically important, avoiding bad timing is easy. The
first rule is always to provide a reasonable amount of advance notice. For news-breaking
media such as radio, television, and some newspapers, two days is an absolute minimum,
and a week is more prudent. For magazines and trade journals, one to two weeks is the
minimum in most cases, and three to four weeks is even better.
The second rule is to use your common sense and avoid scheduling pitches when you know
the editor is on deadline or is involved with other events. Also avoid periods when the editor
is working with little or no support staff (such as when reporters are away at an important
trade show). Generally, business hours between 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. is best, since this
gives reporters time to write and file their stories. Mondays and Fridays are always more
difficult than midweek, but don't be afraid to ask if the editor prefers specific days.
If you are requesting reporters attend and cover an event, never ask the editor to confirm
their attendance. The editor will not appreciate the pressure, and besides they cannot
guarantee they will have the resources (reporters and camera operators) at the appointed
time. News changes by the second. A reporter may be ready to go to your event and, at the
last minute, be reassigned to something else. This happens all the time, so don't take the
rejection personally. If you show respect for the editor's time, they will appreciate your
consideration and may be more likely to cover at least some of your stories.

E. Why
So far, we have discussed who the news media is interested in, what news is most likely to
be covered, and where and when you are going to make your pitch. Now, in looking at the
"why" of your organization's story, we will address two questions. First, why did your news
item come to pass, and second, why should an editor (and their readers, listeners, or viewers)
find your event newsworthy?
Unless there is something terribly interesting about the who, what, where, or when, "why" is
the single most compelling factor available to an editor in determining newsworthiness.
Why is the news important to the audience? Why do they need to know about this? Why is
your particular event unusual or out of the ordinary?
Most organization's activities can be analyzed in terms of their cause and/or their effect. The
more you can identify causes or effects in your story, the better chance your organization
has of receiving coverage. As an example, if there is a trend of Linux being increasingly
used in the enterprise, there must be a reason why. Giving the editor just a few of these
reasons can make your story more newsworthy than just a simple, bland announcement.
Even including some statistics to support your why will likely have a tremendous effect.
The same principle holds true for something as seemingly mundane as a new personnel
selection. Why was there a vacancy? Why was this person selected to fill the spot? Adding
either or both pieces of information to the release greatly increases the news interest.
One of the cardinal rules of media and public relations is: "Never promote features, always
promote benefits." A feature is any specific aspect that makes a product or service unique;
features belong to products or services. A benefit is an advantage gained by the user in
selecting a specific product or service; benefits belong to users. What a product or service
does is nowhere near as meaningful as why there is some advantage or benefit to the user.
You don't need to completely ignore describing features, but you do need to present them in
the context of their benefits to the end user. The reason for doing this is simple. Readers are
potential users, and the better job you do of relating to the user, the more you will attract
readers. Readers, as we already know, are the editor's Holy Grail.
If your release is about an event, there are numerous "whys" you need to address. Why now?
Why is your organization involved or being a sponsor? Why would anyone want to come to
the event?
Be proactive and open in sharing the causes and anticipated effects of these
accomplishments. Don't leave the editor wondering: "So what?" Failing to provide answers
to why your activity is news is a sure-fire way of getting your release "filed" in the recycle
bin.
F. How
Cause and effect, and explaining why your news is happening, will very naturally lead to the
"how" of your story. How did this come to pass? How are you accomplishing this? How did
your organization decide to embark on this new and exciting initiative? How will this
change affect people and the marketplace? Describing the hows gives color and interest to
your story.

4.2.4 Do's and Don'ts When Dealing with the News Media
When pitching your organization's story to news editors, there are fundamental do's and
don'ts that you as a public relations professional should follow.
A. Do's
Do introduce yourself to different media editors, journalists, and freelancers by sending
them an email note or by inviting them out for coffee or lunch. Bring along some
background information or a few pages from your website to explain what your organization
is all about.
Do follow up after the meeting with thank-you note, mentioning that you will be in touch as
appropriate. This is important to set the stage for future dialogue.
Do let them know what your goals are and what special events, news, or programs you have
coming up.
Do send out news releases by email about two weeks in advance, when you have a special
event planned. Send a follow-up email a few days later. Phone again at a convenient time
before the event to suggest a possible meeting or interview at the event. The bigger the
event, the more advance notice should be given.
Do tailor your pitch for the needs of each medium. For example, set up plenty of photo
opportunities for television media, human-interest stories for print, and interviews for radio.
Do give them the name of someone who has a personal experience to tell. Remember that
the media loves a good story. Real life stories engage readers and makes for better copy than
just statistics relating to Linux and open source.
Do ensure that you or your designated spokesperson is available for interviews at a
moment's notice; otherwise much of your efforts will be in vain. Both of you, of course,
should do your homework and rehearse questions and answers in advance. You should have
facts, statistics, and anecdotes in your head, ready to use.
B. Don'ts
Don't send out a pitch or news release with vague, general statements. Your story has to
show not tell, and you must convince the editor to cover the news that promotes your
organization rather someone else's. Getting editorial coverage is fiercely competitive.
Don't ever tell the media what you want from them. Instead, ask them about the kinds of
stories they're looking for, or if there are any other reporters in their newsroom who would
be interested in Linux and open source. By learning what they want, you can tailor your
communications to get what you want.
Don't underestimate the importance of less prominent media like community newspapers,
cable TV, trade journals, and special-interest newsletters. Look at the entire spectrum of
news media for different angles.
Writing News Releases
Who, what, where, when, why, and how—these are the six critical ingredients of all news
releases. But don't forget, a little spice can make your news release stand out from the
crowd. In this part, you will learn how to write a professional-looking news release, the most
important tool in any public relations program.
a. The Headline
The headline is the first thing—and sometimes the only thing—an editor will read. Releases
are often rejected as a result of a weak headline.
Create headlines with impact. The most effective words in a news release headline are eye-
catching words like "announces" and "new." Comparative words like "better" or "more" can
also draw attention to your article. The headline is the "hook" that lures editors and reporters
into reading more. Headlines must be compelling.
Many public relations novices make the mistake of embellishing their headlines. Your
organization has to earn the respect of editors. Nobody owes you a reading. Too much
information, or confusing information, is a turnoff. Most importantly, you should never
sacrifice accuracy for the sake of a flashy headline.
Here are some guidelines for writing headlines:
-Determine the most significant benefit your most important reader will derive from the
news.
-Try and state those benefits in seven words or less.
-Ask yourself if your statement is meaningful to someone not closely involved with your
business.
When actually writing the headline, try to achieve the greatest impact using the fewest
words. Your headline doesn't need to be quite as dramatic as a newspaper headline. Editors
are looking for information in the headline, so try to at least include who, what, and why.
Whatever the headline, you must accurately reflect the content that follows.
b. The First Paragraph
Many news releases are accepted or rejected on the basis of the headline and first paragraph
or two. These introductory paragraphs are often all an editor will have time to read. Many
releases are rejected due a simple downfall: failure to include any valuable news in the first
paragraph.
An important news-writing concept is collapsible copy. Collapsible copy reads well from the
beginning to the end of any given paragraph. The information is "chunked" to stand on its
own, if need be. Each sentence could be pulled from the news release and used as a
quotation. This type of copy should be used as extensively as possible in all paragraphs.
Editors expect to see the five Ws covered in the first few sentences. Here's an example:
NEW YORK — January 22, 2003 —The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) ([Link]),
the premier professional certification program for the Linux community, and United Linux
LLC ([Link] ), an industry initiative to streamline Linux development and
certification around a global, uniform distribution, have signed a cooperative agreement to
market a United Linux professional certification program. Under the memorandum of
understanding, LPI and United Linux will work jointly to create new United Linux specific
exams which, when passed together with the current LPI Levels 1 and 2 exams, will lead to
two new United Linux certifications. The new exams are expected to be available during the
first quarter of [Link]'s look more closely at this example. The where and when of this
and most releases are specified in the slug ("New York — January 22, 2003"). The who is
LPI and United Linux.
The what is signing a cooperative agreement. The why is marketing a United Linux
professional certification program. And the how is LPI and United Linux working jointly to
create new United Linux-specific exams. These two paragraphs alone communicate the
essential points of this announcement,. In print, there may not be enough space for more
than this. Some special-interest journals devote a column or a page to announcements, which
are printed verbatim from the news release. Unless the announcement is deemed more
newsworthy, this may be all the coverage you get.
c. The Middle Paragraphs
Limited space in publications and time in broadcasting means the first paragraph may get
covered. Paragraphs should always be ordered by importance for two important reasons.
First, editors read through releases quickly and often will not finish entire releases. You
must consider what things are most important, and place them next in the release. Often, a
statement from your spokesperson explaining the expected impacts on the marketplace or
something related can be catchy enough to be quoted. Follow this with the next most
important thing, and so on to the end of the release.
Second, sequence frequently indicates importance (unless the story is an in-depth feature
that can establish pacing and shape). Stacking your news, in what some editors call the
"inverted pyramid," can show editors the relative importance of your details. By following
the inverted pyramid, you will make the editor's job easier and also accomplish your goal of
getting the most critical information covered. Final Details
You need to mark the end of your news release, so that editors know there is no further
news. In journalism, this is traditionally done by putting "-30-" or "-end-" on a new, centered
line, after the last line of copy, as follows: After ending the release, it is important to
include the boilerplate— standard, reusable background information about the organization
issuing the news and contact information for editorial follow-up. The boilerplate includes
the organization's web address where the editor can go for further details. Boilerplates can
be reviewed and revised periodically, but they should maintain consistency. Wildly different
boilerplates are unprofessional from one release to the next. Below is an example of
boilerplate and contact information.
About Linux Professional Institute The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) develops
professional certification for the Linux operating system independent of software vendors or
training providers. Established as an international non-profit organization in 1999 by the
Linux community, LPI develops accessible, internationally-recognized certification
programs which have earned the respect of vendors, employers and administrators. LPI's
activities involve hundreds of volunteers and professionals throughout the world in many
different capacities, and the group encourages active public involvement through mailing
lists and its website at [Link]. LPI's multi-level program of exams is administered
globally through Virtual University Enterprises (VUE) and Prometric testing centers. LPI's
major financial sponsors are Platinum Sponsors Caldera International (NASDAQ:CALD),
IBM (NYSE:IBM), Linux care, Max speed, SGI (NYSE:SGI), SuSE Linux AG and Turbo
Linux as well as Gold Sponsors Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP) and Wave Technologies.

4.2.5 Tips for Writing Releases

To summarize what was stated so far, here are ten tips for writing an excellent news
release.

1. Use an active headline to grab the editor's attention.

The headline makes your release stand out. Keep the headline short, active, and
descriptive, with the most positive spin. Write "Jane Doe Named Person of the Year"
instead of "Jane Doe Gets Award."
2. Put the most important information at the beginning.
This is a tried and true rule of journalism. Remember that the first two paragraphs
 should contain the salient facts of who, what, when, where, why, and how. Don't bury
good information at the end.
3. Avoid exaggeration and unsubstantiated claims.
A news editor can smell a sales pitch a mile away. Instead of making over-inflated
statements, provide real, usable information. Find legitimate ways to set your
organization apart, and stress those points.
4. Write in an active, engaging, and concise style.
Use language that conveys your excitement about the news. If your release is boring or
passively written, the editor may conclude the news itself is not very meaningful or you
are not a good candidate for an interview. Interesting equals newsworthy.
5. Keep your release to two pages or less.
Generally, if you can't state your message in two pages, you are not getting to the point
fast enough. Editors are always looking for concise, easy-to-read releases that can be
thrown onto a website or squeezed into a leftover space in a page layout. For highly
important news with many details, you can include a third page, but this should be done
sparingly.
6. Include a contact.
Every news release should include a contact person who the media can reach for more
information. This contact is your spokesperson and must be familiar with all the news in
the release. They should be prepared to answer questions.
7. Keep jargon to the minimum.
Avoid using highly technical terms and buzzwords familiar only to Linux insiders.
Jargon can date quickly, and complicated language irritates people who don't know what
you mean. Your goal is to tell your story to as wide an audience as possible, not to
unduly limit the audience. Even special-interest publications mostly write in plain
language and only use jargon and acronyms generally familiar to their readers.
8. Stress "benefits, benefits, benefits."
This falls under the category of "show, don't tell." Avoid claiming something is
"unique" or "the best" when you can't substantiate this. Instead, provide specific
examples of benefits, supported by evidence and anecdotes.
9. Be specific and detailed.
Marcia Yudkin, author of Six Steps to Free Publicity, talks about the "Yes, but what is
it?" syndrome. Nothing is more irritating than seeing constant references to a product
name or service name, but no information on what that product or service is. The reader
needs to be able to visualize a new product or understand what a service offers. This is
particularly critical for launches (announcements of new offerings). You should ask
someone unfamiliar with your product or service to read your release and then describe
the product or service in their own words.
10. Proofread!
This is easily forgotten, but extremely important. Always proofread your work before
 issuing the final release. Better yet, give the document to someone else (perhaps a copy
editor) who can readily spot spelling and grammatical errors. Nothing signals
unprofessionalism more than a typo-filled communication.

4.3. How to Maximize Media Coverage

1. Have a strategy:
Tailor your strategy for each public relations opportunity. Think about the audience you
want to reach and how to create excitement. An effective part of your strategy should be
to enforce your organization's core messages in all news releases.
2. Have a good story:
A news story must have a compelling beginning, middle, and end. Journalists recognize
a strong story within seconds, so tell your story quickly and succinctly.
3. Know your audience:
You wouldn't follow up on a potential business opportunity without knowing something
about their business, so don't call the news media blindly. Before you pitch to any media
outlet, study their work. Read the publication, watch the show, and listen to the radio
broadcast. Get familiar with the characteristics of the media outlet you are targeting.
Find out about their main audience and their likes and dislikes. (Internet message boards
are good for this.)
4. Invest in relationships:
The more you know about the media organization and your target editor, the better and
more confidently you can pitch to them. Building relationships now means editors will
be more likely to take your call when you've got an important story to tell. Best of all,
even if they can't offer you coverage on this particular story, they may refer you to
another reporter who can. As with any relationship, building trust is critical. Keep your
promises, and be on time. Be upfront about what you can and can't do. You might not be
able to do everything, but reporters will appreciate your honesty.
5. Think before you speak
A word of caution: everything you say to a reporter is on the record, regardless of
disclaimers. You are representing your organization at all times. The impression that
you give has a definite impact on how the media views your organization.
6. Monitor your media coverage:
Media coverage shows your success. As a media relations expert, the end goal is always
positive media coverage for your organization. When your organization is spotlighted in
major media outlets, you bring attention and respect to your business.
7. Look for a unique angle:
 Look for personal stories that can spur news media interest. For instance, if a local
school board is considering Linux to save money, focus your story on the human interest
angle. Unusual stories and angles that affect a media's audience are more likely to get
media coverage than mundane ones.
8. Know your story inside and out
Research your story carefully. This allows you to revise your pitch if the editor has
specific needs. You also must be able to answer any questions that the editor may have.
9. Be persistent:
There is a fine line between being persistent and annoying, but if you have a good story
and know your audience, it is fine to make contact attempts until you get feedback from
a reporter.
10. Follow up
Many potential leads are lost because public relations people fail to follow through. If a
reporter tells you to call back another time, make sure you do! Also, if a reporter doesn't
answer your email immediately, do not assume they are not interested. They might not
have had time to respond to the large volume of emails they receive.
11. Be creative:
Infusing your media relations plans with innovative thinking produces stronger, more
effective results, so avoid recycling the same old news releases and fact sheets.
12. Find information:
Do you sometimes feel like you just can't write the news release? This blockage often
indicates you don't have enough information. Do outside research. Interview an industry
analyst. Get another perspective. This investigation can lead to the information for a
great story.
13. Study and adopt good writing skills:
Use a journalistic approach. Look carefully at how reputable publications like The New
York Times or The Wall Street Journal structure a story. What is the lead? What kind of
quotes do they use? Study different types of stories. Features, appointment
announcements, news articles, and opinion pieces can all be useful in your public
relations campaign. Often, you will see the most important information is in the lead and
that the rest of the story follows. This inverted pyramid style is usually the best way to
organize an article.
14. Eliminate jargon and techno-speak:
Buzzwords are like bees—they can be highly irritating. Write with clear language, and
avoid clichés, which are another sign of weak writing.
15. Expect results:
Media coverage means increased visibility, which exposes your organization to more
prospective customers. The more people you can reach, the better the impact will be on
your organization.
 4.6. What Kind of Information is Newsworthy?
These are examples of great happenings that generate interest.
 Locations and launches. This kind of news is obvious. For instance, a new branch of your
organization may have just opened, and you want to make people aware of the new location
and offerings. Also, if you are launching a new product or have hired a local figure well-
known to the Linux community, these things are of great interest to the public.

 Industry developments and human interest. Sometimes newsworthy information is a little

less obvious. Every day happenings can be in the news. Whenever there are changes or new
developments in the industry, this clearly presents an opportunity for positive exposure and
media coverage in appropriate publications. For instance, how and why the change is being
undertaken may become a story in itself. Perhaps the change is being driven by a dynamic
Linux guru, worthy of a magazine profile. Sometimes these stories are called "case studies"
and typically are given favourable consideration by editors because of their considerable
human interest appeal.

 Numerical data and trends. Society is fascinated with numbers. The more impressive or
interesting the figures (relative to competitors and the rest of the industry), the more likely
media outlets are to use those numbers in their reporting.
 Organizational announcements. Notable changes in staff or volunteers are another way of
getting media exposure. The more important the position, the more newsworthy
organizational announcements become.
 Partnerships. Especially partnerships with far-reaching effects across the industry create a
major news story.
 Industry recognition. When your organization wins an award or is recognized by peers, let
the world know!
The bottom line is that you can find news in almost any event. Your responsibility is to
ensure that your organization becomes known and respected by editors, journalists,
educators, and other stakeholders with whom you are communicating. Remember, the more
respected your organization is, the more (and better) coverage you are likely to receive. The
determining factor in that judgment will be the audience—the readers, viewers, and listeners
who you reach. Effective and well-organized public relations efforts require news releases
and correspondences to reach an appropriate editor.
Activity: Edit the following Sample Materials.
1. Summary
2. Review
3. Article
4. Abstract
5. Concept Paper
6. Reflection
7. Diary
8. Application Letter
9. Biography

4.7 Using software programs to edit texts

4.6.1 Text Editing Soft wares

For many developers, a trusty text editor is all you need for even the most complex web
applications. Whether you’re creating a site from scratch, editing a CSS file, or messing
around with configuration files on the server – a good, solid text editor will do the trick just
fine. Last week, over 600 people voted for the text editor that they felt was the best from the
large set of options out in the market. In this article, you’ll find fifteen of the most
ubiquitous text editors for development as voted by you.

1. SciTE
SciTE, an open source text editor for Windows and Linux, was originally developed to
demonstrate the power of Scintilla. It has since grown into a fully-featured text editor for
developers. You can extend the default SciTE installation with user-generated configuration
files like the SciTE command-line launcher (a simple Windows command-line tool for
opening files in SciTE).

2. EditPlus

EditPlus is a Windows text editor for HTML and programming. It has syntax highlighting
for HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript (among others), a built-in web browser (which they call
Seamless Web Browser) for previewing your work and browsing the web, and auto-
completion. EditPlus isn’t free, and it costs thirty-five buckaroos for a 1-user license.

3. E – TextEditor
E – TextEditor, or just called E, is TextMate for Windows. It has a host of useful features
that developers will appreciate such as a personal revision control system to ease the burden
of managing multiple versions of a file, ultimate customization possibilities, and a collection
of automated tasks to save you time and improve your productivity. Check out the Keyboard
Shortcuts Cheatsheet to make writing with E more efficient.

4. GNU Emacs

GNU Emacs is an open source, cross-platform (available for various distros of Linux, Mac
OS X, and even Windows) text editor. Emacs is highly extensible and customizable to your
particular needs and has all of the things you’d expect from a developer’s source code editor
such as syntax highlighting, ability to edit plenty of file types, and the ability to broaden its
features with extensions such as debuggers and note managers/organizers.

5. gedit

gedit is the official open source text editor for GNOME (a desktop GUI for Linux-based and
Unix-based computers). It has a plethora of options and features that coders will love,
including syntax highlighting for many languages, full support for UTF-8 text, remote-file
editing, and file backups. It also has a very accommodating plugin system that permits you
to extend gedit.

6. TextPad

TextPad is a general purpose text editor for Windows-based systems. It has plenty of
features like a spell checker for 10 languages, a Warm Start feature which lets you start the
program from where you left off when you last opened it, and a keystroke macro recorder
for automating keystrokes (which can save you a ton of time from typing frequently-used
code), and lots more.

7. UltraEdit

UltraEdit is a popular and powerful Windows-based text editor for developers and
programmers. It has support for languages like PHP, JavaScript, Perl, C/C++, has built-in
file management features, and has a notable and robust search-and-replace feature. Check
out their feature map to see a gallery-style presentation of Ultra Edit’s features.

8. Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver is a fully-featured IDE for web designers and developers created by Adobe.
Its built-in Code View is excellent for developers: it has syntax-highlighting, a very smart
code-hinting/auto-completion feature, and on-the-fly syntax validation.

9. Komodo Edit / Komodo IDE

Komodo Edit is an open source, cross-platform (Windows, Linux, Mac) editor for serverside
languages that comes with Komodo IDE (but you can download it separately). Developers
will have a great set of features in store for them in Komodo Edit, including code folding for
tucking away lines of code you’re not currently working on, on-the-fly syntax checking, and
the ability to extend it with various plugins.

10. Aptana

ptana is a free, complete web development IDE that’s available as a standalone application
or as an Eclipse plugin. It has built-in support for popular libraries like jQuery, MooTools,
and Prototype to make client-side web development easier for you.

11. PSPad

PSPad is a freeware programmer’s editor for MS Windows. It has the ability to save
sessions so that you can return to your previous set-up after you close the program, a built-in
FTP client, and a text difference feature so that you can compare differences between
several files.

11. Vim

Vim is an advanced text editor for Linux, Windows, and the Mac OS. It is very extensible
and was designed with the principle of making text editing as efficient as possible. Many
consider it to be a programmer’s text editor, and even an IDE. Vim is charityware, meaning
that donations to the project go to charities.
12. Coda

Coda is a web development environment for the Mac OS. It’s powerful and elegant text
editor has all the features you’d expect from an application made for developers: syntax
highlighting, line numbers, and auto-completion. It also has the ability for live collaboration
(based on the Subetha Engine) and a Clips feature which is a floating window that stores
frequently used snippets automatically.

13. TextMate

TextMate is a powerful Mac OS editor for programmers and designers. It allows you to
theme the interface to your preference, auto completes character pairs like parenthesis and
brackets, and allows you to run shell commands from within a document.

14. Notepad++
Garnering close to a quarter of the total votes, Notepad++ stands to be the most popular text
editor for developers. Notepad++ is a free source code editor for Windows released under
the GPL license. Its features are too many to mention, but among the notable ones are:
macro-recording and playback for repetitive keystrokes, a powerful regular expression
search-and-replace, and support for many programming language.

4.7.2 Photo Editing

photo has a lot of important values in publication. Images or pictures are loud speakers; they
can express a great deal of message in small volume. Image or photo can be modified in
different ways. The following are some of the changes made on to image.
 Image alteration
 Noise reduction
 Image orientation
 Image orientation (from left to right)
 Perspective control and distortion
 Perspective control
 Lens correction
 Enhancing images
 Sharpening and softening images
 Selecting and merging of images
 Slicing of images- taking part of image
 Special effects-Images may be skewed and distorted in various ways.
 Change color depth
 Contrast change and brightening

To do these technology has brought the access of software. Here are some good free photo
editing software to edit your photos. Photo editing software differ from image editing
software as they provide specific features to edit your photos. The following are some of the
best soft wares you may use to edit photos.

a. Picasa:
Picasa is one of the most advanced free Photo Editing Software. It lets you manage your
complete photo library, edit photos easily, and upload photos to Picasa Web Album. It also
comes with Face recognition feature to automatically recognize and tag photos belonging to
same person.

B. Windows Live Photo Gallery:

Windows Live Photo Gallery is the free image editing software from Microsoft. It is a part
of Windows live suite. It comes with easy photo editing features, and lets you upload photos
to facebook. If Picasa did not have face recognition feature, I would have place Windows
Live Photo Gallery at first position. One feature that Windows Live Photo Gallery has that
Picasa does not is capability to create panoramic photos.
C. Photo Scape:
Photo Scape is one of the most popular photo editing software on my website. I think the
reasons for that are obvious. PhotoScape provides very easy to use functions specific to
photo editing. You can resize photos, add text to them, change their contrast, make them
black & white, change brightness, combine multiple photos, and more. Read PhotoScape
review

D. Zoner Photo Studio:

Zoner Photo Studio is full fledged free photo editing suite. It comes with photo viewer,
photo manger, and photo editor. It provides one click solutions to fix common problems
with photos, like, remove red eye, remove wrinkles from photos, add nice effects to photos,
sharpen pictures, and more. It also lets you easily share photos on Facebook, and Flickr. You
can tag pictures, and create panoramic photos.

E. Photo Pos Pro:

Photo Pos Pro photo editor is a commercial photo editor that recently became a freeware.
Photo Pos Pro photo editor provides tools for precision repairing of photos. It comes with
advanced photo editing features, and lets you add special effects to your photos. However, it
does not have any feature to manage your photo library.
Hornil Style Pix: Hornil StylePix is another free easy to use photo editing software. It is
actually a combination of photo editing and image editing software. It lets you draw
pictures, resize photos, rotate photos, synthesis photos, sharpen/blur photos, remove red eye,
remove dust, and much more.
F. Photo Perfect Express:
Photo Perfect Express is a nice free photo editing software that lets you easily fix your
photos, and optimize them. You can easily enhance images, and comes with full fledged
photo editing features.
G. Stoik Imagic Free:
Stoik Imagic Free is the freeware version of Stoik Imagic premium. The freeware version
provides photo management features, and photo editing features. Apart from that, Stoik
Imagic Free also provides video editing features. This is useful for simple video editing.
H. Xtreme Photo Designer:
Xtreme Photo Designer lets you easily edit, retouch, design, optimize, and distort your
photos. It comes with lot of photo editing tools, but makes it extremely easy to use those to
edit your photos.
I. PhotoPlus SE:
PhotoPlus SE is the free version of PhotoPlus software from Serif. The free version offers
some really cool photo editing features. You can enhance images with paintbrushes and
airbrushes; rotate, add perspective, and skew your images; and add special effects to your
photos using filters.

J. ArtWeaver Free:
Free version of Artweaver comes with basic photo editing tools. You can use various filters
to fix your photos. One great feature of Artweaver is that you can record all the changes that
you did to your photos, and can play them back later.
K. FotoMix:
FotoMix specializes in mixing multiple photos to create a single photo. You can also change
background of your photos.
Note: This list only includes the software that you can install on your computer, and does
not includes any online photo editor.
Glossary:

Editing- To edit means, in short, to prepare audio, video, photo/picture or text for
consumption after avoiding un wanted qualities. In other words editing is putting something
(as a literary work or a legislative bill) into acceptable form.
Edition- Is the process of correcting shaping and preparing for publication. It also may
mean the improved copy of a material.
Editor-is the individual expert engaged in editing process.
-can publish posts, manage posts as well as manage other people’s posts, etc.
Publication- The act or process of publishing printed matter.
 - An issue of printed material offered for sale or distribution.
- Communication of information to the public.

Proof Read- is the reading of a galley proof or computer monitor to detect and correct
production-errors of text or art. Proofreaders are expected to be consistently
accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before
publication.
Book- a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one
side and bound in covers: a book of selected poems

Booklet- a very thin book with a small number of pages giving information on
something.
Leaflet- (n, v):
1. a small flat or folded sheet of printed matter, as an advertisement or notice,usually
intended for free distribution.
2. one of the separate blades or divisions of a compound leaf.
3. a small leaflike part or structure.
4. a small or young leaf.
Pamphlet- (n):
1. a complete publication of generally less than 80 pages stitched or stapled together and
usually having a paper cover.
2. a short treatise or essay, generally a controversial tract, on some subject of
contemporary interest: a political pamphlet.
Brochure-(n):
(Also referred to as a pamphlet) is a type of leaflet. Brochures are most commonly found at
places that tourists frequently visit, such as museums, major shops, and tourist
information. Brochure racks or stands may suggest visits to amusement parks and other
points of interest. Another type of brochure is interpersonal brochures, which are
brochures based on other people. Then there are pamphlets that you can find in health clinics
and hospitals, that give help and advice to do with your health.
News Letter- (n): Small, printed (generally on letter-size paper), or published through other
means, newspaper or digest aimed for a select audience on a narrow subject, or for
circulation within an organization.
Journal-A journal is book of original entry (simple journal) in which miscellaneous credit
transactions which do not fit in any other books are recorded. It is also called miscellaneous
journal. The form and procedure for maintaining this journal is the same that of simple
journal.
The use of journal proper is confined to record the following transactions: Opening, closing,
transfer, adjustment, rectification entries, Entries for which there is no special journal, and
Entries for rare transactions has several related meanings:
a daily record of events or business; a private journal is usually referred to as a diary.
a newspaper or other periodical, in the literal sense of one published each day.
many publications issued at stated intervals, such as magazines, or scholarly journals,
academic journals, or the record of the transactions of a society, are often called journals.
Although journal is sometimes used as a synonym for "magazine", in academic use, a
journal refers to a serious, scholarly publication, most often peer-reviewed. A non-scholarly
magazine written for an educated audience about an industry or an area of professional
activity is usually[citation needed] called a professional magazine.
Magazine:
Periodicals, glossies or serials are publications that are printed with ink on paper, generally
published on a regular schedule and contain a variety of content. They are generally
financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all
three.

Module (n)- an instructional unit in a course that is planned as a self-contained and

independent learning sequence with its own objectives. For example a 120 hour language
course might be divided into four modules of 30 hours each. Assessment is carried out at the
end of each module. The use of modules is said to allow for flexible organization of a course
and can give learners a sense of achievement because objectives are more immediate and
specific.
Almanac(n)-an annual publication containing a calendar for the coming year, the times of
such events and phenomena as anniversaries, sunrises and sunsets, phases of the moon,
tides, etc., and other statistical information and related topics.
2. a publication containing astronomical or meteorological information, usually
including future positions of celestial objects, star magnitudes, and
culmination dates of constellations.
3. an annual reference book of useful and interesting facts relating to countries of the
world, sports, entertainment, etc.
Tabloid(n)- a size of newspaper page, about 14 inches high by 12 inches wide, half the
size of a standard page ; a newspaper using such a page size, esp. One with many pictures
and short, often sensational, news stories
Article (n):
1. a written composition in prose, usually nonfiction, on a specific topic, forming an
independent part of a book or other publication, as a newspaper or magazine.
2. an individual object, member, or portion of a class; an item or particular: an article of
food; articles of clothing.
3. something of indefinite character or description: What is that article?
4. an item for sale; commodity.
5. Grammar. any member of a small class of words like ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’

Encyclopedia (n)- is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of

information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of
knowledge. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries, which are usually accessed
alphabetically by article name. Encyclopedia entries are longer and more detailed than
those in most dictionaries. Generally speaking, unlike dictionary entries, which focus on
linguistic information about words, encyclopedia articles focus on factual information to
cover the thing or concept for which the article name stands.
Dictionary(n)-A dictionary (also called a wordbook, lexicon or vocabulary) is a collection
of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage
information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other
information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also
known as a lexicon.

Writer (adj.)- (Communication Arts / Journalism & Publishing) a person who writes books,
articles, etc., esp as an occupation
2. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) the person who has
written something specified
3. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a person who is able to write or write well
4. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) a scribe or clerk
5. (Music, other) a composer of music
6. (Law) Scot a legal practitioner, such as a notary or solicitor

Author (n) - one that originates or creates source

- the writer of a literary work (as a book)
-can publish and manage their own posts.
Reporter (n) - A reporter is a type of journalist who researches, writes, and reports on
information to be presented in mass media, including print media (newspapers and
magazines), electronic media (television, radio, documentary film), and digital media
(such as online journalism). Reporters cultivate sources, conduct interviews, engage in
research, and make reports.
Columnist (n)- A regular A writer of a column in a publication, such as a newspaper.
Journalism (n):
a. the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media
b. the public press c : an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of
news or the management of a news medium
c. writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b : writing characterized
by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation
c : writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest

Journalist (n)- a person engaged in journalism; especially a writer or editor for a news
medium; a writer who aims at a mass audience
2: a person who keeps a journal
Publisher (n)- Individual or corporation responsible for the printing and distribution of
digital or printed publications. Publishers also handle the marketing efforts for the
publications and usually are not the creator of the material. Publishers simply serve as the
intermediary between the author of the publication and the consumer market.
Producer (n)-is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee
and manage the recording (i.e. "production") of an artist's music. A producer has many roles
that may include, but are not limited to, gathering ideas for the project, selecting songs
and/or musicians, coaching the artist and musicians in the studio, controlling the recording
sessions, and supervising the entire process through mixing and mastering. Producers also
often take on a wider entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules,
and negotiations.
Contributors (n)– can write and manage their posts but not publish posts or upload media
files.
Subscribers (n) – can read comments/comment/receive newsletters, etc.
Administrators (n) – have access to all the administration features.
News Man- a person who gathers, reports, or comments on the news : reporter,
correspondent
Newsroom (n)- a place (as an office) where news is prepared for publication or broadcast
Newscaster (n)- someone who broadcasts the news
Newscast- A radio or television broadcast of the news by reading. Newscaster is the
person who does this work.
Director (n):
a. person or thing that directs.
b. one of a group of persons chosen to control or govern the affairs of a company
or corporation: a board of directors.
c. the person responsible for the interpretive aspects of a stage, film, or television
production; the person who supervises the integration of all the elements, as
acting, staging, and lighting, required to realize the writer's conception.
d. the musical conductor of an orchestra, chorus, etc.
e. manager or chief executive of certain schools, institutes, government
bureaus, etc.
Unit (n)
1 an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete; each of the individual
components making up a larger whole.  a device or part with a specified function.  a
self-contained or distinct section of a building or group of buildings.  a subdivision of a
larger military grouping.  a self-contained part of an educational course.  a single
manufactured item.
2 a standard quantity in terms of which other quantities may be expressed.
3 one as a number or quantity.

Chapter (n)
1 a main division of a book.  an Act of Parliament numbered as part of a session’s
proceedings.
2 a particular period in history or in a person’s life.
3 the governing body of a cathedral or other religious community, or of a knightly order.
4 chiefly N. Amer. a local branch of a society.

Section (n)

1 any of the more or less distinct parts into which something is or may be divided or from
which it is made up.
 N. Amer. a measure of land, equal to one square mile.
 chiefly N. Amer. a particular district of a town.
 NZ a building plot.
2. divide into sections.
3. Surgery divide by cutting.
4. Brit. commit (someone) compulsorily to a psychiatric hospital in accordance with a
section of a mental health act.
5. The cutting of a solid by or along a plane.
 the shape resulting from cutting a solid along a plane.
 a representation of the internal structure of something as if it has been cut
 through.
6. Surgery a separation by cutting.

7 a distinct group within a larger body of people or things.  a subdivision of an army

platoon.  Biology a secondary taxonomic category, especially a subgenus.
8. Biology a thin slice of plant or animal tissue prepared for microscopic examination.

Module(n)
n. each of a set of standardized parts or independent units that can be used to construct a
more complex structure.
 each of a set of independent units of study or training forming part of a course.
 an independent self-contained unit of a spacecraft.

Text (n)
1 a written or printed work regarded in terms of content rather than form.  the original
words of an author or document.  Computing data corresponding to a body of writing.
2 the main body of a book or other piece of writing, as distinct from appendices,
illustrations, etc.
3 a written work chosen as a subject of study.  a passage from the Bible or other religious
work, especially as the subject of a sermon.
4 (also text-hand) archaic fine, large handwriting, used especially for manuscripts.

Story (n)
1 An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment.  a storyline.
2 An account of past events, experiences, etc.  an item of news.
3 Informal a lie. PHRASES the same old story a bad situation that is tediously familiar.
the story goes it is said. the story of one’s life informal a misfortune that has happened
too often in one’s experience. to cut (or N. Amer. make) a long story short used to end
an account of events quickly.

Libel (n)
1. Law the publication of a false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation.
Compare with slander.  such a statement; a written defamation.
2 (in admiralty and ecclesiastical law) a plaintiff’s written declaration.
1 Law defame by publishing a libel.
2 (in admiralty and ecclesiastical law) bring a suit against.

Copyright (n)
- the exclusive legal right, given to the originator or their assignee for a fixed number of
years, to publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to
authorize others to do the same.
- secure copyright for (such material).

Report (n)
1 give a spoken or written account of something.  convey information about an event or
situation.
2 make a formal complaint about.
3 present oneself as having arrived at a particular place or as ready to do something.
4 (report to) be responsible to (a supervisor or manager).
5 Brit. formally announce that a parliamentary committee has dealt with (a bill).  (report
a bill out) US return a bill to the legislative body for action.
1 an account given of a matter after investigation or consideration.
2 a piece of information about an event or situation.  talk; rumour.
3 Brit. a teacher’s written assessment of a pupil’s work and progress.
4 Law a detailed formal account of a case heard in a court.
5 a sudden loud noise of or like an explosion or gunfire.
6 an employee who reports to another employee: she had five direct reports.

Reference (n)
1 the action of mentioning something.  a mention or citation of a source of information in
a book or article.
2 the action of referring to a source of information or higher authority.
 3 a letter from a previous employer testifying to someone’s ability or reliability.
-provide (a book or article) with references.

Bibliography (n)
1. a list of sources referred to in a particular work or a list of the books of a specific author
or on a specific subject.
2. the study of books in terms of their classification, printing, and publication.

Headline
- a heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine.  (the headlines) a
summary of the most important items of news.
1 provide with a headline.
2 appear as the star performer at (a concert).
Column (n)
1 an upright pillar supporting an arch or other structure or standing alone as a monument. 
an upright shaft used for controlling a machine.
2 a vertical division of a page or text.  a regular section of a newspaper or magazine on a
particular subject or by a particular person.
3 a line of people or vehicles moving in the same direction.  Military a narrow-fronted
deep formation of troops in successive lines.

Format (n)
n. the way in which something is arranged or presented.  Computing a defined
structure for the processing, storage, or display of data.
v. (formatted, formatting) (especially in computing) arrange or put into a format. 
prepare (a storage medium) to receive data.

Design (n)
1 a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of something before
it is built or made.  the art or action of conceiving of and producing such a plan or
drawing.  purpose or planning that exists behind an action or object.
2 a decorative pattern.
v. decide upon the look and functioning of (something), especially by making a detailed
drawing of it.  do or plan (something) with a specific purpose in mind.
Layout (n)
1 the way in which something, especially a page, is laid out.
2 a thing set out in a particular way: a model railway layout.

Citation (n)
1. a quotation from or reference to a book or author.
2. a mention of a praiseworthy act in an official report.  a note accompanying an award,
giving reasons for it.
3 Law a reference to a former case, used as guidance or in support of an argument.
4 Law, chiefly N. Amer. a summons.
APA- American psychological Association
MLA- Modern Language Association

Summary(n):
*n. (pl. summaries) a brief statement of the main points of something.
1. dispensing with needless details or formalities.
2. Law (of a judicial process) conducted without the customary legal formalities.  (of a
conviction) made by a judge or magistrate without a jury.

Review (n)
1 a formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary.
 Law a reconsideration of a judgement or sentence by a higher court or authority.
2 a critical appraisal of a book, play, or other work.
 a periodical with critical articles on current events and the arts.
 a retrospective survey or report.
3 a ceremonial display and formal inspection of military or naval forces.
4 a facility for playing a tape recording during a fast wind.
5 carry out or write a review of.
6 view or inspect again.
. Abstract (n)
*1 theoretical rather than physical or concrete.
2. relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external, recognizable reality.
 consider theoretically or separately from something else.
4. extract or remove.  (abstract oneself) withdraw.
5. [as adj. abstracted] not concentrating.
6. make a written summary of. a summary of a book or article.
8. an abstract work of art.

Reflection (n)

1 the fact or phenomenon of light, heat, sound, etc. being reflected.  something reflected or
an image so formed.
2 a thing bringing discredit.
3 serious thought or consideration.  a considered idea, expressed in writing or speech.
4 Mathematics the symmetry operation of inverting something with respect to a plane.

. Diary (n)
(pl. diaries) a book in which one keeps a daily record of events and experiences.  a book
with spaces for each day of the year in which to note appointments.

Biography (n)
(pl. biographies) an account of someone’s life written by someone else.

Introduction (n)
*1 the action of introducing or being introduced.  a thing, such as a product, plant, etc.,
newly brought in.
2 a formal presentation of one person to another, in which each is told the other’s name.
3 a preliminary thing, such as an explanatory section at the beginning of a book, report, etc.
 a preliminary section in a piece of music, often thematically different from the main
section.
4 a book or course of study intended to introduce a subject to a person.  a person’s first
experience of a subject or thing.
preface (n)
*1 an introduction to a book, typically stating its subject, scope, or aims.
2 Christian Church the introduction to the central part of the Eucharist.
1 provide with a preface.
2 (preface something with/by) introduce or begin a speech or event with or by doing
something.

Title (n)
*1 the name of a book, musical composition, or other artistic work.  a caption or credit in a
film or broadcast.
2 a name that describes someone’s position or job.
3 a word used before or instead of someone’s name, indicating social or official rank,
profession, or academic or marital status.
4 a descriptive or distinctive name that is earned or chosen: the title of Best Restaurant of the
Year.
5 the position of being the champion of a major sports competition: he won the world title.
6 Law a right or claim to the ownership of property or to a rank or throne.
7 (in church use) a fixed sphere of work and source of income as a condition for ordination.
 a parish church in Rome under a cardinal.
.
Topic (n)
1. a subject of a text, speech, conversation, etc.
2. Linguistics that part of a sentence about which something is said, typically the first major
constituent.

Appendix(n)
1 (also vermiform appendix) Anatomy a tube-shaped sac attached to the lower end of the
large intestine.
2 a section of subsidiary matter at the end of a book.

Index (n)
n. (pl. indexes or especially in technical use indices
*1 an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc., with references to the places in a book where
they occur. an alphabetical list or catalogue of books or documents.
2 an indicator, sign, or measure of something - a number representing the relative value or
magnitude of something in terms of a standard: a price index.
3 Mathematics an exponent or other superscript or subscript number appended to a quantity.
4 Printing a symbol shaped like a pointing hand used to draw attention to a note.
5 record in or provide with an index.
6 link the value of (prices, wages, etc.) automatically to the value of a price index.
7 ofen as noun indexing] (of a machine or part) move from one predetermined position to
another to carry out a sequence of operations.

Forward (n)
1 in the direction that one is facing or travelling.  in or near the front of a ship or aircraft.
2 onward so as to make progress.
3 in the normal order or sequence.
4 ahead in time.
adj.
1 towards the direction that one is facing or travelling.  situated in or near the front of a
ship or aircraft.
2 relating to the future.
3 bold or over-familiar in manner.
4 further advanced than expected or required.
n.
1 an attacking player in football, hockey, or other sports.
2 (forwards) agreements to trade specified assets at a specified price at a certain future date.
Compare with future (in sense 4).
v.
1 send (a letter) on to a further destination.  dispatch; send.
2 promote.
References
 American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 10th ed.
New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:246-59.
 Callaham ML. Journal policy on ethics in scientific publication. Ann Emerg Med.
2003;41:82-89.
 Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Code of conduct. Available at:
[Link] (Accessed January 20, 2011).
 Carolyn Boccella Bagin and Jo Van Doren( ) “How to Avoid Costly Proofreading
Errors”
 Davis RM, Mullner M. Editorial independence at medical journals owned by professional
associations. Sci Eng Ethics. 2002;8:513-528.
 Gastel B. The relationship between journal editors and journal owners. Science Editor.
2001;24:43.
 Floyd K. Baskette, Jack Z. Sissors, and Brian S. Brooks.( ) The Art of Editing,
Butcher, Judith; Drake, Caroline; Leach, Maureen (2006). Butcher's Copy-editing: The
Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Copy-editors and Proofreaders (4 ed.). Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
 "[Link] \l "cite_note-0"
Chapter-one

Answer
I. Say either true or false
[Link] 2. False 3. False 4. True 5. False [Link] 7. True [Link]

II. Choose the correct answer.

1. a 2. d 3. c 4.e 5. a 6. e 7. e 8. c 9.f
III. Matching
1. e 2.b 3.c 4. a 5. g

Chapter two

I. Multiple choices
1. b 2.c 3.a 4. d 5. a

III. Symbols and examples

Symbol Meaning Example
e.g / or Delete Remove the end fitting.
1 Space -mmmm kkkkkk dddddd ttttttttt

2 Move to a new --mmmm kkkkkk dddddd ttttttttt

position
3 Cap Capitalize --mmmm kkkkkk dddddd ttttttttt
4 Center - dddddd ttttttttt
5 Close up - Class room